The Banana, What a Fruit......

[spicyfull]

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.

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 the perfect way 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 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 ra w 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-potassi um 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%!

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 carbohydrates, 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!"

[eatyourbroccoli]

thanks for this..just what i needed.

have been waddling back and forth between eating bananas and cutting them out bc i hear how they arent good for us. glad to see this though..i love my bananas :)

[bittersweet]

bananas are constipating and fattening, in my opinion

[tinystrawberry]

i agree they are constipating, and not sure about fattening.

[GlimR]

Bananas are only constipating if they are eaten when not fully ripened...there is more starch in them when underripe. More of the starch is converted to sugar when fully ripe. (yellow skin with many black flecks).

Great, informative post spiceyfull~ :)

[yeahbethany]

GlimR is right; they are only constipating if eaten when not fully ripe.

I find them not to be fattening at all - on the contrary, I have fewer cravings and lose weight when I include a lot of bananas in my diet.

[rawfigure]

bananas are constipating and fattening, in my opinion

serious ?

I am a banana eater...two a day. I eat my banana's very ripe. I am regular and last time I checked I was 36-24-35.....size 2/4....hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[swingbolder]

Yep, I am very slender too and I usually eat 3-4 bananas a day.

[Vandy]

NOT eating my bananas and believing all of the hype around them made me miserable. I am truly at another physical/mental/spiritual level of happiness b/c I let all of those thoughts go.

I love my bananas, and yes, they MUST be eaten when covered with browm spots (indicating they are ripe); otherwise, they produce an excess amount of starch in the body, and they can constipate you.

[Sharon in Colorado]

bananas are constipating and fattening, in my opinion

It is good that is only your opinion, because it's just not true. My mother used the constipating opinion on me and made me think that way too. Took a while to undo that opinion in my head.

My whole family eats tons of bananas in smoothies every morning. When we don't have the smoothies we get constipated, so it is just the opposite. Plus we are all very thin.

[Eilene]

Bananas are my favorite fruit & I could NEVER live without them. I eat from 1-3 bananas a day. I am also thin (size 2) & am very regular. They are definitely Natures perfect fruit package! :-)

[ShelShel]

I just bought a bag of very ripe bananas at the grocery store this morning! I love them...and they taste the best really ripe, so, I save money this way too! They were only $.99! Cool raw deal, huh!?!?!

[Indi]

What a versatile fruit.
I would have trouble living without them!

[Shanna77]

I am so glad this topis came up because I love bananas but I was consered about the constipation factor thanks for the advice..Smoothies with bananas...yum-yum.
shanna

[Fresherson19]

Thank You so much for all of that great information. I have really been enjoying my banana and strawberry smoothie in the morning. It's great to know that it is helping me even more then I thought.