What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Bananas Every Day

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsThey Can Help When You’re SickThey May Support Weight LossOther BenefitsDaily LimitsKey NutrientsCarb and Sugar ContentOther Reasons to Limit Them

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

They Can Help When You’re Sick

They May Support Weight Loss

Other Benefits

Daily Limits

Key Nutrients

Carb and Sugar Content

Other Reasons to Limit Them

Information in the press or on social media about bananas' sugar and carbohydrate content may make you wonder if bananas are good for you. The truth is that when eaten mindfully, bananas are a veryhealthy fruit. They have tons to offer nutritionally and are an excellent choice for a healthy diet.

Bananas are good for you whenever you want to enjoy one (in moderation, like anything else). However, there are some critical times when having bananas may be especially beneficial for your health and wellness.

1. They Can Help When You’re Sick

When you have a poor appetite, having nutrient-dense foods that won’t irritate your stomach is important. Bananas are the “B” in the acronymBRAT diet, a limited diet consisting of bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. The BRAT diet is often recommended when you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.

Bananas offer a mild flavor and soft texture that’s easy to digest. They also provide an array of vitamins and minerals to help replete your nutrition without taking up much room in your stomach.

2. They May Help Support Weight Loss

Incorporating more bananas into your diet can be a good idea if you’re trying to lose weight. They’re naturally sweet, which can help satisfy some sweet cravings, particularly at night.

Furthermore, bananas are low in calories, typically only containing around 100–120 per fruit. They alsoprovide fiberandresistant starchthat helps satisfy you without spiking your blood sugar. The greener the banana, the more resistant starch it contains.

Which Fruits Are Best for Weight Loss?

3. Other Benefits

Bananas have some other great qualities, too, including:

Eating Bananas Every Day: What’s the Cutoff?

There’s no question that bananas are a nutritious food that can benefit just about any diet pattern. However, there can be too much of a good thing. Eating too much of any single food, including bananas, can do more harm than good for your health and wellness.

Reasons to reduce your banana intake include:

Overall, there’s no set number for how many bananas you should eat as long as they fit within your individual nutrient needs. Generally speaking, one or two bananas per day is probably reasonable for most people.

Remember that we’re talking about fresh bananas here, not banana products. For instance, banana chips are often sweetened, adding calories and sugar you may not want. The same goes for banana-flavored candy chews and beverages.

Are Bananas Acidic?

Key Nutrients in Bananas

Bananas don’t just come in their own packaging. They also provide several important nutrients for your health.

In one medium-sized banana, you’ll find the following nutrients:

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends eating at leastfive servings of fruits and vegetableseach day.Adding a banana to your day is a great way to help meet those guidelines.

Bananas, Carb Content, and Sugar

One of the reasons bananas are often called out in headlines is because they are higher in sugar per serving than some of the other fruits. This creates a misconception that bananas should be avoided due to their sugar content.

The natural sugar in fruits like bananas differs from the added sugar you mix into a recipe when baking a cake. Fruit sugar is packaged with other nutrients, like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, whereas added sugar is just sugar and calories with no nutritional benefit.

Furthermore, a banana won’t cause the same dramatic spike in your blood sugar compared to a sugary treat.Consider pairing a banana with a spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of almonds to make an even more satisfying and balanced snack.

Ripe vs. Overripe Bananas

Other Reasons to Limit Banana Consumption

The primary reasons you should avoid eating bananas include if you have abanana allergyor don’t like them as a fruit. However, there are also some potential interactions to be aware of between bananas and certain medications.

While not common, if you take certain medications that interact with potassium, such as diuretics and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, you should limit your consumption of bananas. If you eat a lot of bananas (or other high-potassium foods) and use a drug that can cause an interaction, it’s possible that thepotassium levelsin your body could rise to a dangerous level.

You should also avoid bananas if you take certain drugs for bacterial infections, such as metronidazole and linezolid. This is because bananas contain an amino acid calledtyramine, which may trigger a spike in blood pressure when taken with these medications.

Always speak with a healthcare provider if you have concerns about food-drug interactions.

Summary

While many headlines may have you believe they are high in sugar and carbs and promote weight gain, bananas consumed in moderation are a great addition to any healthy diet. Incorporate bananas mindfully as part of an overall balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. This ensures that you get an array of nutrients your body needs.

A banana or two a day doesn’t have harmful effects for most people. So, if you like them, eat them.

13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - a review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033Weir SBS, Akhondi H.Bland diet. [Updated 2023 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538142/FoodData Central.Bananas, ripe and slightly ripe, raw.Amini Khoozani A, Birch J, Bekhit AEA.Production, application and health effects of banana pulp and peel flour in the food industry.J Food Sci Technol. 2019;56(2):548-559. doi:10.1007/s13197-018-03562-zBaker LB, Wolfe AS.Physiological mechanisms determining eccrine sweat composition.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020;120(4):719-752. doi:10.1007/s00421-020-04323-7Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - A review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033Food and Drug Administration.Frequently asked questions for industry on nutrition facts labeling requirements.World Health Organization.Healthy diet.Mela DJ, Woolner EM.Perspective: total, added, or free? What kind of sugars should we be talking about?.Adv Nutr. 2018;9(2):63-69. doi:10.1093/advances/nmx020Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, et al.Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies[published correction appears in BMJ. 2013;347:f6935].BMJ. 2013;347:f5001. doi:10.1136/bmj.f5001Falcomer AL, Riquette RFR, de Lima BR, Ginani VC, Zandonadi RP.Health benefits of green banana consumption: a systematic review.Nutrients. 2019;11(6):1222. doi:10.3390/nu11061222Choi JH, Ko CM.Food and drug interactions.J Lifestyle Med. 2017;7(1):1-9. doi:10.15280/jlm.2017.7.1.1Consumer Reports.Food and Drug Interactions You Need to Know About.

