Vitamin B in banana: Importance for human health

Bananas are found to be an excellent source of vitamins. Among vitamin B in banana and plantain: Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Folate (B9), Pantothenic acid (B5) and Pyridoxine (B6)

*Folate (Vitamin B9) enables red blood cell production (erythropoiesis). It enhances immunity levels and biosynthesizes nucleic acids, nerve tissues (brain functionality) and proteins. It helps in DNA damage risk prevention and immunological homeostasis.

Folate is also important as it helps the body as a coenzyme to
• form blood cells in the bone marrow
• ensure rapid cell growth in infancy, adolescence, and pregnancy
• control (together with vitamin B6 and vitamin B12) blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine, associated with certain chronic conditions such as heart disease.

*Pantothenic acid is essential for the metabolism of fatty acid. Pantothenic acid has antistressor properties which also contribute to the production of neurotransmitters. (Contain about 0.26 mg/100g in banana)

*Dietary riboflavin contributes to the generation of inflammatory and immunity signaling molecules within immune cells through the mechanism of NADPH oxidase 2 priming. (Riboflavin in banana 0.04-0.07 mg/100g)

*Bananas contain 25 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for pyridoxine (vitamin B6). Pyridoxine enhances immunity integrity via the linkage formation between chemokines and cytokines, while it enhances immune feedback towards increased antibody output. Pyridoxine also promotes brain health, heart health, and more. (contain about 0.51 mg/100g in banana)

*Thiamine (Vitamin B1) essential both as a coenzyme and noncoenzyme, and is involved in many processes, particularly in energy transformation, and oxidative and nonoxidative carbohydrate metabolism. It is centrally important in nerve functioning and energy generation from carbohydrates. 

Thiamine modulates the neurological transmission system, improves brain functionality, protects the peripheral nervous system from compromise, and is involved in synthesizing myelin. (Thiamine in banana 0.04-0.08 mg/100g).

*Niacin (Vitamin B3), shown in Figure 13, is anti-inflammatory and immunohomeostatic in its activity. It inhibits the multiplicity of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the tumor necrosis factor usually effected by monocytes and macrophages.
Vitamin B in banana: Importance for human health

Carotenoids rich banana

The Food and Agriculture Organization considers banana the fourth most important food in the world, after rice, wheat, and maize. People in developed countries are mostly familiar with Cavendish bananas. Internationally this cultivar accounts for 41% of all banana production. However, there are over 30 banana species, with around 500 varieties having edible fruits, which make up the remaining world production.

Bananas have a considerable diversity in fruit carotenoid content. Carotenoids are known for their wide distribution, structural diversity and multiple functions. Animals are unable to biosynthesize carotenoids. Thus, they depend on dietary provitamin A carotenoids, which can be absorbed and converted into vitamin A after ingestion. Hydrocarbon carotenoids are known as carotenes, and oxygenated derivatives are called xanthophylls.

Carotenoids are present in fruits, vegetables and other crops and they are also found in algae, bacteria, yeast and fungi.

Recent studies have identified 18 banana cultivars grown in Micronesia that have high levels of provitamin A. The Pohnpei Karat banana, a traditional weaning food in the Federated States of Micronesia, contains 867 µg of β-carotene/100 g (average of several samples analyzed by two laboratories).

Some Southeast Asia banana cultivars contain 300 to 400 µg of β-carotene/100 g. These commonly eaten bananas have over 10 times the β-carotene level of the common Cavendish.

The coloration of the ripe edible flesh (in these studies ranging from white to cream to yellow to yellow/orange to orange) was a good indicator of carotenoid content, with higher levels in deeper yellow and orange-fleshed cultivars.

Provitamin A carotenoids, most importantly α-carotene, followed by β-carotene, are those which are converted into vitamin A in the body and help protect against infection, night blindness and eye disease.

Carotenoid-rich foods, whether with vitamin A activity or not, have been credited with other beneficial effects on human health: enhancement of the immune response and reduction of the risk of degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts and macular degeneration.
Carotenoids rich banana

Phenolics in banana: Gallic acid

Major polyphenolic compound found in banana having antioxidant properties and are known for providing health benefits. Antioxidants express their mechanism through chelation of metal ion, regulation of gene expression, and the co-antioxidants. Various phenolics present in banana have been identified as follows: gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, tannins, and anthocyanins.

