Did You Know This About----BANANAS?

[Foggy]

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:



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 U.S. 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 (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.

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, which 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.

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 and tobacco use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6 and 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 re-balanced 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!"

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 !!!

[MrCleveland]

Neat...

I may buy some bananas this week since I think I have heartburn.

I wish they'd make banana-flavored antacids.

[ABlairican Pie]

I LOVE BANANAS!!!!!!!

They're one of the greatest foods EVER, and I try to eat at least two a day. I have one in my oatmeal, with peanut butter and dark chocolate.

[Furienna]

Cool! Bananas are my favorite fruits.

[Bonniegirl]

Yep!!! All the health benefits and they taste good too! And another cool thing is how you can just throw one in your purse or back pack and have a healthy snack on the run!

[Retro4Life]

I've eaten one every day since I was eight years old or so. Can't believe everybody doesn't! Get on the banana bandwagon!

[Dude111]

I love Bananas!!!!!!!!

[MISST3]

Bananas are the best! I never knew they had so many benefits!

BTW Hi foggy! Are you the same foggy from the TVLand boards?

[OH Nuts!]

Because I'm mildly diabetic I can only eat bananas on rare occasions, and God I miss them. I LOVE them but sadly they don't love me; they make my blood glucose go too high. But if you don't have blood glucose issues...go bananas!

[ponytail]

I love bananas too but when I eat one my throat itches. Too bad for me because I always knew they were good for you in so many ways.

[OH Nuts!]

Originally Posted by ABlairican Pie

I LOVE BANANAS!!!!!!!

They're one of the greatest foods EVER, and I try to eat at least two a day. I have one in my oatmeal, with peanut butter and dark chocolate.

You're so lucky you can eat as many as you want; I love them too but sadly can only eat them rarely. When I really crave one, I usually buy a baby banana or a very small regular one and have it with peanut butter on a low carb wrap.

[Furienna]

Originally Posted by OH Nuts!

Because I'm mildly diabetic I can only eat bananas on rare occasions, and God I miss them. I LOVE them but sadly they don't love me; they make my blood glucose go too high. But if you don't have blood glucose issues...go bananas!

I too have diabetes and I still eat many bananas (never more than one each day though).

[OH Nuts!]

Originally Posted by Furienna

I too have diabetes and I still eat many bananas (never more than one each day though).

And each diabetic reacts differently to foods with a lot of carbohydrates. YMMV, Your Mileage May Vary. I tested myself with lots of "the forbidden stuff" and sadly there were no exceptions. But at least a medium banana makes me rise a little less than a medium Apple. Go figure, but still too high on both.

But If I am going to let myself have a bit of a spike, I'll do it with a beloved banana much sooner than with a 1/2 slice of pizza or 1/2 a scooped out bagel.

[Chopper24]

I always buy bananas when I'm out so I never run out of them in the house! Slather some almond butter on them and they're delicious!

[OH Nuts!]

Originally Posted by Chopper24

I always buy bananas when I'm out so I never run out of them in the house! Slather some almond butter on them and they're delicious!

Or peanut butter....yum