The Amazing Banana

After reading this, you'll NEVER see a banana the same! Containing three natural sugars-sucrose, fructose & 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 in our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana because they contain Tryptophan, a protein that the body converts into serotonin, a relaxant, improve your mood & make you happier.

PMS: Forget pills--eat a banana. The Vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Anemia: High in iron, they can stimulate production of hemoglobin in the blood and help anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood-pressure. So the FDA just allowed the 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, NJ) School were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost brain power. Research showed the potassium makes pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including them in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome it without laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is a banana milkshake, with honey. They calm 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 them between meals helps keep blood sugar levels up & avoids it.

Mosquito Bites: Before using insect bite cream, rub the bite with the inside of a banana skin. Many find it cuts 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 stress 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 must control blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to maintain levels.

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 (anyone know what an "over-chronicler" is??? cgc) cases.

It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. Temperature control: Many other cultures see them as a "cooling" fruit that can lower physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, 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. They contain B6, B12, potassium & magnesium which help the body recover from 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 a banana.

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%! Bananas are a natural remedy for many ills. When you compared to apples, it has four times the protein, twice the carbs, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It's also rich in potassium and 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."