Banana Peels Are Packed Full With Nutrients

They are traditionally tossed aside, consigned to the rubbish and long forgotten. But, rather than deserve their reputation as a slippery hazard, the butt of cartoon jokes, banana skins are, in fact, good for us.

Whether you're partial to a green, yellow or browning fruit, the peel is packed with nutrients that can prove beneficial to the body. While it may strike you as an alien concept to use banana skin in your daily diet, in many parts of the world, notably India and the Caribbean, the peel is used to add flavour and substance to dishes.

And, there is now a growing consensus, which suggests the nutrients, compounds and minerals hidden away within the skin could help aid weight loss, and boost your mood. 

Banana skins are packed with various nutrients and vitamins that can boost your health, aid weight-loss and improve your mood, nutritionists say.

Nutritionist Ella Allred says while 'at first the peel may seem like an odd choice of food, when you investigate further you will realize there are nutritional benefits'.

She says: "The extra fibre in banana skins will certainly help with bowel regularity. The nutrition profile of magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and B6 is not something to be sniffed at." Laura Flores, a San Diego-based nutritionist agrees.

She told LiveScience: "It contains high amounts of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium and potassium, and some fibre and protein."

Furthermore, according to an article in the journal of Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, banana peels also contain 'various bioactive compounds like polyphenols, carotenoids and others'.

The skins are packed with vitamin A, which aids in healthy teeth, bones and soft tissue.

While B6 aids the body's immune system, promoting brain and heart health. It also regulates blood sugar levels, and so can help boost your mood.

And B12, also helps the brain and nervous system. Furthermore, B vitamins and the antioxidants lurking in the skin help stoke the metabolism and can therefore prove useful for those trying to lose weight.

And when it comes to being diet friendly, the peel adds no calories to your daily diet, only extra sustenance. 

Adding the peel of your banana to a smoothie is a good way to enjoy its benefits, adding fibre to the drink 

and helping you feel fuller for longer

Vitamin C aids the body in healing, growing new tissue and ligaments, while fibre can help you feel fuller for longer, making the skin diet-friendly.

The peel is also high in the mood-boosting hormone serotonin - a neurotransmitter derived from tryptophan. 

As well as helping to give you a life, tryptophan, an essential amino acid, is often prescribed to help treat sleep problems.

Past research has found fibre helps to lower cholesterol, in turn protecting against heart disease, heart attacks and stroke.

High levels of lutein contained within the peel can help protect your night vision.

The compound has also been found to play a role in preventing cataracts and macular degeneration - one of the leading causes of blindness.  

Categories: Food And Nutrition