bananas

[Kitchen Witch]

This is interesting. After Reading THIS, you'll
> NEVER look at a banana in
>
> the same way again. (If even half of this is true,
> I'm hooked! - W.)
>
> 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 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!"
>
> PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
>
> PS Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy
> all the time!
>
>
>