Which Season Are Bananas at Their Best? How Many to Eat a Day and a Breakdown of the Benefits

Actually, everyone assumes that because bananas are sweet, they must be high in calories, but that is a misconception. Add to that the fact that athletes always keep bananas on hand, especially marathon runners, who love to rely on bananas to replenish their energy, and the real reason is that bananas are rich in potassium ions, which can ease athletes' cramps and help them recover faster.

As for women who think bananas are high in calories, that is because the sweetness of bananas themselves always makes women assume that sweet means calories. But in fact, a study in Japan found that bananas with spots can achieve anti-cancer effects. And in central Taiwan, China, there is even a folk remedy going around: "After washing a banana with water, eat it together with the peel, and it can also treat sore back and aching muscles! 2 or 3 a day is absolutely very helpful for human health."

It is not only banana farmers who say this. In fact, as early as 2005, the Japanese Cancer Association published a report stating that bananas have the effect of boosting immunity and preventing cancer. It also mentioned that eating 2 bananas a day can effectively improve one's constitution. Add to that the fact that bananas are cheap, easy to eat and convenient to carry, and provide nutrients that help maintain health, and some people even call bananas a "magical fruit."

Nutritionists also say that bananas actually have a certain effect on weight loss, because they are low in calories. Calculated at 100 grams per banana, a banana has about 87 calories, which is half that of white rice. Because modern people are used to eating out and prefer strong flavors, their bodies end up with too much salt and poorer metabolism. Bananas are a very good food to help with metabolism. However, if the bananas are too sweet, eating too many still raises calorie concerns.

In addition, bananas are rich in vitamins A, C, B1 and B2 as well as minerals such as potassium and magnesium. For example, Liu Yili, a nutritionist at Taiwan Adventist Hospital, once said that they can help the human body digest food and stabilize blood pressure. Women who want fair, glowing skin in particular should eat more, because bananas also have a whitening effect. Converted by nutritional value, one banana equals 2 servings of fruit.

Which season are bananas at their best? In fact, autumn and winter bananas have the best quality, and right now is a great time to taste winter bananas, because the autumn and winter bananas produced now have moderate sweetness, high aroma and a nice chewy texture, and they also keep longer. Compared with the summer bananas mass-produced in mid-June, they have a longer growing period and therefore produce more nutritional value. In particular, the mountain bananas grown in central Taiwan, China taste even better because of the large temperature difference between day and night, which is also why mountain bananas from central Taiwan, China are famous.