Bananas: benefits and harm for the body, for health, how much to eat

All bodybuilders and young ladies involved in fitness who are interested in issues of body composition probably know that their diet does not allow many sweet and tasty things. Only honey, dried apricots and dates are allowed. That's the whole list. Therefore, any opportunity to add to this list is literally worth its weight in gold. But bananas for bodybuilding are quite capable of becoming a healthy snack. Let's take a closer look at what this fruit is and how it is useful for those involved in bodybuilding. Moreover, questions about this are often asked by readers who want to understand this. So this article is just the answer to numerous questions.

Composition and calorie content

The pulp of ripe bananas contains:

• 75% water;
• 20% sugar;
• 1.6% starch;
• 1.3% nitrogenous substances;
• 0.4% organic acids;
• 0.5% pectin substances;
• 0.6% fiber;
• 0.8% ash.

Banana ash itself contains many useful minerals, such as:

• potassium;
• sodium;
• magnesium;
• phosphorus;
• sulfur;
• calcium;
• iron;
• manganese;
• copper.

Bananas contain the following vitamins: E and C, B1, B2, provitamin A, PP, and vitamin B6.

The tropical fruit contains pectin, folic, ascorbic and malic acid, as well as many enzymes that improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

100 grams of ripe banana contains about 90 kcal.

Bananas before bed – give the go-ahead!

Don't be afraid to eat a banana at night. Can we agree with this? There are a number of arguments supporting this theory.

• Helps normalize sleep.

The melatonin produced helps in establishing biological rhythms. The mineral magnesium is involved in the overall relaxation of the body. Vitamin A ensures the normalization of the sleep process. Phosphorus is involved in the restoration of the nervous system. Add the release of serotonin to the above and get healthy, sound sleep and wake up in a great mood. Eating bananas before bed is a great way to cope with stress and recover.

• Helps to lose extra pounds.

A banana at night when losing weight can be an excellent solution for people watching their weight. With easy digestibility, this fruit helps cleanse the body, removes excess water, speeds up metabolism and normalizes digestion.

Plus, the fruit satisfies hunger easily and for a long time, helping to reduce nighttime raids to the refrigerator. Eaten at night before bed (1-2 hours before), a banana will work to bring your body to its ideal state while you rest.

• Acts like a medicine.

Is it possible to eat bananas every day?

One of the most delicious and healthy desserts is the most common bananas. True, this fruit has a high glycemic index, so bananas are not suitable for dietary nutrition. But supporters of proper nutrition may well include bananas in their daily diet.

Do you eat bananas for breakfast?

Not really

When preparing a smoothie, cocktail or dessert dish, this fruit is often the main base. With bananas, the dish is more energetically satisfying and healthier. If you also add pineapple or dates, the result will be a high-calorie dessert drink.

Whether to eat bananas every day or not, each person makes his own decision. It all depends on the accompanying components, health status and even the availability of funds. Nothing bad will happen if you add a banana to your porridge in the morning. This will only improve digestion.

Bananas have high nutritional value. It is enough to eat one fruit at a time to improve intestinal activity. This is due to the fact that the fruit contains fiber and pectin.

Many may ask why this fruit is so beneficial. Let's explain. Just one banana contains 400-450 mg of potassium. This amount is enough to normalize the functioning of the cardiovascular system, reduce blood pressure and strengthen the heart muscle, and remove excess water from the body.

Improves mood

Bananas are a storehouse of vitamins that help overcome depression and bad mood. This includes folic acid, potassium, B vitamins, and other micronutrients.

Vitamin B is also involved in improving mood. The southern fruit is rich in tryptophan, a substance similar in effect to serotonin. It also has a positive effect on a person’s mood, relieving anxiety, aggressiveness and irritability.

Increase hemoglobin

Many nutritional experts recommend using bananas as a light snack, since these exotic fruits contain many useful microelements. Among them, serotonin and endorphins, popularly called “happiness hormones,” should be highlighted.

To normalize high blood pressure, bananas are an ideal option. They contain a large amount of potassium and low sodium. This tandem helps a person avoid probable stroke manifestations in general.

It is generally accepted that bananas can be used as a preventive and therapeutic effect in situations with stroke, heart attack or hypertensive crises. An important chemical element such as iron helps deliver oxygen to cells.

