Bananas and Nutrition: The Latest Research | NutritionFacts.org

America’s favorite fruits are apples and bananas, with antioxidant power of about 60 units and 40 units, respectively. Mangos, the preferred fruit around the world outside of the United States, have even more antioxidant punch at around 110 units, but none of these fruits is a match for berries. Strawberries weigh in at about 310 units per cup, cranberries at 330, raspberries at 350, blueberries at 380 (though wild blueberries may have twice as much), and blackberries at a whopping 650 units.

In my Daily Dozen, I recommend a daily serving of berries, among the most antioxidant-packed food category, in addition to three servings a day of other fruits.

Bananas are delicious, easy to eat, and readily available, but when reaching for a piece of fruit, mix it up and choose one you don’t normally eat. Indeed, many fruits have greater antioxidant power than bananas. Bananas are great, though, blended frozen as a replacement for ice cream or as a substitute for oil in baking.

For substantiation of any statements of fact from the peer-reviewed medical literature, please see the associated videos below.

Image Credit: Pixabay. This image has been modified.

Bananas

40 videos

All Videos for Bananas

Mango smoothie in a glass jar

Banana vs. Mango Smoothies for Polyphenol Absorption

How can you mediate the phytonutrient-destroying enzyme in avocados, bananas, and mushrooms?

Smoothie made from banana and chocolate in a glass

The Downside to Banana Smoothies for Polyphenol Absorption

An enzyme in bananas can destroy some of the phytonutrients in berries and cocoa, but there is a way to reduce the effect.

Close up of mosquito on human skin

Are Beer, Bananas, and B Vitamins Mosquito Repellents?

What happens when mosquitos put on beer goggles?

close up of salt substitutes

Potassium Chloride Salt Substitute Side Effects

Healthy kidneys are required for potassium excretion. If you aren’t sure if you’re at risk, ask your doctor about getting your kidney function tested.

top view of berry smoothies on a dark countertop

Foods to Help Protect Your Arteries from Saturated Fat

If you’re going to have something unhealthy, is there anything you can eat with it to help mediate the damage it may cause?

spice and herb collection in bowls and spoons on a black wooden background

Which Foods Are Anti-Inflammatory?

Foods that reduce inflammation. What does an anti-inflammatory diet look like?

Fruits and Vegetables Put to the Test for Boosting Mood

Fruits and Vegetables Put to the Test for Boosting Mood

A randomized controlled trial investigates diet and psychological well-being.

The Benefits of Moringa: Is It the Most Nutritious Food?

The Benefits of Moringa: Is It the Most Nutritious Food?

Does the so-called miracle tree live up to the hype?

Cut the Calorie-Rich-and-Processed Foods

Cut the Calorie-Rich-And-Processed Foods

We have an uncanny ability to pick out the subtle distinctions in calorie density of foods, but only within the natural range.

For Flavonoid Benefits, Don't Peel Apples

For Flavonoid Benefits, Don’t Peel Apples

Peeled apples are pitted head-to-head against unpeeled apples and spinach in a test of artery function.

Berries for Inflammation and Osteoarthritis Treatment

Berries for Inflammation and Osteoarthritis Treatment

Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trials on berries and the first clinical study on the effects of berries on arthritis.

How to Treat Jet Lag with Melatonin-Rich Food

How to Treat Jet Lag with Melatonin-Rich Food

There may be a way to get the benefits of over-the-counter melatonin supplements without the risk.

Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen Checklist

In my book How Not to Die, I center my recommendations around a Daily Dozen checklist of everything I try to fit into my daily routine.

Dr. Greger in the Kitchen: My New Favorite Dessert

Dr. Greger in the Kitchen: My New Favorite Dessert

Dr. Greger whips up some matcha ice cream inspired by a recipe in his How Not to Die Cookbook.

Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen Checklist

Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen Checklist

In my book How Not to Die, I center my recommendations around a Daily Dozen checklist of all the things I try to fit into my daily routine.

The Benefits of Acai vs. Blueberries for Artery Function

The Benefits of Açai vs. Blueberries for Artery Function

What are the effects of açai berries, cooked and raw blueberries, grapes, cocoa, green tea, and freshly squeezed orange juice on artery function?

Lowering Our Sodium to Potassium Ratio to Reduce Stroke Risk

Lowering Our Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio to Reduce Stroke Risk

The potassium content in greens is one of two ways they can improve artery function within minutes of consumption.

