Bananas are a staple meals in lots of diets and among the many most consumed fruits globally (1).
In actual fact, they’re the primary meals logged by MyFitnessPal members, highlighting their widespread attraction.
Bananas are favored for his or her comfort, availability, and low price. They’re a straightforward addition to meals. They’re usually loved in smoothies, as a part of breakfast cereals, or just on their very own.
In lots of nations, particularly low-income ones, bananas are a precious supply of vitamin (1). Wealthy in important vitamins like potassium, vitamin B6, and dietary fiber, this fruit is a nutritious selection (2).
Bananas are undoubtedly widespread. However, with rising issues in regards to the setting and eating regimen range, you may be questioning how usually you must eat them.
Right here’s what it is advisable find out about your weekly banana consumption and its potential results in your well being and the planet.
The Banana Fungus Disaster: What You Have to Know
Bananas are one of many world’s most produced and consumed fruits, with over 1,000 totally different varieties (1).
The Cavendish banana is hottest, making up 99% of banana exports (3).
However, it’s at the moment threatened by a brand new pressure (TR4) of fusarium wilt, a fungus often known as “Panama illness” (3). This fungus assaults roots, inflicting vegetation to rot and die (4).
If unchecked, it may result in the industrial extinction of the Cavendish banana.
Within the Nineteen Fifties, an analogous illness destroyed the earlier favourite: the Gros Michel banana. That’s after we switched to the Cavendish (3).
Since 1990, a brand new illness pressure has unfold. It entered necessary banana-growing areas like Latin America round 2019, inflicting critical harm to Cavendish bananas (5).
It is a massive downside. There’s no commercially obtainable alternative for the Cavendish banana but.
Dropping it could particularly influence poorer communities and economies, affecting tens of millions who depend upon the banana business for meals and earnings (1, 6).
Scientists are working onerous to cease the unfold of Panama illness.
They lately discovered some genes within the fungus that may be key to defending Cavendish bananas from extinction (7). However, if not, we’d must discover a new favourite banana quickly.
How Many Bananas Ought to You Eat in a Week?
Bananas supply many potential well being advantages, together with:
- Continual illness prevention: Bananas are wealthy in bioactive compounds. They embody antioxidant flavonoids and polyphenols. These might assist forestall sort 2 diabetes, coronary heart illness, and most cancers (8).
- Help coronary heart well being and replenish electrolytes: Bananas are excessive within the electrolytes potassium and magnesium. These can assist decrease blood strain and scale back coronary heart illness threat (9, 10). Additionally, bananas can assist change these electrolytes misplaced in diarrhea or vomiting (2).
- Promote intestine and metabolic well being: Unripe and fewer ripe bananas are wealthy in fibers like pectin and resistant starch. These fibers assist digestion, bowel actions, and blood sugar management (2). In addition they act as prebiotics, nourishing good intestine micro organism. A wholesome intestine microbiome additional aids digestion. It might additionally help immunity, mind well being, and weight administration. (11 , 12).
Latest observational analysis discovered that individuals with hypertension might decrease their dying threat by consuming bananas 3 to six instances every week (13). That is in comparison with those that eat them lower than as soon as a month. Growing past this vary didn’t supply further advantages.
Extra analysis is required to search out the correct amount of bananas for various well being situations and targets.
So, what number of bananas do you have to eat weekly to reap these advantages? For now, one of the best reply depends upon your private wants and eating regimen. However, most wholesome adults ought to have the ability to safely eat one or two medium bananas per day.

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Different Issues to Take into account Earlier than Growing Banana Consumption
Be cautious about consuming bananas if in case you have sure well being situations. For instance, individuals with kidney illness ought to restrict bananas due to their excessive potassium content material (11).
These with different issues or on blood strain or coronary heart failure medicines ought to seek the advice of a health care provider earlier than consuming bananas.
Additionally, whereas bananas are wholesome, banana-flavored merchandise and desserts is probably not as nutritious. They sometimes lack the advantages of consuming complete bananas.
For recipes that use complete bananas, take a look at 10 Wholesome Recipes for Bananas.
The Case for Selection: Why You Shouldn’t Depend on Bananas Alone
The World Well being Group (WHO) recommends that you just eat not less than 5 servings of vegetables and fruit day by day (14).
A low consumption of vegetables and fruit raises the chance of continual ailments (15). This will likely contribute to tens of millions of deaths worldwide (16).
However, it’s not simply the quantity we eat that issues. Consuming all kinds of vegetables and fruit is essential for good well being.
Like every meals, consuming too many bananas can crowd out different produce, inflicting nutrient imbalances and potential negative effects.
A number of research counsel {that a} numerous mixture of vegetables and fruit, no matter amount, might decrease the chance of sort 2 diabetes and a few cancers (15).
Consuming a better number of vegetables and fruit has additionally been linked to higher vitamin and eating regimen high quality, a more healthy way of life, or a decrease threat of dying in some older populations (17, 18).
Scientists suggest one other case for selection: increasing the forms of bananas we eat may assist remedy the banana fungus downside (19).
So, if it’s accessible to you, you are able to do your half to help extra sustainable and numerous banana manufacturing by selecting:
- Numerous forms of bananas, like purple bananas or plantains
- Fairtrade or natural bananas
- Bananas from totally different areas
This strategy might promote eco-friendly practices and scale back the world’s dependence on a single sort of banana crop, which in flip may assist shield biodiversity and the setting.
Options to Bananas: Fruits to Attempt
In search of some inspiration so as to add extra selection to your day by day fruit consumption?
Listed here are some fruits you’ll be able to strive as an alternative of bananas (or along with them):
- Blueberries: Notably excessive in antioxidants and fiber.
- Kiwi: Wealthy in vitamin C, digestive enzymes, and fiber.
- Pomegranates: Excessive in potassium and antioxidants.
- Oranges: Plentiful in vitamin C for immune and pores and skin well being.
- Papaya: Wealthy in nutritional vitamins A, C, and digestive enzymes.
- Strawberries: Excessive in vitamin C, manganese, and antioxidants.
- Apples: Excessive in fiber, particularly pectin, and vitamin C.
- Cherries: Filled with fiber, vitamin C, and highly effective antioxidants.
- Avocados: Distinctive as a fruit wealthy in wholesome fat and fiber.
Attempt monitoring your day by day servings within the MyFitnessPal app to see what number of various kinds of fruits you eat and if there’s room to diversify.
The Backside Line: Stability & Selection Are Key
Most wholesome adults can eat one to 2 medium-sized bananas day by day.
Whereas bananas supply many well being advantages, think about diversifying in order that bananas aren’t your solely fruit selection.
Consuming all kinds of vegetables and fruit could be as necessary as consuming sufficient of them. Additionally, selecting a various vary of produce may be a extra environmentally pleasant possibility.
So, take pleasure in bananas carefully as a part of a balanced eating regimen wealthy in numerous vegetables and fruit to help each your well being and the planet.
The put up What to Know About Banana Diet (& Extinction!) appeared first on MyFitnessPal Weblog.
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