BANANA: Benefits, Properties and Contraindications

The banana is a fruit that constitutes a natural and tasty source of energy, recommended for children, adolescents, adults, pregnant women and sportsmen, since thanks to all the vitamins and minerals that it possesses it serves as perfect food to be of accompaniment or to include it inside an extremely exquisite plate.

The banana is a food that belongs to the classification of fruits rich in vitamins A, vitamins of the B complex, and vitamins C, likewise, it is also found, within the fruits with astringent action, fruits that provide the body with magnesium, potassium and fiber, for which it is a fruit highly recommended to consume in a constant way.

Likewise, it is a fruit that is characterized by fighting depression, making people feel better when consuming it; it is also in charge of helping individuals who suffer from eating disorders; it is a fruit that prevents stress, reduces the chances of having a heart attack and helps fight gastritis directly.

Origin of the Banana

The banana can easily be placed in the history of the extreme north of the Indo-Malaysian, where it is said that the inhabitants who lived in that area, cultivated crops of it, which endure over time, even today, so it is cataloged the place with more time of cultivation of bananas. It is also said that the banana migrated from the Indonesian archipelago to the different cardinal points of the south and the east, arriving to be produced more frequently in Hawaii and Polynesia.

Already for that time, there were inhabitants carrying out trips of exploration, coming from Europe, which on having discovered this fruit they took charge of spreading it for the whole continent near the 3rd century B.C. In the same way, the next continent that would be in charge of making the banana known was by that time the African, which lived the long process of both conquest and European colonial exploration. Once the banana had expanded throughout the continent, it would be moved to South American lands in the mid 16th century, specifically to Santo Domingo.

Currently, the plantain belongs to that class of foods capable of being the accompaniment of a meal or that are the food of many people, even in Venezuela, among its different functions, the leaves of the plantain are characterized for the creation of the Hallacas, a typical December dish in that country.

Properties of the Banana

Within the nutritional properties of this wonderful fruit such as the banana you get the following:

Among its main contents are carbohydrates, so it turns out to be a fruit with high caloric values. The nutrients most representative of the banana are magnesium, folic acid, potassium and all substances that serve as an astringent action in the human body.
It cannot be left aside its high contribution in fiber, specifically oligosaccharides from the fruit, being an indispensable element for all those people who suffer some diarrheal process.
On the other hand, thanks to the high quantities of potassium, the banana is a fruit suitable for the transmission and generation of the nervous impulse, as well as for the different muscular activities in a normal way, intervening in the balance of the water so much inside, as outside of the cell.
It is no secret that the amount of magnesium it brings to the body is directly related to the functioning of the intestine of each individual, as well as in the nerves and muscles, which are capable of helping to form part of the bones and teeth. Banana is a fruit that improves immunity and also has a mild laxative effect.
Finally, the effect that the folic acid of the banana has on the body intervenes in the production of all red and white blood cells, as well as in the formation of antibodies, capable of protecting the entire immune system. It is also a fundamental element in combating and preventing anemia.

Among the main nutritional properties of the banana you get the following:

Mainly the consumption of the banana is recommended for children, young people, adults, pregnant women, athletes, nursing mothers and elderly people, it is not a fruit that is cohibited by its flavor, since all people can enjoy and taste this wonderful fruit.
The banana is a fruit that has a place in almost all the diets, passing by the people who suffer from diabetes, until the people who need to lose weight, that yes, they should always have respect by all the foods, since to greater consumption, if it can cause secondary effects in the people.
The richness that banana has in tannins works as an astringent action, which is ideal for people who suffer certain diarrheal episodes. Bananas have the ability to stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria in the colon.
Likewise, it provides soluble fiber to the organism that when fermenting in the intestinal flora, helps other substances such as butyric acid and propionic acid to prevail, thus regulating the intestinal transit in a direct way.
Due to its high content of potassium and low amounts of sodium, the banana is highly recommended for all those people who tend to suffer from high blood pressure or certain conditions located in the blood vessels and heart.
Bananas are important for the resistance of the muscular tissue, they inject extra energy into the human body, keep away all symptoms of ulcers, avoid at all costs fatigue and cramps, are good for high blood pressure, stop diarrhea, decrease the possibility of people suffering from some type of cancer and often remove acne.

