Banana, the happy fruit rich in energy

Health benefits of eating bananas (Photo: iStock)

A banana or ndizi in Swahili is an elongated curved fruit produced by different types of herbaceous flowering plants.

It could be yellow, green, red, purple or brown depending on the class it belongs to. The most common variety is cavendish or dessert banana which has a firm green rind when unripe and a yellow flexible one when ripe.

Cavendish is sweeter when ripe mainly because the starch it contained when unripe is converted to sugar.

The perfect time to consume a ripe banana is when they have started producing a few brown spots on the rind because at this time the production of Tumor Necrosis Factor (NFT), a substance that fights abnormal body cells, is at the peak.

Other varieties include plantain or green banana that is consumed when cooked and contains more starch compared to cavendish. The rest are red banana and lady finger.

There are different ways through which a banana can be consumed. The fruit can be used to make tasty smoothies or used as a healthy baking ingredient.

Many athletes fancy the fruit due to its high energy content that comes as a result of three natural sugars namely sucrose, lactose and glucose which it contains.

Another compound found in bananas is tryptophan that is converted to serotonin by the body. Serotonin is known for improving moods and making you happy. That is why a banana is also a happy fruit.

Potassium is another nutrient found in bananas. It lowers blood sugar level by balancing out sodium which elevates sugar levels.

Diabetes patients are however advised to consume bananas in moderation since they contain a lot of sugars. To counter this effect, they can pair bananas with a protein source like peanut butter or yogurt.