Why You Should Never Throw Away Banana Peels, According to Nutritionists

No, this article isn’t part of an elaborate prank. The suggestion to eat banana peels is real and it’s backed by expert opinion.

For starters, bananas are tagged as one of nature’s superfoods. Bananas are enjoyed by practically everyone from infants to elders. They’re easy to eat and pack away as snacks. Best of all, they’re rich in vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber.

Bananas are great — peels included.

Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps maintain normal blood pressure and heart function. They also contain sterol, which controls blood cholesterol levels.

San Diego-based nutritionist Laura Flores likewise told LiveScience:

“Bananas are known to reduce swelling, protect against developing type-2 diabetes, aid in weight loss, strengthen the nervous system and help with production of white blood cells, all due to the high level of vitamin B6 that bananas contain.”

Bananas are superfoods.

As it turns out, banana peels also bring unbelievable health benefits.

In his article, “Think Twice Before Throwing Away a Banana Peel,”Dr. Victor Marchione explained:

“Believe it or not, banana peels — just like many other fruit peels — contain a lot of healthful nutrients. This is likely why many primates eat bananas, peel and all.”

In fact, a Daily Mail article went as far as to assert that banana peels could also be classified as superfoods.

You can go choose to eat just the inner part of the banana peel.

The article went on to quote nutritionist Ella Allred.

“The extra fiber in banana skins will certainly help with bowel regularity. The nutrition profile of magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and B6 is not something to be sniffed at.”

If you don’t want to eat raw banana peels, you could boil them for about 10 minutes before eating them. Some people eat the peels just like that, while others choose to blend them with other fruits.

Another way to make it easier to consume banana peels is by chopping them up and then putting them in the blender as part of your fruit shake or smoothie. The fiber content alone is worth it.

You can chop up the banana peel and blend it into your smoothie.

If you don’t want to eat banana peels, you can still use them to whiten your teeth. You just rub the inner part of the banana peel on your teeth daily.

Then, you can prevent wrinkles and pimples by rubbing the banana peel on your face. You just have to leave the residue on for about half an hour before washing it off.

Banana peels can be part of your skin care routine.

You can also get relief from bug bites by massage the peel on affected areas of your skin.

Last but not least, you can use the banana peel to get rid of warts. You just secure a piece of the banana peel on the affected area with a bandage and leave it overnight. You just have to repeat the process until the wart falls off.