It may be difficult to believe but on an average, a person consumes 27 pounds of bananas annually. They are an extremely healthy fruit that helps to improve your health and restores balance in your body in times of illness.

Bananas are a huge source of potassium. This helps to reduce blood pressure and thus patients suffering from high blood pressure must eat a banana daily. By doing so you reduce the possibility of heart related disorders and strokes. It is also known to prevent arteriosclerosis, a condition where the walls of the arteries are hardened and blocked by fats that get accumulated.

Bananas have now proved themselves to be useful as an antacid that helps to prevent the formation of mouth and stomach ulcers. The nutrients in the bananas produce a protective mucus that lines the stomach and protects it against the harmful acids produced by the foods we eat.

Bananas help to maintain your levels of hydration in your body. The fruit is a healthy source of Vitamin B6, that which helps to boost your immune system and keeps your body in good health.

The fruit is also known to be high in folate, a mineral that helps in the growth of new cells. This helps to protect against birth defects; hence pregnant women are recommended bananas in their daily diet. The folate also helps to prevent cancer and prevent heart diseases. It is hence one of the first solid foods given to infants at the weaning stage.

How to increase the amount of banana in your diet?

You need not eat the banana in its natural state. Mash it add it to a bowl of cereal for a healthy morning breakfast, blend it with milk and honey for a quick smoothie or simply slice and fry with clarified butter and enjoy the sweet delicacy. Bananas can also be mashed and added to casseroles and bakes, they add to the sweetness of the dish without adding artificial sweeteners and refined sugar.