Favorite Fruit of Summer and its Health Benefits: Banana | Steem Health Contest-1. My entry

• Health benefits of Banana
  Banana my Summer fruit
  So today I decided to join the challenge of my favorite summer fruit and my favorite summer fruit is banana. Banana do have some very nutritional value. First off my favorite summer fruit is banana and banana is a fruit that I love so much and I love to consume at each time of the day aside from summer.. I do not have any particular time that I consume banana. I basically just love banana as it helps my health and it boost my immune system but I will not talk about the health benefits of banana now let us discuss a little bit further In respect to this challenge.

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why do you eat this fruit during the summer in large quantities

Bassically I love Bananas because of the cent it brings and because it is a very nutritious fruit and even when I have lost of appetite I still enjoy banana and it is cery satisfying.

Nutritional value of Banana

Nutrition facts

The nutrition facts for 1 medium-sized banana (100 grams) are (1Trusted Source):

Calories: 89
Water: 75%
Protein: 1.1 grams
Carbs: 22.8 grams
Sugar: 12.2 grams
Fiber: 2.6 grams
Fat: 0.3 grams
Carbs

Bananas are a rich source of carbs, which occur mainly as starch in unripe bananas and sugars in ripe bananas.

The carb composition of bananas changes drastically during ripening.

The main component of unripe bananas is starch. Green bananas contain up to 80% starch measured in dry weight.

During ripening, the starch is converted into sugars and ends up being less than 1% when the banana is fully ripe (2).

The most common types of sugar in ripe bananas are sucrose, fructose, and glucose. In ripe bananas, the total sugar content can reach more than 16% of the fresh weight (2).

Bananas have a relatively low glycemic index (GI) of 42–58, depending on their ripeness. The GI is a measure of how quickly carbs in food enter your bloodstream and raise blood sugar (3).

Bananas’ high content of resistant starch and fiber explains their low GI.

Fibers

A high proportion of the starch in unripe bananas is resistant starch, which passes through your gut undigested.

In your large intestine, this starch is fermented by bacteria to form butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid that appears to have beneficial effects on gut health (4Trusted Source).

Bananas are also a good source of other types of fiber, such as pectin. Some of the pectin in bananas is water-soluble.

When bananas ripen, the proportion of water-soluble pectin increases, which is one of the main reasons why bananas turn soft as they age (5).

Both pectin and resistant starch moderate the rise in blood sugar after a meal.source

How readily is Banana in your area

It is very easy to find banana in my area. Hawkers carry them on their head and sell as well as shops and market places are where banana riped or raw banana can be found and in most cases farmers plant them in large quantities as well.

image source

Should everyone eat Banana for health reasons?

Health benefits of bananas

​​1. ​Bananas are one of the best fruit sources of vitamin B6​

Vitamin B6 from bananas is easily absorbed by your body and a medium-sized banana can provide about a quarter of your daily vitamin B6 needs.

Vitamin B6 helps your body:

produce red blood cells,
metabolise carbohydrates and fats, turning them into energy,
metabolise amino acids,
remove unwanted chemicals from your liver and kidneys, and
maintain a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin B6 is also good for pregnant women as it helps meet their baby’s development needs.

1. Bananas are respectable sources of vitamin C

You may not associate bananas with vitamin C but a medium-sized banana will provide about 10% of your daily vitamin C needs.

Vitamin C helps:

protect your body against cell and tissue damage,
your body absorb iron better,
your body produce collagen - the protein which holds your skin, bones and body together, and
support brain health by producing serotonin, a hormone that affects our sleep cycle, moods, and experiences of stress a​nd pain.

1. Manganese in bananas is good for your skin

One medium-sized banana provides approximately 13% of your daily manganese needs. Manganese helps your body make collagen and protects your skin and other cells against free radical damage.

1. Potassium in bananas is good for your heart health and blood pressure

A medium-sized banana will provide around 320-400 mg of potassium, which meets about 10% of your daily potassium needs.

Potassium helps your body maintain a healthy heart and blood pressure. In addition, bananas are low in sodium. The low sodium and high potassium combination helps to control high blood pressure.

1. Bananas can aid digestion and help beat gastrointestinal issues

A medium banana will provide about 10-12% of your daily fibre needs. Singapore’s Health Promotion Board recommends a daily dietary fibre intake of 20g for women and 26g for men.

Soluble and insoluble fibres play an important role in your health. Soluble fibre helps your body control your blood sugar level and get rid of fatty substances such as cholesterol. Insoluble fibre adds weight and softness to stools, making it easier for you to have regular bowel movements. This helps to keep your gut healthy and safe from harmful bacteria.

Bananas, especially newly-ripened ones, contain starch that does not digest (resistant starch) in your small intestine and is able to pass into the large intestine. Such bananas help you manage your weight better as you stay full for longer.

That said, bananas can help you beat gastrointestinal issues such as:

constipation,
stomach ulcers, and
heartburn

1. Bananas give you energy – minus the fats and cholesterol​

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose – giving you a fat and cholesterol-free source of energy. As such, bananas are ideal, especially for children and athletes, for breakfast, as a midday snack or before and after sports.source

nota bene: Although most of the content posted here is copied and well cited with accurate sources some of the writeups and pictures are taken and edited by me.

I invite the followeing to take part in this challenge
@dobartim
@yakubenko
@chriddi

Thanks for your support
@r2cornell
@blessed-girl
@steemcurator01
@ctime
@mmmmkkkk311
Soliciting for support
@booming03
@booming04
@jeenger

The whole idea of a contest is not bassically to pick a winner but sometimes to create awareness and engage people into doing things and promoting a certain goal. I am happy I particitpated.