share: Interesting facts about bananas--who knew??
Hi Ladies! A good friend of mine sent me this in an email, and I wanted to share it here because I thought it was so interesting! I knew that bananas were full of potassium but that was about it. Enjoy--I'm off to peel a banana!
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 ( England )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.
< BR>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.
Overweightand at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure 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 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!"
PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
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!!!
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Add a Comment12 Comments
I love this! Thank you for posting this Michelle--I love interesting facts like this about the foods we eat all of the time. I remember when I was pregnant with my second son and I started having horrendous leg cramps in the middle of the night. So I sought out a Mommy girlfriend of mine who has 4 daughters and asked her advice. She said I was probably low in potassium and to try eating a banana every day. I am not a huge huge fan of them, but I followed her advice and wouldn't you know it, the cramps disappeared almost immediately. Of course, I also made sure to eat plenty of the Banana Cream cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory as I was certain it would also count! My son is now 3 years old, but I think it's time to go back to eating a banana every day.
January 24, 2009 - 10:44pmThis Comment
Great stuff! I was able to hear tons of information on bananas and other foods at a medical conference I have been attending. One of the physicians who presented research on natural foods to support health suggested eating the bananas still green as they contain lower glycemic levels (less sugars)and greater nutritional value than older, sweeter bananas. The greener the better when making those power smoothies for breakfast or lunch!
January 24, 2009 - 11:13pmWow! I am going to the store today & I think will get more bananas than I normally do! Pretty cool. I always eat bananas for leg cramps & it seems to work every time. Interesting that is helps with so much more than this!
January 25, 2009 - 3:34pmI'm so glad that everyone is enjoying reading about the benefits of banana's.
I have to tell you, my daughter, Amanda, shined her step fathers brief case with the inside of the banana skin. We couldn't believe how well it worked. She made it look like it was brand new. So, don't be to eager to dispose of those peels. Just an added bonus to the many pluses of eating banana's.
Virginia, love the idea of green banana's in my shakes. Always looking for more nutritional value and less sugar. Thanks for the tip.
Michelle
January 25, 2009 - 7:48pmThat is so interesting about green bananas. My youngest daughter and I are major banana fans. I bring one to work with me almost every day. What's interesting is that my daughter will only eat bananas that are mostly green. She won't eat them when they're completely ripe and yellow -- even back when she was a toddler. Maybe somehow she knew they were better for her.....
January 25, 2009 - 11:13pmI think the green angle is really interesting too! I have a friend with diabetes and she said that while she can eat a whole greenish banana, she can only tolerate about a half of a fully ripened one. I'm going to go buy some greenish ones tomorrow at Safeway!!
January 25, 2009 - 11:20pmMy tennis teammates and I always have a banana handy during our matches as it gives one an incredible amount of energy between sets as well as drinking large amounts of water. Bananas will also help give you potassium to prevent leg cramps which are so prevalent in tennis players. Did any of you see the match between our US 16 year old girl playing in her first major at the Australian Open? She didn't drink enough water before and during the match, it was close to 100 degrees in the stadium and she got terrible leg cramps which the trainer had to rub out, put cream on, and then insisted she eat a banana immediately. It helped, but she eventually lost the match. If she had taken the banana and drank more water during her second set instead of the third, she would have benefitted earlier and she probably would have avoided excruciating pain. It was terrible to watch her limping around the court.
It definitely will help with those leg cramps or "charlie horses" as I call them in the middle of the night. Lack of potassium!!!
January 26, 2009 - 11:40amThis is great news for a banana lover like myself. Have a friend who is a fighter and swore by the benefits of bananas -- especially when it come to muscle soreness and general pain, sally1. Probably won't rub them on my bug bites (just seems that might lead to other bugs) but am happy to know something that seems so indulgent can have that much healing power. Thanks.
January 26, 2009 - 4:48pmWho knew about the banana skin treatment for mosquito bites!
I've always loved bananas, and will even pop for pricey "baby" ones because they're the perfect size for pre- and post-run. I always have some cut bananas in my tote bag for post-event recovery.
Personally, I find "green-ish" bananas less digestible than ripe; and, I do put my bananas in the fridge. Natural sugar is okay by me, and rather that than gnats. :)
Thanks for sharing these great banana facts!
January 26, 2009 - 5:23pmThis was an amazing post to read and I had a banana at breakfast this morning because of it! When my DH asked if there was anything he could bring home from the store last night, I answered, "Bananas!" (I could have said, "Yes, please bring me a cure for depression, a boost for my brain, an aide in my weight-loss effort and some B-vitamins," but I just seemed easier to say "Bananas," lol!) Michelle, thank you for a small, life-changing tip!
January 28, 2009 - 9:08am