It is a common practice among people who are after losing weight to modify their diet. This includes eating more fruits and vegetables. Banana is one of the fruits that never misses in the list.
Bananas are a nutritious fruit and a perfect addition to a healthy diet. They are loaded with a number of beneficial nutrients. Their effects on weight loss are a worry to some people. Some think of it as fattening as it is a fruit containing high sugars. Still eating bananas can help reduce appetite, control bloat, and reduce the intake of processed sugars. Read on to learn more about the effects of bananas on weight loss.
Nutrition Profile of Bananas
Bananas are highly nutritious and offer an array of health benefits. They provide carbs and fiber alongside other beneficial nutrients like vitamins and minerals. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) database, one medium-sized banana contains 9 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for potassium, 25 percent of the RDA for vitamin B6, 11 percent of the RDA for vitamin C, 8 percent of the RDA for magnesium, 10 percent of the RDA for copper, 14 percent of the RDA for manganese, and 3 g of fiber. The same size of banana also provides 105 calories, of which 90 percent comes from carbs. A large percentage of carbs in a ripe banana is mostly sugars, that is, sucrose and glucose. That being said, the content of protein and fat in a ripe banana is low. Bananas are a storehouse of many powerful antioxidants, such as catechin and dopamine.
Bananas Have Low Calorie Content But High In Fiber
Bananas are loaded with lots of fiber, if it’s a matter of calorie for calorie. As per the data above, you can clearly see that one medium-sized banana is loaded with up to 7 percent of the RDA for fiber, and only 105 calories. Fiber is known for a number of health benefits. It plays a role in maintaining regular bowel movements. It also adds bulk to your stool, preventing constipation. Increasing your intake of fiber in a heathy diet has also been found to be effective at reducing heart disease risk, certain types of cancers, and diverticular disease. What’s more, regular intake of fiber may help promote weight loss. Research suggests that eating more fiber, especially by women per day, can result to a healthy weight loss. How do fiber support weight loss? According to published studies, fiber promotes the feelings of fullness, which reduces your intake of calories at the end of the day. And with less calorie intake, you are likely to lose weight.
Green Bananas Are High In Resistant Starch
The ripeness of a banana has a lot of bearing on its carb content and the type of carb. Green bananas contain high amounts of resistant starch. On the other hand, ripe bananas are high in naturally occurring sugars. Resistant starches are a type of glucose that usually bypass digestion (resistant to digestion). They are more or less the same to soluble fiber in terms of functions and offer a number of health benefits, including reducing the levels of blood sugar and supporting weight loss. Studies indicate that resistant starch can also regulate the absorption of sugar from foods. With what importance? The levels of sugars in your blood will remain stable which will help you feel full longer. What is more, resistant starch may help your body burn more fats.
Banana Ripeness and The Glycemic Index
Bananas tend to score low on the glycemic index. This however, depends on the degree of ripeness. The glycemic index is a tool used to measure how fast a particular food can raise the levels of sugars in the blood. It is scored from 0 to 100, with foods above 55 having a higher glycemic index. If a food is scored 56-69, it is considered to have a medium glycemic index, and those above 70 have a higher score. Simple sugars in a food are often absorbed quickly into the bloodstream, which leads to a rapid rise of blood sugar levels. Such foods have a high glycemic index value.
Consuming foods with a high glycemic index have been shown to impact on health negatively. They may increase your risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. On the other hand, foods with carbs that are slowly absorbed into the bloodstream are most likely to regulate the blood sugar levels. Most fruits, including bananas contain up to 90 percent carbs and they are thought to increase the levels of sugar in the blood rapidly. Even at its full ripeness, bananas do not exceed a glycemic index of 62. Green bananas score 42. In other words, bananas are only low to medium on the glycemic index. A ripe banana scores higher on the glycemic index than green bananas.
As bananas ripen gradually, the number of sugars increases, which in turn affects the level of sugar in you blood. All that said, bananas are generally good for weight loss. Their sugars are slowly released into the bloodstream. Foods which score low on the glycemic index like bananas may help you feel full longer and stabilize your blood sugar levels. Over time, you will start losing weight healthily.
Other Health Benefits of Bananas
High In Potassium
Potassium is one of the four most important minerals in the body. It is needed for healthy blood sugar control. It also plays a role in maintaining kidney health.
Magnesium Content
Nearly every cell in your body needs magnesium. It plays a role in numerous bodily processes. Adequate intake of magnesium may help prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and other chronic disease diseases. This mineral is also needed for formation of strong healthy bones.
Conclusion
Bananas are good for weight loss. They contain decent amount of fiber and resistant starch. They increase your feelings of fullness, in turn reducing your calorie intake. These fruits also score low on the glycemic index, which makes them even more fit for weight loss.
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Using the acquired academic and professional experience, I advise patients with various complaints about mental health - depressed mood, nervousness, lack of energy and interest, sleep disorders, panic attacks, obsessive thoughts and anxieties, difficulty concentrating, and stress. In my free time, I love to paint and go on long walks on the beach. One of my latest obsessions is sudoku – a wonderful activity to calm an unease mind.
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