Gallic acid (3, 4, 5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is one of the most abundant phenolic acids in the plant kingdom and naturally occurring polyphenolic compound found in processed beverages such as red wines and green teas. It occurs in plants in the form of free acids, esters, catechin derivatives and hydrolysable tannins.

Gallic acid extracted from different natural sources has been implicated to possess potency to ameliorate neurodegenerative disorders and aging. Furthermore, large number of reseach explorations are available to show its ability for the treatment of diabetes, ischemic heart diseases, ulcer and other ailments.

This compound also has been reported to have therapeutic activities in gastrointestinal, metabolic, cancer, and cardiovascular disorders.

Gallic acid and its derivatives such as lauryl gallate, propyl gallate, octyl gallate, tetradecyl gallate, and hexadecyl gallate, can inhibit the oxidation and rancidity of oils and fats and because of that, they can be useful as additives in the food industry.

Research suggested that gallic acid has neuroprotective activity against 6-OHDA induced oxidative stress via enhancement of cerebral antioxidant defense. Gallic acid, founded by investigators to antioxidant properties of polyphenols have been exploited in the inhibition of fibrillar protein deposits that lead to disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Phenolics in banana: Gallic acid

Banana: Fruit Rich With Vitamin B

Bananas are a healthful addition to a balanced diet and also used in special diets where ease of digestibility, low fat, minerals and vitamins are required. Normally, these types of special preparation food are used for babies, the elderly and patients with stomach problems, gout, and arthritis.

Bananas are identified as relatively rich in pyridoxine (vit. B6). Bananas contain 35% of recommended daily intake of B6, necessary for producing antibodies and red blood cells as well as aiding in the metabolism of fat.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, 2007, there is some evidence that pyridoxine protects against cancer of the esophagus. By eating bananas, it also helps to increase focus and mental acuity. Furthermore, vitamin B6 serves as an immunity booster.

This fruit do not supply much vitamin C or vitamin A, compare to other fruits. On the other hand, banana supply about 15% of RDA for vitamin C, one of the strongest antioxidants.
Banana: Fruit Rich With Vitamin B

β-carotene

The yellow and orange-fleshed bananas are rich in provitamin A and other carotenoids. Provitamin A carotenoids, including β-carotene, are important for protecting against vitamin A efficiency and anemia.

The concentration of β-carotene decreases from 1.04 mg per 100 g when green (unripe) to 0.66 mg when ripe. β-carotene has the highest vitamin A activity. Because of differences in uptake storage and chemical processing, only about one-sixth of the β-carotene in a plant food ends up as vitamin A (retinol) in the body.

Vitamin A performs many vital functions including the growth and repair of body tissue, formation of bones and teeth, resistance of the body to infection and development of healthy eye tissues.

Epidemiological studies have linked high intake of foods rich in β-carotene and high blood levels of micronutrients to a lower risk of cancer, as well as other health conditions linked to oxidative damage such as heart disease, macular generation and cataracts.
β-carotene

What is banana powder and how to use it?

Banana powder has a great potential for commercialization. It has a high sugar and low starch content and can be used as a substitute for fresh banana in making traditional cakes or their premixes as well as in the processing of banana snacks, crackers or crisps.

Banana powder is prepared from pulp of ripe fruits which is mashed and dried in drum or spray driers. 

Banana powder is used chiefly in the baking industry for the preparation of fillings for cakes and biscuits and is also used for food preparations for invalids and babies.

It can be used with coffee when its powder is added to coffee beverage.

Banana powder has a moderate laxative property and it is very useful in children’s diseases. It is widely used as a remedy for constipation.

Banana powder because of its high concentration of banana essence has been found to be major source of carbohydrate and calories. It is a moderate source of B vitamin, calcium, iron and potassium.
What is banana powder and how to use it?

Eating banana helps lowering cholesterol

Bananas are great sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.

The banana's high fiber content helps to lower blood cholesterol. It is said that pectin which is a soluble fiber in banana has been shown helping to lower cholesterol levels.

According to researchers, fibers that are water soluble such as pectin, psyllium, beta-glucan etc., lower the LDL cholesterol without disturbing the HDL cholesterol.

Banana has lubricating effect on the intestine. It detoxifies the body by providing plenty of soluble fiber that absorbs cholesterol and cleanses the intestines.
Eating banana helps lowering cholesterol

The uses of banana peel

Banana peel is an energy-rich carbohydrate substrate for single-cell protein production for food and feed.

