Good for anyone except
people with kidney disease:
The Banana
If
you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better snack
than a banana. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and
glucose - combined with fibre, a banana gives an instant, sustained and
substantial boost of energy. Research has proved 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 your daily diet.
Anaemia: High in iron,
bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so
helps in cases of anaemia.
Blood Pressure: This
unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt,
making it the perfect food for helping 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
fibber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel
action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
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 trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts
into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally
make you feel happier.
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.
Heart-burn: Bananas
have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you suffer from
heart-burn, 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 such as bananas every two
hours to keep levels steady.
PMS: Forget the pills
eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels,
which can affect your mood.
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-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralises
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, trypotophan.
Smoking: Bananas can
also help people trying to give up smoking, as the high levels of
Vitamin C, A1, 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 normalise the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the
brain and regulates your body's water-balance. When we are stressed, our
metabolic rate rises, there by 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 you see 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-know
phrase so that we say, "A Banana a day keeps the doctor away!"