The Nutritional Power of Bananas

Health benefits of Bananas Andy De Santis, RD

The humble banana may not be the most glamorous or antioxidant-rich fruit, but it still has a lot to offer nutritionally. The fact bananas are widely enjoyed, versatile, economical and easy to work with is an undeniable bonus.

Let’s start by considering the fact that bananas are one of the foods highest in potassium, a nutrient that is under consumed in North America and plays a significant role in blood pressure reduction.

Bananas are also one of relatively few foods that contain prebiotic fibre, a special class of dietary fibre that preferentially acts as food for our healthy gut bacteria and contributes not only to their flourishing but their production of beneficial compounds known as SCFAs which reduce bodily inflammation, enhance the immune system and strengthening the integrity of the digestive tract.

People are often curious about the health value of a banana relative to its ripeness, and it is generally the case that less ripe bananas have a lower glycemic index and may be better tolerated by people living with IBS.

Presenter: Andy De Santis, Registered Dietitian, Toronto, ON

Local Practitioners: Registered Dietitian