According to many gynecologists, females are recommended to include bananas in their diet on the eve of the menstrual cycle. This exotic fruit will help eliminate the negative symptoms of PMS. It is also useful to eat them before/after physical activity.

The Slavic people mainly eat fresh bananas. And, for example, among Cubans this fruit appears in many national recipes. Here bananas are a side dish or separately prepared dishes. It is very tasty to enjoy deep-fried bananas with a meat dish. Venezuelans love banana rice.

If a person has difficulty bowel movements, he needs to enrich his diet with bananas. They are great at helping to cope with problems of this kind.

The exotic fruit contains 12 g of choline. This substance prevents the process of gas formation and also helps burn fat. Probiotics are beneficial intestinal bacteria that feed on poorly digestible carbohydrates containing fructose molecules.

Conquer toxicosis

In the first trimester of pregnancy, it is useful for women to eat bananas to reduce the negative manifestations of toxicosis. The exotic fruit does not have a pungent odor or unpleasant taste, and besides, you can get completely satiated with it.

Due to toxicosis, many women cannot eat normally. In this case, an exotic fruit can be a good option as a light snack.

Of course, everyone knows that bananas have many benefits for the human body. But most of all, this exotic fruit is valued for the fact that it can fill you up when used as a healthy snack.

According to statistics, one banana contains up to 100 kcal. It contains a sufficient amount of fiber and potassium. These components help quickly saturate the body and satisfy hunger.

English researchers conducted interesting experimental experiments. Before the exam, a group of students (200 people) were given bananas to eat, and the other part passed the exam without eating this fruit. In the control group, grades were significantly higher.

Researchers explained this phenomenon by the presence of potassium in the exotic fruit, and in large quantities. This element helps strengthen memory and improve mental abilities. Scientists have repeatedly proven that eating bananas increases concentration and performance.

As described above, the exotic fruit is rich in potassium and magnesium. But besides this, bananas contain B vitamins. They will help a person cope with the symptoms of tobacco addiction. For example, after eating a banana, headaches, cravings for smoking, and nausea decrease.

Bananas have a wonderful property - they can neutralize increased stomach acidity, as well as relieve irritability of its walls. If you consume these exotic fruits on a regular basis, you can avoid the appearance of peptic ulcers.

Bananas contain protease inhibitors. The task of the latter is to assist in eliminating harmful microorganisms living in the gastric environment. Note that such food cannot fully replace drug therapy in the treatment of gastric diseases. Bananas can only be used as a preventative product.

Most often, athletes or people involved in fitness prefer to snack on bananas during workout breaks. This fruit is valuable for its nutritional properties and energy boost.

Knowledgeable people say that bananas must be eaten both before and after training sessions. The exotic fruit helps normalize blood sugar levels.

In addition, muscle cramps will not occur during physical activity, which will help avoid injury. After training, bananas are eaten to replenish energy and expended strength.

As you know, banana is a supplier of calcium to the body. This element plays an essential role in the skeletal system.

About the benefits of bananas in bodybuilding

Bananas play a special role in bodybuilding. For athletes who use them, several beneficial effects are provided at once:

- if you eat two bananas before each workout, they will help maintain the amount of sugar contained in the blood at an optimal level, and also charge the entire body with the necessary energy, replenish carbohydrate reserves and extend the duration of the workout;

— a banana eaten after a workout will replenish the body’s need for potassium, which should be consumed up to 5 grams per day - this will improve muscle function;

— the presence of manganese in bananas will speed up metabolism, energy will be extracted from products more efficiently, and the athlete’s training will be more active and productive;

— thanks to vitamin B6, nerve cells are formed and function correctly, connections between the brain and muscles develop, and the sense of balance increases;

— during training, bananas protect muscles from muscle spasms and cramps;

— an increased amount of vitamin C ensures high-quality absorption of proteins, strengthens tendons and ligaments, and during physical activity plays an important role in the synthesis of adrenaline.

Myths about bananas

There are several myths about bananas that are worth talking about, especially since there are only a few of them.

Bananas cause tooth decay.

Caries develops under the influence of sugars and simple carbohydrates that remain on the surface of the teeth for a long time, which leads to the destruction of enamel under the influence of bacteria. Naturally ripened bananas, like those bought green and ripened to a yellow state, are not dangerous for teeth, since the carbohydrates they contain have not broken down into simple sugars. This issue is completely resolved by rinsing the mouth with warm water.

