The banana or banana peel provides incredible properties as it is very rich in nutritional benefits. Find out why you should never throw it away again.
Although many nutritionists advise and recommend consuming at least 5 servings a day of fresh fruits and vegetables, as a way to provide our body with all those essential nutrients they contain and in order to generally enjoy good health, it is true that in in reality, few people have ever been interested in discovering the benefits of fruit peels.
And it is that the most common thing, far from tasting and consuming them, is to throw them away once we have removed them from the piece of fruit that we are going to eat at that certain moment. However, do you know the benefits of eating the fruit with its skin?
The truth is that the skin of fruits is very rich in soluble fiber, a nutrient that helps in the prevention or treatment of constipation thanks to the fact that it also improves intestinal transit. On the other hand, if we eliminate the skin we are also eliminating vitamins present in it, as for example is the case of apples or pear, whose vitamin C content is even higher than that present in its pulp.
With regard to the banana, there is no doubt that eating its peel is not usually very common or habitual, as much as, for example, eating an apple, a pear or a whole and unpeeled plum could be. However, do you know that it can actually bring you incredible benefits and properties?
The properties that the banana or plantain peel gives you
Especially in our country, and especially in those around us, we usually eat only its pulp from the banana, and we remove or discard its peel as we finish. However, some African and Asian cultures take advantage of it for its incredible nutritional qualities and its benefits:
Relieves constipation and improves intestinal transit
The peel of the banana is an excellent source of dietary fiber, whose content is in fact even higher than that found in its meat or pulp. This fiber, in addition to promoting good digestion, also helps relieve constipation and improve intestinal transit.
Lowers blood cholesterol
If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, the banana peel is useful to help you reduce its levels, especially if you eat banana and its skin regularly.
Stabilizes blood pressure
In case of arterial hypertension, banana is one of the most recommended fruits due to its potassium content. We also find it in its shell, so its consumption is useful for people with high blood pressure.
Helps you be in a better mood
Like its meat, in the banana peel we find tryptophan, an amino acid that contributes to a good mood by promoting the production of serotonin.
The nutritional qualities of banana or banana peel
From a nutritional point of view, the banana peel stands out for its potassium content, a mineral that helps stabilize blood pressure, hence potassium-rich foods are always recommended in the diet of a person with high blood pressure.
It provides dietary fiber, a very useful nutrient to help us improve our intestinal transit and help us reduce and alleviate constipation if we suffer from it occasionally, especially when its consumption is regular and is maintained within a varied and balanced diet.
It is also very rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that we have already told you about on another occasion and that by promoting the production of serotonin helps positively when it comes to feeling in a better mood.
Other more important benefits
The banana or banana peel also provides other interesting benefits. We highlight them below:
- Helps to soothe the discomfort caused by insect bites: the banana or banana peel is very useful to relieve the itching and pain caused by the insect bite. To enjoy this quality, you must rub the area of the skin where the bite is with a piece of banana peel (always on the inside).
- Soothe the skin: As with insect bites, rubbing the inside of a banana peel with your skin positively helps to relieve itching or irritation.
- Improves acne: if you have pimples and acne, it is common in many towns to scrape a little of the inner part of the banana peel and pass it with clean fingers over those areas of the skin where they are present, leaving it to act for 15 minutes. Then you must rinse and repeat every day. You will soon notice a decrease in acne breakouts.
In case you want to discover for yourself the different benefits that the banana or banana peel gives you, we advise you to always choose fruit from organic farming, and before consumption, wash it well until all its dirt is removed. On the other hand, the peel should not be consumed when the banana is no longer optimal or suitable for consumption.