Banana Shake: Benefits for Weight Gain, Kidney and Heart Health

What can be more refreshing than banana shakes in a sunny day or after a tiring workout? Banana shake can be a good-to-go option for a healthy breakfast or snack for maintaining a health beneficial fitness routine and crucial if you are planning to lose weight.

Is Banana Shake Healthy?

A banana shake is an ideal option for those who prefer a low-calorie, potassium-rich diet. In today’s busy work schedule, it is impossible to incorporate all the essential vitamins and minerals together into your regular diet. In that case, banana shake provides such a delicious opportunity.

Nutrients in Banana:

Studies found that bananas are rich sources of high-quality dietary fiber and some essential antioxidants. One normal ripe banana (126 grams) provides with following nutrients: (1Trusted Source):

• Carbohydrates: 29 grams

• Fiber: 3 grams

• Vitamin C: 12% of the Daily Value (DV)

• Riboflavin: 7% of the DV

• Folate: 6% of the DV

• Niacin: 5% of the DV

• Calories: 112

• Fat: 0 grams

• Protein: 1 gram

• Copper: 11% of the DV

• Potassium: 10% of the DV

• Magnesium: 8% of the DV

One regular-sized banana gives you about 112 calories and consists almost exclusive quantities of water and carbohydrates but contain very low amount of protein or fat. The excellent amounts of nutrients in a ripe banana are all retained in a banana shake or if you want to have it as a smoothie. (2Trusted Source)

The nutritional benefits of banana shakes include:

• Weight gain: Banana shakes can retain almost around 100 grams of calories from a ripe banana. So, to put on some weight you can blend up several ripe bananas into a smooth mixture and enjoy it in your breakfast.

• Weight loss: Bananas are rich in fiber. Each regular-sized banana contains almost around 3 to 4 grams of fiber, which is also present if you blend up banana shakes. This nutrient helps to provide your body with a sense of fullness and prevent overeating or does not make you feel the urge of having frequent snacks, and thus helps to lose some weight in a healthy way.

• Workouts: Banana shakes are effective when you have them while working out. The high amounts of complex carbohydrates in banana shake help to fill up your body with carbohydrates and glucose and thus provide you with immense energy while you work out. This also helps to relieve muscle cramps and muscular spasms. (3Trusted Source)

• Hangovers: High consumption of alcohol can lead to the draining of essential electrolytes and water from your body by secreting certain hormones and through urination. Banana shakes are rich sources of essential electrolytes like potassium and help to replenish the body with its high mineral contents.

• Blood sugar levels: Banana shakes contain high amounts of soluble fibers that are later transformed into liquid gel like substances after consumption. This often helps to moderate your blood sugar levels after consumption. It also does not cause spikes in blood sugar levels. But people with diabetes can enjoy banana shakes, but not in huge quantities. (4 Trusted Source)

• Digestive health: Once your digestive health gets improved, you will enjoy a healthier body because your body will successfully retain the essential nutrients from the food you have in your regular diet. Thus, with better digestion, comes good metabolism and immunity. Studies have revealed the soluble dietary fiber present in banana shakes can be essential for improving your gut health. One regular-sized banana contains about 3 grams of soluble fiber. Bananas are rich sources of prebiotics, a type of resistant starch that are extremely important for maintaining the proper functioning of some species of beneficial bacteria in your gut. Moreover, another type of starch called pectin that is retained in banana shakes is found to promote healthy digestion and prevent the risks of developing cancer or any such malignancy in the colon or the colorectal tract.

• Keeps a healthy heart: Banana shakes are powerhouses of potassium and other vital minerals that are beneficial for maintaining the healthy functioning of your heart and controlling your blood pressure. Banana shakes help to provide enough potassium to your diet. That can help lower your blood pressure. A medium-sized banana (126 grams) contains about 10% of the DV. A recent experiment has revealed that those who maintain a diet that is rich in potassium are approximately at around 27% lower risk of getting heart attacks, strokes, or any cardiac diseases. Moreover, bananas contain 8% of the DV for magnesium that is also beneficial for your heart health. Low levels of magnesium in your body or lack of magnesium dense foods in your diet can also lead to a greater risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and increase in the levels of fats in the blood. (5 Trusted Source)

• Rich source of antioxidants: Banana shake is an excellent source of essential antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids, and amines. These dietary antioxidants are beneficial for an all-over healthy and proper functioning of your body, like preventing the chances of heart and certain degenerative diseases and some other illnesses. They also help to prevent oxidative damage and degeneration of healthy cells and prevent the functioning of disease-causing free radicals, thus helping to maintain your overall health, and strengthen your immunity. (6 Trusted Source)

• Improves kidney health: Banana shakes contain essential elements-vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals like potassium that are not only beneficial for your overall health but also help to protect your kidneys. Potassium present in banana shakes helps to maintain the electrolyte balance in your body and thus helps to maintain the proper functioning of the pair of kidneys.

Popular Ingredients in Banana Shake:

You can blend up banana shakes with ripe bananas and liquids like milk, along with other ingredients that possess a delightful taste to pair up with your breakfast diet and are also healthy. You can also alter the ingredients according to your choice. The most common ingredients you can add are as follows:

• protein powder
• Peanut or almond butter, chia butter, or other nut butters
• dairy or non-dairy milk (try to prefer fat-free milk)
• refined white or cane sugar (also use artificial sweeteners)
• ice cream with vanilla extracts or frozen Greek yogurt
• dairy or non-dairy yogurt
• ground flax or chia seeds
• frozen fruits and berries

Some Suggestions on Banana Shakes:

Banana shakes can be included as a healthy diet and can be enjoyed by any one during any time of the day. You can always choose the ingredients for your shake and each day the recipe can vary according to your mood, but they must be healthy enough.

For example, the considerable amounts of carbohydrates and electrolytes in banana shakes are extremely beneficial for athletes for boosting up their energy levels while a workout and it also prevents muscle soreness, fuel workouts, and shorten recovery time. So those who are thinking of putting on some weight but with a healthy diet should undoubtedly add banana shakes into their regular diet.

Even in case you are trying to lose weight, banana shakes can still be consumed but in that diet, you should limit the frequency of consumption of the high amounts of calorie, rich fat ingredients, and lipid components and should make the shake a part of a healthy diet. But if you have a banana allergy it is always advisable to avoid banana shakes in your diet or try to do so with the suggestion of your medical care giver.

Side Effects of Banana Shakes:

If you are making banana smoothies at home or buying canned banana shakes, you should certainly know the potential health adversities related to high consumption of banana shakes. Firstly, banana shakes contain high amounts of added sugar that may be responsible for spiking up your blood sugar levels, especially in people with diabetes. Especially, those banana shakes that are prepared commercially often contain high levels of added sweeteners just to add a delightful taste. Similarly, if you add ingredients like vanilla ice cream, yogurt, or refined sugar in your banana shakes, you may unknowingly consume extra sugar that can disturb the normal blood sugar levels in your body.

Secondly, banana shakes contain high amounts of carbohydrates and extra calories that can lead to calorie surplus in your body. Though the high-calorie intake is beneficial for those who want to gain weight or are drinking them during periods of appetite loss but can be harmful to those who are planning for a weight loss, until and unless the frequency of consumption is limited.