The Health & Beauty Benefits of Bananas
In France "having a banana" is an expression that means you are happy and smiling in the shape of a banana. Isn’t that a fun thought?
This expression became popular because bananas do indeed put a smile on your face thanks to its many properties for improving health and beauty.
Bananas are the most consumed fruit in the U.S., and have been one of the most widely consumed exotic fruits by humans for thousands of years.
The word "banana" comes from the Arabic “Banan” which means "finger". This is why the term "banana hand" is used to describe the 5-6 bananas that are linked together.
Deliciously sweet and fragrant, bananas offer exceptional health benefits and remarkable properties for helping skin achieve its daily glow.
Here are some of the many benefits of the banana, a super fruit that represents freedom and abundance in the West Indies.
4 health benefits of bananas
Bananas are highly nutritious and offer many health benefits. It is a versatile fruit that contains many nutrients with multiple benefits. Let's explore the many ways bananas (both the pulp and the banana peel) can improve your health.
1. The ideal revitalizing snack during physical activity
Bananas are also a popular pre-workout snack because they provide energy, are easy to digest, and can be restorative.
You might be aware that bananas can help you meet your potassium needs.
Also rich in magnesium and calcium, eating a banana before exercise (preferably a ripe one) will limit the onset of muscle contractions and aches, improve muscle recovery and act as a real boost to your sporting performance.
2. A remedy for digestive health & your digestive system
As an excellent source of dietary fiber (bananas contain 2.6g of fiber per 100g, slightly more than an apple at 2.4g), the banana plays a role in regulating intestinal function and prevents the forming of ulcers by reducing stomach irritation.
3. An ally to boost your immune system and heal small wounds
Banana peels have a strong healing power thanks to their high content of B vitamins (one banana contains 41% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B6) and its rich composition in antioxidants (polyphenols and phytosterols).
When applied to minor burns, bites and insect bites, a banana peel can help accelerate the healing process by stimulating the immune system.
4. The best snack to keep your mind focused
Rich in potassium, a banana is the ideal snack to take with you to work or school for your children as this essential mineral promotes concentration and learning.
Did you know you can also eat a banana peel? Not only does eating the peel help reduce food waste (something we can always get behind), but also, banana peels are rich in key nutrients, including essential amino acids, potassium, dietary fiber, and polyunsaturated fats.
Given there are so many health benefits a banana provides, there are no more excuses not to put a banana in your bag!
3 Ways Bananas Reveal Your Natural Beauty
Not only do bananas have incredible virtues to improve your overall health, but also there are remarkable banana benefits for glowing skin, silky hair, and your radiant smile.
1. Bananas help fight the visible signs of aging
Bananas contain essential elements for the skin, such as vitamins C and B6, which help to maintain the skin's elasticity. The antioxidants, magnesium, and vitamins A, B and E contained in the banana act as a shield against the damage caused by the free radicals responsible for skin aging and help prevent the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Regularly treating yourself to a banana face mask will help keep your skin dewy and looking young.
The nutrients in the banana peel have skin-cleansing benefits. If you have acne-prone skin, this ritual will also allow you to purify and exfoliate your skin.
Indeed, rich in antioxidants, bananas help eliminate impurities and dead skin.
How to make your own banana mask: Mash a ripe banana. Add a teaspoon of our Radiance or Nutritive Precious Oil. Apply the mashed banana mixture to a clean face. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
For more DIY Tips, see our mention in Lonely Planet.
After you use a yellow or green banana mask, you can extend the anti-aging, renewing, and skin-evening benefits of the yellow banana with our Musalift Lifting Day Cream, which contains the precious active ingredients of yellow banana (called the "Musactifs").
This creamy face moisturizer is also enriched with argan oil and squalane to help lift, plump and moisturize your skin.
The ultra-nourishing formula is designed to help fight against hyperpigmentation and dark spots, to help fight against the visible signs of aging and to reveal the natural radiance of your skin.
How to: Apply to a cleansed face and massage with gentle upward strokes from the base of the neck to the chin and then over the entire face for a dewy, radiant look.
2. You can use a banana peel to whiten your teeth
Bananas also have effective whitening properties on tooth enamel. It is a natural, economical method that will also remineralize and strengthen your teeth. Banana peels contain salicylic acid, which naturally fight tartar, and citric acid, which is a powerful whitening agent, allowing you to maintain a beautiful smile naturally.
How to: First, rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth. It will form a paste on your teeth that you will leave on for a few minutes. Then brush with a toothbrush, followed by normal tooth brushing with toothpaste. The results will be visible after one week.
3. As a shampoo or mask for strengthened and silky hair
Bananas can help your hair, too. Whether your hair is long, short, straight, curly or frizzy, using a banana in your hair mask is highly recommended to moisturize, soothe, nourish and restore the shine to your hair.
Bananas will soften dry hair, help hair grow, help protect its natural elasticity and help prevent dandruff. You can make hair masks to help fight hair loss and repair dry and damaged hair.
How to: Cut up and place crushed banana pieces in a bottle of regular shampoo or conditioner and wash your hair as usual. Alternatively, put the banana peel in a blender, add a little water and apply as a hair mask for 30 minutes. Rinse and wash your hair as usual. Your hair will be soft and silky! !
So, Are You Ready To Go Bananas For Your Health?
And there you have it, some "a-peeling" ways you can unlock better health and dewy skin. Bananas may be your skin and hair's new best friend.
Ready to unlock the power of bananas for glowing skin? Take our skin care quiz to discover the best products for your skin type and skin needs.
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