Medically ReviewedBananas have long been celebrated for their digestive benefits—a status that endures today. For centuries, Ayurveda has considered bananas as cooling and moisturizing, helping to ease inflammation and dryness in the digestive tract. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) uses unripe bananas for diarrhea and colitis, while ripe ones help treat ulcers and constipation.
In conventional medicine, bananas are also suggested as an aid in digestion. They’re a key part of the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet, which is often recommended for soothing digestive issues such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, especially during recovery from stomach flu or food poisoning.
Beyond their digestive benefits, bananas help lower blood pressure and enhance mood.
Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock
Key Nutrients
- High in potassium: One medium banana offers about 11 percent of the daily potassium requirement for men and 14.4 percent for women. The potassium in bananas helps to keep the heart and kidneys working optimally.
- Rich in magnesium: Bananas’ magnesium helps regulate nerve and muscle function, and maintains blood sugar and blood pressure levels. It also reduces stress levels, which is even more effective combined with their vitamin B6. A medium banana contains about 32 milligrams of magnesium.
- Full of fiber: Green, or unripe bananas, have abundant resistant starch, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria, while ripe bananas have more pectin, a soluble fiber that helps regulate bowel function.
- Ample vitamin B6: Used in more than 100 enzymatic reactions, vitamin B6 contributes to the production of serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that help to regulate mood and sleep. A banana contains about 15 percent of the daily vitamin B6 we need.
Health Benefits
“Banana is a ready to eat and a most affordable fruit for human consumption, which works to build good health, due to its immense nutritional and medicinal value,” a group of food scientists wrote in a review published in Food Chemistry.
“Pharmacological investigations by many researchers suggested that banana was effective and advantageous in the treatment of diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract,” and “there is a great diversity of high value bioactive compounds in bananas,” they wrote.
Benefits Digestion
Bananas contain two important types of fiber—pectin and resistant starch—which aid digestion. Pectin slows digestion to support nutrient absorption and regulate bowel movements. Meanwhile, resistant starch, especially found in green bananas, bypasses digestion in the small intestine and ferments in the large intestine, feeding beneficial gut bacteria, improving stool consistency, and reducing bloating.A randomized study of 80 children and adolescents with functional constipation—a type of chronic constipation with symptoms, but no specific underlying cause—found that incorporating green banana biomass (green bananas cooked with water and blended) into their diet—either instead of or in addition to standard laxatives, improved bowel movements and reduced the amount of laxatives needed.
A double-blind trial with infants with persistent diarrhea found that a rice-based diet supplemented with cooked green banana significantly reduced the stool volume, vomiting, and the duration of diarrhea compared to the control group.
Supports Cardiovascular Health
The powerful combination of potassium and magnesium in bananas helps the heart and cardiovascular system function optimally, mainly by affecting heart rhythm and blood pressure.Potassium helps to relax blood vessels and counteract the effects of sodium, which contributes to increased blood pressure.
A 2023 Indonesian study investigated whether eating bananas could lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Sixteen patients with high blood pressure were given three Ambon bananas—a type of banana known for its green color—daily for 14 days. Researchers found a significant drop in the participants’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Magnesium is critical for maintaining a steady heart rhythm and helps balance the body’s electrolytes.
In a 2021 study, researchers explored how bananas help protect the body from damage caused by oxidation and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis—a condition where sticky plaque accumulates in the arteries leading to severe heart problems.
The study reviewed 20 years of literature, from 2000 to 2020, which revealed many beneficial compounds in different species and types of bananas. It isolated 13 ways they help protect the cardiovascular system. The researchers found that some of the compounds in bananas behave like antioxidants, protecting cells from damage, maintaining heart and blood vessel health, and keeping the vessels free of plaque.
May Help Boost Your Mood
Bananas contain various nutrients that may help boost our mood, such as tryptophan, vitamin B6, and magnesium.Tryptophan is an amino acid needed to make serotonin, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood.
The vitamin B6 in bananas converts tryptophan into serotonin and contributes to the production of dopamine and norepinephrine, neurotransmitters that enhance emotional regulation.
