Dried bananas: uses and nutritional benefits

The banana tree is a herbaceous plant of the Musaceae family. It is cultivated in tropical regions for its yellow fruit: the banana. The banana is one of the favorite fruits of Europeans, its consumption is estimated at 12 kg per year and per capita. Its fame comes from its soft and sweet taste, associated with its soft texture. The banana has many nutritional benefits: it is rich in manganese, potassium, antioxidants and we would find serotonin and dopamine in its flesh. Enough to give you the Banana! The drying of the banana concentrates its nutritional assets. It contributes naturally to the muscular function and the restoration of the blood pressure thanks to the potassium which it contains. It regulates the intestinal transit and reduces the absorption of cholesterol thanks to its fibers. Banana chips are convenient to carry and are rich in starch, which provides energy over a long period of time: the ideal superfruit for athletes. Latin name: Malus domestica Borkh. Botanical family: Musacceae. Part used : Fruit.

Recommended consumption

The dried banana is a dry fruit. It therefore contains more sugar than a fresh Banana, the recommendations of daily consumption are defined. In classic cure or for pleasure, a portion of dried Banana is estimated between 20 and 30 g per day, which represents 10 Banana chips per day.

In what form?

To make the most of their benefits, you can use them :

  • Whole
  • In pieces
At what time of day?

We advise you to use them during the following meal(s) to take full advantage of their benefits:

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Snacks
  • Dinner
What modes of use?

You can incorporate them into the following preparations to make them easier to take:

  • Dessert
  • Yoghurt, dairy
  • Aperitif
  • Only
  • Mixed with other dried fruits
  • Muesli

Health Nutrition Benefits

Dried Bananas can complement your healthy and varied diet.

Metabolism

Thanks to the fibers, dried bananas reduce the absorption of dietary cholesterol. This effect contributes to moderate the cholesterol intake. Thus, the dried Banana contributes to prevent hypercholesterolemia, to integrate within a varied and balanced diet.

Digestive system

A diet that does not include enough fiber, increases the risk of constipation (see our food and constipation guide). Dried Bananas are a good source of fiber, they regulate digestive transit.

Muscles and joints

Dried Bananas are known for their richness in potassium. The latter is essential to the muscle contraction process (see our guide muscle cramps and diet).

Cardiac system

Dried bananas are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium. This mineral profile is ideal for regulating blood pressure.

Nutritional properties

  • Antihypertensive (potassium): dried Bananas provide little sodium and lots of potassium. These two minerals form an essential tandem for the proper regulation of blood pressure: without excess sodium and with enough potassium, blood pressure tends to balance.
  • Revitalizing (starch): the energy in dried Bananas is carbohydrate. Carbohydrates provide energy to our bodies. The advantage with Bananas is that they are mostly composed of starch, a complex carbohydrate. Starch is absorbed more slowly, which provides energy in the long term.
  • Hypocholesterolemic (fiber): dried Bananas help lower cholesterol levels. The fiber they contain decreases the absorption of dietary cholesterol.
  • Participating in muscle function (potassium): dried Bananas contribute to muscle contraction.
  • Intestinal transit regulator (fiber): dried Bananas contribute to the vacuity of the digestive transit. They contain mostly soluble fiber. The latter form a gel in contact with water, which modulates the texture of the stool. In excess, the fibres will weigh down the stools, which stimulates the transit.

Nutritional values

*Recommended Daily Allowance

To know more about the plant : The Banana tree

The banana tree is a herbaceous plant of the Musaceae family. You are not dreaming: a herbaceous plant! The banana tree is not a tree: it does not have a trunk, but a stipe (a robust stem formed from several rolled leaves). This long grass is cultivated in tropical regions and can reach 10 m in height. Its record of size allows him to take the first place of the podium of "the biggest grass of the world".

The yellow flowers of the banana tree form inflorescences in clusters, which will give way to the fruits: the Bananas. Banana trees are very productive, in 1 year and with adequate weather conditions, a banana tree can produce more than 300 bananas. There are many varieties of banana trees divided into two large families according to the type of fruit they produce: the varieties of sweet bananas and the varieties of cooking bananas. Each family has its representative, which are respectively the Cavendish Banana and the Plantain Banana.

The future of the Cavendish Banana

The Cavendish Banana is now the subject of great concern for its future. This variety of banana is the main variety of sweet banana consumed in the world, not to say the only one. Cavendish banana trees are succumbing one after the other to two diseases caused by fungi Mycosphaerella fijiensis and Fusarium Oxysporum. One (Fusarium Oxysprum) had already shown its power, decimating an entire variety of Banana: Gros Michel, in just a few months.

Today, the monoculture of this variety and the overuse of pesticides are being questioned, resulting in low genetic diversity. As a result, Cavendish bananas have low resistance to environmental adaptations and epidemics.

This impasse could however be circumvented by focusing on new varieties: polyculture. However, the need of our society to obtain fruits of the same size, color, shape, etc., in short, uniform bananas, makes the task more complicated than it seems. In short, uniform bananas, makes the task more complicated than it seems. To be continued.

Organic bananas (in chips)

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