1. CONTROLS SUGAR CRAVINGS
Nighttime sugar cravings make most people overeat and eventually cause weight gain. Bananas can satisfy your sweet craving without the excess calories.Unlike chocolate and cookies, bananas are loaded with nutrients which will improve your health.
So the next time you crave something sweet at night, eat a banana. Berries, avocado, nuts, and water can also help curb your cravings.
2. MAY HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER
Insomnia has been linked to obesity, stress, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.Eating bananas at night can help fight insomnia. For one thing, bananas help increase production of melatonin (sleep hormone) in the body. Tryptophan, an amino acid found in bananas, helps the body produce more melatonin and serotonin.
Magnesium can also help you sleep better since it increases muscle relaxation and lowers brain temperature. Eating bananas at night will keep you relaxed and help you fall asleep faster.
3. MAY PREVENT NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY
As of 2013, less than 2 percent of Americans reached the daily recommended intake of potassium of 4,700 mg a day. Eating a banana every night can increase your potassium intake.Adequate potassium intake can lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.
Other healthy sources of potassium include potatoes, avocado, fish, kidney beans, spinach, and pomegranate.
Eating bananas at night can also prevent magnesium deficiency.
4. MAY HELP REDUCE HANGOVER
Eating bananas before bed can help reduce hangover in the morning. Alcohol consumption depletes the body of magnesium and potassium. Bananas will replenish these nutrients.I may also note that bananas are 75 percent water which means they’ll fight dehydration, the main cause of a hangover.
5. INCREASES FIBER INTAKE
American adults consume an average of 15 grams of fiber a day. This is below the recommended daily intake of 25 to 30 grams a day.Eating bananas at night can increase fiber intake. This is a good thing since eating enough fiber fights constipation, improves heart health, and lowers risk of type II diabetes.
Increasing fiber intake can also prevent overeating. Here are high-fiber foods you should add to your diet.
6. MAY LOWER RISK OF KIDNEY STONES
Eating bananas at night can help prevent kidney stones. You see, kidney stones develop over a long duration (months, sometimes years) due to an accumulation of calcium, oxalate, uric acid, and other minerals in the body.Potassium can prevent accumulation of calcium since it helps excrete it from the body. Research shows that eating bananas six times a week can lower risk of kidney stones.
7. MAY CURE STOMACH ULCERS
Research shows that eating raw bananas can cure stomach ulcers. Raw bananas contain sitoindosides, a compound which helps release mucus in the digestive tract.This mucus helps to protect the mucus lining of the stomach. And as a result, it can heal ulcers and prevent it from reoccurring.
8. MAY HELP FIGHT DEPRESSION
Eating bananas at night can reduce depression. A survey conducted by MIND shows that the mood of people suffering from depression improved after they ate bananas.There are two explanations to this effect. For one thing, ripe bananas help increase dopamine (the feel-good hormone) because they contain a powerful amino acid called tyrosine.
Bananas also contain tryptophan, an amino acid which makes you feel good and relaxed.
9. MAY EASE PMS SYMPTOMS
Eating bananas at night can help fight PMS because they contain potassium and vitamin B-6. These nutrients prevent water retention and bloating.The fact that bananas improve quality of sleep may also help reduce the pain. Researchers say that lack of sleep worsens PMS symptoms.
10. YOUR INSULIN SENSITIVITY MAY IMPROVE
As you may know, insulin resistance increases the risk of type II diabetes and obesity. Well, eating bananas at night can improve insulin sensitivity.Bananas contain high amounts of resistant starch. This is basically starch which can’t be digested.
According to research, consuming 30 grams of resistant starch a day can help improve insulin sensitivity. In fact, some of the participants saw improvement after only 4 weeks.
Note that green (unripe) bananas have more resistant starch than ripe ones.
11. MAY IMPROVE SKIN HEALTH
Bananas are good for your skin because they have high water content and they also contain vitamin A.Research shows that vitamin A helps keep the skin young and healthy by repairing dry and damaged skin cells.
The high water content in bananas helps keep the skin hydrated and prevents dryness.
Banana peels can also improve skin health – they treat acne, warts, and other skin problems.
12. MAY SPEED UP RECOVERY AFTER A WORKOUT
Do you work out in the evening? Eating bananas at night can help speed up your recovery.Eating a banana will help replenish the energy, potassium, and magnesium lost during a workout. Replenishing lost energy and nutrients will allow the muscles to recover faster.
FINAL WORD
As you can see, eating bananas at night has many benefits. And contrary to popular belief, eating bananas at night won’t make you gain weight.
But don’t limit yourself to eating bananas at night only. You can eat them any time of day and still experience most of these benefits.
Now, go ahead and replace all the unhealthy snacks in your house with bananas, apples, greek yogurt, and other healthy snacks. (via)
