The Dangers of Eating Too Many Bananas

Someone asked in class this week if eating too many bananas can kill you. Well the answer is yes, but you would have to eat a seriously large amount of them in a short period of time! Bananas are naturally high in potassium, which is important for normal body function. It helps muscle growth, osmoregulation (or the control of water in the blood), it helps control blood pH and is vital for the nervous system and brain function. But too much potassium can lead to cardiac arrests (heart attack) and heart damage. Other problems include blood in stools, irregular heartbeat, muscle paralysis, muscle weakness. But eating between 5 and 10 bananas is unlikely to cause you any long term harm, although it may give you a stomach ache! Other foods which contain very high levels of potassium include prunes, apricots, strawberries, watermelon, spinach, salmon and tomatoes.