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 fibre. 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 add to our daily diet.
1. Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken on minds 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.
2. PMS:
Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains
regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
3. Anaemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in
the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.
4. 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 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.
5. Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) 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.
6. Constipation:
High in fibre, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal
bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
7. 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.
8. Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer
from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
9. Morning
Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up
and avoid morning sickness.
10. 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.
11. 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 chips. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
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 it’s 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!
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