There are foods that you only need a bite. Others can be consumed as much as you want. How many bananas can you eat without feeling you’ve taken too many? Bananas are delicious excellent popular fruits rich in fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. They improve blood sugar levels, enhance satiation, support heart health, and support digestive health. But the most important thing to consider is consuming a regulated amount of bananas that will be more helpful to your health. So, how many bananas are many?
How many bananas are healthy to eat in a day?
The number of bananas one can take in a day is dependent on the health status of the individual. For a normal person, you could eat as many bananas as you would wish as long as you are not displacing other foods and nutrients.
For most healthy people, one-two banana in a day is likely to be considered moderate. There is no particular number of bananas that makes them bad or good for consumption. It depends on the uniqueness of your nutrients and calorie requirement.
It is not possible for a normal person to overdose on bananas. You can eat up to four hundred bananas in a day before the potassium level of your blood is in excess. Too high a potassium level would cause your heart to stop beating.
The fruits aren’t dangerous, they are good for your health. However, it is risky to consume such a huge quantity of bananas.
People who are suffering from kidney malfunctions and diabetes are advised not to eat bananas daily. Considering that bananas are rich in potassium, too much potassium in the bloodstream can result in a condition called hyperkalemia. Malfunctioning kidneys cannot regulate the amount of potassium in the blood and this may lead to heart problems. Maybe they can eat bananas three times or two times a week.
Infants of age 6-9 months could be fed up to a maximum of 1/3 of a medium-sized banana. 9-12 months old infants should eat no more than ½ of a banana. Since bananas are sugary, toddlers should have no more than one-and-a-half in a day.
Why eating too many bananas can be dangerous?
While bananas are nutritious, tasty, and profitable in the digestion process, excessive consumption of the fruit may be detrimental to your health.
1. Weight gain
Concur that bananas, compared to your dearest crisps or cookies have lesser calories, yet, still, contain enough calories to make you gain weight than you expect. One banana of medium size contains 105 calories. You can imagine how dangerous it would be to consume 15 of such per day, that is, 1575 calories.
2. Constipation.
Bananas, especially unripe ones can cause constipation because they contain a lot of starch. Too much starch may be tough for the body to digest well and absorb and this may cause bloating, accumulation of gases, and thus constipation. Pectin, a fiber-rich content of banana has a high affinity for moisture. Pectin draws water from the intestines and causes dehydration in the body. A dehydrated individual is more susceptible to constipation.
3. Imbalance of nutrients in the body
For an individual to be healthy, there is a need for the body to receive all the required nutrients for normal functioning. But in the case where banana is the dominant meal in your diet, little or no space in your stomach is left for other nutritious food like proteins and fats. Following USDA guidelines, it is healthy to get one large banana per day to avoid nutrient imbalance.
4. Sleepiness.
Bananas contain an amino acid known as tryptophan. The amino acid is known to help you sleep better. Nevertheless, carbohydrates may block amino acids from entering your brain causing an influx of tryptophan which increases the rate at which serotonin is produced. Serotonin is another trigger for sleepiness, it also comprises magnesium which relaxes muscles and promotes sleepiness.
5. Dental health disorder.
Bananas are sweet because they are sugary. Though the sugars in a banana are natural, it does not guarantee you a healthy life free from dental problems. Too much of it may cause tooth decay, furthermore, the acid in a banana may cause your enamel to wear out leading to more damage to your dental health.
6. Digestive problems.
A moderate amount of fiber is very important in the digestion process as it helps in enhancing satiation. However, consumption of an unregulated amount of bananas may lead to excessive accumulation of fiber in the digestive tract.
Large quantities of fiber may cause bloating, gas accumulation, abdominal cramps, and interference with the normal absorption of calcium and iron.
7. Hyperkalemia.
Hyperkalemia is a condition that is aroused by the presence of an excess amount of potassium in the blood. Since bananas are rich in potassium, excessive intake of bananas causes an accumulation of potassium in the blood. The symptoms of hyperkalemia include irregular heartbeat, uneven pulse rate, and nausea. In most, you can easily get a heart attack.
Why do I crave bananas?
The reason you might be craving bananas is low energy. Bananas contain natural sugars which give an energy boost instantly.
Another reason why you want to eat many bananas is that you are in the mood for the fruit. Maybe you like the unique peeling of a banana or you like the taste and texture of a banana.
Your body may require fiber, fiber helps in keeping your digestive tract moving. Lack of enough fiber in your body will be signaled by a forcefully driven urge for more food especially those rich in fiber like a banana.