Benefits of the Banana

The banana is a fruit that can generate multiple benefits for the human body, among the most prominent you get the following:

The banana and its benefit for the hair It is a fruit that shows with the passing of time, that it manages to be beneficial for the organism in general, thanks to all the nutritional qualities that it possesses, either for its high protein level, as well as mineral or vitamin, reason why it is recommended for all individuals.
Not only is it a fruit capable of being an excellent food for the health, but it has also been proven that it manages to have certain benefits as for cosmetics, for what it highlights mostly its notorious property for the hair, which helps to return to the damaged hair all symptoms of shine and strengthens that it really possesses.
The banana and its sleeping benefit. If people need to feel relaxed or to sleep well, they should not leave aside the consumption of the banana in their diet, since this fruit has tryptophan, which is considered a primordial amino acid that performs extremely natural sedative or relaxing tasks.
The banana has somniferous effects, promoting rest in the organism most of the times and helping to fight all the affections linked to sleep. In addition to working for rest, it also helps relax muscle activity, as well as the blood vessels.
The banana and its benefit for gastritis Gastritis is defined as a swelling that occurs in the walls of the stomach, which is highly linked to a bacterium or an autoimmune disorder, which is why the banana fights directly against this so-called disease.
As the banana is in charge of providing the body with vitamins and minerals in an efficient way, it provides the necessary energy for the body, making its consumption already generate a general feeling of well-being to the body. This fruit has neither sodium nor fat, its main element being potassium, which also helps to normalize the pH in the body.

Types of Banana

Do you recognize which are the different varieties of this wonderful fruit ?

Within the different varieties or types of bananas you get the following:

The banana, is one of those fruits that has infinity of varieties at the present time, being the majority coming from the muse acuminata, between which stands out the banana pisang jari buaya, which is characterized by being resistant to plagues, reason why it is recommendable in its consumption for the genetic improvement of the other variations.

Oriental Plantain

Characterized by being located in the region of Eurasia, specifically in the Balkan peninsula; it is an extremely extensive type of banana, with a shrub and deciduous variety, of great dimension. It is often used for medicinal purposes, mostly in areas of Turkey.

Red Banana

It is one of the most exotic varieties of bananas found today, as the banana is usually seen with a yellowish color and being of different sizes. It often originates in Ecuador and has a certain touch of raspberry. Its use is mostly for baking or the preparation of certain natural juices accompanied by other fruits.

Apple Banana

It is characterized by being a banana with a certain sour-acid taste. This banana is usually smaller than many of its species, however, it is wider than the yellow banana, while its taste is extremely exquisite. It originated on the Island of Cuba, so it is considered to be a tropical fruit.

There are also other types of bananas called gros michel bananas, lacatan bananas, sucrier bananas, white guineos bananas, Cavendish bananas, dwarf bananas, robust bananas, Golden beauty bananas, sigatoka bananas, among others.

Banana Tree

The banana plant is not exactly a tree, on the contrary, it is described as a grass of great dimension. It is a species of plant without real trunk in its composition; it consists of different foliated forms which grow in a uniform way called pseudotallos, which resemble vertical sticks that reach up to 30 centimeters of thickness for each diameter, for what in most of the occasions this plant reaches up to 7 meters of height.

From it, a leaf of great dimension is detached, being even, one of those of greater size in the vegetal means, arriving until 90 centimeters wide by 3 meters of length approximately. It has a rhizome or bulb that can be identified in a certain way as the subway stem from which the pseudostems, roots and different vegetative buds emerge.

