BANANA BENEFITS
In a small-scale informal survey, 4 girls and 3 boys aged 5-7 were asked if they liked to eat banana.
75% of the girls liked to eat banana but only 33% of the boys liked to eat banana. And, most of them
didnÂ’t know the benefits of banana.
Banana has a lot of health benefits. It is a rich source of potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, Vitamins B6
and C. A few suppliers claim that bananas are also a rich source of fructooligosaccharide.
Fructololigosaccharide is prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (beneficial) bacteria in the colon. These
beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes. These digestive enzymes improve our ability
to absorb nutrients including calcium and the compounds that may protect us against pathogens. In
addition, banana may lessen the gastrointestinal transit time, which may decrease the risk of colon
cancer. [1] On the other hand, a recent issue of FDA consumer magazine recommends bananas as a
potassium-rich food because potassium counteracts some of sodium's effect on blood pressure. [2]
Banana is also found to be a rich source of provitamin A carotenoids. Researchers studied the carotenoid
content of frozen samples of the edible flesh of 12 banana varieties. They found huge variations of the
carotenoid content and (retinol activity equivalents) among the varieties: total carotene levels ranged
from 150 to 2176microg and (retinol activity equivalents)/100g from 8 to 130. [7]
BananaÂ’s antioxidant and anticancer activities.
In a study using TOSC assay, researchers found the antioxidant activity of banana. In another study,
banana showed an inhibitory effect on human liver-cancer cells
\Researchers from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, collected dietary information from 61,000 women age 40-
76 years by a food-frequency questionnaire. They found that those who consumed more than 75 servings
per month of fruits had multivariate relative risk of 0.59 compared to those consuming 11 or less servings
per month. And, the strongest inverse association was observed for banana. [3]
In Thailand, researchers interviewed 279 patients suffered from colorectal cancer compared to 279
hospital controls with other cancers except gastrointestinal cancer with regard to bowel pattern
information, family history, past history of illness and dietary information. They concluded that a protective
effect provided by banana and papaya on colorectal cancer. Bacon and butter increased the risk for
colorectal cancer. Nitrite-treated meat increases colorectal cancer risk while dietary fiber decreases
colorectal cancer risk. [5]
Banana helps diarrhea in critically ill tube-fed patients
In a study, 31 patients with diarrhea and receiving enteral feedings were randomized to receive either
banana flakes or medical treatment for diarrhea. The researchers found that the banana flake group had
less diarrhea clinically, with 57% of the subjects diarrhea free on their last study day as opposed to 24%
of the medically treated subjects. [4]
Banana pulp helps cholesterol, research finds
In a study of male rats on a diet containing lard (50 g/kg) and cholesterol (5 g/kg), freeze-dried banana
pulp (Musa sapientum L. var. Cavendishii) showed a marked cholesterol-lowering effect when incorporated
into a diet at the level of 300 or 500 g/kg, while the hot-air dried banana pulp did not show the effect. [8]
REFERENCES
[1] Bananas, The worldÂ’s healthiest foods, Online publication. Sept 20, 2005. [2] FDA Consumer magazine, Online
Publication, Issue May-June 2005 Issue, Sept 20, 2005 [3] Rashidkhani B et al, Fruits, vegetables and risk of renal cell
carcinoma: a prospective study of Swedish women. Int J Cancer. 2005 Jan 20;113(3):451-5.. [4] Emery EA et al,
Banana flakes control diarrhea in enterally fed patients. Nutr Clin Pract. 1997 Apr;12(2):72-5. [5] Lohsoonthorn P and
Danvivat D Colorectal cancer risk factors: a case-control study in Bangkok. Asia Pac J Public Health. 1995;8(2):118-22.
[6] Sun J et al, Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of common fruits. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Dec 4;50(25):
7449-54. [7] Blades BL et al, Bananas and plantains as a source of provitamin A. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;12
(Suppl):S36. [8] Horigome T et al, Hypocholesterolaemic effect of banana (Musa sapientum L. var. Cavendishii) pulp in
the rat fed on a cholesterol-containing diet. Br J Nutr. 1992 Jul;68(1):231-44.
