BANANAS AND WEIGHT LOSS, IS THERE ANY RELATION?

Why should you include bananas in your diet?

As soon as we hear the phrase “weight loss” the first thing that comes to our mind is hunger, restrictive diets, and excessive workout. However, most of the time, the person ends up breaking the diet and giving up on the whole diet program. There are some foods that are very rich in nutrients, which will provide you with the necessary daily intake of vitamins and significantly reduce your appetite, preventing you from feeling hungry. One of these foods is banana. Following are some benefits of including bananas in your diet.

Potassium

Bananas are known for being rich in potassium. This nutrient is very important to maintain the right level of fluids in the body. To achieve this, potassium and sodium work hand in hand. The balance of the potassium-sodium combination in the body helps the kidneys work properly. The process as a whole functions by sucking out the extra fluid from the blood cells when they are in the kidneys. Those fluids are later stored in the bladder to be released. The extra fluids in the body may cause you bloating which does not go hand in hand with weight loss. Further, potassium is important to regulate the muscle contractions, and have enough energy to work out.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a vital mineral to the body’s function. Magnesium helps maintain normal blood pressure, strong bones, and stable heart rhythm. Without this mineral, the body cannot produce ATP (the energy molecule) and the muscles would be constantly contracted. Studies done by the National Institute of Health proved that magnesium is included in more than 600 chemical reactions in the body. These reactions are mainly done to create energy, form new proteins out of amino acids such as tryptophan, create and repair DNA, regulate neurotransmitters such as serotonin, and regulate the muscle contractions. Magnesium is also a crucial element in your workout. Research from the National Health Institute proved that your body needs 10%-20% more magnesium when you are exercising. Magnesium also helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by maintaining a steady heart rhythm.

Phosphorus

In many experiments, phosphorus was associated with BMI (Body Mass Index). Studies showed that this mineral is very important for people who are willing to lose weight. One 12-week study tested the effect of phosphorus on weight loss. The study consisted of participants between 18 and 45 years old who were randomly assigned to two groups. One group took phosphorus supplements 3 times a day (with each meal). On the other hand, the other group took the same amount of placebo. The findings were as follows; first, phosphorus caused weight loss, reduced the waist circumference, and lowered the BMI. Second, phosphorus reduced appetite and participants reached the fullness level with less food. These results proved that phosphorus can be a beneficial nutrient for those who want to lose weight. Adding bananas to your diet may give you a good feeling as well as help you lose weight.

Tryptophan

Tryptophan is the amino acid from which serotonin is created. It is an essential element in the brain’s function. Dieters are advised to include foods rich in tryptophan in their diets due to its benefits on the psychological health. Consuming enough tryptophan can help you prevent depression, anxiety, poor cognition, mood disorders, and insomnia, among other brain conditions. Although tryptophan has no direct relation to weight loss, but it is the component that would help you have a good feeling about your diet and the efforts you do to reach your weight loss goals. Adding bananas to your diet can be considered as an antidepressant that you take during the days you feel down.

Phytoalexin

Similar to tryptophan, phytoalexin is not directly linked to weight loss. Instead, it is a nutrient that can function as an antibiotic due to its known antimicrobial capacities. Jonathan D. Walton, Koichi Yoneyama, and Masahiro Natsume define phytoalexins as antimicrobial constituents that the plants produce to fight infections. According to this definition, phytoalexins found in bananas can be considered an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substance that can help you prevent premature aging, and reduce the discomfort you may get due to your appearance after weight loss. Recent studies showed also that the regular consumption of phytoalexin can lead to the prevention of cardiovascular disease caused by poor diets.

Elements to add to your diet

There are various recipes of juices and smoothies that can be included in your diet when it comes to weight loss. One of these recipes can be the banana smoothie. To prepare this drink you will need one banana and half a glass of plain non-fat natural yogurt. These ingredients can be adjusted according to your preferences. The ingredients in this smoothie are rich in calcium and protein, which are believed to help improve the body’s capacity of fat burning without impacting the muscles. Studies have shown that dieters who included yogurt in their diets (3 times a day) lost 81% more fats around their waist than those who did not include it. Moreover, you can add coconut oil, lemon juice, flaxseed or ginger powder to your diet. These ingredients can lower cholesterol, improve your body metabolism, as well as lower high blood pressure.

Warnings

Some of these ingredients may cause side effects or even complications to some dieters with particular health conditions. You may want to remove ginger and cinnamon from your smoothie recipes if you suffer from high blood pressure. These ingredients would make the hypertension worse. Also, pregnant women should limit their daily intake of ginger to 1 g a day. Talking to your doctor about your individual needs and conditions is important before starting a diet, or adding a particular ingredient to it.
The banana smoothie can be the best choice if you are a breakfast skipper because it won’t make you feel full, however, it will give you enough energy to start your day.
Keep in mind that to safely and surely reach your weight loss goals you have to make sure that you are having two elements; healthy eating and consistent exercise.