Bananas are a bit like Marmite: you either love them or hate them. But no matter your opinion on the matter, there’s no denying that the humble banana has plenty to offer – especially when it comes to our health.

They may not be the most exciting fruit out there, but bananas are packed full of essential nutrients that can provide benefits ranging from improved heart health to better sleep.

And while the banana bread craze of early lockdown may be far behind us, there are so many ways to incorporate banana into your diet, whether you like to enjoy them on their own, make banana ‘crisps’ in the oven or bake them into muffin form. 

While they taste different and are usually served cooked, plantains also boast a similar nutritional profile to bananas, so they’re another great way to enjoy this beneficial fruit.

But before you head to the shops to stock up, keep reading to find out all the amazing potential health benefits bananas have to offer. 

Research has shown that eating potassium-rich foods can reduce your risk of cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure by reducing the stiffness of your arteries – and bananas happen to boast plenty of the mineral.

There’s about 450mg of potassium in one medium banana, which equates to about 13% of the NHS’ daily recommended target of 3500mg – so snacking on one or two bananas a day sends you well on your way to hitting the ideal amount.

Of course, bananas aren’t the only food that’s rich in potassium – leafy greens, beans and nuts are also high in the stuff – but considering how easy (and inexpensive) it is to pick up a banana, then it’s a great place to start. 

Alongside being rich in magnesium and potassium – nutrients which can help your muscles to relax – bananas are good for sleep because they contain an amino acid called tryptophan.

In the body, tryptophan is converted into a molecule called 5-HTP, which can then be converted into the hormones serotonin and melatonin. Both of these hormones have been shown to improve sleep, but as the primary sleep hormone, melatonin is particularly important.

By upping the levels of melatonin in the body, consuming tryptophan has been shown to improve sleepiness and decrease sleep latency (aka, the time it takes you to fall asleep).

Eating a banana an hour or two before bed can help you to make the most of these effects. In fact, eating fruit before bed – particularly bananas – was one of The Sleep Charity’s top tips for better sleep in 2024. 

Bananas contain both insoluble and soluble fibre – both of which play an important role when it comes to our digestive health. While the levels of each will vary depending on how ripe the banana is, both ripe and unripe bananas contain a soluble fibre known as pectin, which has numerous digestive benefits.

Not only does pectin turn into a gel in the digestive tract – softening stool and preventing constipation – but it’s also a prebiotic, which means it becomes food for the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Alongside pectin, the various dietary fibres in bananas can also help to keep your digestive tract moving and regulate your appetite, so you feel fuller for longer. The resistant starch in unripe bananas – a form of indigestible carbohydrate – can also aid this effect.

And that’s not all. Inulin – another form of dietary fibre found in bananas – has been shown to increase the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut and decrease the number of harmful bacteria. 

There’s a reason why so many experts recommend eating a banana before or after a workout – they’re full of easily-digested carbs, which makes them a great source of fuel.

It’s for this reason why long-distance runners – who need substantial glycogen stores to keep their muscles fuelled throughout a race – are often told to eat bananas just before they head out.

The potassium and magnesium content of bananas also makes them good for recovery, as these minerals act as electrolytes – something we lose through our sweat.  

Bananas sometimes get a bad rap in the blood sugar world due to their high carbohydrate content, but they’re not all bad news. While super-ripe bananas are high in sugar, the resistant starch in unripe bananas can actually help to keep your blood sugar under control by improving insulin sensitivity.

Resistant starch can also slow down the digestion of the carbohydrates and prevent blood sugar spiking as a result, according to a 2019 review published in Nutrients.  

Images: Getty