What is in bananas anyway?
Apple (a highschool friend, who is a nurse and a teacher) complained of leg cramps, and
I just said: kulang ng banana?
Apple: Why banana anyway?
Angel: Para sa potassium
Apple: E di ba cramps are caused by hypocalcemia (low calcium levels). So does it have calcium?
Do we really have a wrong connatation of it? I mean bananas for cramps?
There are several factors that cause cramps (yeah, I'm talking about the invouluntary contraction of the voluntary muscles not dysmenorrhea which is cramps of the involuntary muscle). Dehydration, hypocalcemia (low calcium) and hypomagnesemia (low magnesium), hypokalemia (low potassium), overflexion, other systemic diseases that cause electrolyte imbalance or body fluid shifts. These may overlap (or so I think).
We were both right that potassium or calcium is needed to avoid cramps. But which is it really that causes it? Is it more of the low calcium or the low potassium?
We really can't be sure. But logically, if cramping were brought about by extrenous activities wherein you lose body fluid by perspiration, it's more of the low sodium and potassium (these are the electrolytes lost in sweat). So it is appropriate to say that bananas may help since they have minerals that could replace the loss. But a banana could only offer as much (click here to view a medium-sized banana's nutrition fact) minerals. So you would have to eat a lot more than one. Or you may just opt to drink Gatorade or whatever electrolyte drinks 'cause they offer I think around 10x more than a banana, in terms of the minerals ha, there are other elements or acids that banana has and Gatorade has not... like Omega 3 and 6).
On the other hand, hypocalcemia causes the type of cramps that are spontaneous... like those nocturnal cramps. Calcium levels may be low when a person is hyperventilating, or taking diuretics or lacks calcium or vitamin D in the diet, vomiting, etc..
So does eating a banana help in hypocalcemic cause of cramps? Probably not to a significant effect.. 'cause you can get only 1% of your daily requirement of calcium from a medium-sized banana.
So in conclusion
- bananas are not for just any kind of cramps. =)
- the more strenuous the activity, the more bananas you should eat... or drink gatorade instead
- hydration is a big big factor in cramps, so drink water or electrolyte rich drinks before you do aerobic exercises (running, cycling, jogging...)
***disclaimer: i may be wrong. hahahaha!
