By Rachel Berman RD, CSR, CDN | Skinny and the City
Recently, I was sent an old-fashioned e-mail blast. It wasn’t about love or friendship nor did it warn me that if I didn’t send it to 10 people I would have bad luck for the rest of my life. It was actually about the many health benefits of bananas — some of which were a bit exaggerated. I love bananas. As a child, I often baked banana bread; my favorite dessert is banana cream pie; and my meal of choice before running the NYC marathon was a peanut butter and banana sandwich. It truly is an amazing fruit chock-full of the kind of nutrition that’s bursting with energy — but no one benefits from nutrition exaggeration! So here’s my own homage to my favorite fruit — with credible info you can count on.
The top five reasons you should start eating bananas:
1. They lift your spirits. Since bananas contain tryptophan, which is a precursor for serotonin (the happy brain chemical), they can have a calming effect on our minds and bodies.
2. They can help reduce blood pressure. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium, which is an electrolyte involved in muscle control, nerve function, and blood pressure. Therefore, it has the ability to restore potassium lost through sweat in athletes and prevent muscle cramping. Increased potassium intake may also help excrete sodium from our bodies, which can help reduce blood pressure. One banana contains about 440 mg of potassium — more than 20% of our daily need.
For the complete Skinny and the City article “Go Bananas!” — Click here.
well written blog. Im glad that I could find more info on this. thanks
Bananas are great, very rich in potassium. One of the things you learn about how to flatten your stomach is food management. Fast track to a new you with a health program.Brisk walk every evening and get your body moving.