AMAZING BANANA FACTS
- Kidney Cancer: Eating bananas may help protect against kidney cancer. According to a study in the International Journal of Cancer, women who ate four to six bananas a week cut their kidney cancer risk in half.
- Childhood Leukemia: Eating bananas can reduce a child's risk of leukemia, according to researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. Regular consumption of bananas during the first two years of life was associated with a reduced risk of childhood leukemia.
- Stroke: A banana a day could cut your risk of death from stroke by as much as 40%, thanks to potassium, which is linked to lower stroke risk according to research in The New England Journal of Medicine.
- Fat burning: Bananas contain resistant starch, which ferments in your large intestine, creating by-products (butyrates) that block conversion of some carbohydrates into fuel, forcing your body to rely on fat stores instead.
- Colorectal Health: Bananas cut colorectal cancer risk. A study published in Nutrition and Cancer found that those who consumed bananas three or more times per week had a 72% lower risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who consumed them less than one time per week.
- Anemia: Bananas can boost iron absorption in two ways. First, they contain vitamin C which helps "prep" the iron in plant sources for absorption. Second, they contain resistant starch which one Cornell study showed increases iron absorption by up 28%.
- Lung Health: Bananas may help kids breathe easier. Children who eat just one banana a day have a 34% less chance of developing asthmatic symptoms, according to new British research.
- Blood Pressure: Bananas' potassium helps regulate blood pressure. One Indian study showed that just two bananas per day can lower blood pressure by 10%.
- Regularity: Bananas can help restore normal bowel action because they are a good source of fiber. Plus bananas' 75% water content helps prevent dehydration, which can also contribute to constipation.
- Hangovers: Eat bananas if you've overindulged. Scientific evidence suggests hydration, vitamins B6 and C may make hangovers more bearable.
- Bone strength: Bananas' prebiotic fiber boosts the absorption of calcium; potassium helps minimize calcium loss while vitamin C improves bone mineral content.
- Muscle mass: Bananas protect against muscle loss? Seniors with higher potassium intakes had more lean muscle mass than their potassium-poor peers. The metabolic by-products of potassium help to maintain the body's alkaline balance, counteracting the breakdown of muscle driven by excess acidity.
- Sports Performance: Bananas are an athlete's staple because they supply both instant and lasting energy due to their combination of natural sugar and complex carbohydrates. Bananas' potassium also helps prevent muscle cramps.
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