In traditional medicine, banana peels have been reported to be useful against cancer and heart disease since these peels are rich in gallocatechin, and important antioxidant involved in the prevention of these diseases.

The banana peel, which is the waste from banana processing, is also term as banana waste. These wastes can be utilized for the production of ligninolytic enzymes.

Banana skin has been used as a support-substrate for the production of extracellular laccase by the white-rot fungus Trametes pubescens.

It was reported that alcohol can be produced from banana peels by subjecting the material to saccharification treatment using either sulfuric acid, steam under pressure or cellulase. The fermentation was carried out with Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. ellipsoideus.

For certain people, banana peel can be eaten, usually grated fried and mixed with black eyed peas.

The green banana peel contains about 50-100 ug/g fresh weight of chlorophyll, 5-7 ug/g fresh weight of xanthophyll and 1,5-3.5 ug/g fresh weight of carotene.

Banana peels also known for their antifungal and antibiotic propertied as well as being loaded with vitamin and minerals.

During ripening, chlorophylls lost, and total yellow pigment remains approximately constant.

Chlorophylls activity in banana peels increases sharply at the onset of the climacteric rises to a peak which coincides with the climacteric peak, and then falls to near zero in the post climacteric period.
The uses of banana peel

Dopamine in banana

Bananas are popular edible fruits. The major phenolics of banana include catecholamines, naringin and rutin. 

Dopamine and norepinephrine are the predominant catecholamines in banana peel and pulp; phenolics accumulate mainly in the peel.

Researchers found that the dopamine content in banana varied from 80-560 mg/100g in the peel and 2.5-10 mg/100 g in the pulp in Cavendish banana.

Dopamine is a strong, water soluble antioxidant. It has similar antioxidant potency to strong antioxidants such as gallocatechin gallate and AsA.

It is the primary substrate in enzymatic browning. It is further confirmed that dopamine is the only major phenolic constituent in banana peel.

Dopamine displays anti-inflammatory activity and protects against intestinal injury by acting as modulator of eicosanoid synthesis.

Dopamine is easily absorbed by the body and is considered to play an important role in the control of Parkinson’s disease.
Dopamine in banana

Mineral in Banana

Mineral in Banana
Chemical analysis shows the banana to contain: water 73.3 per cent; protein 1.3; fat 0.06 per cent; total carbohydrate 22 per cent; mineral element 0.8 per cent.

The mineral content of the banana is largely potash, sodium and chlorine. Lime and iron exist in but small amount.

It also contain magnesium, copper, sulfur and calcium.

Banana help build bones and are very good for jaundice because of their iron content. They also aid acute gout and arthritis.

As one of the leading fresh fruit sources of potassium, bananas are in good supply all year long. One medium banana contains close to 400 mg of potassium, a mineral that plays a role in lowering blood pressure, sending oxygen to the brain and regulating the body’s water content.

Potassium also helps kidneys function properly. Potassium is also needed for muscle contraction. It helps the muscle that make heart pump and the muscle that digest the food.

The potassium level in the body can be restored to normal with a high potassium banana snack.

A fresh banana also supplies 120 mg sulfur, 8 mg silicon,. 33 mg of magnesium and 26 mg of phosphorus, along with ample amount of copper, chromium, iron, fluoride, manganese, selenium and zinc.

Bananas are high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Mineral in Banana

Banana: The Ideal Food

Banana: The Ideal Food
Healthy, filling and even already wrapped for the consumer, bananas are one of nature’s ideal foods and the world’s most popular fruit.

They are undoubtedly an extremely healthy food, and the healthy conscious late 1990s is a highly appropriate point at which to begin a study of the expanding international banana trade.

Bananas contain nearly all the essential vitamins – in particular vitamins C, B6 (pyridoxine), B2 (riboflavin) and folate – as well as magnesium and potassium.

Potassium is a vital mineral for muscle development and also helps to regulate blood pressure.

These advantages are demonstrated strongly in comparison with other fruits but, equally importantly, bananas also have discernible health and nutrition advantages by comparison with other snack foods, notably chocolate bars.

No other fruit is so readily or so widely eaten as a snack in developed countries. Bananas also rarely cause allergic reactions, apart from migraine headache and indigestion in a few adults, and are a popular first solid food for babies.

They are also useful for treating childhood stomach upsets, although there is as yet no firm evidence to support the theory that bananas may help cell and mucus production in the stomach lining, thereby healing ulcers and preventing new ones.

