ABUJA – Hajiya Jummai Hassan, a nutritionist with the Wuse General Hospital, Abuja, said that moderate consumption of banana helped reduce the risk of kidney cancer.
She said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
“Some evidence suggests that moderate consumption of banana may be protective against kidney cancer,” she said.
Hassan also said that studies showed that banana also helped to reduce the risk of developing asthma.
She said banana helped in lowering blood pressure and improving and regulating the heart.
According to the nutritionist, one medium sized banana weighed 126g and contains 110 calories, 30g protein, vitamin B6, magnesium, 450 mg potassium and 3g dietary fibre.
”Banana also contains 1g protein, 250 mg folate, Niacin, Riboflavin or vitamin B2, vitamin A and 3mg Iron, ” she said.
Hassan said that bananas could be used to treat diarrhoea, adding that the high fibre content in them helped to treat constipation by normalising the bowel movement.
The nutritionist said that banana could also be used to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.
She said due to the high levels of vitamin B-6 in banana, it helped to protect against type II diabetes and aided weight loss.
”The iron content in banana helps in treating anaemia, ” Hassan said.
She, however, advised that the banana peel must be washed properly before eating the banana. (NAN)