Bananas contribute to excess weight.

It all depends on the intensity of banana consumption. By eating 7-10 bananas a day and not engaging in physical activity, you can really gain excess weight. Eating 2-3 bananas a day will help promote weight loss thanks to the pectin and resistant starch that keep you feeling full longer.

Bananas are a panacea that cures all diseases.

Banana is a healthy, but ordinary fruit. It does not have any supernatural effects on the body, and you should not rely on its healing properties. You can’t focus on bananas, you need to eat a variety of fruits.

A Practical Approach to Bananas

When delivered to our country, bananas are usually green in color. They are placed in a gas chamber and kept in an environment of “banana gas”, which is a mixture of nitrogen and ethylene. Instead of two weeks under the sun, ripening in a gas chamber takes 2-3 hours. Such artificially ripened bananas are not harmful to humans, but their beneficial properties are lost and their nutritional value decreases, which is determined by the length of stay in the chamber and the gas concentration.

To choose the right bananas, you need to pay attention to their color. It is best to buy green, slightly unripe bananas so that they ripen at home. When black dots appear on yellow bananas, this confirms the maximum ripeness and sugar content of the fruit.

When to eat bananas for those who exercise

You need to refuel with a source of carbohydrates on time. When the body digests food, the blood flow should be directed not to the muscles, but to the stomach. Therefore, it is best to eat a banana 40-50 minutes before and immediately after a heavy workout, so that nutrients and glycogen stores are replenished. You can use bananas with milk as a protein shake. Combining bananas with protein when consumed after a workout enhances the anabolic response of muscles. Half a banana can be eaten directly during training - this will enhance physical performance during training.

If you buy them slightly unripe, you can store bananas in a dry, dark place for up to several days. If you peel them first, you can store them in the refrigerator.

Beneficial properties of banana

Increase hemoglobin

Due to the large number of useful substances, bananas have a beneficial effect on the body, namely:

• improve hemoglobin;
• saturate the brain with oxygen;
• normalize water-salt balance in the body;
• reduce elevated body temperature;
• restore heart rhythm;
• remove waste and toxins;
• treat hemorrhoids;
• easily cope with constipation;
• help with headaches;
• strengthen bone tissue;
• promote muscle growth;
• lift your spirits;
• relieve irritability;
• help you fall asleep faster;
• increase productivity;
• relieve eye fatigue;
• whiten tooth enamel;
• treat skin diseases.

For men

Banana is extremely useful for men, as it increases potency and sexual desire. Eating bananas also improves the quality of sperm produced.

For men who are actively involved in sports, bananas will help build muscle faster and give you energy.

For women

• Since bananas contain folic acid, eating this fruit will provide your hair with natural shine and beauty.
• Thanks to the nutrients contained in banana pulp, you can eliminate fine wrinkles on the face and keep your skin healthy and beautiful for many years.
• Bananas will help reduce swelling of the eyelids and remove redness of the skin.
• Vitamins C and A, which are present in large quantities in bananas, will replenish the lack of moisture and restore elasticity to damaged and dry skin.
• Bananas will help get rid of painful sensations in the lower abdomen caused by menstrual periods.

• Bananas will help cope with the unpleasant manifestations of toxicosis. Eating bananas will help regulate bowel function.
• The vitamin and mineral complex contained in bananas will provide useful substances not only to the body of the expectant mother, but also to the body of the unborn child.
• Bananas have a beneficial effect on the production of the hormone oxytocin, which plays a major role in labor and also stimulates milk production.

For children

Bananas are considered an indispensable product in baby food.

• They not only satisfy hunger and give vital energy, but also stimulate brain activity, which helps children to be attentive and study well.
• Also, the iron contained in bananas stimulates the production of hemoglobin.
• When you eat bananas every day, pale skin and general malaise will disappear.

It is enough to consume several pieces of dried bananas per day to provide the body with all useful micro- and macroelements.

• Dried bananas can be given to children instead of chocolates to improve their mood and give them energy.
• Dried bananas will benefit women with brittle and dry hair, peeling nails and poor skin color.
• Bananas help restore the natural pigmentation of facial skin, fight hair loss and strengthen nails.
• Dried bananas help with constipation, anemia, gastrointestinal diseases, and increase immunity.
• Due to their high vitamin C content, bananas help fight viruses during colds and ARVI.

