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Research has shown that
Banana can help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses
and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. Here are some
of the details:
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.
Nemia
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
Two hundred 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 seasonal affective disordfers (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!
All this shows that a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills.
In fact, bananas have an exciting nutritional story. They are a good
source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. One banana has 16% of the
fiber, 15% of the vitamin C, and 11% of the potassium we need every day
for good health! 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.
So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A
banana a day keeps the doctor away!" |
