7
Not sure how true this is but no harm!
Email sent by my Dad
”
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 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 & Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people
trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain,
as well as the potassiu! m and ma gnesium 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!”
“
Posted by DeeK™ on August 7, 2007 at 7:43 pm
Filed under : My Voix | Permalink