Banana is a fruit that is widely available, inexpensive, and flexible. For a boost of energy and a creamier feel, you can just eat one on the go and also add some peanut butter or use it in a smoothie. The combination of what you eat during the day. How active you are, will have the greatest effect, especially in the long term on your weight loss journey.
Banana is a great source of potassium which helps you lose weight. Have you ever wondered if you know about the health benefits of bananas? Bananas are high in carbohydrates.
The calories in a banana are composed mainly of complex carbohydrates including resistant starch, which has advantages for digestive health. For your blood pressure and general health, the vitamins, calories, and potassium in bananas are healthy.
Some of the specifics about this common fruit are below:
Calories in Various Sizes of Bananas
One banana contains 3.1 grams of fiber which leads to the question, how many calories are there in a raw, ripe banana?
The US Department of Agriculture says:
- A small banana of around 101 grams has 90 calories.
- There are 105 calories in a medium-sized banana (about 118 grams).
- And a big one (around 136 grams) has 121 calories in it.
Calories alone do not tell anything about the food’s consistency. So let’s look at the truth about banana nutrition, and where all those calories come from.
Nutrition Facts of Banana
The USDA offers the following dietary details for one medium banana
- Calories: 105
- Fat: 0.4g
- Sodium: 1.2mg
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 3.1g
- Sugars: 14.4g
- Protein: 1.3g
Carbohydrates/Carbs
Carbs are the main fuel for our body and brain which are an umbrella term for sugars, starches, and fibers, and their advantages are determined by the combination of these three. The greener the banana, the more starch it contains, and the less sugar it has. They account for 90% of banana calories.
The starch becomes sugar in a ripe banana. Considering that the recommended daily intake of sugar for a woman is 25 gm and 38 gm for men, 12 grams of sugar per 100 grams of banana may scare you.
One medium banana packs have 27 grams of carbs. A fully ripe banana is looking like a yellow banana. The consistency of banana sugar, however, varies from the added sugar you consume with a cup of coffee in a Frappuccino or a cake. So, be aware, but don’t be scared.
Fiber
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that our body is unable to digest, and it is of good quality. It monitors the use of sugar, avoids a sugar crash that leaves us after the meal with little energy, and plays a role in the health of the gut.
Around 10 percent of the daily fiber needs are fulfilled by just one average-sized banana. For several diseases, the fiber in bananas mitigates risk factors. This helps lower levels of cholesterol and slows down digestion, helping you feel complete for longer.
Check Also:Â Top 20 High Fiber Foods
Fats
this popular fruit with less than 1/2 gram per medium-sized banana, is low in fat. You can easily make pancakes to mix everything in a food processor. Only having bananas is not responsible for weight gain. Weight gain depends on different issues. Banana has a 2000 calorie diet and dietary fiber.
You can also get banana peels. Banana peels are not harmful. Frozen bananas are also popular for making ice cream. This fresh fruit helps us to maintain a healthy weight and a healthy diet. Researchers said that athletes’ body physiology is very important.
Banana has fiber intake, dietary potassium, carbohydrate content, essential nutrients, extra sodium, and sodium content that helps them on their performance time.
Banana enhances the power of white blood cells, blood sugar response, blood vessels, blood sugar spikes and a balanced diet. Banana contains high amounts of vitamin B6 that helps to recover chronic diseases and chronic kidney disease and aid in weight loss. We have to avoid junk food.
Protein
Bananas are poor in protein. Just about 1.3 grams of protein is produced by medium-sized fruit. But more important than quantity is the consistency of protein in a banana. Some reports indicate that lectin suppresses cancer cell proliferation, a protein that occurs in bananas.
Nevertheless, bananas remain one of the most popular fruits and snacks among individuals with an active lifestyle because of other features.
It’s important to also note the level of:
- Starch: 5.38 g
- Magnesium: 27 mg.
- Potassium: 358 mg
- Vitamin C: 8.7 mg.
An average banana contains 12% of the daily potassium intake recommended and 17% of the daily vitamin C recommended. If all those numbers don’t make any sense for now, just wait and we’re going to cover how those micronutrients impact your daily life.
Minerals and Vitamins
Bananas, the yellow fruit is known for their potassium content, offering 422 mg of potassium in one medium-sized banana, or about 9 percent of the daily value set by the USDA. Bananas contain some vitamin C, folate, magnesium, and choline alongside potassium.
Glycemic Index of a Banana
Different types of carbs all come together in a banana, and what is important to know is the percentage of starches, sugars, and fiber. Bananas are quite high in sugar, but a banana is a low glycemic fruit because of the amount of fiber and starches.
- The score on the glycemic index for green bananas is around 30.
- A ripe banana’s GI is around 51.
This means your blood sugar rises gradually after eating a banana and low glycemic index foods are also associated with lowering cholesterol levels, regulating blood sugar levels, and preventing diseases associated with these conditions.
The list of health benefits associated with bananas includes:
- Heart health promotion
- Blood Pressure Regulation
- Avoidance of kidney stones
- Reduction of stroke hazards
- Relief from pain of muscle cramps and pain
- Anxiety alleviation and signs of stress
- Improved sleep quality
- Sleep Disorder Care
Final Thoughts
We prefer to underestimate the banana as a simple fruit although a banana’s number of calories is low, it contains a wide range of nutrients. There are 105 calories in one medium banana, 90 percent of which are carbohydrates. But carbs do not affect the health or form of a banana which also has natural sugar that our bodies easily digest. Fiber, magnesium, potassium, and other vitamins are rich in bananas. This unusual composition of nutrients makes bananas much more than a sweet treat.
