That handy yellow fruit with the slippery peel could help keep your kidneys healthy.

New evidence suggests that eating bananas regularly may help reduce the risk of kidney cancer. Women in the study who ate the most bananas had the lowest risk of kidney cancer. Root vegetables, such as carrots and beets, and leafy green vegetables also appeared to have a protective effect.

Bananas contain vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Many of these nutrients help regulate heartbeat. Bananas also are high in polyphenols -- antioxidants that neutralize disease-causing free radicals. Slightly unripe bananas probably contain the most polyphenols, which produce a slightly bitter taste in the fruit. In addition to eating bananas, another way to protect your kidneys is to avoid smoking. Approximately 31,000 new cases of kidney cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S. and 12,000 people die annually from the disease. Signs of kidney cancer include blood in the urine, unintentional weight loss, back pain, and abdominal pain. If you have any of these symptoms, see your healthcare practitioner.