Banana Nutrition Facts

What are the banana nutrition facts? Bananas are well known for their delicious sweet taste. Banana nutrients include potassium, vitamins A, B6, C and fiber - a detailed table is included below. They are a very handy fruit for snacking on the go or in a work environment - you can just peel and eat it! Bananas are commonly sold with a yellow skin, but some varieties are red or even purple. Studies have shown numerous banana benefits, let’s see what they are.

Health Benefits of Bananas

Help Depression: One of the amino acids found in bananas is tryptophan. Serotonin is derived from tryptophan. Papaya and dates also have good levels of tryptophan. Serotonin makes us feel good.

Relieve Stress: Bananas contain a good source of potassium, approx. 8% of our recommended daily intake (RDI) for one serving (100g or 3.5oz). They are believed to be good for relieving hypertension as they are known to be a good regulator of our heart rhythm. When we are stressed, our bodies lose potassium.

Reduce Blood Pressure and Stroke Risk: Bananas have extremely low sodium levels and that balanced with its good source of potassium is thought to be good for helping to prevent high blood pressure. The banana industry is permitted by the US FDA (Food and Drug administration) to state that bananas can lower blood pressure and reduce the occurrence of strokes. In fact the New England Journal of Medicine stated that if bananas are eaten regularly, there is a 40% less chance of us suffering a stroke.

Help for Diabetics: Bananas provide one of the few sources of chromium. This is a micro mineral that synthesises cholesterol and fatty acid. Bananas are also high in glucose providing nearly 5g per serving. Chromium stimulates the metabolism of glucose therefore producing energy.

Prevent Nutrient Deficiency: Alcohol, caffeine, contraception all contribute to creating deficiency especially in potassium, the B vitamins and vitamin C. Bananas either pay back or help prevent this deficiency. Of all the fruits we have reviewed, bananas provide the highest source of vitamin B6, providing 18% of our daily RDI per serving.
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Bananas are generally picked when they are green. Under ripe bananas are astringent, which is they will leave a dry taste in your mouth, so wait until they are ripe with a lovely yellow skin until eating. Once bananas have ripened they can be put in the refrigerator. The riper a banana is, the sweeter the taste.

Banana Nutrition Facts
Mineral and Vitamin Information

Raw and Dried
Banana nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) Scientific Name: Musa X paradisiaca
Proximates:
Nutrients	Bananas, raw	Banana chips, snacks
Water	74.91 g	4.3 g
Energy	371 kJ (89 kcal)	2170 kJ (519 kcal)
Protein	1.09 g	2.3 g
Carbohydrates	22.84 g	58.40 g
Fiber	2.6 g	7.7 g
Sugars,total	12.23 g	35.34 g
Total Fat:	0.33 g	33.60 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Phytosterols	26 mg	-
Minerals:
Calcium, Ca	5 mg (0.5 %)	18 mg (2%)
Iron, Fe	0.26 mg (1.4 %)	1.25 mg (7%)
Magnesium, Mg	27 mg (7 %)	76 mg (19%)
Phosphorus, P	22 mg (2 %)	56 mg (6%)
Potassium, K	358 mg (8 %)	536 mg (15%)
Sodium, Na	1 mg (0.04%)	6 mg (0%)
Zinc, Zn	0.15 mg (1 %)	0.75 mg (5%)
Copper, Cu	0.078 mg (4 %)	0.205 mg (10%)
Manganese, Mn	0.027 mg (1.4 %)	1.56 mg (78%)
Selenium, Se	1.0 mcg (1.4 %)	1.5 mcg (2%)
Vitamins:
Vitamin C	8.7 mg (14.5 %)	6.3 mg (11%)
Thiamine (Vit. B1)	0.031 mg (2 %)	0.085 mg (6%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2)	0.073 mg (4 %)	0.017 mg (1%)
Niacin (Vit. B3)	0.665 mg (3 %)	0.710 mg (4%)
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.334 mg (3.3 %)	0.620 mg (6%)
Vitamin B6	0.367 mg (18 %)	0.26 mg (13%)
Folate (Vit. B9)	20 mcg (5 %)	14 mcg (4%)
Vitamin B12	0 mcg	0
Vitamin A	64 IU (1.3 %)	83 IU (2%)
Vitamin E	0.10 mg (0.5 %)	0.24 mg (1.2%)
Vitamin K	0.5 mcg (0.6 %)	1.3 mcg (2%)
Percentages are relative to US Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for adults.