Read more about the beneficial properties of pomegranate

Read more about the benefits and harms of grapes

Harm and chemicals of bananas

Anything that is excessive is not healthy, so with bananas, you shouldn’t eat kilograms of them, but 2-3 pieces. A healthy person can easily include it in their diet. But not for those who have irritable bowel syndrome. Negative aspects of fruits include the predisposition of some people to allergies and possible manifestations of flatulence after eating fruits. Well, frequent and irregular consumption can cause an increase in blood viscosity. This reduces the speed of blood flow, increases the symptoms of varicose veins and can cause a decrease in male potency.

The chemicals contained in bananas can also have a negative effect on the body. In particular, the peel is treated with special substances to ensure safety during transportation. If you don’t wash bananas, hold them in your hands, peel them, and then break them off, or take other food with your hands, you can increase the amount of toxins in your body. Also, bananas themselves, in addition to useful substances, may contain carcinogens (thiabendazole and chloramisole), which enter the fruit during treatment for pests, which is very sad. We can only hope that all the fruits we purchase have quality certificates.

Bananas for weight loss

Despite the calorie content, bananas promote active fat burning, and thereby help you lose extra pounds.

By eating bananas for breakfast, you will provide yourself with a boost of energy and a good mood.

In order to lose weight, you can make yourself a banana smoothie or some other low-calorie dessert in the morning.

The banana diet gives very good results. In seven days of such a diet, you can lose up to 5-7 kilograms of excess weight.

You are allowed to eat up to one kilogram of bananas per day. You can drink unlimited amounts of weak green tea and filtered still water. If you really want to eat, you can afford a small piece of boiled chicken breast (cooked without adding salt) and a couple of spoons of porridge.

Can I have a banana if I'm on a diet?

Bananas for weight loss

Is it possible to eat bananas while losing weight? This is the question many people ask themselves when they want to eat something delicious. Yes, they are high in calories, but this does not mean that on a diet they will become taboo for you. On the contrary, the banana diet is a very effective way to lose weight.

We didn’t expect such a turn, right? You are allowed to eat “yellow” ones while on a diet. Reasons why a losing weight person can sit on bananas:

• A banana won't hurt you when losing weight. It contains a huge amount of useful substances, which means that it can be used periodically as a main meal. In terms of saturation, it is not inferior to potatoes or cutlets, but in fact it gives a surge of strength, good health and a slender waist.
• How long does it take to digest a banana? Up to 40 minutes, and it contains a large amount of carbohydrates. Is banana a simple or complex carbohydrate? Complex, which means consume them half an hour to an hour before physical activity. This will make your workout more productive, leading to intense fat burning.
• Bananas + clean water are the best way to cleanse the digestive system and speed up metabolism. This means that bananas are suitable for weight loss.

When is it better to eat bananas: morning or evening?

Let's find out together what time of day is best to eat this wonderful fruit. The question especially concerns those who are trying to lose weight.

1. It is advisable to eat bananas in the morning, since during this time period the body especially needs nutrients that will not be deposited in fat layers.
2. The exotic fruit is eaten before morning and evening workouts to fill the body with energy. After physical activity, you can also enjoy a banana.
3. There is no need to eat fruit right before going to bed, as you may gain excess weight.

Can I have bananas?

Like any product, bananas have their limitations. It will not be useful for everyone, and in rare cases it can even be harmful. Therefore, we will figure out when it should be removed from the diet.

Pregnant

You can eat bananas and even need them. This fruit will help expectant mothers survive the not-so-pleasant condition that accompanies pregnancy - toxicosis . Banana suppresses nausea and gives strength.

The fruit will also help with heartburn - thanks to its delicate consistency, it lubricates the stomach, removing inflammation. And other troubles, such as constipation or heaviness in the stomach, will also quickly cease to bother you.

The constant desire to eat can lead to unwanted weight gain - and snacking on a banana can help prevent this.

Iron, of which there is a lot, will increase hemoglobin levels and prevent anemia in the fetus.