75% of the girls liked to eat banana but only 33% of the boys liked to eat banana. And, most of them
didnÂ’t know the benefits of banana.
Banana has a lot of health benefits. It is a rich source of potassium, dietary fiber, manganese, Vitamins B6
and C. A few suppliers claim that bananas are also a rich source of fructooligosaccharide.
Fructololigosaccharide is prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (beneficial) bacteria in the colon. These
beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes. These digestive enzymes improve our ability
to absorb nutrients including calcium and the compounds that may protect us against pathogens. In
addition, banana may lessen the gastrointestinal transit time, which may decrease the risk of colon
cancer. [1] On the other hand, a recent issue of FDA consumer magazine recommends bananas as a
potassium-rich food because potassium counteracts some of sodium's effect on blood pressure. [2]
Banana is also found to be a rich source of provitamin A carotenoids. Researchers studied the carotenoid
content of frozen samples of the edible flesh of 12 banana varieties. They found huge variations of the
carotenoid content and (retinol activity equivalents) among the varieties: total carotene levels ranged
from 150 to 2176microg and (retinol activity equivalents)/100g from 8 to 130. [7]
BananaÂ’s antioxidant and anticancer activities.
In a study using TOSC assay, researchers found the antioxidant activity of banana. In another study,
banana showed an inhibitory effect on human liver-cancer cells
\Researchers from Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, collected dietary information from 61,000 women age 40-
76 years by a food-frequency questionnaire. They found that those who consumed more than 75 servings
per month of fruits had multivariate relative risk of 0.59 compared to those consuming 11 or less servings
per month. And, the strongest inverse association was observed for banana. [3]
In Thailand, researchers interviewed 279 patients suffered from colorectal cancer compared to 279
hospital controls with other cancers except gastrointestinal cancer with regard to bowel pattern
information, family history, past history of illness and dietary information. They concluded that a protective
effect provided by banana and papaya on colorectal cancer. Bacon and butter increased the risk for
colorectal cancer. Nitrite-treated meat increases colorectal cancer risk while dietary fiber decreases
colorectal cancer risk. [5]
Banana helps diarrhea in critically ill tube-fed patients
In a study, 31 patients with diarrhea and receiving enteral feedings were randomized to receive either
banana flakes or medical treatment for diarrhea. The researchers found that the banana flake group had
less diarrhea clinically, with 57% of the subjects diarrhea free on their last study day as opposed to 24%
of the medically treated subjects. [4]
Banana pulp helps cholesterol, research finds
In a study of male rats on a diet containing lard (50 g/kg) and cholesterol (5 g/kg), freeze-dried banana
pulp (Musa sapientum L. var. Cavendishii) showed a marked cholesterol-lowering effect when incorporated
into a diet at the level of 300 or 500 g/kg, while the hot-air dried banana pulp did not show the effect. [8]
REFERENCES
[1] Bananas, The worldÂ’s healthiest foods, Online publication. Sept 20, 2005. [2] FDA Consumer magazine, Online
Publication, Issue May-June 2005 Issue, Sept 20, 2005 [3] Rashidkhani B et al, Fruits, vegetables and risk of renal cell
carcinoma: a prospective study of Swedish women. Int J Cancer. 2005 Jan 20;113(3):451-5.. [4] Emery EA et al,
Banana flakes control diarrhea in enterally fed patients. Nutr Clin Pract. 1997 Apr;12(2):72-5. [5] Lohsoonthorn P and
Danvivat D Colorectal cancer risk factors: a case-control study in Bangkok. Asia Pac J Public Health. 1995;8(2):118-22.
[6] Sun J et al, Antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of common fruits. J Agric Food Chem. 2002 Dec 4;50(25):
7449-54. [7] Blades BL et al, Bananas and plantains as a source of provitamin A. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2003 Nov;12
(Suppl):S36. [8] Horigome T et al, Hypocholesterolaemic effect of banana (Musa sapientum L. var. Cavendishii) pulp in
the rat fed on a cholesterol-containing diet. Br J Nutr. 1992 Jul;68(1):231-44.
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Discuss with your doctor before taking any alternative medicine. This article is for
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