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presents
Interesting Facts About Bananas!
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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 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 t he 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!"
