Bananas
 

I got this in a regular mailing and thought it interesting enough to share...


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 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.

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 balanced 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!"

they asked me at pre op this mornning if I was allergic to bananas and for the life of me I cant figure out why lol

if you are allergic to bananas, you might also be allergic to latex...

I am allergic to latex (the banana question was on the latex thingy) but Im not allergic to bananas

Latex allergy and food
Around half of all people with latex allergy have allergic reactions when eating particular foods, including avocado, banana, chestnut, kiwifruit, passionfruit, plum, strawberry and tomato. This is because some of the proteins in latex that cause latex allergy are also present in these fruits. (A person who is allergic to the manufacturing chemicals in latex will not have allergic reactions to these foods.) Common symptoms include tingling in the mouth, stuffy nose, itchy eyes and wheezing.

Bananas are awesome.

Yep, the tournament food of champions. Truth be told though, I hate eating them.

I can eat all that stuff.....I break out in a really bad rash/hives if latex touches me....must be the chemicals

There are also significant health benefits for males when watching women eat bananas. :lol:

Very true.

Bananas also help prevent brusing and help them go away quicker.

Bananas prevent charlie horses.

Bananas also taste good covered in chocolate.

Cavendish bananas will be extinct soon.

That sucks! I hope they can save the bananas...I love them :(

Edit: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bananas.asp

I eat 4 bananas a day in my protien shake, very good :)

Bananas...the perfect food! My wife has latex allergies but loves bananas...and I watch her eat them!! :-D

I have a peanut-butter and banana sandwhich with honey every day for lunch. Real peanut-butter, on wholewheat bread. One of the better life decisions I've made in life so far. :)

I wish i didnt absolutely hate the taste of bananas. i dont care how good for you they are they taste horrible. They have to be the only fruit i cant stand at all.

the taste i can get past - -it's the smell i cannot stand.. it reminds me of the stuff that they used to throw on the floor when a kid puked in the hallway in elementary school (I went to catholic school - it was an almost daily occurance... :)

That's interesting. My wife like bananas when they are still greenish and to me, have very little taste. I like them when they start getting a little freckly on the outside(not to the point of making banana bread). I think that they actually taste like bananas are meant to taste when they are a a few days old. I personally cannot stand the green ones.

I wonder if bananas are better for you when they are green or when they are older and have a few spots on them. :confused:

I find them very bitter when they're green.

I don't mind the taste of bananas, it's the aftertaste I have a problem with. I used to eat one in the morning before my workout, and found myself burping up banana (or banana-taste) forever afterwards.

My mommy makes me banana french toast when I ask nicely. Yummmmm.

I would imagine that operating a blender while you have a hangover would be an absolutely miserable experience.

Oh, good, I'm not alone. I loved baby food bananas as a baby (or so my mom says), but I don't like actual bananas. When I was in 2nd grade, I asked my mom to pack half a banana in my lunch, trying to make myself like them. After a couple weeks, it just wasn't happening. I love banana nut bread though... can't taste or smell the bananas in that.

At the moment bananas are out of my budget, cos of the cyclone that took out the banana plantations they are hitting 10 bucks a kilo. When Ican afford them they are a daily addition to my diet

I didn't use to be allergic to either latex or bananas. About 5 years ago it seems I developed an allergy to latex which has gotten worse since then. I've also begun to notice a sensitivity to bananas. Last time I ate a banana I noticed a rash on my neck within an hour.

Keep an eye on yourself when you eat bananas. It's a potential problem.