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Banana

Musa acuminata

Also known as Cavendish banana, Dessert banana

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The fruit of a large tropical herb, harvested green and ripened after picking. Ripening converts most of its starch into sugars, which is why the same fruit behaves quite differently at different stages.

Muscle & Physical PerformanceGut & Digestive HealthHeart HealthSleep

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Exercise performance

Muscle & Physical Performance
Moderate evidence

Some trials report that bananas eaten during prolonged endurance exercise sustain performance about as well as a carbohydrate sports drink. The finding is reasonably consistent but rests on a modest number of small trials in trained cyclists and runners.

What may be going on: The benefit is attributed to the carbohydrate itself rather than anything specific to bananas, plus fluid and a small potassium contribution.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Gut microbiome

Gut & Digestive Health
Limited evidence

Research suggests the resistant starch and fructans in less-ripe bananas may act as substrate for gut bacteria and increase short-chain fatty acid production. Human trials are small and the health consequences of those shifts remain unclear.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Higher potassium intake is associated with lower blood pressure across dietary studies, and bananas are a familiar source. Trials testing bananas specifically rather than potassium in general are few.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Sleep quality

Sleep
Insufficient evidence

Bananas are often recommended before bed for their magnesium and tryptophan content. There is no dependable human research showing that eating one changes how quickly people fall asleep or how well they sleep.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Banana

Ask about Banana

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories89 kcal4%
Protein1.09 g2%
Total fat0.33 g0%
Carbohydrate22.8 g8%
Fibre2.6 g9%
Total sugars12.2 g—
Water74.9 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.112 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.032 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.073 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.046 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A3 µg0%
Vitamin C8.7 mg10%
Vitamin D0 µg0%
Vitamin E0.1 mg1%
Vitamin K0.5 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.031 mg3%
Riboflavin (B2)0.073 mg6%
Niacin (B3)0.665 mg4%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.334 mg7%
Vitamin B60.367 mg22%
Folate20 µg5%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Choline9.8 mg2%
Minerals
Calcium5 mg0%
Iron0.26 mg1%
Magnesium27 mg6%
Phosphorus22 mg2%
Potassium358 mg8%
Sodium1 mg0%
Zinc0.15 mg1%
Copper0.078 mg9%
Manganese0.27 mg12%
Selenium1 µg2%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene26 µg—
Alpha-carotene25 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin22 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.82 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Bananas, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173944).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • rawChanges resistant starch and sugars

    A green banana carries a large amount of resistant starch that behaves more like fibre than sugar. As it ripens that starch converts to glucose, fructose and sucrose, raising both sweetness and glycaemic response.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Latex-fruit syndrome

    Banana is one of the four foods most strongly associated with natural rubber latex allergy, alongside avocado, kiwi and chestnut. People with latex allergy may react with oral itching, hives or, occasionally, more serious symptoms.

  • Worth knowing

    Potassium in advanced kidney disease

    Bananas are a concentrated potassium source. In advanced chronic kidney disease, or alongside potassium-sparing diuretics, ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, potassium can accumulate to dangerous levels and specific limits are usually set by a clinician.

  • Too much

    FODMAP content rises with ripening

    Fructan content increases as bananas ripen, so a well-spotted banana is high FODMAP while a just-yellow one is not. This catches out many people following a low-FODMAP plan for irritable bowel syndrome.