Bananas. 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.
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 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!
Rose Bushes:Blend one skin (soft Part) with blender full
of water and pour on base of Rose Bush.Promotes healthy roots and
new growth.
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,
