Bananas are considered the all-rounder fruit in terms of nutrition. However can they help promote weight loss? Well, the truth is, you won’t lose weight by merely consuming a banana. Indeed, there is a lot more one need to do in order to lose weight. However, having said that, following a workout regime along with consuming low calorie and healthy foods (including bananas) will help promote weight loss. Here is why bananas are particularly helpful;
The fat content in bananas is not very high. This is why you can consume bananas without the worry of gaining unwanted weight. Bananas are low in saturated fats, which means that the fat content consists of unsaturated fats. These monounsaturated fats and poly unsaturated fats are healthy for the body and do not support weight gain.
Bananas are said to have lower caloric content and are rich in minerals like potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. Bananas have a large amount of pectin and resistant starch which causes a person to feel full and less hungry. Potassium helps in water retention in the body, which may also account to weight loss. This is how bananas help in weight loss.
Bananas have a low glycemic index which is said to be helpful for weight loss purposes. Glycemic index basically tells us how fast carbohydrates can be released in the body from the foods consumed. Foods which have a low glycemic index release the carbohydrates slowly in the body and this avoids the fluctuations in one’s blood sugar levels, so a person automatically eats less because these fluctuations force a person to eat more.
High dietary fiber content is found in bananas. High fiber content helps the body in such a way that they make the person feel full soon and this way, they eat less. Soluble fiber turns into a viscous substance in your digestive tract and it delays the digestion of carbohydrates. It also reduces the release of glucose and stabilizes your blood sugar. Fiber also helps in the regulation of bowel movements; it absorbs water from your waste products and makes stools more solid and easier to pass. Studies conducted by the Harvard School of Health show that the gelatinous form of fiber helps in lowering the cholesterol by binding the fats in one’s intestinal tract. It then removes these fats from the body.
Bananas contain a small amount of protein in them, but they are not considered a complete protein. A banana contains around 1.1 g and 1.66 g of protein, depending on its size.
There are, however, some misconceptions. Bananas can’t change your entire lifestyle; it just changes one small aspect of it. There are other, more effective ways of losing weight, and one should try that as well, the banana diet being a part of it as well.
