Don't go bananas – but maybe eat one

On the screen, bananas are a menace. 只要问问查理·卓别林、兔八哥或任何玩过马里奥赛车的人就知道了.

In your diet, though, bananas can be a boon. 专家们有很多喜欢它们的理由，并指出了这种细长的黄色水果可能导致健康下滑的几种方式.

"They're rich in nutrients and fiber," said Colleen Spees, 哥伦布俄亥俄州立大学医学中心医学营养学副教授. "They're delicious. They're inexpensive. They're all the right things."

它们是世界上最受欢迎的水果，已经种植了大约一万年. 一些学者认为，圣经伊甸园中诱人的水果听起来更像香蕉而不是苹果. Bananas turn up in religious traditions from around the world.

香蕉树实际上是一种草本植物，其果实严格来说是一种浆果. A "bunch" refers to the cluster of bananas as harvested. 一小串香蕉是“手”，一根香蕉是“手指”."

斯比斯说，不管你怎么称呼它们，香蕉都以富含钾元素而闻名. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one medium banana provides 375 milligrams. That's about 11% of the recommended daily potassium for a man and 16% for a woman.

"Potassium is a mineral that is vital for heart health, especially in terms of blood pressure management," Spees said. (没错，其他食物——包括青豆和甜菜绿叶——钾含量更高, she said, "but how many people are eating the greens of beets?香蕉还富含镁(32毫克)、有益的植物化学物质和抗氧化剂.

One medium banana, which contains 113 calories, also has about 5 grams of total dietary fiber, which helps people feel full. 斯比斯说，香蕉中的纤维具有“非常有趣”的品质.

未成熟和略未成熟的香蕉含有抗性淀粉，可以作为益生元纤维. 这些难以消化的益生元是益生菌的食物，益生菌是生活在肠道中的“好”微生物. 这些有益的肠道细菌对消化至关重要，并与免疫力有关, brain health and more.

斯比斯说，随着香蕉成熟，抗性淀粉被分解成天然糖. “这就是为什么成熟的香蕉比不成熟的香蕉更甜."

Certain special situations call for caution, she said.

Although bananas, like most fruit, 能成为糖尿病患者健康饮食模式的一部分吗, a medium banana has about 26 grams of carbohydrates, which must be a consideration for people on strict diets.

晚期肾衰竭患者需要密切监测钾的消耗量. 高钾食物也会干扰一些治疗高血压和心力衰竭的药物. 对普通人来说，要把钾含量提高到危险水平，肯定需要不止一根香蕉, Spees said. 但她建议任何有疾病或担忧的人都要向他们的初级保健医生咨询，看看香蕉对他们是否安全.

What's problematic, though, 难道你以为把它们塞进香蕉片或香蕉面包里就能让这些甜点变得健康吗, she said. The same can be said for banana chips.

"Most banana chips are actually dried and fried," Spees said. “其中一些被涂上了油或糖浆，这是添加糖的重要来源, calories and fats."

但是香蕉可以很好地增稠和增甜冰沙，Spees说. "If you're mixing a frozen banana with, say, Greek yogurt, frozen berries and other healthy ingredients, that's great."

Part of the banana's beauty, she said, is its convenience. In the morning, it can be sliced and added to whole-wheat cereal. Later in the day, "it's a great snack.“有些人喜欢把香蕉和坚果酱混在一起，或者和酸奶混在一起吃.

所以在一天结束的时候，对大多数人来说，她的统计结果坚定地支持香蕉. 斯比斯支持吃各种水果和蔬菜的想法，并表示“绝对支持”, bananas fit in that rainbow."

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