Calories in Bananas - Nutritional Content

Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites

This Super Food is a Rich Source for Multiple Nutrients

The Recommended Daily Allowance for potassium is 3500 milligrams.

And oh my - no wonder the monkey loves these little yellow, curvy sweet and mellow fruits as they are packed full of potassium.

One extra large banana - which is about nine inches in length, contains about 550 mg's of such. That's quite a kick!

If you've overdosed on sodium (table salt) for the day, eating a serving of banana may assist in sweeping that retained water from your body, thus reducing body bloat, pressure - along with unwanted false water weight gain due to sodium overload.

The side effects associated with such tend to be uncomfortable and potassium found in natural foods is a great way to release a bit of the pressure - but there is no need to overdo.

Potassium Rich Foods Should Be Avoided by Some Individuals Suffering from Excessive Supplies

There are rare situations where some individuals have potassium overload issues which can present serious issues to life itself.

My father was one of those patients; he developed such in his later years of life amid his struggle with diabetes.

While I have always had great success in getting a health related message across to others, this was never the case with my parents - particularly where my dear mother was concerned. Her head was harder than a stone wall.

When my father's doctor told him that it meant the difference between life and death that he avoid foods holding potassium in his daily diet - my mother thought that draining all of the starch from the potatoes was good enough.

There was no convincing her otherwise without having a horrible argument - and my father felt that she was right.

It was so frustrating. Even when I went with them and spoke with the doctor, there was no convincing her of such.

On that note, if you are dealing with someone in your life who must limit potassium intake and you are cooking for them - please get with their doctor and ask for guidance. My father ended up with failed kidneys in the end, along with heart failure. It was horrible.

It's really frustrating when we know what is right - yet there is absolutely nothing that we can do to change the situation.

Other Nutritional Benefits of Bananas

These babies are naturally rich in dietary fiber, luetin and selenium. They also contain zero cholesterol and surprisingly offer a good pop of protein. On that note, let's take a deeper look at the nutritional facts for this super food - that is super good, and which can calm a restless gut as well as satisfy a sweet craving for minimal calories.

Banana Calories, Nutrition Fact Comparison Based on Serving Size

Nutrients	Unit	Extra Small Banana less than 6 inches long	Small Banana 6 inches to 6 7/8 inches long	Medium Banana 7 inches to 7 7/8 inches long	Large Banana 8 inches to 8 7/8 inches long	X-Large Banana 9 inches or longer	1 cup mashed bananas	1 cup sliced bananas
Calories	kcal	72	90	105	121	135	200	134
Protein	grams	0.88	1.10	1.29	1.48	1.66	2.45	1.64
Total Fat	grams	0.27	0.33	0.39	0.45	0.50	0.74	0.49
Carbs, Total	grams	18.50	23.07	26.95	31.06	34.72	51.39	34.26
Fiber, Total	grams	2.1	2.6	3.1	3.5	4.0	5.8	3.9
Sugars, Total	grams	9.91	12.35	14.43	16.63	18.59	27.52	18.34
Calcium	mg	4	5	6	7	8	11	8
Iron	mg	0.21	0.26	0.31	0.35	0.40	0.58	0.39
Magnesium	mg	22	27	32	37	41	61	40
Potassium	mg	290	362	422	487	544	806	537
Sodium	mg	1	1	1	1	2	2	2
Zinc	mg	0.12	0.15	0.18	0.20	.023	0.34	0.23
Copper	mg	0.063	0.079	0.090	0.106	0.119	0.176	0.117
Selenium	mcg	0.8	1.0	1.2	1.4	1.5	2.2	1.5
Vitamin A	IU	52	65	76	87	97	144	96
Beta Carotene	mcg	21	26	31	35	40	58	39
Lycopene	mcg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Luetin + zeaxanthin	mcg	18	22	26	30	33	50	33
Cholesterol	mg	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

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