What are the health benefits of humble Bananas?-By Dr Harold Gunatillake

Transcript:
If you must eat a banana in public, never make eye contact.
Darynda Jones
Almost every Sri Lankan home on the dining table, there is always a fruit bowl included a bunch of bananas.
It is always there for you to enjoy, so easy to eat after breakfast or lunch, or anytime you wish, assisting in your digestion. They help digestion because the 27 grams ofcarbs they contain are easily broken down. They are beneficial to eat if you suddenly get stomach discomfort like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and in such a situation restores the lost electrolytes back into your body.

Bananas is the staple food in Uganda, Bukoba and Tanzania.
Bananas and avocados are fruits that is easier to digest, and easy to munch and swallow. The ripe banana when the skin is bright yellowish with brown spots on the peel, the carbs in the form of starch is less rest resistant, or not resistant than in the less ripe ones.

In unripe bananas when the skin is green in color, approximately 70-80% of their dry weight is starch, which is resistant. This resistant starch is not digested in the small gut and becomes dietary fiber.
Because of the resistant starch in the ash plantains, the Ayurveda physicians recommend for the diabetics.

The green bananas, especially the variety called ash plantain or alu kesel, has a thick skin, sliced, and made into a curry when they are raw, with added with coconut milk, cinnamon, mustard, in our homes, and goes well with the rice and other curries.

There is a difference between Plantains and bananas. Bananas have a sweater taste and make perfect snacks while plantains are less sweet and can’t be consumed raw as you would do with a banana. So, ash plantains are better to eat in the curry form.

Bananas produce ethylene gas which changes the starch into sugar. This softens and sweetens their flesh, while the peel changes from green to yellow.
As the ripen continues brown spots appear and eventually, the entire peel turns brown.

Rice that is cooked and eaten has, soluble starch. But if any starch containing foods are cooked and cooled due to retrogradation, become more resistant starch and not digested and absorbed through your gut.
Suitable way to eat rice for those having diabetes.

Foods with resistant starch is suitable for the diabetics to keep the blood sugar low after food.
From a nutritional standpoint, not many foods measure up to the quality and quantity of nutrients packed inside a banana.
Medium sized banana provides 105 calories with virtually no fat, cholesterol, or sodium.
So, bananas are the best fruits for those having or prevent heart disease, having no fat, no sodium and cholesterol. Further due to the high potassium content brings down blood pressure, too.
Bananas have about 75% of water, which is good to eat when you are thirsty.

How does potassium bring down blood pressure?
The more potassium you eat, the more sodium you lose through urine. Potassium also helps to ease tension in your blood vessel walls, which helps further lower blood pressure
Each banana has 48% glucose, 40% fructose, 2% of sucrose, Starch 5%, and 27 grams of carbs.
Though bananas are high in sugar, it fits into a food plan, where diabetes is well controlled.
Diabetics must carry a banana wherever they go, because it would be ideal food when you get early signs of hypoglycemia, almost as good as carrying jellybeans.
They are excellent sources of potassium, a mineral essential for regulating your blood pressure, fluid balance, heart health, as mentioned earlier, further good for nerve, and muscle function.
They are good for people who get regular muscle cramps.
They also provide a good source of vitamin C and B6, as well as magnesium and calcium

An average banana has 3 grams of fiber, which can help feeling of fullness and becomes prebiotic food for the gut microbiota.
Bananas have amino acids less than 1% as glutamic acid, Aspartic acid histidine leucine, among others.
Glutamic acid is the most common stimulating neurotransmitter in the central nervous system
Aspartic acid can boost low testosterone levels. A good reason why men should have a banana a day.
Histidine used in growth, repair of damaged tissues, and making blood cells. It helps protect nerve cells. It’s used by the body to make histamine.
Bananas have 1% of tryptophan. It helps the body make proteins and certain brain-signaling chemicals. Your body changes tryptophan into a brain chemical called serotonin. Serotonin helps control your mood, sleep and feelings of well-being and happiness.

Bananas contain 1% of tyrosine. It helps the body produce enzymes, thyroid hormones, and the skin pigment melanin. It also helps the body produce neurotransmitters that helps nerve cells communicate. Tyrosine is particularly important in the production of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Though bananas have so much of beneficial micronutrients for the wellbeing of humans, the amounts present are so minute, additional supplementation will be required from other foods and supplements.

They have fatty acids about 1%- such as palmitic acid, Omega -6 fatty acids, Linoleic acid, Omega -3 fatty acids among others.
Surprising skin and beauty benefits of Banana
Cut a small piece of banana peel and rub it on the face on acne spots for a few minutes until the inside of the peel turns brown. As it dries, your skin will absorb the vitamins and nutrients in the peel.
Do these 2 to 3 times per day for 30 minutes at a time for the best results.
Nerve damage
Bananas are a good source of B6. Also called pyridoxine.
Vitamin B6 helps to maintain a strong immune system and guard against infections.
It is important for normal brain development and keeping your nervous system healthy.
You should not take more than 1000mg as supplement a day may cause nerve damage and pain or numbness in the hands or feet.
Each banana provides up to 33% of the daily value of this vitamin.

Never discard over-ripe bananas. Put them in the freezer for 12 hours, then peel the skin and mash it.
You will have the experience of enjoying the best ice cream in the world-take my word and try.

Hope this video talk was useful. So, never say going bananas when you get excited or angry. Mother Teresa said in India, a woman dying in the street will share her banana with anyone who needs it.
So, Goodbye for now and stay safe.

Hope this video will not drive your bananas, because I am talking about bananas, most versatile fruit, and their health benefits for all mankind.

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