As a dietitian, I sometimes have to convince my clients to eat bananas. Here's why they (and you!) should.
Bananas seem to be America's favorite fruit. The average person consumes just over 26 pounds of bananas per year, making them the most consumed fruit in the United States — and with good reason. They're the ideal grab-and-go snack, available year-round and typically more budget-friendly than many other fruits. But beyond their convenience, bananas have a bunch of nutritional benefits.
Still, as a dietitian, I've often heard people express that they're afraid to eat bananas, mostly because 'they have too much sugar' or might 'spike blood sugar.' And, yes, it's true that bananas contain natural sugar, since they're a carbohydrate-rich food, but carbohydrates are an essential part of a balanced diet. It's generally recommended to get about 45% to 65% of your calories from them.
What many people don't realize is that the nutritional makeup of a banana actually shifts as it ripens: The fiber content decreases while the natural sugars, like fructose and glucose, increase. So if you're keeping an eye on your blood sugar levels, you may want to opt for greener, less ripe bananas. They contain less sugar and more resistant starch, a type of carbohydrate that acts like fiber and promotes healthy gut bacteria. On the other hand, for those who have stomach or digestive issues like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ripe bananas may be gentler on the stomach and easier to digest and can help relieve constipation thanks to their soluble fiber.
Bananas are low in fat and sodium and contain essential fiber, vitamins and minerals. One medium ripe banana has:
113 calories
1.96 grams of fiber
375 milligrams of potassium
32.2 milligrams of magnesium
14.1 milligrams of vitamin C.
Here are the health benefits of bananas:
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease, affecting nearly half of U.S. adults. Bananas play a role in helping to reduce that risk. Thanks to their potassium content, bananas can support your body's natural system for regulating blood pressure by helping flush excess sodium out of the body and relaxing blood vessel walls. Just one medium banana boasts nearly 11% of an adult's daily potassium needs, which can help lower blood pressure.
Bananas also offer soluble fiber, which supports heart health by helping to lower cholesterol (it prevents absorption of cholesterol into the body).
Bananas are packed with antioxidants, which can vary depending on how ripe they are: Green bananas are richer in phenolic compounds, while ripe ones contain more carotenoids. Both of these antioxidants can support digestion and may help protect the stomach from issues like ulcers.
No matter the ripeness, bananas are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps keep your bowel movements regular. Soluble fiber, like pectin, helps soften stools, while insoluble fiber adds bulk to them. Green bananas are particularly high in resistant starch, a type of prebiotic fiber that promotes the growth of good bacteria in the gut.
Bananas are a good source of magnesium and potassium, two minerals that support brain function and have antidepressant properties. Research shows that people with higher dietary intake of magnesium have been linked to a lower risk of depression, and magnesium supplements may help ease symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults with mild-to-moderate depression. In one study involving 1,000 Korean young adults ages 18-39, those who ate more bananas reported fewer depressive symptoms.
Bananas also contain tryptophan, an essential amino acid, and vitamin B6 — both of which help your body produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood and sleep. A medium banana offers about 11 mg of tryptophan and 18% of an adult's daily vitamin B6 needs. Tip: Ripe bananas tend to have slightly more tryptophan and vitamin B6, making them a smart choice when looking to boost your energy and mood.
Bananas are a great source of quick energy thanks to their natural sugars (sucrose, glucose and fructose). Research suggests the carbohydrates in bananas may boost endurance and performance if eaten before and during workouts. Carbohydrates are also helpful for after-exercise recovery, since carbs are essential for glycogen resynthesis, which is the process of refueling the energy stores in your muscles and liver that were used during exercise.
Bananas also contain dopamine, a compound that acts as an antioxidant and helps fight free radicals in the body, and they contain flavonoids like catechins and gallocatechins. Together these may help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress.
In two small studies, cyclists who ate bananas during a 75-kilometer ride experienced lower levels of inflammation and stress on the body and greater antioxidant activity during recovery, proving bananas are a functional fuel.