Its root system is radicular, which are able to expand near the surface, at a level of 35 centimeters more or less, being able to see with greater density between 15 and 20 centimeters. Its shade is pale underground, and when it emerges it turns yellow, beginning to harden with the passage of time.

On the other hand, the banana flower is born from a spike with a bud, being purple in tone or, failing that, violet, changing to yellow with the passage of time. Its appearance is irregular and has 6 stamens of which each is sterile. Each plant can harvest up to 20 bananas per leaf.

Does the Banana Get You Fat ?

The banana is not fattening, rather it helps people to eliminate body mass from the body; although at first sight the banana has negative qualities, on the contrary, it has favorable digestive properties, capable of helping people to lose weight in a healthy way.

People feel inhibited to try this food because it has high levels of carbohydrates, even higher than other fruits, however, the banana works in function of making people lose weight instead of making them gain it.

Does the Banana Have Fiber ?

The banana is a fruit capable of providing a good amount of fiber to the human organism. It is important to know that the fiber of this nutrient helps a lot to the health in general, specifically in the sectors like the colon or in all the digestive system. Consuming this fruit in an effective and habitual way prevents some illnesses that can affect the body such as cardiac complications and illnesses related to diabetes.

The banana helps in the cleansing of any substance that remains located in the digestive tract, so it can be said that it naturally cleanses the body, benefiting the colon directly, since it facilitates the elimination of any material positioned in the body and with this, expelling all possible toxins that adhere to the edges of the intestine in general.

Does the Banana Have Sugar ?

The banana is an important food for the organism because of the different multiple uses it can provide to the human body. It is a food that contains sugar, and can raise the levels of it in the blood, so it is recommended for all those who suffer from diabetes to consume it with prudence and moderation.

Does the Banana Fattening at Night ?

It is a fruit capable of maintaining the indicated weight in people or in its defect, to lose weight. It is not a fruit that helps individuals to gain weight, despite its high levels of carbohydrates and calories. It will always be advisable to consume it with moderation since it contributes high margins of calories, good for the health but in the same way, high.

Is the Banana Diuretic ?

The banana is a fruit that thanks to its high percentages in fiber, helps to eliminate the toxins located in the human body, reason why it works in a direct way like depurative or diuretic effect, helping people who suffer the retention of liquids and discarding all those substances by means of the urinary system.

Is Banana Good for Digestion ?

The banana is a fruit with multiple digestive qualities that will make the consumption of all the food you eat during the day much easier to digest.

Thanks to its texture, which is extremely soft, it allows it to enter the digestive system in an adequate and balanced way, which makes it an easy food to process unlike others, collaborating in a direct and effective way in the intestinal transit so that it is more resistant. It also provides material in a lubricious way so that it opens the digestive tract and there are no complications with the consumption of all the food during the day.

Does the Banana Get You Lose Weight?

The banana is a fruit that contributes notorious proportions in proteins, vitamins and minerals, as well as carbohydrates and calories, something superior to the rest of the fruits, for which it is a food that generates sensation of fullness, and for which it is said in most of the cases, it is a perfect component to make people lose weight, leaving the individuals satiated in the attempt.

Banana Calories

The banana is a fruit that provides a total of 85.2 calories per 100 grams, also is a good carrier in calories capable of making you lose weight in a healthy way, but also has carbohydrates, with a total of 20.8 grams, fiber of 2.5 grams, potassium almost 350 milligrams, magnesium 36.5 milligrams, vitamin C 11.5 milligrams and folic acid almost 20 micrograms.

History of the Banana Plant

The banana originates from South Asia and has been known in the Mediterranean since 650 AD. The first banana species arrived in the Canary Islands in the 15th century and from there it began to expand to America by 1516. The commercial cultivation started by the end of the 19th century.

The banana is considered the main crop of the humid and warm regions of Southwest Asia, and it has been extended over time to Central and South America, as well as to Subtropical Africa, constituting the basis of food for most of these regions.

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