This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never
look at a banana in the same way again.
Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose,
fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant,
sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just
two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No
wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading
athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us
keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of
illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by
MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better
after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a
type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you
relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6
it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the
production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is
extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat
blood pressure. So much so, the Food and Drug Administration has just
allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's
ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex)
school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at
breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power.
Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning
by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the
diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the
problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a
hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana
calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted
blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in
the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for
soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals
helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite
cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin.
Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and
irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm
the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of
Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort
food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients,
researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure
jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings,
we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high
carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against
intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is
the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler
cases. It also
neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of
the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas
as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and
emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example,
pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool
temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help
SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give
up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and
magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of
nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps
normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your
body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises,
thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the
help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in "The New
England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular
diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that
if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it
on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place
with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills.
When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice
the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A
and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in
potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time
to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day
keeps the doctor away!"
PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy
all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes??
Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the
shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit.