13 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - a review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033Weir SBS, Akhondi H.Bland diet. [Updated 2023 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538142/FoodData Central.Bananas, ripe and slightly ripe, raw.Amini Khoozani A, Birch J, Bekhit AEA.Production, application and health effects of banana pulp and peel flour in the food industry.J Food Sci Technol. 2019;56(2):548-559. doi:10.1007/s13197-018-03562-zBaker LB, Wolfe AS.Physiological mechanisms determining eccrine sweat composition.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020;120(4):719-752. doi:10.1007/s00421-020-04323-7Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - A review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033Food and Drug Administration.Frequently asked questions for industry on nutrition facts labeling requirements.World Health Organization.Healthy diet.Mela DJ, Woolner EM.Perspective: total, added, or free? What kind of sugars should we be talking about?.Adv Nutr. 2018;9(2):63-69. doi:10.1093/advances/nmx020Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, et al.Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies[published correction appears in BMJ. 2013;347:f6935].BMJ. 2013;347:f5001. doi:10.1136/bmj.f5001Falcomer AL, Riquette RFR, de Lima BR, Ginani VC, Zandonadi RP.Health benefits of green banana consumption: a systematic review.Nutrients. 2019;11(6):1222. doi:10.3390/nu11061222Choi JH, Ko CM.Food and drug interactions.J Lifestyle Med. 2017;7(1):1-9. doi:10.15280/jlm.2017.7.1.1Consumer Reports.Food and Drug Interactions You Need to Know About.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - a review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033Weir SBS, Akhondi H.Bland diet. [Updated 2023 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538142/FoodData Central.Bananas, ripe and slightly ripe, raw.Amini Khoozani A, Birch J, Bekhit AEA.Production, application and health effects of banana pulp and peel flour in the food industry.J Food Sci Technol. 2019;56(2):548-559. doi:10.1007/s13197-018-03562-zBaker LB, Wolfe AS.Physiological mechanisms determining eccrine sweat composition.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020;120(4):719-752. doi:10.1007/s00421-020-04323-7Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - A review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033Food and Drug Administration.Frequently asked questions for industry on nutrition facts labeling requirements.World Health Organization.Healthy diet.Mela DJ, Woolner EM.Perspective: total, added, or free? What kind of sugars should we be talking about?.Adv Nutr. 2018;9(2):63-69. doi:10.1093/advances/nmx020Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, et al.Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies[published correction appears in BMJ. 2013;347:f6935].BMJ. 2013;347:f5001. doi:10.1136/bmj.f5001Falcomer AL, Riquette RFR, de Lima BR, Ginani VC, Zandonadi RP.Health benefits of green banana consumption: a systematic review.Nutrients. 2019;11(6):1222. doi:10.3390/nu11061222Choi JH, Ko CM.Food and drug interactions.J Lifestyle Med. 2017;7(1):1-9. doi:10.15280/jlm.2017.7.1.1Consumer Reports.Food and Drug Interactions You Need to Know About.

Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - a review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033

Weir SBS, Akhondi H.Bland diet. [Updated 2023 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538142/

FoodData Central.Bananas, ripe and slightly ripe, raw.

Amini Khoozani A, Birch J, Bekhit AEA.Production, application and health effects of banana pulp and peel flour in the food industry.J Food Sci Technol. 2019;56(2):548-559. doi:10.1007/s13197-018-03562-z

Baker LB, Wolfe AS.Physiological mechanisms determining eccrine sweat composition.Eur J Appl Physiol. 2020;120(4):719-752. doi:10.1007/s00421-020-04323-7

Singh B, Singh JP, Kaur A, Singh N.Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits - A review.Food Chem. 2016;206:1-11. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.033

Food and Drug Administration.Frequently asked questions for industry on nutrition facts labeling requirements.

World Health Organization.Healthy diet.

Mela DJ, Woolner EM.Perspective: total, added, or free? What kind of sugars should we be talking about?.Adv Nutr. 2018;9(2):63-69. doi:10.1093/advances/nmx020

Muraki I, Imamura F, Manson JE, et al.Fruit consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: results from three prospective longitudinal cohort studies[published correction appears in BMJ. 2013;347:f6935].BMJ. 2013;347:f5001. doi:10.1136/bmj.f5001

Falcomer AL, Riquette RFR, de Lima BR, Ginani VC, Zandonadi RP.Health benefits of green banana consumption: a systematic review.Nutrients. 2019;11(6):1222. doi:10.3390/nu11061222

Choi JH, Ko CM.Food and drug interactions.J Lifestyle Med. 2017;7(1):1-9. doi:10.15280/jlm.2017.7.1.1

Consumer Reports.Food and Drug Interactions You Need to Know About.

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