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Bananas Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Bananas are one of the most beloved fruits around the world. Continue reading to learn more about bananas' nutritional profile and health benefits.
Jyothi Shenoy, MD, MBA

Written by Jyothi Shenoy, MD, MBA. Updated on December 20, 2022.

Bananas are a popular tropical fruit spread from its Southeast Asian homeland.

It is readily available food so you can enjoy its delicious flavor and pleasant aroma without making a big change to your meal planning in the preparation part.

Bananas have a beautiful flavor and can be added to smoothies to achieve a creamy consistency, and they can be used in place of refined sugar in baked goods and oatmeal.

As it matures, it turns green to yellow, and the sugar content increases, giving it a sweeter taste.

The soluble fiber in it aids in blood sugar and cholesterol management. It is a good source of fat-free food that can aid in weight control due to its balanced composition and ability to promote satiety.

In addition, it helps keep digestion regular. Although it’s often the first item that comes to mind when thinking of foods to eat to stop diarrhea, beware: overeating it can lead to constipation.

Bananas Quick Nutrition Facts

Here's a quick nutrition overview for 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of bananas:

  • Energy: 89 calories
  • Carbs: 22.8 grams
  • Sugar: 12.2 grams
  • Fiber: 2.6 grams
  • Protein: 1.09 grams
  • Fat: 0.33 grams
  • Saturated Fat: 0.112 grams

Jump to a section where you can learn more about bananas nutrition value, including macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, protein quality, and more.

Health Benefits of Bananas

Thanks to a significant amount of specific vitamins and minerals, bananas could provide several health benefits.

Continue reading to discover the potential benefits of consuming bananas.

They May Boost Energy Levels

Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine can help release sugar from the fats stored in the body to meet the need for energy supply in the future.

This action of vitamin B6 can also be beneficial in the management of diabetes.

It can regulate the amount of fat that can be converted into a usable form of energy, especially in the absence of a ready supply of carbohydrates from dietary sources.

This can ensure the body receives a steady supply of glucose, which is its primary source of fuel and protect patients against serious complications of diabetes.

Vitamin B6 can also help in the formation of red blood cells and, thus, improve the bodily functions involved in the transportation of oxygen in the form of oxyhemoglobin.

Vitamin B6 is important for the normal development of the brain in children. It can also keep the immune system and nervous system healthy and, thus, reduce the risk of several diseases.

Bananas Nutrition Facts

Continue reading to find out the following bananas nutrition information:

  • Macronutrients
  • Vitamin Content
  • Mineral Content
  • Amino Acid Profile
  • Fat Breakdown
  • Carbohydrate Breakdown

Macronutrients

Macronutrients, often called macros, are most commonly used term when it comes to eating a healthy diet or losing weight. There are three types of macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Macronutrients provide energy to your body and allows it to function properly. The following table contains the information on bananas macronutrients, while reading further will give you a better understanding on each of these macronutrients.

Carbohydrate8% DV22.8 g
Protein2% DV1.09 g
Fat0% DV0.33 g

Vitamin Content

Bananas are not an excellent source of any particular vitamin.

However, they contain a good amount of Vitamin C, and Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine) and some Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid), and Vitamin B9 (Folate).

Here's the full bananas vitamin content per 100g:

Vitamin A2% DV64 IU
Vitamin C10% DV8.7 mg
Vitamin D0% DV0 µg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)3% DV0.031 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)6% DV0.073 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)4% DV0.665 mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)7% DV0.334 mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyroxidine)22% DV0.367 mg
Vitamin B9 (Folate)5% DV20 µg
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin)0% DV0 µg
Vitamin E1% DV0.1 mg
Vitamin K0% DV0.5 µg

Mineral Content

Bananas are excellent source of Fluoride.

They also contain a good amount of Manganese and some Copper, Magnesium, and Potassium.

Here's the full bananas mineral content per 100g:

Calcium0% DV5 mg
Copper9% DV0.078 mg
Fluoride55% DV2.2 mg
Iron1% DV0.26 mg
Magnesium6% DV27 mg
Manganese12% DV0.27 mg
Phosphorus2% DV22 mg
Potassium8% DV358 mg
Selenium2% DV1 μg
Sodium0% DV1 mg
Zinc1% DV0.15 mg

Protein and Amino Acid Profile

Bananas contain 1.1 g of protein per 100 g, or in other words, bananas provide 1.22 g of protein per 100 kcal.

Similarly to most other plant proteins, protein in bananas contain all nine essential amino acids, however, they are a little bit low in isoleucine, and methionine.

Histidine OK10% DV0.077 g
Isoleucine Low2% DV0.028 g
Leucine OK2% DV0.068 g
Lysine OK2% DV0.05 g
Methionine Low1% DV0.008 g
Phenylalanine OK3% DV0.049 g
Threonine OK2% DV0.028 g
Tryptophan OK3% DV0.009 g
Valine OK2% DV0.047 g

Fat Breakdown

Around 3% of the calories in bananas are from fat. Bananas have 0.33 grams or 0% of recommended daily values per 100g.

Saturated fat and trans fat can increase cholesterol levels and increase the heart disease risk.

Bananas fat content mostly consists of saturated fats.

According to FDA, dietary cholesterol should be kept below 300 mg per day. Luckily, bananas is cholesterol free.

Bananas do not contain trans fats. Trans fats should be kept as low as possible.

Total Fat0% DV0.33 g
Saturated Fat1% DV0.112 g
Monounsaturated Fatdo not have a %DV0.032 g
Polyunsaturated Fatdo not have a %DV0.073 g
Trans Fatsdo not have a %DV0 g
Cholesterol0% DV0 mg

Carbohydrate Breakdown

102% of the calories in bananas come from carbohydrates.

Carbs in bananas are mostly sugars (54%), followed by starch and fiber.

When it comes to sugars, bananas contain grams of sugar per 100g.

Total Carbohydrate8% DV22.8 g
Dietary Fiber9% DV2.6 g
Sugars24% DV12.2 g

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