Bananas are known to be one of the most popular fruits in the world. Banana has a sweet taste, rich in nutrients, and is an indispensable ingredient in many dishes.
In particular, bananas can also be used as a tea.
Here’s everything you need to know about banana tea, a unique and nutritious beverage.
What is banana tea?
Banana tea is made by boiling whole ripe bananas in hot water, then filtering out the pulp and using the rest of the water.
Bananas used to make banana tea can be left with the skin on or not, depending on the preferences of each person.
However, banana tea with the skin on will take longer to process because of its high fiber content. So many people choose to remove the shell.
To enhance the taste, many people also add a little cinnamon or honey to banana tea. In particular, this tea can be enjoyed at night to aid sleep.
Both the peel and flesh of the banana are rich in nutrients. Illustrations
Nutritional composition of banana tea
Currently, there is no detailed information about the nutrition of banana tea.
However, the main ingredient of this tea is bananas, so it may contain some nutrients in water-soluble bananas such as vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, manganese and copper.
Most people will filter out the banana pulp after brewing, so banana tea is not a significant source of calories.
Although bananas release some nutrients like vitamin B6 and potassium into the tea, drinking banana tea will not give you as many nutrients as eating the whole fruit.
But increasing the brewing time can increase the nutrient levels in banana tea.
In a nutshell, banana tea can be an excellent source of potassium and magnesium, two nutrients for heart health and sleep quality.
Furthermore, vitamin B6 in banana tea helps support a healthy immune system and the development of red blood cells.
5 benefits of banana tea
Rich in antioxidants
Bananas are high in water-soluble natural antioxidants like dopamine and gallocatechin, which can help fight free radicals and prevent chronic diseases like heart disease.
Worth mentioning, the banana peel has a much higher level of antioxidants than the flesh. Therefore, adding banana peels to your tea during the brewing process can increase the absorption of these molecules.
Although bananas are naturally rich in vitamin C, banana tea is not a perfect source of this good antioxidant. The reason is that vitamin C is sensitive to heat and can be easily destroyed during the brewing process.
Banana tea contains many water-soluble antioxidants. Illustrations
Can prevent flatulence
Banana tea is high in potassium, a mineral and electrolyte important for regulating fluid balance, keeping blood pressure healthy, and building muscles.
Potassium works with sodium, another mineral and electrolyte that regulates the fluid balance in cells. However, when your body contains more sodium than potassium, your body may experience water retention and bloating.
However, the potassium and water content in banana tea can help combat bloating caused by eating foods high in salt by helping the kidneys excrete more sodium into the urine.
Good for sleep
Many people consider banana tea as a drink that can help sleep.
Banana tea contains 3 key nutrients that many studies claim to help improve sleep, namely potassium, magnesium and tryptophan.
Bananas are a good source of magnesium and potassium, two minerals that help increase sleep quality and length due to the body’s muscle-relaxing properties.
Banana tea also provides some tryptophan, an amino acid important for the production of sleep hormones like serotonin and melatonin.
However, more research is needed to be sure that banana tea offers many sleep benefits.
Banana tea is good for sleep. Illustration
Banana tea contains less sugar
If you want to limit the sugar from your drinks, then banana tea is a perfect alternative for you.
During the brewing process, only a small amount of the sugar in the banana is dissolved into the water, which can give the tea a natural sweetness.
Most people consume too much sugar from drinks, which is linked to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, choosing drinks without added sugar, such as banana tea, can be a way to reduce sugar consumption.
May support heart health
The nutrients in banana tea may support heart health.
Banana tea contains potassium and magnesium, which have been shown to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
In fact, one study in 90,137 women found that a diet rich in potassium was associated with a 27% reduced risk of stroke.
Furthermore, a diet rich in catechins, a type of antioxidant found in banana tea, may reduce the risk of heart disease.
However, no studies have directly looked at the antioxidants in banana tea or their impact on heart disease risk.
How to make simple banana tea at home
Banana tea is both delicious and has many health benefits. Moreover, the processing of banana tea is also extremely simple. Here’s how to make 1 cup of banana tea at home.
Fill a pot with 2-3 cups of water (500–750 ml) and bring to a boil.
Peel or leave the skin of a banana and cut off both ends.
– Put bananas in boiling water.
– Cook on low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
– To enhance the taste, you can add cinnamon or honey as you like.
– Filter out the banana pulp, get the water. Divide this water into 2-3 cups and enjoy.
You can keep banana tea in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Note, to avoid waste, you should use leftover banana pulp for other dishes like smoothies.
Source: Healthline
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