Health

Bananas are an excellent food source of potassium,vitamin A and C and gives quick energy.They are low in protein and fat.They are an excellent between-meals snack and one of the most easily digestable and nutritious natural foods.A medium sized banana has about 125-130 calories or about one calorie per gram.Bananas are recommended for low-fat ,low-sodium diets.It has a rare combination of energy value,tissue-building elements,proyein,vitamins and minerals.A good source of calories being rich in solids and lower in wayer content than any other fresh fruit a large banana supplies more than 100 calories.It contains a large amount of easily asimiable sugar,making it a good source of quick energy and an excellent means of recovery from fatigue.

Banana contains calcium,phosphorus,iron and vitamin C beside small amounts of vitamin B complex.The fruit constitutes almost a complete balanced diet in combination with milk.It contains a high grade protein ,which includes three of the essential amino acids.Banana and milk suplement each other in an ideal manner and provide all the needed nutrients to the body.

To this day ,banana is known for promoting healthy digestion and creating a feeling of youthfulness.They help promote the retention of calcium,phosphorous and nitrogen-all of which then work to build sound and regenerated tissues.Banana also contains inverted sugar,which is an aid to youthful growth and metabolism.

The banana is used as dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and blandness.It is said to contain an unidentified compound called ,perhaps jokingly 'Vitamin U'(against ulcer).It neutralises the over-acidity of the gastric juices and reduces the irritation of the ulcer by coating the lining of the stomach.

Ripe bananas are highly beneficial in the treatment of ulcerative colitis ,being bland,smooth,easily digestible and slightly laxative, they relieve acute symptoms and promote the healing process.

Bananas are of great value ,both in constipation and diarrhoea as they normalise colonic functions in large intestine to absorb large amouts of water for proper bowel movements.Their usefulness in constipation is due to their richness pectin,which is water absorbent and this gives them a bulk producing ability.They alos possess the ability to change the bacteria in the intestines from the harmful type of bacilli to the benificial acidophyllus bacilli.

Mashed banana together with little salt is a very valuable remedy fo dysentry.

Arthritis and Gout
A diet of bananas (8 to 9 only)for 3 or 4 days only is advised and nothing else.

Anemia
High in iron content they stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood.

Alergies
useful for those who are allergic to certain foods and who suffer in consequence from skin rashes and digestive disorders or asthama.Bananas contain only benign amino acids which in most cases are not allergic.

Kidney Disorders
Valuable because of their low protein and salt content and high carbohydrate content.A diet of bananas (8 to 9 a day) should only be taken for 3 to 4 days.

Over-weight
A diet consisting of 6 bananas and 4 glasses of skimmed milk is considered an effective remedy for weight reduction for a period of 10 to 15 days.Thereafter green vegetables may be introduced gradually ,reducing the intake of bananas from 6 to 4.

Menstrual Disorders
Cooked banana flower eaten with curd is considered an effective medicine for menstrual disorders like painful menstruation and excessive bleeding.

Burns and wounds
A plaster is prepared by beating a ripe banana into a fine paste.It can be spread over burns and wounds and supported by a cloth bandage.It gives immediate relief.The young tender leaves of banana tree form a cool dressing for inflammations and blisters. A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression "going bananas" is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!
This is interesting.
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.
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 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 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!"

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit !

Hosted by www.Geocities.ws