When you think of vitamin C, citrus fruits typically come to mind, but a medium banana provides nearly 19% of daily needs for women and 16% for men. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant that helps protect cells against damage and supports the function of immune cells.
As mentioned, bananas also provide vitamin B6, which is needed to produce immune cells, and prebiotic fiber that supports gut and immune health. With this powerful combination, bananas make for an easy and delicious way to naturally support your immune system.
Whole-Grain Banana-Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Healthy Lemon Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins
Air Fryer Banana Chips
Banana Curry Recipe
Easy Protein Banana Pudding
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bark
Bananas are more than just a tasty fruit — they're packed with essential nutrients and can work in so many types of dishes. Whether you're looking to support your heart health, fuel a workout or boost your mood, bananas offer a quick, simple and affordable way to help get it done.
Maxine Yeung is a dietitian and board-certified health and wellness coach.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
41 minutes ago
- Forbes
Serious Mental Illness: The Power Of The Job
Dr. Kathy Pike is the CEO of One Mind and faculty member at Columbia University's Department of ... More Psychiatry. Over thirty years of working with persons with serious mental illness, she has come to see employment as central to building a fulfilling life. In the late 1970s, when I started in the workforce field, persons with serious mental illness (SMI)—severe depression, severe anxiety, bi-polar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder—were not even on America's workforce agenda. If they were recognized at all, they were seen as in need of recovery, too damaged, unable to function in the mainstream economy. This would change in the next two decades, as understanding of mental illness increased and employment came to be identified as central to recovery and individual health. The development of the Individualized Placement and Supports (IPS) model in the 1990s for persons with SMI moved forward the process of employment in mainstream workplaces, setting out a form and protocols for individual placements. Today a new stage of workforce activity is emerging, seeking to go beyond individual placements. Major employers are being enlisted. The goal: develop new workplace structures to increase the hiring of individuals with SMI and increase their retention. At the center of these efforts is One Mind, the mental health non-profit and volunteer group, based in Napa, California, which has grown into one of America's main centers of applied research, teaching, mental health start-ups, and employment. Currently, One Mind is getting ready to pilot its largest employment initiative, One Mind Launchpad. Serious Mental Illness, Lived Experience, Employment One Mind Launchpad is headed by Brandon Staglin, himself a person living with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. This brain disorder--characterized by delusions, hallucinations and disorganized thinking—affects an estimated 2.8-3.2 million Americans. Staglin was a freshman at Dartmouth in 1990, when he had his first psychotic episode. He took time to recover, and but was able to return within 6 months and graduate with a degree in Engineering Sciences in 1994. He returned to California and was hired as an engineer with Space Systems/Loral, as part of a team designing spacecraft for commercial and government uses. After a few years he was accepted to the graduate program in engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. But before he could enroll, he suffered another psychotic episode that left him disoriented and unable to function. He would recover, through a program of cognitive training, and return to a job. In the meantime, his mother, Shari Staglin, and father, venture capitalist Garen Staglin, decided to address SMI on a broader basis. Garen recalls 'Brandon told me that we could either run away from severe mental illness or run toward it.' Over the past nearly three decades, One Mind has established a series of projects: One Mind-Accelerator to promote startups aimed at mental health treatments and diagnostics, One Mind Academy, funding translational research in brain science and mental health, One Mind Lived Experience, giving voice in program and policy development to persons with the lived experience of SMI, and One Mind at Work, the employment initiative to scale employment and retention of persons with SMI. One Mind at Work, established in 2017, started by identifying best practices for supporting workforce wellbeing and performance, and developing its Mental Health at Work Index, challenging companies to test and evaluate their practices. It assembled an employer advisory council, drawn from its membership of over 130 major companies--dues-paying members who committed to mental health inclusion . One Mind was able to draw on Garen Staglin's enviable contact list of CEOs, and on the emergence of mental health as a priority among business groups. As Garen notes, 'In reaching out, I soon found nearly all executives had some person close to them with SMI issues—a family member, friend, neighbor, and the issue of severe mental health and employment