[EarthChanges] Benefits of Bananas

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Misty L. Trepke

http://www..com

 

Benefits of Bananas!

 

Doctors' Home Remedy

 

If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better

snack than a banana. Containing 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 trypotophan, 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 the perfect to beat blood

pressure. So much so, the US 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 heart-burn, 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-chronic ulcer

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, trypotophan.

 

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, there

by 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 you see 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! "