Bananas are the perfect portable snack food. They’ve been a lunch box staple for decades and provide important nutrients for all age groups at a very reasonable price. Lisa Richards, a nutritionist and published author, says that while bananas are mainly noted for their potassium content, they are also fiber-rich and have important vitamins like B6 that help reduce cholesterol and balance your mood. And according to experts, because the peel of the banana is so thick, it is one of the safest non-organic fruits to ea.t

According to Insider, the average banana has 110 calories and no fat. One banana provides 12% of your recommended daily intake of the key mineral potassium and 8% of magnesium.

Dr. Fabrizio Mancini, best-selling author of "The Power of Self-Healing: Unlock Your Natural Healing Potential in 21 Days!" says both these minerals are essential to keeping us healthy.

“Potassium helps reduce water retention which can be a leading cause of cellulite,” he says. “This magic mineral also helps support the lymphatic system to ensure it works efficiently at circulating fluids and cleansing the body of impurities.”

Mancini adds that potassium keeps our bodies hydrated. Since every cell, tissue, and organ needs proper hydration to function, you need electrolytes like potassium as well as plain water to perform at your best.

Potassium can be a lifesaver if you suffer from hypertension. “Potassium helps lower your blood pressure,” says Mancini. According to Harvard Medical School, studies have shown that diets rich in potassium help keep blood pressure in a healthy range.

Dr. David Friedman, the best-selling author of “Food Sanity, How to Eat in a World of Fads and Fiction,” tells Newsmax that “magnesium plays a vital role in converting food into energy, protein synthesis, regulating the nervous system and repairing our DNA.

Bananas also help regulate blood sugar because they contain soluble fiber. According to Insider, nutritionists say that eating bananas may actually help lower blood sugar. Richards says to choose greener bananas if your have prediabetes or diabetes because these fruits have a lower glycemic index.

Because bananas contain potassium, they can help support the cardiovascular system by regulating muscle function. Since your heart is a muscle, potassium and heart health are closely linked.

According to Healthline the fiber in bananas makes you feel fuller, longer which could lead to weight loss. Eating high amounts of fiber has also been linked to reduce risk of cancer and diverticular disease. Green or unripe bananas contain resistant starch which has been linked to weight loss and increased fat burning, according to government studies.