The banana is a real miracle fruit.

Athletes in particular swear by the exotic energy supplier that makes body and mind fit and

after a workout, thanks to the proteins it contains, allows muscles to grow.

The banana has its origins in Southeast Asia. From there it was brought to India and Africa by seafarers and to the Canary Islands by the Spanish conquerors, where it is still grown today.

With the conquest of Central and South America, the banana came to the New World.

In order to develop optimally, bananas need a warm, humid climate and a temperature of around 27 ° C. If possible, 1,500 hours of sunshine a year or more and a high level of humidity are further requirements. The banana plant grows best in flat, well-ventilated, sandy loam soils.

Bananas contain good nutrients

A banana consists primarily of water and carbohydrates, it contains little protein and almost no fat. In green bananas, the carbohydrates are almost exclusively starch and resistant starch. However, during the ripening process, this starch is converted into sugar (glucose, fructose and sucrose).

Bananas are very rich in vitamins and minerals Bananas are. In addition to potassium and magnesium, bananas also contain significant amounts of folic acid, iron, copper and beta-carotene.

Bananas can help you lose weight

Bananas contain an average of 100 calories - but at the same time the fruit is very filling and provides important nutrients. Consuming fiber through fruits and vegetables has repeatedly been shown in studies to be a factor for a healthy weight and weight loss.

Unripe, green bananas also contain a lot of resistant starch - they have a very filling effect and can reduce appetite. Bananas are resistant granules of starch, one of three types of resistant starch. Due to the arrangement of its starch chains and starch granules, it cannot be broken down and, in addition to green bananas, is also found in raw potatoes and raw corn, for example.

During digestion, only about ten percent of the starch ingested reaches the large intestine unchanged, which means that the body automatically absorbs fewer calories.

One study also showed that 24 grams of the starch from bananas per day resulted in a weight loss of 1.2 kilograms after four weeks.

Bananas can regulate blood sugar levels

What also makes bananas healthy are the pectins they contain: water-soluble fiber that swells in the intestines and thus slows down digestion. In combination with the resistant starch, this regulates the blood sugar level and suppresses the appetite.

Bananas also have a low glycemic index (GI) - this ranks foods from 0 to 100 according to how much the blood sugar level rises after consuming a food. Unripe bananas have a GI of 30 and ripe bananas have a GI of 60. The average GI of bananas is 52.

In healthy people, eating a banana does not cause the blood sugar level to rise suddenly. However, it is not recommended for people with type 2 diabetes to consume many ripe bananas. If you eat bananas anyway, you should watch your blood sugar level afterwards.

Low carb tip: The green bananas contain more starch than sugar and can therefore also be integrated into a low carb diet.

Bananas ensure healthy digestion

Dietary fiber has many benefits, including making bananas healthy. Bananas are not among the fruits that are rich in fiber, but they contain 3 grams of fiber per 100 grams, mainly the fiber pectin and resistant starch.

Resistant starch passes through the small intestine undigested and is broken down (fermented) in the large intestine by intestinal bacteria and with the exclusion of oxygen. The short-chain fatty acids propionate, acetate and butyrate are formed in the process. The latter is considered to be the main source of energy for the cells of the colon mucosa.

As a healthy snack, bananas can also be used for diarrhea, as the pectins they contain delay bowel evacuation. It is then best to process the banana into a pulp with a fork before consuming it. Some studies have also shown that pectins can prevent colon cancer.

Bananas are healthy for the heart and kidneys

The minerals they contain also make bananas healthy: the mineral potassium is important for the heart and blood pressure. However, according to one study, many people do not get enough potassium from their diet. Bananas are a great source of potassium; an average fruit covers around nine percent of the daily requirement.

A diet rich in potassium can lower blood pressure, some studies have shown: People who consumed a lot of potassium had a 27 percent lower risk of heart disease.

Magnesium also ensures a healthy heart. After all, bananas contain 30 milligrams of magnesium per 100 grams. A magnesium deficiency, on the other hand, can increase the risk of heart failure or stroke.

Potassium also ensures a healthy kidney. A long-term study showed that the risk of kidney disease in women who ate a banana two to three times a week was 33 percent lower than in the comparison group. Further studies even showed a 50 percent lower risk when eating bananas four to six times.