Bananas: The cure-all or just another tasty fruit?

I received an email not too long ago claiming that bananas could cure everything from hangovers and depression to PMS and morning sickness.  I wanted to look more into the scientific benefits of bananas and see if these were based on fact or just speculations.  You can read the email for yourself on the Truth or Fiction website.  The website editors checked with a spokesperson for Chiquita Banana Company.  She/he commented that although bananas have a lot of nutritional benefits, a lot of the claims in the email are merely assumptions and have not been proven.  

So are bananas more than just a tasty fruit?  Here are some of the nutritional benefits of 1 large banana:

140 calories

2 g protein

4 g fiber

602 mg of potassium

About 10% of daily value for the following (rough estimate so I wouldn’t have to put down the mg of each for all of them):  Vitamin A, Full range of B vitamins, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Magnesium

 For actual data, visit here.

Is ~10% a lot?  It is more than other fruits.  The banana is ranked one of the healthiest fruits (after cooked plantains) when nutritional figures such as protein, vitamins and minerals, fiber and calories are compared. 

Proven benefits:

Bananas are a great source of instant energy because they have natural sugars.  The potassium helps muscles contract properly during exercise and prevent cramping after exercise.  And since your heart is your hardest working muscle, bananas are good for your heart too!!

Ripe bananas contain serotonin and tryptophan; they boost your happiness and can help you sleep. 

Less ripe bananas help relieve constipation; riper bananas help relieve diarrhea.  They are easy to digest and the fructooligosaccharide nourishes the probiotic bacteria in the colon that help us absorb nutrients. 

Bananas act as an antacid and help protect against stomach ulcers.  They activate cells that compose the stomach lining and protease inhibitors in bananas help to eliminate bacteria that cause stomach ulcers. 

For more fun facts go to Chiquita.

So although the email was not completely true, I don’t think there was any negative impact on the general public by advertising the healing power of bananas.  To my knowledge, you cannot overdose on any of the vitamins and minerals by eating too many bananas.  People who read the email are now filling their bodies with potassium, lots of B vitamins, and natural sugars.  Sounds pretty healthy to me.  No harm done.