Not only the fruit, it turns out that there are many nutrients and benefits of banana peels that can be obtained for the health of the body. To find out more about the benefits of banana peels, see the following article.
When eating bananas, most people will throw away the skin because it is considered useless. So far, the benefits of banana peels may only be limited to organic waste for fertilizer.
However, did you know? Banana peels can also be consumed like the fruit and can be used to treat various health problems.
Nutritional Content in Banana Peel
The nutritional content of banana peels is generally not much different from the fruit. The following are various nutritional content found in banana peels:
- Fiber
- Vitamins, including vitamin B6 and vitamin B12
- Minerals, in the form of magnesium and potassium
- Unsaturated fats
- Essential amino acids
Not only that, banana peels also contain many antioxidants, such as phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, carotenoids and polyphenols. Banana peels are also known to contain anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial compounds that are effective against bacteria, fungi, and yeast.
Benefits of Banana Peel for Health
Given the content of nutrients and antioxidants that are quite a lot, banana peels offer a variety of benefits for the health of the body. The following are some of the health benefits of banana peels:
1. Caring for facial skin
There are many benefits of banana peels for facial skin health, ranging from brightening the skin, reducing wrinkles, relieving puffy eyes, moisturizing the skin, disguising acne scars, overcoming psoriasis, to removing warts.
To get these benefits, you can apply a banana peel on the face or certain facial areas that are needed. Although this property has not been clinically tested, the content of compounds that are antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory in banana peels has been shown to provide benefits for skin health.
2. Maintain healthy hair
Banana peel is also believed to make hair softer and shiny. This property is thought to come from the antioxidant content in it. Antioxidants in banana peels play an important role in preventing hair damage caused by free radicals, so hair stays healthy and strong.
3. Healthy and whiten teeth
Various studies have found that banana peel extract can eradicate and inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause gingivitis and periodontitis, namely: A. actinomycetemcomitans and P. gingivalis.
With these benefits, rubbing banana peels on your teeth and gums every day for a week is also believed to be able to nourish your gums while whitening and fading plaque stains on your teeth.
4. Overcoming itchy skin
You can treat itchy skin due to insect bites, eczema, or the heat of the sun by pressing a banana peel on the skin area. Although not much research supports it, this method has long been used as one of the first aids to relieve itching.
5. Relieves headaches
Cold compresses are one of the most effective natural headache remedies. Cooled banana peels can be a substitute for a compress if you don't have one at home. The trick is to place the cooled banana peel on the forehead and behind the neck.
6. Overcoming suban input
Getting splinter or wood chips in the skin can be very annoying and painful. If not treated immediately, the skin can be swollen and infected.
Scraping the splinter with inadequate equipment can push it deeper. nowOne of the first aids that is easy to do is to put a banana peel on the splinter on the skin for about 15 minutes. This method is believed to be able to attract the splinter so that it is easier to pick up.
7. Prevent cancer
The benefits of antioxidants for health have been widely studied. The higher the antioxidant level, the stronger its ability to ward off free radicals that cause various diseases, including cancer.
Raw banana peels are believed to be richer in antioxidants, such as polyphenols and carotenoids. Therefore, consumption of raw banana peels is believed to reduce your risk of developing cancer. However, this benefit is still limited to animals and needs further investigation in humans.
In addition to the benefits of banana peels that have been mentioned above, eating banana peels is also believed to help maintain digestive health, improve eye health, and improve sleep quality.
Given the various benefits of banana peels, this food can be a healthy snack choice.
You can eat a ripe banana peel by processing it into various dishes, for example by roasting a banana peel with sugar and cinnamon, making it a mixed ingredient. smoothies, or cook it with meat on top.
To get the maximum benefits of banana peels, you should wash the banana peels thoroughly to minimize exposure to pesticides that may stick to the surface.
If you want to use banana peels as a treatment or skin care, you should first consult a doctor to ensure its safety against the condition you are experiencing and certain medications you are currently using.