Banana Nutrition Facts

The old house stood on a hill far away from the city. One night, a tiny room in the house was filled with people. One woman and three men with strange clothing stood in the center of the room, in front of a large cauldron. Smoke filled the room along with loud chants. One by one, four of them put various ingredients into the cauldron and stirred it with a long stick, first went in potassium, then vitamin A, followed by riboflavin, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, thiamin, niacin, copper, pantothenic acid and zinc. As they were putting these things into the cauldron, they began chanting louder and louder. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion that caught everyone by surprise, and voila! The cauldron was replaced by a bunch of bananas!

Well, this is not the true origin of bananas. Bananas were first found in the region of Malaysia. With the help of curious visitors, bananas found their way to India. Buddhist Pali writings dating back to the 6th century B.C. support this fact. It was Alexander the Great who brought the banana back with him to the western world. Bananas were grown in the southern region of China but only became popular with the masses around the 20th century. Americans first tasted the banana almost three hundred and fifty years after its origin. At that time, they were wrapped in tin foil and sold for 10 cents each at the celebration held in Pennsylvania in 1876, to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Instructions on how to eat a banana also appeared in the Domestic Cyclopaedia of Practical Information.

Banana Nutrition

Given below is nutritional content of banana per serving, where one serving equivalents to 1 medium banana (about 118 gm).

Nutrient	Nutrient
Calories	105
Calories from fat	0
Total fat	0g
Sodium	1 mg
Total Carbohydrates	27.0g
Dietary Fiber	3.0g
Sugars	14.0g
Protein	1.0g
Vitamin A	2%
Calcium	1%
Iron	2%

Banana Nutrition Facts

• Vitamin C which is found in bananas, helps the body to defend and heal against infections. This vitamin also proves valuable in the synthesis of the connective tissue, absorption of iron and the formation of blood.
• Not only are bananas rich in vitamin C, they also contain potassium. Potassium is a mineral that helps in the building of muscles and protein synthesis. This is done as potassium stimulates nerve impulses for muscle contraction.
• A diet rich in potassium is said to reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. As bananas are free from sodium and very rich in potassium, they can be included in the diet to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.
• Bananas contain three natural sugars, sucrose, fructose and glucose, along with fiber. A banana thus gives an instant and substantial boost of energy.
• A banana contains vitamin B6, which helps in the synthesis of antibodies in the immune system, apart from red blood cell formation, protein metabolism and functioning of the central nervous system.
• No other fruit contains more digestible carbohydrates than bananas. This is advantageous, because the body burns off calories from carbohydrate more easily and quickly than calories from fat or protein.

Interesting Facts About Bananas

• The word banana is derived from the Arab word 'banan', which means finger.
• Bananas are harvested green because they keep ripening even after they are picked.
• Unlike most other fruits that grow on trees, bananas grow on plants.
• An average American is said to consume more than 28 pounds of bananas every year.
• Brisbane holds the world record for the longest banana split, which measured 4.6 miles or 7.3 kilometers.
• 3 medium bananas would weigh about a pound.
• Despite the fact that bananas love a tropical climate, they are grown in Iceland too, by heating the soil with geysers.

This was all about banana nutrition. So, do not forget to incorporate this very nutritious food in your daily diet and experience the myriad health benefits of this wise fruit.