Calories in Banana: Health Benefits and Nutrients

Banana is one of the most widely consumed fruits, whether for breakfast or as a snack in the afternoon. Some people prefer having raw bananas with their meals, while others may often try out different types of recipes with bananas, such as pancakes, breads, and so on. Bananas, apart from being delicious in taste, are often considered as some of the greatest sources of nutrients. They are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, along with extracts of plant-based compounds that help to make them beneficial for your health.

If you wish to add bananas to your daily diet and if you are concerned about the net calorie content in bananas, then this is probably the best article for you. Read this article till the end to get a detailed idea about the calories and the list of nutritional components that are present in bananas, the health benefits that you can derive from them, the side effects, and other necessary details.

Why do you need to have bananas in your daily diet?

Bananas are quite healthy as they are rich in nutrients that are highly required in your body for carrying out all the physiological functions in your body properly. Bananas are some of the major sources of vital minerals such as potassium, which can help you improve the sodium-potassium balance in your body. In fact, in many cases, doctors recommend that people have bananas if they have low levels of potassium.

The calorie content in bananas is moderate, which is almost around 105 calories. A major part of bananas comprises carbohydrates, which help provide you with enough energy. It is mostly due to this reason that many experts and dietitians recommend you consume bananas in your diet, especially in your breakfast, to get enough energy and have a healthy start to the day. But these carbs can often be too much for those who have high blood sugar levels, so it is important to be mindful about how many bananas you consume each day.

Calories and nutrients in bananas: How much do you need to consume?

Bananas are rich in nutrients that can help you stay healthy and can also provide energy to the body. But are you aware of the net calorie content in it? Actually, the exact number of calories that is present in 1 banana cannot be counted with precision, because the calorie content in a banana will differ based on different factors. For instance, the calories in bananas will depend on the size of the banana. A small banana of around 6 to 7 inches, which weighs around 100 grams, will have approximately 90 calories, whereas a banana of 80 grams in weight and smaller in size will have around 72 calories.

On the other hand, a medium-sized banana of around 7 to 8 inches long, weighing 118 grams, can have approximately 105 calories. The calorie content in bananas can increase to almost 121 calories when the size of the bananas becomes somewhere between 8 to 9 inches, weighing 136 grams. One cup of mashed bananas (almost 225 grams) may contain 200 calories, while the calorie amount reduces to 134 for 150 grams of 1 cup of sliced bananas.

Health information about bananas:

Before you try adding bananas to your daily diet, it is important to get a detailed idea of the list of ingredients that are present in bananas. Some of the major nutritional components found in bananas include carbohydrates, fats, and protein. It is also rich in vitamins and minerals that can help you improve your physiological functions.

1. Carbohydrates:

If you are consuming a banana that is 7 to 8 inches long, then you will be taking in 27 grams of carbohydrate. Bananas also contain around 3 grams of fibre, which can be beneficial for gut health. They are also high in almost 4 grams of naturally occurring sugar.

2. Fats:

Bananas are some of the richest sources of healthy fats. If you are planning to add plant-based fats to your diet, then bananas can be a great source. They are low in fat content, so if you consume a banana, you are likely to get less than 0.5 grams of fat per medium-sized banana. In fact, bananas also consist of small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and K that can be beneficial for your overall health and physiological functioning.

3. Protein:

A major macronutrient found in bananas is protein. Though the amount of protein in bananas is not quite high, they consist of around 1.5 grams of protein per medium banana.

Other important nutrients present in bananas:

Apart from these macronutrients, some other nutritional components that are found in bananas can be listed here as follows:

• Fibre: 3.1 grams

• Vitamin B6: 25% of the DV

• Vitamin C: 11% of the DV

• Manganese : 14% of the DV

• Potassium: 12% of the DV

• Folate: 6% of the DV

• Riboflavin or vitamin B2: 7% of the DV

The measure of the nutrients that are given here will be found in one medium-sized banana. If the size of the banana changes, the nutritional components and their values may change as well.

It is also important to remember that bananas, though they contain 105 calories, on average, almost more than 90 per cent of a banana is made of carbohydrates. Moreover, when bananas ripen, some of the resistant starch or fibre is turned into sugar. It is mostly due to this reason that green or unripe bananas consist of more resistant starch, as the glycemic index for bananas may range between 48–54.

Health benefits of having bananas in your diet:

There are some of the major health benefits that you may enjoy after consuming bananas. Some of them can be listed here as follows:

1. Helps in better bowel movement:

The high fibre content in bananas not only aids in improving gut health by regulating a healthy microbiome, but it also helps in better movement of the bowels through the gastrointestinal tract. This helps you to stay regular and can help to reduce the risks of developing various types of bowel-related diseases, such as constipation, diarrhoea, and so on.

2. Aids in better weight loss:

If you are planning to lose your body weight and arrive at a healthy shape, then you need to add bananas to your diet. This happens because the starch and carbs in bananas can help you stay full for a longer duration, and there will be fewer chances of binge eating.

3. Rich in potassium content:

Banana is a rich source of beneficial minerals like potassium. Potassium is an important mineral that is required in the body. So, if you have low potassium, you can replenish the mineral easily with bananas.

Which specialist should you consult for having bananas?

Before adding bananas to your daily diet, it is important to know which type of doctor you must consult. In such cases, you may talk to a dietitian. It is the job of a dietitian to tell you if you need to add bananas to your daily diet, based on the net number of calories that you will be taking in through bananas and other necessary details.

You may also consult a diabetic expert because such experts may also tell you whether you need to have bananas at all in your diet based on glycemic index and your net sugar intake.

Final Thoughts:

Banana is a nutritious fruit that you can add to your daily diet. It is rich in nutrients such as fibre, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, and consists of optimum amounts of calories. But it is important to be mindful of the number of bananas that you take in, especially if you suffer from diseases like diabetes mellitus.

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