The health benefits of bananas are numerous and diverse, and you can enjoy all of them. Many of you may already know that bananas are a wonderful food. With their high levels of antioxidants and nutrients, as well as their low calorie count, bananas are a popular choice for those seeking a healthy snack.
In this article, we’ll explain the top 6 health benefits of bananas.
The Health Benefits of Bananas
Bananas offer many important health benefits for the human body. Among these benefits, bananas can reduce appetite, improve digestion, help produce white blood cells, strengthen your nervous system, relieve muscle cramps, itching, and irritation, as well as help lower body temperature, among many other advantages for the human body.
1. Reducing Appetite and Improving Digestion
Bananas are a good source of two types of fiber: pectin (found in ripe bananas) and resistant starch (found in unripe bananas).
Fiber has been linked to improved digestion and increased satiety, making bananas a powerful choice for those trying to eat healthily.
2. Lower Risk of Disease
Due to their high levels of vitamin B6, bananas can help lower the risk of disease.
They also support the production of white blood cells and strengthen your nervous system.
3. Supporting Heart Health
Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and magnesium, two essential minerals for controlling blood pressure and maintaining heart health.
4. Relieving Muscle Cramps
Anyone would recommend eating a banana if you experience painful muscle cramps during exercise.
This is because bananas can provide relief from exercise-related cramps thanks to their nutrients and easily digestible carbohydrates.
5. Soothing Itching and Irritation
Did you know that banana peels also have benefits?
If you have an itchy bite, try rubbing the inside of a banana peel on the affected area.
The peel can help reduce that annoying urge to scratch!
6. Helping to Lower Body Temperature
The next time you feel uncomfortably hot from a fever or a warm summer day, reach for a banana!
Bananas contain an astringent compound called tannins, which help the body absorb more water.
The more water your body absorbs, the cooler it feels.
How to Grow Banana Trees in a Pot
Light and Water
Banana plants grown in pots—whether indoors or outdoors—need full sun, with six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day.
They also need plenty of water to keep their large leaves hydrated.
Check the soil in the container frequently, especially in hot summer temperatures or if the plant is indoors where humidity may be low.
Keep the soil in the container consistently moist, and don’t let it dry out.
At the same time, do not allow the plant to sit in standing water in the saucer, as this can lead to root rot.
Soil and Feeding
If your banana plant isn’t potted in rich, well-draining soil with plenty of humus, consider repotting it to give it the conditions it needs, or add a layer of organic mulch on top of the soil to help it retain moisture and provide extra nutrients.
During the summer growing season, feed your banana plant weekly with a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer according to the instructions on the package.
Protecting the Banana Plant
Wind, cold temperatures, and frost can damage banana plants.
To protect against wind, place the banana pot next to a fence or in a sheltered area.
To protect against cold, position the container in the warmest part of your yard or patio, such as next to a building or near an asphalt driveway.
Frost will kill banana foliage, but the roots will survive if the soil remains above 22°F (-5.5°C).
To help ensure the plant survives, cover it with a blanket or burlap, mulch around the base with straw or compost, or bring the banana plant indoors during winter.
Caring for Bananas Indoors During Winter
Continue giving your banana plant as much light as possible during the winter months by placing it in a south-facing window with direct sunlight.
The plant’s growth will slow down indoors during winter, so it will not need as much water or fertilizer as it did outdoors during the growing season.
Keep the soil moist, reduce feeding to once a month, and move the plant back outside when the risk of frost has passed in spring.
Caring for Bananas in the Basement or Garage During Winter
If your banana plant is too large to bring indoors, you have two options:
After the first frost, cut back the leaves to 6–8 inches and place the pot in a dark, cool spot. Water just enough to keep the soil from drying out completely.
Once frost is expected, remove the banana and its root ball from the pot. Place the roots in a plastic bag, leave the foliage outside the bag, and store the plant in the basement or garage. No watering is required, and you can expect the foliage to die back.
Pests and Diseases
Aside from the potential for root rot due to overwatering, banana plants generally do not suffer from major pest or disease problems.
Minor issues include snails and earwigs that may crawl onto the plants, as well as aphids, mealybugs, mites, fruit flies, or spider mites—all of which can be washed off with a strong spray of water.
Fungal infections such as anthracnose, wilt, or mosaic virus can occur, but these diseases will not kill the plant.
A more serious threat is gophers, whose burrowing can cause the plant to topple.
Banana Growing Tips
Potted banana plants can produce fruit if given enough light and proper care. However, keep in mind that bananas require 10 to 15 months of continuous growth to flower, followed by another 4 to 8 months to set fruit.
Indoor potted bananas may not produce fruit year-round without supplemental lighting.
Typically, indoor banana plants are treated as foliage plants, unless they receive very bright indoor lighting.
Banana Facts
More than 95% of the bananas sold in the United States are Cavendish, the variety that has dominated the market since the 1970s.
However, a handful of the thousands of other banana varieties are becoming available to consumers in the country.
For those accustomed to the mild flavor and soft texture of Cavendish bananas, many of these varieties will come as a revelation.
Below are five types you can buy from supermarkets, specialty grocery stores, through mail order, or online.
However, since there’s no reliable way to know which variety you’re getting, you’ll need to do a bit of experimenting.
These bananas must be very ripe to reach their full sweetness; their skin should appear dark brown with dark streaks.
Brown bananas have proven difficult to sell to grocery shoppers, who often don’t let these smaller bananas ripen enough and end up disappointed. But it’s worth the wait.