resonated with them.' Accenture, Bank of America, Capital Group and Mars, are some of the companies most actively involved. The Interplay of Serious Mental Illness and Workplace Culture The new project One Mind Launchpad will guide employers to provide support more directly to young workers with significant mental conditions, and seek to scale placement efforts. It is set to start a pilot phase in January 2026, and Brandon Staglin is currently interviewing companies from the employer advisory council to be among the pilot companies. The pilot will start with 3 companies. Each company will partner with One Mind to tailor a mental health strategy to its needs. All of the strategies, though, will combine elements that One Mind has come to see as needed for effective hiring, retention, and career growtjh : Participation at all levels of the company's workforce: A multi-year commitment by the company CEO and other C-suite executives, along with the training of supervisors, managers and co-workers. Involvement of One Mind's Lived Experience group: Training of executives and others by members of One Mind's group of persons with SMI who can detail their own experiences in the workplace, and lessons from these experiences. Supports individualized to each worker: 'If you've met one person with SMI, you've met one person with SMI', One Mind says in relation to the supports individualized to each worker (a similar saying is part of the neurodiversity community). Measurement of outcomes, open reporting, and tracking of participants for a period of years: Perhaps most importantly, a foundational principle of One Mind is that outcomes be measured and reported openly. Employment of participants will be tracked for at least a five year period. In January 2027, the project will enroll its first participants: 50 young persons with significant mental health conditions to be hired into companies, 50 incumbent workers with such conditions to successfully retain their jobs, and 25 incumbent workers promoted to higher level roles. Beginning in 2028, the project is expected to grow rapidly. The goal is for a total of 14.700 persons with SMI served through the first five years of the project, with further major expansion planned in the following 5 years. Serious Mental Illness: The Power of the Job Dr. Kathy Pike, the CEO of One Mind since 2023, has seen the power of the job, over her more than thirty years of research and practice with persons with SMI. Having a job, the structure and economic role, enables persons with SMI 'to manage their conditions, to live fulfilling lives, to be part of society as we all seek to be.' Dr. Pike notes that any employment effort needs to build on the lessons of the recent decades, and be thoughtfully implemented. Care needs to be taken to get a good job fit, one in which the worker is able to truly contribute to the company. The responsibilities of the company, managers and co-workers need to be recognized at each stage of program implementation. The employment team will draw on support networks outside the workplace—family members, friends, mental health professionals. Through the structure of the job, a person with SMI is often able to better address other conflicts in their lives that previously seemed overwhelming. Significant mental health conditions may not be 'cured', but they can be effectively managed. The Neurologist's Brother In his autobiography, On the Move, Oliver Sacks, one of the most influential neurologists of the past half century, discusses his brother Michael, who battled schizophrenia throughout his life. At an early age, Michael showed signs of high intellectual promise (in his youth Michael was able to recite Nicolas Nickleby and David Copperfield by memory), but at age fifteen began to show signs of schizophrenia and at age sixteen was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Through a family friend, Michael at seventeen was able to find employment as a delivery messenger, and it became a job he worked at for 35 years until his company went out of business. During the time he was employed, he was able to manage his schizophrenia. But after losing his job his isolation increased and his health declined, and he passed away a few years after. Sacks laments that he was not able to assist his brother with finding new employment, and what loss of employment meant for his brother. Finding, maintaining, and developing employment for persons with SMI often will be a challenging process—one that even Oliver Sacks could not successfully achieve for his brother. The extent to which One Mind Launchpad will succeed in the next five years remains to be determined. But its heightened engagement of employers ('all in'), supports within the workplace, and supports outside of the workplace, should command attention among workforce practitioners and scholars.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
More than half of US teens have had at least one cavity, but fluoride programs in schools help prevent them
