Nutrional Facts of Bananas
Bananas are the world’s second most important fruit crop after grapes, according to the “Encyclopedia of Healing Foods.” The average American eats more than 33 pounds of bananas each year, making them the most widely consumed fruit in the United States. Gram for gram, bananas contain less water and therefore more calories and carbohydrates than most fruits. They also provide significant amounts of potassium, vitamin B-6, vitamin C and soluble fiber. Their easily digested carbohydrates make bananas an ideal food choice for infants and endurance athletes alike.
One medium-sized banana provides approximately 105 calories, 1.3 grams of protein, less than 0.5 gram of fat and just under 27 grams of carbohydrates, of which 3 grams are fiber and 14.4 grams are natural sugars, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. A medium banana also contains 12 percent of the daily value for potassium and about 22 percent and 17 percent of the daily values for vitamins B-6 and C, respectively. Compared to a medium-sized banana, an extra-small banana has about 30 percent fewer calories and nutrients, while an extra-large banana provides roughly 30 percent more calories and nutrients.
Generally, bananas qualify as a good source of dietary fiber because most are large enough to have at least 2.5 grams of fiber with the largest specimens providing more than 4 grams of fiber each. Like most fruit, bananas are particularly rich in soluble fiber, the type that helps reduce high LDL and total cholesterol levels by binding to fatty acids and promoting their elimination in waste. The 3 grams of fiber in a medium-sized banana account for 12 percent of the daily value for dietary fiber, while an extra-large banana provides about 16 percent of the daily value.
Even small, 6-inch bananas supply enough potassium -- over 300 milligrams each -- to qualify as very good sources of the mineral, according to Colorado State University Extension. Potassium is essential to muscle control, nerve function and healthy blood pressure. Adequate potassium intake has the capacity to both prevent and correct hypertension. An extra-large, 9-inch banana provides more than 15 percent of the daily value for potassium. Equivalent servings of foods such as spinach, broccoli, navy beans and cantaloupe, are higher in potassium and lower in calories than bananas, meaning a 100-gram serving of banana has less potassium and more calories than 100 grams of spinach.
Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B-6 and a good source of vitamin C. An extra-large banana contains about 28 percent of the daily value for vitamin B-6, a water-soluble vitamin essential to nerve function, normal blood glucose levels and the production of antibodies. The same-sized banana also supplies 22 percent of the daily value for vitamin C, a nutrient vital to numerous functions in the body, including collagen production, antibody formation and iron absorption. Bananas are also a significant source of riboflavin and magnesium.
Although the amount of fruit you should eat depends on your gender, age and activity level, the USDA recommends that most moderately-active adults consume between 1 1/2 cups and 2 cups of fruit each day. A large, 8- to 9-inch banana counts as a cup of fruit in daily intake terms, while bananas less than 6 inches long counts as 1/2 cup of fruit, according to the USDA.
- USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory: Bananas, Raw
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Calculate the Percent Daily Value for the Appropriate Nutrients
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: How Much Fruit is Needed Daily?
- ChooseMyPlate.gov: What Counts As a Cup of Fruit?
- Wellness Foods A to Z; Sheldon Margen, M.D., et al.
- Encyclopedia of Healing Foods; Michael Murray, N.D., et al.
- The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth; Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., C.N.S.
Based just outside Chicago, Meg Campbell has worked in the fitness industry since 1997. She’s been writing health-related articles since 2010, focusing primarily on diet and nutrition. Campbell divides her time between her hometown and Buenos Aires, Argentina.