Bananas are very beneficial, but doctors warn 3 groups of people to be extra careful, not just those with kidney and heart disease.
Bananas are a fruit that has been praised for its countless health benefits, from providing energy with its carbohydrates and B vitamins to aiding digestion with its fiber content and helping to control blood pressure due to its high potassium content.
However, given the high potassium content of bananas, Colleen Speed, an associate professor of nutrition at The Ohio State University Medical Center in the United States, warns that eating too many bananas can be harmful to people with kidney disease. “People with end-stage renal disease need to monitor their potassium intake closely,” she said.
Not only that, but Associate Professor Speed also added that “potassium-rich foods may interfere with certain medications used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure ,” stressing that anyone with questions or concerns about their health should consult their doctor before adding bananas to their diet.
Hyperkalemia is a condition in which there is too much potassium in the https://ufabet999.app blood, which can lead to serious complications involving the blood vessels and heart. Consuming high amounts of potassium puts extra strain on the kidneys, especially in people who already have kidney disease.
But for those who are healthy, the American Heart Association recommends eating bananas as part of a varied diet. Those without kidney disease should not worry about eating too many bananas, as bananas are only harmful when eaten in large amounts.
In particular, British nutritionist Catherine Collins once shared her insights with the BBC: “Bananas help to stabilize the heart rate, stimulate the release of insulin from the pancreas to control blood sugar levels, and more importantly, control blood pressure.”
“In a healthy person, eating about 400 bananas a day can produce potassium levels that would stop the heart,” Collins added.