Do Bananas Help Leg Cramps?
By freak369
@freak369 (5112)
United States
February 7, 2016 8:30am CST
Being a bilateral amputee I worry about getting leg cramps; just because they hacked off the lower (below the knee) part of my legs doesn't mean I can avoid leg cramps. One of the things I had to learn to not do is to contract my leg muscles as soon as I stand up. Before I lost my legs I could do that without any problems but now if I do there's about an 80% chance that I will feel an intense seizing sensation (otherwise known as the beginning of a cramp).
A few years after I lost my left leg I started getting deep muscle contractions in the middle of the night; these were in my upper leg about six inches up from my knee. The first thing I thought of was DVT (deep vein thrombosis) but when I was tested my veins looked great. After that I never went anywhere without having a banana with me and that's pure comedy when you are out of the house and start rooting for something in your backpack and pull out a banana.
The key to getting those deep, intense cramps under control is potassium. If your body isn't getting enough, you have been working out (running, climbing stairs, doing squats etc) or your diet is poor in potassium rich foods you could be susceptible to above or below the knee cramps.
If you are dealing with a cramp that won't go away when you stand up and take a few steps you can eat a banana but you are going to have to chew it until it is complete mush. Why? The more you can break it down by chewing it (and getting your saliva to start breaking it down further) the quicker you can get it into your system. This is not an instant fix but I usually have the pain under control in five to six minutes.
I am not a doctor so please don't use this as medical advice; if you have ongoing issues with leg cramps please make sure you have it checked. DVT can present itself in a myriad of ways and no two people are going to have the same symptoms. The "banana trick" works for me if I don't get enough of it in my diet (baked potatoes are a great source of potassium) but in a pinch I have chomped on banana chips I have dehydrated (no sugar added).
While it might seem odd, I always have a couple of jars of Gerber Banana Stage 3 baby food in my bedroom. I can open it and 'drink' it after giving it a good shake and I don't have to worry about overly ripe bananas attracting fruit flies. If I can't find the jars then I will get the rectangular plastic containers but both can be hard to find in the "just banana" flavor because most are mixed with other fruits or oatmeal.
Do you suffer from leg cramps?
Have any home remedies for cramps?
Does your medication cause cramping?
7 people like this
9 responses
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
7 Feb 16
I am really excited to see you here as you disappeared from Bubblews many months before it closed and I really wondered how you and your stumps were getting on. Great to see you. Oh, and I eat a banana every day because I used to get leg cramps in the night. Don't get them any more.
2 people like this
@freak369 (5112)
• United States
7 Feb 16
I was around at B but every time I went there my amount owed shrunk because of the "reworking" of the payout system. I have been here for ten years and love the way the site runs (so smooth when you leave a comment or post). Me and the stumps .. still hobbling LOL
1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (169439)
• United States
7 Feb 16
You are right, bananas help with the leg cramps. The potassium is primary but they are also a good source of magnesium, which is a smooth muscle relaxer. I like your tips about banana chips and banana baby food. My husband used to get leg cramps and have to eat a minimum of two bananas a day.
1 person likes this
@kamel622 (310)
• United States
9 Feb 16
Thankfully I don't get leg cramps very often but one thing I've noticed is if I'm not hydrating well I have more problems with them...good reminder to me to get my water!
So happy to have found you here and get to read your fantastic posts again!!...make it a great day...kath
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238275)
• Walnut Creek, California
12 Feb 16
As you know from Bubblews, I am an avid hiker and softball player, and YES, I sometimes suffer from cramps in my calf. I try to hydrate and eat bananas, but they still occur sometimes, especially on ungodly hot days. If you learn more about avoiding them, keep us/me posted.
1 person likes this
@freak369 (5112)
• United States
12 Feb 16
The problem with potassium is that you can become dense with it - they cut back on my potassium intake the last time I was in the hospital and whammmooo - my leg cramps were horrible. After that I made someone smuggle me a banana up from the cafeteria every day (hard to sneak in a loaded baked potato LOL)
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Feb 16
I have heard that bananas help with leg cramps. Your idea of baby food is brilliant. I never thought of that.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
7 Feb 16
@freak369 Thankfully I only had bad night leg cramps when I was pregnant.










