nutrition facts

nutrition facts 2012
nutrition facts 2011
Banana nutrition facts




The banana has several nutritional
benefits including helping with heartburn, battling depression and
keeping the pipes flowing (so to speak).




By Judd HandlerThu, Aug 18 2011 at 3:15 PM EST















Photo: (rinse)/Flickr

The banana is perhaps the oldest recorded fruit in the world as
well as the most consumed. But some dieters avoid bananas like a
slippery peel. Are bananas unhealthy? Or have some carb-phobic dieters
gone bananas? Here are some banana nutrition facts...

Considered a healthy staple for thousands of years, the banana is
now shunned by some low-carb dieters because of its sugar content.

Most dieticians and nutritionists would caution diabetics and those
with blood sugar and metabolic deficiencies to be careful with banana
intake, especially over-ripe bananas.

Diabetics—and those who burn up carbohydrates very quickly—would be
better off opting for green-tipped bananas. Eating some protein and
natural fat along with a banana can also help manage blood sugar levels.

So how much sugar is in a banana? And are bananas healthy for most of us?

One medium-sized banana (approximately 7 inches long) contains 14
grams of sugar. Is 14 grams a lot? It depends what kind of sugar
comprises the 14 grams and how quickly those sugars spike blood sugar
levels.

Blood sugar spike from eating bananas
According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,
an all-yellow ripe American banana has a glycemic load (GL) of only 13
on a scale of 100. But an average banana’s glycemic index (GI) is
approximately 50. What is the difference between GL and GI? The glycemic
load is generally regarded as a more accurate indicator of a
carbohydrate’s effect on blood sugar levels.

A banana’s glycemic load is considered medium (11-19 is medium; low
= 10 or less; high = 20 or more), which supports the theory that those
with blood-sugar sensitivities should be at least slightly cautious with
banana consumption, especially overly ripe ones.

Bananas’ many health benefits
Athletes love bananas for the quick and sustained burst of energy
provided. But even professional couch potatoes enjoy many benefits of
eating bananas, including:

• Battling depression: bananas contain the amino acid tryptophan,
  which converts into serotonin, the body’s natural mood-enhancing
  chemical.
  
• Keeping the pipes flowing: high in fiber (3 grams), bananas can stimulate the bowels, reversing constipation.
  
• Stress management: a single banana contains about 12 percent of your
  daily potassium needs. Stress reduces potassium levels. Fatigued?
  Irritable? Have high blood pressure? Eat bananas.
  
• Helping heartburn: bananas, for most people, are a natural antacid.
  

High vitamin and mineral content
Low-fat dieters also love bananas as they contain virtually no fat.
Bananas do have a gram or two of protein, but where a banana really
shines nutritiously is in its vitamin content. A banana is high in the
following:

• Vitamin C: 17 percent of recommended daily value in one banana
  
• Vitamin B6 (22 percent; good for the nervous system)
  
• Folate (6 percent; good for cell repair)
  

Bananas are also high in the mineral manganese (good for bone
health), supplying 16 percent of the recommended daily value. Are you
susceptible to cramping? Magnesium can help prevent cramps and bananas
contain 8 percent recommended daily value.

Conclusion: bananas are part of a healthy diet
Although a banana is 93 percent carbohydrate, dieters who are leery
of carbs should not, by and large, exclude bananas from their diet.
Bananas are not a perfect, complete food, as they do not contain all the
essential amino acids. For those who crash a couple hours after eating
lunch, a banana could be part of a smart, healthy snack, though it would be best combined with a higher protein snack like cheese.

A healthy diet should include several servings of fruit and
vegetables each day, and a banana or two a day, for most people, should
be part of that game plan.


Judd Handler is a health coach and writer in Encinitas, California