Don't Throw Away That Banana Peel Just Yet

If this is a question you've been asking yourself, you're in luck. There are many ways you can use these incredibly nutrient-rich peels - such as eating them to improve your digestive health, fertilize your plants, whiten your teeth, and much more.

Gardening

The first thing many people may think of when it comes to not wasting their banana peels is using them for composting or fertilizing their gardens. This is an excellent way to use extra banana peels because they are rich in nutrients that your plants can use to grow.

You can:

• Add the peels to your soil as worm food.
• Mix them with water to form your own natural fertilizer.
• Use them to attract butterflies to your garden.
• Place them underneath rose bushes to deter aphids.

Health Benefits

Let's make something extremely clear right off the bat. Your gut health matters. What you put into your body, the nutrients your intestines take from the foods you eat, and your overall gut microbiome are crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Okay, now you may be wondering where banana peels fit into this. It turns out the fruit part of the banana, the banana peel, can be tremendously beneficial to your digestive system (as well as many other parts of your physical health).

Eating banana peels can:

• Promote digestive health - banana peels have high soluble and insoluble fiber levels. Both can help regulate and detoxify the digestive system and prevent constipation and diarrhea.
• Relieve symptoms of depression - banana peels also contain high levels of vitamin B6 and the amino acid tryptophan, which both play a role in your mood. Increasing your levels of these compounds can boost your mood, improve your sleep quality, and help relieve symptoms of depression.
• Lower your risk of cancer - banana peels have a lot of antioxidants that can help fight off free radicals in your body that could cause cancer.
• Improve eyesight - banana peels are rich in vitamin A, which can help improve eyesight and strengthen the immune system.
• Improve heart health - banana peel's high fiber levels can help keep your cholesterol levels lower. Lower cholesterol levels mean a much happier and healthier heart.
• Increase potassium levels - we all know that bananas are rich in potassium. Turns out banana peels are no different. Potassium can help you build muscle and improve the electrical activity in your heart.
• Reduce inflammation - the antioxidants in banana peel help you fight off oxidative damage in your body and keep inflammation at bay.

How to Eat Banana Peels

Whether you want to simply bite right into your banana peel and eat them just like you would the fruit inside, or you want to do something a little more creative with your peels, eating banana peels is a great way to get those nutrients into your body.

Some ways you can have banana peels are:

• Banana peel tea
• Chutneys or curries
• Candied banana peel
• Blended in a fruit smoothie

But maybe you are not super jazzed about the idea of eating all of your bananas as well as their peels - after all, too many bananas can be a bad thing. Don't worry; there are plenty of other uses for banana peels that do not involve you putting them in your mouth.

Skin Care

The first other use of a banana peel is actually in caring for your skin. Banana peels have a number of antioxidants and nutrients that are great for your skin.

Pressing or gently massaging the banana peels on your skin can help to:

• Reduce wrinkles and brighten skin
• Treat acne scars
• Relieve psoriasis
• Reduce puffiness around the eyes
• Moisturize skin

Hair Health

Alright, so maybe you've tried eating the banana peels and using them for your skin. Now you're wondering what else you can use them for. Well, as a general rule, if it is good for your skin, it is probably good for your hair too. So if you are looking for healthier hair, you might want to try making a hair mask with your banana peel.

You can either try boiling your banana peel in water and using that water as a base for your other hair mask ingredients or blending the peel into a pulp with other ingredients and applying it to your hair like a traditional hair mask. The antioxidants in banana peels are amazing for your hair and can leave it feeling much softer and shinier too.

Teeth Whitening

Another use of banana peels is actually for your teeth. Rubbing banana peels on your teeth can result in natural and inexpensive teeth whitening.

First Aid

Finally, the last uses of banana peels are for first aid purposes. Rather than throwing out your banana peels, you can use them to soothe itchy skin, bug bites, sunburn, and more.

Banana peel can be used for:

• Pain relief - the anti-inflammatory properties of banana peels can help to soothe pain when pressed to the skin.
• Itch relief - the anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties in banana peels can provide instant relief for sunburn, poison ivy rashes, bug bites, and other feelings of itchiness.
• Headache reduction - place a frozen banana peel on your forehead and another on the back of your neck for instant and soothing relief.

Conclusion

Maybe you've been using banana peels for one (or more) of these uses for years, and you're simply looking for another way to use these incredibly versatile peels. Or maybe you've never thought to use the peel of a banana before. Regardless of where you started, we hope this article has helped you find a few ways to get more out of your bananas!

Banana peels offer a tremendous amount of valuable nutrients, but you may not want to have a banana every single day, or you may not be able to get them all year round. This is where a daily nutrition supplement or detox comes into the picture. To find the best nutritional supplement for you and improve your health, check out FirstFitness Nutrition's available supplements.