Programs delivering fluoride varnish in schools significantly reduce cavities in children. That is a key finding of our recently published study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Fluoride varnish is a liquid that is applied to the teeth by a trained provider to reduce cavities. It does not require special dental devices and can be applied quickly in various settings. Our research team found that school fluoride varnish programs, implemented primarily in communities with lower incomes and high cavity risk among children, achieve meaningful rates of student participation and reduced new cavities by 32% in permanent teeth and by 25% in primary – or 'baby' – teeth. We also found that school fluoride varnish programs reduced the progression of small cavities to more severe cavities by 10%. This positive impact held true among school children of various ages in preschool through high school, in rural or urban areas and in communities with and without fluoridated tap water. Fluoride varnish remained effective when delivered by various providers, including dentists, hygienists or trained lay workers. This research was a large team collaboration on a systematic review, led by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from our universities. A systematic review is when researchers carefully collect and study all the best available research on a specific topic to figure out what the overall evidence shows. Ultimately, our conclusions were based on 31 published studies that were reported in 43 peer-reviewed articles involving 60,780 students. Although preventable, dental cavities are very common, with well over half of teenagers affected. Untreated tooth decay can diminish a child's ability to eat, speak, learn and play, and can negatively affect school attendance and grades. Reducing tooth decay in youths is a national health objective. In addition, we believe that since there is a growing movement in the U.S. to remove water fluoridation, other ways of protecting teeth with fluoride, such as toothpaste and varnish, will become more important. About three-quarters of the U.S. population using public water systems has been receiving fluoridated water at levels designed to strengthen enamel and prevent cavities. They will be at higher risk for cavities if fluoride is removed from their drinking water. Fluoride varnish is recommended by the American Dental Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and others. However, many children don't receive recommended preventive dental services, including fluoride varnish, at dental visits, with some estimates as low as 18% for children from families in low-income households. This makes schools an important setting for delivery of fluoride varnish to increase access. Students typically receive a dental exam, oral health education and supplies, and referrals for dental care. Depending on state regulations, the varnish can be applied by dental and medical professionals or trained lay workers. Our work led to the recommendation of school fluoride varnish by the Community Preventive Services Task Force, an independent panel of nationally recognized public health experts that provides evidence-based recommendations on programs and services to protect and improve health in the United States. Limited funds are a barrier. We believe that further understanding the ways to reduce the cost of these programs would help to expand them and reach more students. One key opportunity is relaxing the restrictions on application by health professionals such as medical assistants and registered nurses, which is allowed in some states but not others. Programs also sometimes struggle to get schools and families fully engaged. More research could help us determine the best ways to increase the percentage of families that return their consent forms and make school fluoride programs easier to run. Another barrier is that many states only provide insurance reimbursement for these programs through age 6. Thus, increasing the eligibility age served by medical providers can serve more children, increase the number of these programs and protect more children's teeth from decay – supporting oral and overall health. The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Christina Scherrer, Kennesaw State University and Shillpa Naavaal, Virginia Commonwealth University Read more: In hundreds of communities across the US, finding a dentist is like pulling teeth − but in 14 states, dental therapists are filling the gap Caring for older Americans' teeth and gums is essential, but Medicare generally doesn't cover that cost No, it's not just sugary food that's responsible for poor oral health in America's children, especially in Appalachia Christina Scherrer receives funding related to this research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Shillpa Naavaal received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) related to this research. She is an executive board member and treasurer of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mitochondria can sense bacteria and trigger your immune system to trap them – revealing new ways to treat infections and autoimmunity
