How Much Sodium Is in a Banana?

Bananas are nearly sodium-free.

Bananas are nearly sodium-free.

If you have high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease, you’ll want to pay extra close attention to your sodium intake. Fresh vegetables and fruits, including bananas, are naturally very low in sodium. You’ll be able to enjoy your favorite breakfast fruit, even if your doctor tells you to reduce your sodium intake.

Sodium in Bananas

The amount of sodium varies only minimally, no matter how big your piece of fruit. Anything from a very small 6-inch banana up to a larger 8-inch fruit has about 1 milligram of sodium. You’ll wind up with closer to 2 milligrams of sodium if you have an extra large banana that is around 9 inches long.

Why It’s Important

Although sodium usually has a bad reputation, you actually need some in your diet. Sodium, along with other electrolyte minerals, plays a major role in normalizing fluid levels in your body. This basic biological process is vital for nerve impulses, muscle functions and a steady heart rhythm. While you do need daily sodium, you only require 1,500 milligrams per day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute.

The Other Electrolyte

Even though you’ll only get a trace amount of sodium from bananas, they do offer a large amount of potassium, an equally beneficial electrolyte mineral. Potassium works side-by-side with sodium to sustain optimal fluid levels in and around cells. You need a lot of potassium for this function -- 4,700 milligrams per day. An extra-small 6-inch banana has 290 milligrams, but a very long 9-inch banana has over 540 milligrams of potassium.

Ways to Enjoy Bananas

If you’re getting tired of having the same old banana every morning as a snack, you have plenty of healthy options to spruce it up. Bananas are naturally sweet, so you can chop them up and add the pieces to oatmeal, low-fat yogurt or even low-fat cottage cheese instead of using sugar. Make yourself a sandwich at lunch with whole-grain bread, low-sodium peanut butter and fresh banana slices. The fiber and protein will keep you full for hours. After your long work day, reward yourself after dinner with a serving of nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt topped with banana slices. Bananas freeze well, too. Peel it before you head to work, pop a small stick in one end and place it in the freezer. You'll have a frozen treat to enjoy on a warm evening.

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