Bananas are one of the most consumed fruits in the world. Aside from eating them raw or adding them into desserts, its numerous health benefits can also be enjoyed in the form of tea.
Banana peel tea has a mild sweet taste and contains some water-soluble nutrients that transfer to the tea water, making it nutrient-rich. It is loaded with copper, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and vitamin B6.
How to Make A Banana Peel Tea
Simply pour 2-3 cups of water in a pot and boil. Rinse the banana properly under running water and slice off both ends with the peel on. Add the banana to the boiling water and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add honey and cinnamon. Remove the banana and drink the water.
Continue reading to know more about how this unique beverage can help us achieve or maintain good health.
May Contain Antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules that fight free radicals in our body and prevent chronic conditions like heart diseases. Bananas are naturally rich in water-soluble antioxidants like dopamine and gallocatechin.
However, a study revealed that the peel has much higher antioxidant levels than the flesh. This only means that adding the peel to our tea during brewing may increase our intake of these antioxidants.
Enhances Skin Health
Banana peel has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties as well as numerous bioactive compounds (like carotenoids and polyphenols) which help fight damages caused by free radicals. These free radicals are the reason behind aging skin inflammation and other common skin-related problems.
Builds Immunity
In addition to its dopamine and gallocatechin content that protects the body from harmful diseases, banana tea is also loaded with vitamin B6 that is known to regulate red blood cell development and boost the immune system of the body.
Improves Mood
The peel of banana contains an amino acid called L-tryptophan which produces serotonin. This amino acid, just like dopamine, is responsible for the proper functioning of the brain and is also known to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. One way to boost the mood is by having a regular cup of banana tea.
Helps Prevent Bloating
Banana tea is rich in potassium, a mineral that is important for regulating fluid balance, healthy blood pressure, and muscle contractions.
Along with the tea’s water content, the potassium in the banana helps counterbalance bloating due to a high-salt diet by encouraging kidneys to excrete more sodium into through our urine.
Helps Manage Diabetes Symptoms
When it comes to managing diabetes, banana tea can be an ideal drink. The tea is low in sugar since during brewing, only a small amount of the sugar in bananas is released into the water and this acts as a natural sweetener for the tea. Therefore, drinking banana tea is a good way to decrease our sugar intake.