A banana a day keeps the doctor away: study shows health benefits for women

HealthWatch: Naps linked to high blood pressure; a banana a day keeps the doctor away

BOSTON -- Could a banana a day keep the doctor away? A new study found that the fruit could be good for a woman's heart.

Researchers in the Netherlands looked at nearly 25,000 British men and women between the ages of 40 and 79 and found that as potassium consumption in women went up, blood pressure went down.

In fact, every one-gram increase in daily potassium was associated with a 2.4 mmHg lower systolic blood pressure.

While there was no association with blood pressure in men, both men and women with the highest potassium intake were at lower risk for heart-related problems regardless of salt intake.

Potassium helps the body get rid of sodium in the urine. Foods that are rich in potassium include bananas, avocados, potatoes, milk, and salmon.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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