What are the Benefits of Banana Smoothies?
Banana smoothies can have many benefits for your health when you know how and when to make them. Keep in mind that you should always include a small amount of extra fiber, to help reduce the glycemic index.
Before we get on to smoothies, it’s good to point out that the best way to eat fruit is whole, without any processing. As a general rule, you should avoid processed fruit juices.
However, with smoothies, you can sometimes make an exception. It’s true that in these cases the fiber is broken down mechanically when you blend the smoothie. But you can always add a little extra fiber after processing your drink. By doing this, you can make up for the initial loss of fiber.
How should you make banana smoothies?
Making healthy banana smoothies is very simple. You’ll just need a couple of bananas that are just ripe, half a liter of whole milk, cinnamon, and inulin powder.
Put everything into the blender apart from the inulin. When you’ve blended it and it has a nice texture with no lumps, add about two or three tablespoons of inulin, to add fiber.
With this recipe, you’ve got a healthy drink that can work well as a light dinner, which is especially helpful if you’re going to do exercise later. This way you’re making sure you’ll have a good supply of energy. This can mean the difference when it comes to performance and can contribute to helping to avoid fatigue.
Benefits of drinking banana smoothies
In the following list, we’ll show you some of the benefits of drinking banana smoothies. These apply as long as you stick to the recipe, including extra fiber and not adding any extra sugar.
1. Regulates blood pressure
Bananas are high in potassium. Potassium is a nutrient that can reduce blood pressure by counteracting the effects of sodium. Regular consumption of bananas is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
At the same time, there’s evidence that eating bananas can also improve metabolic health, as a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition affirms. Eating bananas can help to reduce insulin resistance and with that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
2. Improves bone density
The calcium in milk is an essential nutrient. This mineral is crucial in avoiding loss of bone density, especially in women who have gone through menopause. They’re more susceptible to osteoporosis due to hormonal changes that take place in the body from a certain age.
For a time, the possibility was speculated that consuming dairy products could be counterproductive for bone health. However, the most recent research shows that the opposite is true. Banana smoothies can be a useful tool for getting the calcium you need.
3. Provides energy
Are there benefits for athletes? Drinking smoothies can be an extra boost to your energy levels that will last several hours. Banana smoothies include a good supply of complex carbohydrates, that help to refill your body’s glycogen deposits. Starting a physical activity with a surplus of this nutrient can help to delay the onset of fatigue.
Also, the fact that your smoothie contains inulin ensures that the absorption of the sugars in the smoothie won’t be too fast, which could provoke reactive hypoglycemia. With the inulin, your blood sugar will stay at stable levels for a long time.
Banana smoothies: healthy drinks
As we’ve seen, banana smoothies have many different benefits for your health, and especially for athletes. When you drink a smoothie at the right moment, it can have a ripple effect on your strength and health. Of course, a good part of these positive effects will depend on the quality of the ingredients you use.
Don’t forget that the best moment for drinking a smoothie is actually at dinner time. During the first few hours of the day, your body won’t absorb all of the carbohydrates correctly. Or at least this is true in a large percentage of individuals.
In the morning, it’s ideal to consume more protein-based foods. And late at night or during the night, you should try to avoid consuming carbohydrates, since this is associated with a greater risk of obesity.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Costa ES., França CN., Fonseca FA., Kato JT., et al., Beneficial effects of green banana biomass consumption in patients with pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Nutr, 2019. 121 (12): 1365-1375.
- Thorning TK., Raben A., Tholstrup T., Soedamah Muthu SS., et al., Milk and dairy products: good or bad for human health? An assessment of the totality of scientific evidence. Food Nutr Res, 2016.
