Banana is one fruit that a lot people consume, probably because it is soft and succulent, but they do not know the many benefits it offers to health, apart from being a very good source of vitamin C.
Most people also wrongly store banana in the refrigerator to cool down, so that it can be taken as a refreshing snack on a hot afternoon. Now, keeping banana in the fridge is something you should not do.
After reading this, you’ll never look at a banana in the same way again.
Banana contains three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose, which are combined with fiber. One finger of ripe banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two fingers of bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit popular with the world’s leading athletes.
But energy isn’t the only benefit of banana. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to person’s 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 make you feel happier.
Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS)
PMS is one condition that bothers women in the child-bearing age. Forget the pills – eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anaemia
Banana is high in iron and can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. Haemoglobin is the major component of red blood cells, produced in the bone marrow, which is the central means of transporting oxygen from the lungs to the cells of tissues and organs in the body and also taking away carbon dioxide which is released in the lungs, for explosion from the body when a person breathes out.
Without adequate supply of haemoglobin to perform this absolutely vital role, the health of the body goes down and can ultimately lead to death resulting from anaemia.
Blood pressure
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to help in maintaining blood pressure at a normal level. This fact has made even the United States Food and Drug Administration to grant approval to companies that import in commercial quantity into the US and distribute through stores, to promote the consumption of banana by making official claims that banana has ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain power
Banana has been associated with enhancement of brain power. For instance, 200 students at a school in Twickenham, Middlesex, England were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break time, 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
For people who regularly experience constipation, it has been found that the fibre in a diet that includes daily consumption of banana 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 the 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 pressure at work place?
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.
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 it is time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, ‘a banana a day keeps the doctor away!’
►Culled from Google.