Nursing mothers

A woman whose child is breastfed should eat well. Therefore, you should forget about Soviet diets , which provide for a meager diet. This applies to cases where children do not have unexplained allergies to certain foods, including bananas. They help restore strength after childbirth and provide milk rich in beneficial elements.

In this case, the amino acid tryptophan helps mother and child sleep normally. It enhances the production of the joy hormone, and this is important for a sleep-deprived and tired mother. A banana can either strengthen or weaken the baby’s stool, so it is better not to overdo it with the number of fruits - one per day will be the norm.

It is very rare to be allergic to a banana, but still, in the first months of a baby’s life, it is better to carefully monitor his reaction.

Find out the health benefits of grapes, cherries, sweet cherries, strawberries, raspberries (black), gooseberries, currants (black, red, white), yoshta, blueberries, lingonberries, blueberries, sea buckthorn, cloudberries, cranberries, princesses, goji, mulberries, chokeberry

Losing weight

But for those who set themselves the goal of losing excess weight, it is better to avoid bananas. Or consume them before 12 noon - so that sugar goes into creating energy, and not fat reserves. It is also better to limit yourself to one fruit per day.

This product is perfect for those who cannot imagine life without sweets. It is best to add it to plain yoghurts, cottage cheese or oatmeal.

Did you know? The record number of bananas eaten in one hour
is 81.

For diabetes

The American Diabetes Association allows people with the disease to consume these fruits. As for doctors from the CIS countries, opinions differ radically. Therefore, it is better to consult your doctor and clarify the amount of fruit allowed per day. You also need to understand that the type of diabetes can also influence the doctor’s decision - if the disease is complex, it is better to avoid bananas.

The main thing is to eat fruit evenly so that there are no unnecessary spikes in blood sugar throughout the day. It is better to eat one fruit, and not as part of desserts, yoghurts or cottage cheese.

Use in cooking

Due to its high content of vitamins and minerals, bananas help cope with many diseases.

For gastritis

This remedy will help with this disease.

Ingredients:

• banana;
• 200 ml cow's milk;
• one tablespoon of sugar.

How to cook:

1. Heat the milk slightly and add sugar.
2. Chop banana and add to milk.
3. Beat all ingredients in a blender.

Drink (warm) one glass before each meal.

For depression

Ingredients:

• banana;
• 200 grams of cream (30% fat);
• 50 grams of cherries;
• one packet of vanilla sugar;
• one tablespoon of powdered sugar.

How to cook:

1. Chop the banana.
2. Whip the cream until foamy and add vanilla sugar and powder.
3. Place in a dessert vase in layers, alternating banana with cream, the top layer should be cream.
4. Sprinkle the finished dessert with cherries.

Bananas are used very widely in cooking; they are added to ice cream, yogurts, muffins, cookies, pancakes, pancakes and cottage cheese casseroles. The list of different dishes with bananas is endless.

You can also make a wide variety of drinks from bananas - juice, milkshake, jelly, smoothies. But most often, bananas are consumed raw or added to a variety of desserts.

Dietary recipes

How to eat banana correctly

In everyday life, even a small child can easily cope with peeling a banana peel. It is enough to remove it and you can enjoy the wonderful taste of an exotic fruit by biting off in small pieces.

At formal receptions, there is a prescribed etiquette on how to properly eat a banana. Usually it is served on the table already peeled and cut into portions. Prick a piece with a fork and put it in your mouth.

If the banana is cut too large, it must be further divided into small pieces. This piece is easier to chew. The unpeeled fruit on a plate is peeled with a knife and fork and cut into pieces.

How to choose a quality product when purchasing

Choosing a tasty and ripe fruit is not so difficult if you follow these rules:

1. We pay attention to the shape of the fruit - it should be streamlined, in no case ribbed. Usually these fruits are without dents or protruding parts.
2. Matte, smooth and yellow peel without darkening, cracks, or dents.
3. The color should be uniform - yellow. A green tint indicates that the fruit is unripe, but if it sits in the sun for a while, it will be ready to eat. Darkening yellow indicates that the fruit has been lying on the counter for a long time. The taste of this fruit is not very pleasant.
4. The smaller the fruit, the better - in the homeland of this fruit, only dwarf bananas are eaten, and large ones are used as animal feed.
5. The grayish color of the fruit indicates frostbite - this is not worth taking. But black dots are not scary, but it is still better to eat the fruit on the day of purchase.

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