ALL ABOUT BANANAS

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: Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is 

interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the 

same way again.

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 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 (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 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 

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 &Tobacco Use: 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!"

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 !!!