Mitochondria have primarily been known as the energy-producing components of cells. But scientists are increasingly discovering that these small organelles do much more than just power cells. They are also involved in immune functions such as controlling inflammation, regulating cell death and responding to infections. Research from my colleagues and I revealed that mitochondria play another key role in your immune response: sensing bacterial activity and helping neutrophils, a type of white blood cell, trap and kill them. For the past 16 years, my research has focused on understanding the decisions immune cells make during infection and how the breakdown of these decision-making processes cause disease. My lab's recent findings shed light on why people with autoimmune diseases such as lupus may struggle to fight infections, revealing a potential link between dysfunctional mitochondria and weakened immune defenses. Neutrophils are the most abundant type of immune cell and serve as the immune system's first responders. One of their key defense mechanisms is releasing neutrophil extracellular traps, or NETs – weblike structures composed of DNA and antimicrobial proteins. These sticky NETs trap and neutralize invading microbes, preventing their spread in the body. Until recently, scientists believed that NET formation was primarily triggered by cellular stress and damage. However, our study found that mitochondria can detect a specific bacterial byproduct – lactate – and use that signal to initiate NET formation. Lactate is commonly associated with muscle fatigue in people. But in the context of bacterial infections, it plays a different role. Many bacteria release lactate as part of their own energy production. My team found that once bacteria are engulfed by a compartment of the cell called the phagosome, neutrophils can sense the presence of this lactate. Inside the phagosome, this lactate communicates to the neutrophil that bacteria are present and that the antibacterial processes are not sufficient to kill these pathogens. When the mitochondria in neutrophil cells detect this lactate, they start signaling for the cell to get rid of the NETs that have entrapped bacteria. Once the bacteria are released outside the cell, other immune cells can kill them. When we blocked the mitochondria's ability to sense lactate, neutrophils failed to produce NETs effectively. This meant bacteria were more likely to escape capture and proliferate, showing how crucial this mechanism is to immune defense. This process highlights an intricate dialogue between the bacteria's metabolism and the host cell's energy machinery. What makes this finding surprising is that the mitochondria within cells are able to detect bacteria trapped in phagosomes, even though the microbes are enclosed in a separate space. Somehow, mitochondrial sensors can pick up cues from within these compartments – an impressive feat of cellular coordination. Our study is part of a growing field called immunometabolism, which explores how metabolism and immune function are deeply intertwined. Rather than viewing cellular metabolism as strictly a means to generate energy, researchers are now recognizing it as a central driver of immune decisions. Mitochondria sit at the heart of this interaction. Their ability to sense, respond to and even shape the metabolic environment of a cell gives them a critical role in determining how and when immune responses are deployed. For example, our findings provide a key reason why patients with a chronic autoimmune disease called systemic lupus erythematosus often suffer from recurrent infections. Mitochondria in the neutrophils of lupus patients fail to sense bacterial lactate properly. As a result, NET production was significantly reduced. This mitochondrial dysfunction could explain why lupus patients are more vulnerable to bacterial infections – even though their immune systems are constantly activated due to the disease. This observation points to mitochondria's central role in balancing immune responses. It connects two seemingly unrelated issues: immune overactivity, as seen in lupus, and immune weakness like increased susceptibility to infection. When mitochondria work correctly, they help neutrophils mount an effective, targeted attack on bacteria. But when mitochondria are impaired, this system breaks down. Our discovery that mitochondria can sense bacterial lactate to trigger NET formation opens up new possibilities for treating infections. For instance, drugs that enhance mitochondrial sensing could boost NET production in people with weakened immune systems. On the flip side, for conditions where NETs contribute to tissue damage – such as in severe COVID-19 or autoimmune diseases – it might be beneficial to limit this response. Additionally, our study raises the question of whether other immune cells use similar mechanisms to sense microbial metabolites, and whether other bacterial byproducts might serve as immune signals. Understanding these pathways in more detail could lead to new treatments that modulate immune responses more precisely, reducing collateral damage while preserving antimicrobial defenses. Mitochondria are not just the powerhouses of the cell – they are the immune system's watchtowers, alert to even the faintest metabolic signals of bacterial invaders. As researchers' understanding of their roles expands, so too does our appreciation for the complexity – and adaptability – of our cellular defenses. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Andrew Monteith, University of Tennessee Read more: Mitochondria keep your brain cells alive − helping them run smoothly may protect against Parkinson's disease More than half of US teens have had at least one cavity, but fluoride programs in schools help prevent them – new research When COVID-19 or flu viruses kill, they often have an accomplice – bacterial infections Andrew Monteith receives funding from the National Institute of Health.
