Bananas are incredibly healthy, convenient, delicious, and one of the freshest fruits you can buy. This makes them a great choice for anyone interested in eating healthy.
We’ve all grown up hearing “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” but it turns out that the benefits of a banana a day can be just as good. Bananas are packed with vitamins and nutrients, and when you eat a banana regularly, they help maintain and improve your overall health.
In other words, eating a banana a day is definitely the way to go.
However, it’s important to remember not to overdo it with your daily banana intake. According to Healthline, you should stick to the recommendation of one or two bananas a day, but no more than that.
Eating too much of any food, even one as healthy as bananas, can lead to weight gain or nutrient deficiencies. There are many benefits to your body when you eat a banana every day.
For a healthy gut
Now, more than ever, we’re seeing the importance of gut health to overall well-being. There are many strategies for eating better for your microbiome, but it can start with a banana.
According to a 2017 study review in Nutrition Bulletin, bananas contain resistant starch, which works to increase the production of short-chain fatty acids — essential for gut health. So, we can thank bananas for stabilizing our gut and providing nutrients for our microbiome.
Here are some amazing ways to eat a banana:
You can lose weight
A benefit that is never underestimated, eating bananas every day can help us achieve our weight loss goals.
Bananas
Packed with fiber and protein, bananas will keep you fuller longer, despite being just over 100 calories a piece.
They even made Healthline’s list of the 20 most weight-loss-friendly foods on the planet. So next time you’re at the grocery store, make sure to grab a bunch.
Healthy Skin
When you think of foods that improve your skin, you probably think of salmon, avocado, or maybe walnuts—but bananas can be a game-changer when it comes to skin health.
It’s all because of the vitamins and minerals in bananas, especially manganese, which boosts collagen levels.
No matter what your skin woes are—acne, wrinkles, dry skin—eating a banana a day can help. Healthline even suggests that a banana face mask can help do the trick, but I think we’ll stick to eating our bananas.
Fresh yellow bananas on a black stone table. Top view. Free copy space.
You’ll improve your energy levels
Especially when eaten before or after a workout, bananas can be helpful in boosting your energy levels and keeping you from feeling tired throughout the day.
Results from a 2012 PLOS One study on male athletes found that those who refueled with a sports drink every fifteen minutes, compared to a banana and water, performed worse overall in long-distance cycling races.
So there was a direct correlation between eating a banana and increased energy levels in performance.
You’ll improve your vision (both during the day and at night)
No, we’re not talking about carrots. According to the National Institutes of Health, bananas contain vitamin A, which works to do three things: protect your eyes, maintain normal vision, and improve night vision.
So, there’s no need to overdo it on the carrots and risk turning your skin orange.
Instead, the trick is definitely to stick to one banana a day, because it not only improves your vision, but it also has many other health benefits.
You’ll get a boost of potassium, which supports heart health
Bananas are known for their potassium, but did you know that potassium can help strengthen your heart?
Well, it absolutely can — so eating a banana a day could lead to a healthy heart. Most people don’t consume enough potassium in their daily diet, which can often have a direct impact on blood pressure control and other components of heart health.
What’s more, Healthline explains that a diet rich in potassium — AKA eating a banana every day — can reduce your risk of heart disease by 27%. So it’s time to add this favorite fruit to your diet.
