Bananas are a familiar fruit in many families' meals thanks to their easy-to-eat sweetness, convenience and suitability for all ages. Not only provide quick energy, bananas are also rich in potassium, minerals that play an important role in regulating blood pressure and protecting cardiovascular health. However, eating bananas every day will bring about what changes for the body?
Sodium raises blood pressure, while potassium helps lower blood pressure thanks to its ability to balance fluids and support blood vessel function, says Dr. Daniel Jones, University of Mississippi School of Medicine (USA). Therefore, supplementing foods rich in potassium, including bananas, helps the body control blood pressure better, especially for adults or people at risk of high blood pressure.
Helps lower blood pressure but has different reactions depending on gender and age
Recent research shows that the bodies of men and women react differently to sodium and potassium. Nutritionist Yasi Ansari, UCLA Health (USA), shared: biology and age shape how the body reacts to salt and potassium. This is the key to building a diet to prevent high blood pressure for each group of subjects".
According to her, premenopausal women are less sensitive to salt than men of the same age. However, after the age of 60, the rate of high blood pressure in women will increase due to hormonal changes and reduced blood vessel elasticity. This shows that banana supplementation, or other potassium-rich foods, should be based on the age and health status of each family member.
In addition, bananas also provide vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber to aid digestion, helping the body maintain stable energy during the day.
A banana does not need enough potassium
An average banana contains only about 358 mg of potassium, equivalent to 9% of the recommended daily requirement. That means the body needs many different food sources to meet the required potassium.
Eating bananas alone cannot provide enough potassium, recommends Dr. Jones. Adults should add more potatoes, dried apricots, lentils, pumpkin or raisins to reach the recommended level".
However, eating too many bananas is not a safe choice. too much potassium can lead to hyperkalemia, a dangerous condition that affects heart rate and kidney health. Therefore, eating bananas every day is only suitable when balanced with a rich and healthy diet for the whole family.
Bananas can be flexibly combined with breakfast or snacks such as smoothies, oatmeal or eaten with nut butter to increase flavor and nutritional value.