Specific Receptors for Specific Fruits and Vegetables

Specific Receptors for Specific Fruits and Vegetables

Dietary diversity is important because each plant family has a unique combination of phytonutrients that may bind to specific proteins within our body.

Do Raisins Cause Cavities?

Do Raisins Cause Cavities?

Dried fruit has long been thought to contribute to tooth decay, but what does the science say?

2. How to Counter the Inflammation of Aging

How to Counter the Inflammation of Aging

What can we eat to combat “inflamm-aging,” the chronic low-grade inflammation that accompanies the aging process?

blueberries on a bush

Preventing Skin Cancer from the Inside Out

Eating antioxidant-rich foods can bolster skin protection and reduce sunburn redness by 40%, whereas alcohol can dramatically drop the level of antioxidants in the skin within 8 minutes of consumption.

Kiwifruit for the Common Cold

Kiwifruit for the Common Cold

Compared to bananas, does eating kiwifruit decrease the incidence and severity of upper respiratory tract infections?

Liquid Calories: Do Smoothies Lead to Weight Gain?

Liquid Calories: Do Smoothies Lead to Weight Gain?

If our body doesn’t register liquid calories as well, why are blended soups more satiating than the same ingredients eaten in solid form?

Green Smoothies: What Does the Science Say?

Green Smoothies: What Does the Science Say?

Might disrupting the fiber by blending fruit result in overly rapid sugar absorption?

Treating Dry Eye Disease with Diet: Just Add Water?

Treating Dry Eye Disease with Diet: Just Add Water?

Causes of dry eye disease include LASIK laser eye surgery, but there are dietary approaches to prevention and treatment.

Juicing Removes More Than Just Fiber

Juicing Removes More than Just Fiber

The majority of polyphenol phytonutrients may be bound to fiber, helping to explain the marked difference in health impacts between whole fruit and fruit juice.

Greens vs. Glaucoma

Greens vs. Glaucoma

Kale and collard greens contain vision-protecting plant nutrients, such as zeaxanthin, that may significantly lower the risk of glaucoma—a leading cause of blindness.

How to Reach the Antioxidant RDA

How to Reach the Antioxidant “RDA”

Even nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day may not reach the minimum recommended intake of antioxidants if one doesn’t make the right choices.

Which Fruit Fights Cancer Better?

The ability of eleven common fruits to suppress cancer cell growth in vitro was compared. Which was most effective—apples, bananas, cranberries, grapefruits, grapes, lemons, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, or strawberries?

Plant-Based Diets: Dental Health

Those eating more sour fruit may risk greater erosion of their tooth enamel (especially if teeth are brushed in a softened state), but there’s a simple solution.

Preventing Breast Cancer by Any Greens Necessary

Which was associated with lowest breast cancer risk in African-American women? Apples, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, carrots, collard greens, grapefruit, oranges, spinach, tomatoes, or sweet potatoes?

Preventing Strokes with Diet

Increasing the intake of potassium-rich foods is associated with a significantly lower stroke risk.

98% of American Diets Potassium-Deficient

Less than 2% of Americans achieve even the recommended minimum adequate intake of potassium, due primarily to inadequate plant food intake.

Human Neurotransmitters in Plants

The consumption of certain fruits is suggested as a potential treatment for depression, given the presence of psychoactive neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and melatonin in many plant foods.

Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Death in America is largely a foodborne illness. Focusing on studies published just over the last year in peer-reviewed scientific medical journals, Dr. Greger offers practical advice on how best to feed ourselves and our families to prevent, treat, and even reverse many of the top 15 killers in the United States.

Garden Variety Anti-Inflammation

Garden Variety Anti-Inflammation

The variety of fruit and vegetable consumption may decrease disease risk, independent of quantity.

various sliced produce

Anti-Inflammatory Antioxidants

Even when choosing the same quantity of fruits and vegetables, those making higher antioxidant choices experienced a reduction in C-reactive protein (inflammation) levels.

Best Berries

Compared to popular fruits such as apples, bananas, and mangoes, which of the hundreds of different berries tested have the most and least antioxidant power: blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, crowberries, dog rose berries, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, or Tahitian noni juice?

Bowels of the Earth

Bowels of the Earth

Which country has the largest (and smallest) average stool size?

Calculate Your Healthy Eating Score

Rate your diet on a scale of 0 to 100 using the phytochemical index, and compare your score to the Standard American Diet.

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