Aside from these general properties, the banana industry has been assiduous in promoting the use of the fruit for specific dietary needs, most notably by sportspeople such as tennis player and racing cyclists, who have an increased need for vitamins and minerals as well as for carbohydrates without associated fats.

Bananas also contain a high level of natural sugar, in both their fresh and dried form, which they release quickly into the blood stream.

The banana industry has also pointed out that the unique combination of vitamins and sugars within bananas releases energy into the body over a long time, improving stamina and the powers of endurance and concentration.
Banana: The Ideal Food

Healthy Fruit: Banana

Healthy Fruit: Banana
Bananas are considered cold and have a tendency to move energy inward in the body. They are sweet, being rich in carbohydrates (mostly the sugars glucose and fructose), as well as in folic acid, vitamins B6, and C, potassium, and pectin. They also contain an enzyme that aids in the production of sex hormones. As bananas are high in calories but low in fat, they are an excellent food for pregnant mothers, babies and children.

Bananas provide long term energy and improve stamina. They moisten the ‘yin’ fluid of the body, including the lungs and large intestines, and have some antiseptic activity. They support the friendly intestinal flora (helpful bacteria within our bowel) and stimulate the proliferation of cells that provide a protective coating between the stomach and harsh digestive acids. Bananas also stimulate the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improve sleep and elevate mood.

Bananas have been used to treat alcoholism, arteriosclerosis, celiac disease, colitis, constipation, depression, diarrhea, dyspepsia, exhaustion, hemorrhoids, hypertension, weak muscle and ulcers. They also have been used to help treat insulin shock in diabetics. Ripe bananas are very easy to digest – even easier when mashed – and are recommended for those suffering from weak digestion, vomiting or emaciation.
Healthy Fruit: Banana

Banana and Health Benefits

Banana and Health Benefits
When you compare it to apple, the banana has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphate, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose – combine with fiber. In this form a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. The banana has also been found helpful for a number of illness and conditions:

Depression
Depressed people often feel better after eating a banana, this is because contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body coverts into serotonin. This powerful hormone is known to make the person relax, improve mood and generally make people feel happier.

PMS
The banana’s vitamin B6 helps regulate blood glucose levels, which can positively affect your mood and calm the nervous system.

Anemia
High in organic iron (versus inorganic iron used in supplements), bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and thereby improve anemia.

Blood Pressure and Brain Power
High in potassium, yet low in sodium, bananas are very effective in balancing blood pressure. Banana has the ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. And for the same reason, students were found to be more alert and increased academic performance when eating banana for breakfast and at lunchtime.


Constipation
High in fiber, bananas in the diet have helped restore normal bowel functions in people suffering from constipation.

Heartburn
Having a natural antacid effect, bananas have helped people suffering with heartburn. Banana neutralizes over acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Morning sickness
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites
If bitten by an insect, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Banana skin is known for reducing swelling and irritation.

Stress
The banana’s potassium helps normalizes the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body’s water balance. During stress, our metabolic rate rises; this in turn drops potassium levels. Bananas can reverse this effect of stress.
Banana and Health Benefits

Banana and Nutrition

Banana and Nutrition
Through out the western non-Mediterranean world, there has been since the 1970s a steadily rising awareness of the importance of diet to health. There is now little doubt that choice of diet contributes to the risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, strokes, some cancers, diabetes, bowel disease, gallstones, dental caries and osteoporosis – though to what degree is not yet known.

Northern Europe and United States, have sought with varying degrees of success to reduce saturated fat consumption, i.e. sugar not contained within the cell wall of a plant or animal food. By comparison, bananas contain their sugar content – fructose, sucrose and glucose – intrinsically, as well as containing substantial amounts of fiber (non-starch polysaccharides) which is helpful for digestion. Unripe banana contain ‘resistant’ starch, which is indigestible in the human small intestine. The nutritional qualities of the banana actually change with ripening, the sugar percentage rising form 2% to around 23% and the starch percentage falling from 23% to 1%.

Banana is high in vitamin B6, which helps fight infection and is essential for the synthesis of heme, the iron containing part of hemoglobin. The banana is a good source of vitamin C, needed to help fight infections. The combination of a good amount of potassium and low sodium may help protect against high blood pressure. As an easily digestible source of fiber, the banana is valuable in preventing both diarrhea and constipation. It has a creamy texture often associated with fatty foods, yet is virtually fat free.
Banana and Nutrition