Bananas: The Potassium-Packed Superfood for Heart and Mind
Bananas: The Potassium-Packed Superfood for Heart and Mind
Explore the heart-healthy benefits and mood-boosting properties of bananas, nature's nutrient-packed superfood
Bananas have been glorified in Ancient Buddhist texts as the "fruit of paradise," and scientists have speculated that early bananas may have been the very first fruit on the planet! Properly classified, they are a type of berry.
Arabian traders probably gave bananas their name, as banan - Arabic for fingers or finger tips - would have been an appropriate name for pre-modern bananas which were much smaller than the ones we know today.
Those same Arabian traders are credited with transporting them to Africa, where in the 7th century modern bananas began to emerge. This was a positive development, as the new breed was less mealy and full of seeds than its ancient predecessor.
Now a staggering six million hectares worldwide are devoted to the production of over 1,000 different varieties worldwide, but the classic yellow arc we all know and love is called the Cavendish. This ubiquity is largely because they are extremely well suited for longer storage and transportation times. Cavendish bananas are picked green and tend to ripen only after reaching their destination.
Nutrition
Bananas are an incredibly nutrient-dense superfood wrapped in their own convenient carrying case - the peel. Few fruits are as well poised for healthy snacking purposes on the go.
They are classically associated with potassium, a critical electrolyte we need in abundance as a counterpoint to dietary sodium. Unfortunately, this essential mineral is often lacking in the standard American diet, and great food sources like sweet potatoes, mushrooms, avocados, and bananas often get overlooked.
This is something of a tragedy because potassium, in addition to working with sodium to ensure optimal cellular hydration, is great for protecting cardiac function and keeping blood pressure in a healthy range. Potassium deficiency, which easily flies under the radar, can also be a cause of constipation.
But potassium isn’t all that bananas have to offer. They are also good sources of manganese and vitamin C, which work together to produce an extremely powerful antioxidant enzyme called superoxide dismutase. This enzyme has an affinity for the mitochondria, our cellular powerhouses, which are especially prone to oxidative damage as their job is to act like tiny furnaces. Since mitochondria are abundant in most cell types throughout the body, keeping them happy and healthy is important for everything from muscular energy to cognitive function - in fact, it is estimated that each brain cell contains two million mitochondria!
Bananas are also a good source of pyridoxine aka vitamin B6. This B vitamin, like potassium, is important for heart health because it helps break down an amino acid called homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease and therefore watched closely by doctors on routine blood work especially as we get older. Phytosterols in bananas also inhibit cholesterol absorption. Put it all together, and it is appropriate to consider the humble banana a powerful heart food.
Beyond cardiac health, the B6 in bananas is important for mental health. This is because it is needed for the synthesis of serotonin, our ‘calm and blissful’ neurotransmitter, dopamine, our ‘pleasure and reward’ neurotransmitter, and GABA, our ‘chillout’ neurotransmitter. Anyone with mood imbalances, struggles with motivation, or copious stress levels might be assured that just one medium banana offers 25 per cent of our daily recommended B6.
Bananas also function as a natural antacid and may benefit heartburn sufferers. As an added bonus they seem to have the effect of stimulating the cells of the stomach lining to produce more protective mucus. As rich sources of pectin fiber, bananas can be a soothing fallback food to support digestion and healthy elimination.