The fruit and peel of bananas are also rich sources of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates areas of the brain associated with pleasure, reward, and motivation. Dopamine has many functions, including being vital for our mood.
In research from New Zealand published in 2018, 422 young adults completed a survey about their fruit and vegetable intake, mental health, and life satisfaction. The study concluded that raw foods were related to enhanced mental health, and among them, “Raw bananas and apples were the strongest predictors of most mental health measures.”
Other Benefits
Bananas are a fantastic natural energy source, making them a functional pre- or post-workout snack. Their vitamin B6 content ensures healthy metabolism and brain development, and their vitamin C content boosts collagen production and immune function.How to Increase Absorption
- Eating bananas before they’re ripe benefits good bacteria in the gut, as green bananas contain abundant resistant starch.
- Fermenting bananas and their peels can increase the absorption of certain nutrients.
Optimal Storage
The best way to store bananas is at room temperature and away from direct sunlight. Storing bananas with other fruits such as avocados and peaches can help them to ripen more quickly because bananas release ethylene gas. If you want to store them longer, place ripe bananas in the fridge, but be aware that the peel will turn brown. You can also freeze bananas, which works best when they are ripe, as freezing halts the ripening process.
Pro Tip
In addition to differing effects on digestion, bananas contain varying nutritional profiles depending on their ripeness, which affects starch, fiber, sugar, and antioxidant content.
Green, or unripe, bananas are rich sources of resistant starch that act as probiotics, benefiting gut health and helping to regulate blood sugar. They also contain less sugar and have a low glycemic index, making them a good option for those wanting to manage blood sugar.
As bananas ripen, the resistant starch and pectin are broken down into simple sugars like fructose, glucose, and sucrose, making them sweeter and easier to digest. However, ripe bananas have less resistant starch, which reduces their prebiotic effects. The increase in sugar also increases its glycemic index, which can cause spikes in blood sugar.
Overripe bananas, or those with brown spots, have the most sugar, due to the complete breakdown of their starches. The fiber content decreases as bananas ripen, affecting their digestive benefits and the feeling of fullness after eating them. However, overripe bananas have increased levels of antioxidants.
Because of their sweetness and soft texture, overripe bananas are perfect for baking into delicious desserts like muffins, cakes, and banana bread.
Ripeness Guide
Precautions
People with diabetes should eat ripe bananas in moderation due to their high sugar content and glycemic index, which can cause spikes in blood sugar.
Those with cardiovascular disease and on beta-blockers or those with kidney dysfunction should eat bananas in moderation due to their potassium content.
Like any food, bananas can cause allergies, although they are rare, affecting less than 1 percent of the population.
Recipe: Banana-Blueberry Smoothie
The following recipe is courtesy of Sheridan Genrich, a clinical nutritionist, naturopath, and Epoch Times health writer.
This single-serving blueberry banana smoothie is gut-friendly, easy to make, and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 cold or frozen banana
- 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 cup unsweetened kefir or plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp organic chia seeds
- 1 serving (~28 grams) vanilla protein powder
Directions
- Place all ingredients, except seeds and protein powder, into the blender.
- Blend on high for about 20 seconds.
- Scrape down the sides and blend again for a few seconds.
- Add in protein powder and chia seeds.
- Blend again until smooth and creamy.
- Serve immediately.
Fun Facts
- Botanically speaking, bananas are berries, while strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are not.
- Bananas don’t grow on trees—the banana plant is the world’s largest herbaceous flowering plant.
- A bunch of bananas is called a hand, and individual bananas are called fingers.
- Across the world, more than 100 billion bananas are eaten each year, and there are more than 1,000 varieties.
- Banana peels are edible, especially when cooked. They are used in curries and stir-fried cuisines in some cultures, such as India and Southeast Asia.
Illustration by The Epoch Times, Shutterstock
Tips for Kids
Children are prone to digestive issues like constipation and diarrhea due to their developing digestive systems. Bananas are a perfect solution for sensitive tummies!
There are many delicious ways to eat bananas. They go well with fruit, peanut butter, and chocolate, ingredients kids love, making the possibilities almost endless.