Wait! Stop! Do not throw away that banana peel! :)
Throwing away a banana peel means disposing of a very substantial part of the fruit, able to provide numerous benefits for our body in different ways.
Its softness and its flavor and is appreciated by young and old and is essential in the diet for its high level of potassium.
Bananas also provide essential vitamins, fiber, and minerals. A banana is also convenient to carry for a snack away from home, so why not eat it more often? In addition, maybe not throw away the peel!
Let's get to know this fruit better and discover the various ways in which even the peel can come in handy ...
Potassium regulates blood pressure and heart functions. Bananas also contain sterols that help keep cholesterol low.
Bananas are very important in the prevention of type 2 diabetes, help you lose weight and thanks to its vitamin B6 content stimulate the growth of white blood cells in the blood.
Unlike what you may think, even the peel contains nutrients that are very important for good health.
Many animals eat bananas with the peel; primates, for example, consume the entire banana.
Dr. Victor Marchione strongly advises us to follow this healthy habit of the monkeys, here is why:
First of all, banana skin contains a lot of potassium and has a higher content of fiber than the banana itself.
- Dietary fiber slows the digestion of the fruit by eliminating the glycemic peak due to the consuming the sugar contained in the fruit. Banana skins also act as a regulator of cholesterol.
- In the peel, there is also lutein, an important compound for eye health.
- Last but not least, the peel also contains a very important essential amino acid, tryptophan. This molecule positively influences mood, improves sleep quality, and acts as an antidepressant.
So how can we consume banana peels?
Obviously, you can eat the raw peel directly, although it may be thick and with a very different flavor from that of the fruit. You can boil it in water for 10 minutes to make it soft and then blend it.
In eastern countries, banana skins often accompany many dishes or they are served separately as a snack.
It is also possible to dilute a banana peel smoothie with some other fruit and create a pleasant mix of flavors!
Have you ever tried using it to prepare smoothie? A delicacy!
If you prefer not to eat the banana peel you can still use it in other ways to benefit from its healthy nutrients. For example, you can take a small piece and rub the inside of it on your teeth every day, to get a whitening effect.
Applying it, instead to any area of the face helps to prevent wrinkles and pimples. Simply let it stay on the face for half an hour before rinsing.
Banana peels are also ideal for naturally combating itching caused by insect bites.
Also, try to applying it on warts! It is an old but effective method used to eliminate these annoying skin blemishes! Just apply a piece of skin on the affected area and leave it on for the whole night, holding it in place with a band-aid (a plaster). Continue until the wart is gone.
A lot of people have already lost the habit of throwing away banana peels and use them instead in ways that we have explained in this article. Check out the video!
