Do you like banana? Do you know about its importance to us?

@eprado (1467)
Philippines
August 29, 2007 12:19pm CST
Banana is one of my favorite food, at home we always have them as dessert or just plain snack. We always associate bananas to monkeys, it must be the the reason they are so happy all the time! Want a quick shine on our shoes? Take the inside of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe then polish with dry cloth. A tip, never, put your banana in the refrigerator and leave it there to rot. Why? Let me share to you this interesting article about bananas.:-) After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again. "The Value of Bananas" 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! --- End --- So, 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!" Do you like bananas? What do you think? Care to share, Thanks!
4 people like this
16 responses
@sukumar794 (5040)
• Thiruvananthapuram, India
30 Aug 07
Bananas - form an integral part of our system of diet . As you have explained in considerable details the bananas have qualities innumerable . As for us, it provides sufficient nutrional supplements and help in digestion . We do have a number of varieties, each one with its own health supporting elements . Thanks.
@eprado (1467)
• Philippines
1 Sep 07
yes, I agree with you. Same here also we have lots and different varieties of them from the finger size ones up to a foot long ones. :-) Thanks!
1 person likes this
@theprogamer (10534)
• United States
30 Aug 07
Thank you for sharing. I also eat bananas and have known about these things for years. B Vitamins are good for blood flow and energy also, along with potassium, phosphorous and magnesium. Also, its not just bananas with such good properties, tomatoes, plums, kiwi, pineapples and potatoes also are good for you and help with serotonin production or they contain it. But I agree, we should have some more bananas, and some more fruit overall :)
2 people like this
@eprado (1467)
• Philippines
30 Aug 07
Your welcome. Yup I agree with you all sort of fruits are healthy for us. Thanks and have a great day!
1 person likes this
@bronie123 (4587)
• United States
29 Aug 07
Wow that is so very intresting information you have found on bannana's!! I love to eat bannana's , i like to make smoothies with them plus other fruit ingredients Thanks very much for the infomation The only thing that can to my mind when i read you question was energy i had heard that from a personal trainer Have a great day
2 people like this
@eprado (1467)
• Philippines
30 Aug 07
Your welcome, glad I could share some. Thanks and have a nice day also.
1 person likes this
@youless (112586)
• Guangzhou, China
30 Aug 07
Yes, I like bananas. They are healthy and especially they can make you full easily. Besides, it is very convenient to eat it. You just need to remove the peel.
2 people like this
@Dan_ul (858)
• Romania
30 Aug 07
I live bananas to... favorite food ever... all my friends know that:P... it's like I was born with a banana in my mouth... or better... it's like one of my recent ancestor was a monkey:P... I can eat bananas every day at every hour... after any meal:)
2 people like this
@nkadam (76)
• India
30 Aug 07
I also like bannana too much because it helps me lot.It is usful for my proper dijesion system.And eating one banana per day can improve your real skin shine.So it is very important for health.
2 people like this
• United States
30 Aug 07
This message was copied from another website. It is not scientifically proven to provide all of these health benefits. It does have the placebo effect as if we think it is helping, them our mind will will it to be so. Read below the rebuttal that I found at: TruthOrFiction.com Summary of the eRumor: This eRumor lists numerous health benefits of bananas. The Truth: As a natural fruit, the banana undoubtedly has nutritional advantages but whether this email outlines them accurately remains to be seen. TruthOrfiction.com checked with one of the biggest distributors of bananas, the Chiquita Banana Company. A spokesperson told us that bananas are a wholesome, nutritious food and a good source of important vitamins, minerals, and macro nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6, and dietary fiber. He said that although he would like to say that everything in the eRumor is true, he is not able to and added that much of the email is based on assumption. Many of the statements in the email are made without any substantiation. Last updated 10/22/05
@eprado (1467)
• Philippines
1 Sep 07
Thanks for your insights. :-) Well, there's nothing to loose, I myself have been eating bananas for so long and found it healthy. As long as banana's or other fruits contributes good to our health and does have ill-effects then I am for it. Take care & have a good day!
1 person likes this
• United States
30 Aug 07
Bananas are good. Seems like you know a lot about bananas?
2 people like this
@AshleyHasan (1024)
• India
30 Aug 07
I love Bananas! Thanks for sharing this information , I dont know about this at all. Now I know lot about bananas I can share this with my friends and family members, I had a feeling that If we eat more bananas we will put on weight but you calrified it clearly. Great Job!
2 people like this
@sophylline (1041)
• Philippines
30 Aug 07
That is a very interesting post on bananas, eprado.(: I myself am a regular fruit eater, because of all the goodness, nutrients they give. I have known banana to contain a high amount of potassium. My husband always eat this fruit because he has diabetes, arrythmia, is usually stressed due to his work. But I didn't know that it contains so much more. I am anemic, have hyperacidity, acid reflux. I'd defenitely not take the banana again for granted. Though I used to think that I always avoided eating this fruit before bedtime after supper as it seemed to make my stomach hungry again. I know, weird. But that's just the case for me, probably because of my stomach ulcer.
@mycharm88 (2288)
• Philippines
1 Sep 07
Hello Eprado!!! Thank you for the info about how wonderful the banana fruit is!lol I myself loves this fruit and now even more for i've known its benefits. Surely i would add banana in every meal from now on. Take care always friend...
1 person likes this
@xiuluoelly (1224)
• China
4 Sep 07
Yes, I like bananas, and my family likes to eat, but I like to put it in the refrigerator, frozen after they eat, I feel like kind of cool.
1 person likes this
@vijay1wdv (357)
• India
1 Sep 07
bananas has the following benefits as far as i know, 1. It prevents constipation 2. It prevents diarrhoe 3. Protects your heart 4. Quiets a cough 5. Strengthens your bones.
• Indonesia
30 Aug 07
Yes it's true !!!. Banana will make you feel good and relax that will lead you to a happier mood, that's a fact I found somewhere on the internet. Thanks for the info..
2 people like this
@twowizdom (861)
• Philippines
12 Dec 07
Actually... we always have bananas on our house cause my mom always tells us to eat it cause its good for our health and it kinda works. All my siblings loves bananas but Im not really a big fan of it... I seldom eat bananas cause i kinda dont like the taste...I usually only it bananas when it is a banana milk shake or in a banana split...well actually as long as i wouldnt eat it as plain as itself... ^_^
• India
11 Dec 07
Yea i do love bananas they are really great in taste but high in calories but still they have Bananas contain potassium, which helps keep lactic acid from building up in your muscles. This means that if you eat bananas before a swim meet or big game, you’ll be able to go for longer before experiencing fatigue. It’s also a great source of Vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber.