Peel It Back: Let’s Look at the Health Benefits of Bananas

It’s easy to see why some call bananas “nature’s perfect snack.” The curved yellow fruit is conveniently packaged for on-the-go eating after all. Just peel back that exterior skin and take a delicious bite.

But while simplicity and yumminess are definite pluses, the true benefits of bananas involve what they offer nutritionally.

Let’s take a healthy look at the popular fruit with registered dietitian Elyse Rottinger, RD, LD.

Banana nutrition facts

So what do you get when you peel and eat a banana? A medium-sized ripe banana (7 to 8 inches long) contains:

• 105 calories
• 1 gram of protein (making it a higher protein fruit)
• 28 grams of carbohydrates
• 15 grams of (natural) sugar
• 3 grams of fiber (nearly 10% of your recommended daily value, or DV)
• 422 milligrams of potassium (about 10% DV)
• 10 milligrams of vitamin C (more than 10% DV)
• 0.43 mg of vitamin B6 (more than 30% DV)
• 32 milligrams of magnesium (about 10% DV)

Health benefits of bananas

A list of vitamins and nutrients is nice, but it can be more important to know what all that good stuff does for your body. Here’s some of what bananas offer.

Improved digestion

Being a higher-fiber food makes bananas fabulous for digestion and overall gut health.

Bananas contain both insoluble and soluble fiber to keep your bowel movements regular while boosting your gut’s microbiome. “It’s a food that can help keep things moving in your intestines,” says Rottinger.

The fruit is also gentle on your gastrointestinal tract, making it a star in the BRAT diet that’s a go-to for easing a queasy stomach. (The B in BRAT stands for banana.)

Blood pressure management

Eating bananas can help keep your blood pressure (BP) managed. The reason? Potassium.

Potassium works to lower blood pressure by helping your body get rid of sodium (which, as we all know, can drive your BP higher). Potassium also eases tension on blood vessel walls to help reduce blood pressure.

The American Heart Association recommends eating bananas and other potassium-rich foods to manage high blood pressure (hypertension) and lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Fighting off illness

No offense to apples, but maybe it’s a banana a day that keeps the doctor away.

The vitamin C packed in a banana can boost your immune system’s ability to fight illness, notes Rottinger. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals before they cause cellular chaos in your body.

Other vitamins and nutrients in bananas are known to decrease your risk of:

• Colorectal cancer
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes

Dopamine is also found in bananas. In addition to impacting your mood, it acts as an antioxidant that protects against inflammation.

“Bananas are rich in important nutrients and antioxidants,” says Rottinger. “Including them regularly in a healthy diet is one of the best ways to reduce inflammation and support your immune system.”

Weight management

When you eat a banana, your belly will feel full for longer thanks to the dietary fiber in the fruit, says Rottinger. Keeping those hunger pangs at bay can keep you from making less-than-healthy snack choices between meals that can result in extra pounds.

“It’s a great idea to pair bananas with a high protein food to keep you even more satisfied,” she recommends. “Top Greek yogurt with banana slices or spread nut butter on slices for a delicious snack.”

Athletic performance

Bananas may qualify as a performance-enhancing fruit. Research shows that bananas can mimic sports drinks in how they fuel athletes to improve performance and aid post-workout recovery.

Some of that is due to the potassium and magnesium in bananas, explains Rottinger. Both are electrolytes that help your heart, muscles, brain and nerves function.

“The high amount of vitamin B6 in bananas also helps your body produce energy, making them a smart snack to have before a workout,” she adds.

Blood sugar management*

Bananas can help level out your blood sugar IF you eat them at the right time. (Hence, the asterisk.)

That’s because the sugar content in a banana varies depending on its ripeness. Green (or unripe) bananas are high in resistant starch, a type of fiber your body can’t digest. Resistant starch helps steady blood sugar by slowing the release of glucose (sugar) into your blood.

But as bananas ripen, that resistant starch changes to sugar that digests more quickly and causes a spike in blood sugar.

“I often hear people say they avoid bananas since they’ve heard the fruit is too high in sugar,” shares Rottinger. “But it depends on where the banana is in its ripening process. Green bananas can contain less than half the amount of sugar than ripe ones.”

For those concerned about blood sugar levels with more yellow bananas, pairing the fruit with a protein source (such as a handful of nuts or a cheese stick) can help better regulate the increase.

Potential drawbacks to eating bananas

While bananas may seem like a perfect food, they may not be the best choice for you if you have certain health conditions or concerns. Here’s why.

• Latex-fruit syndrome. Proteins in certain foods (including bananas) can trigger allergic reactions in people who are sensitive or allergic to latex.
• Blood sugar issues. If you have diabetes, eating a large ripe banana could push your blood sugar levels too high. Watching your portion size and/or, again, choosing a banana that’s less ripe (more green) can flatten the spike.
• Excess potassium. Hyperkalemia is a condition where you have elevated levels of potassium in your system. (It’s often a side effect of chronic kidney disease.) A low-potassium diet that limits bananas is often recommended with treatment.

Final thoughts

Bananas are a healthy food option packed with nutrients lacking in many diets. Most people don’t consume enough fiber, for instance. The same can be said when it comes to potassium and magnesium.

They’re also versatile in the kitchen. They make a great smoothie mixer or a tasty topper on cereal or oatmeal, for instance. They’re ideal for baking, too. (Banana muffins, anyone?)

Best of all, bananas rank as one of the more inexpensive fruits in the produce aisle.

So, if you want to eat a banana a day, go for it!