BANANAS AND APPLES
Do They Really Keep The Doctor Away?

Yesterday, Sassy asked if apples really keep the doctor away or is it just some sort of marketing gimmick? In order to answer the question, I created the graphic below to analyze the nutrient contents not just of the apple but also the banana.



Well, the answer seems that BOTH keep the doctor away. Eating either fruit or BOTH fruits will keep the doctor away. If you look carefully, there isn't much difference between the two. There is only one reason why the bananas will beat the apples in this match-up: the bananas has the better potassium-to-sodium ratio. And mind you, not only in this match-up. Of all food items, bananas are the champion when it comes to potassium-to-sodium ratio.

What is so important about this potassium-to-sodium ratio?

A diet high in potassium and low in sodium actually protects against cardiovascular diseases and cancer, while the reverse, a low potassium and a high sodium diet actually can induce these diseases. Most of us, you and I included, ingest twice as much sodium as potassium, in a ratio of 2:1. Our bodies, however, requires a ratio of 1:5, meaning that one should ingest at least five times more potassium than sodium. If we can only include about 5 servings of fruits each day, mainly bananas, most of us will be able to achieve the correct potassium-to-sodium ratio needed by our bodies. The reason is because most fruits and vegetables have a ratio of at least 50:1, fifty times more potassium than sodium. To illustrate and get more ideas, refer to the graphic below:

You should also bear in mind that too much salt depletes the body of potassium. The same is true also when we consume alcohol, coffee, whe we have excessive sugar in he body, when we have prolonged diarrhea, when we sweat too much from physical activity, and when we have vomiting episodes.

If you want more information on fruits, click on this link: The Fruit Pages

So, do bananas and apples keep the doctor away??? Oh, yes. More than you'll ever know.