Bananas/ Home Remedies

Thought this might be of interest to you, from the Univ. of Michigan Health
Sciences Center :

                           Doctors - Home Remedy
   
   If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better
   snack than a banana.  Bananas contains three natural sugars --
   sucrose, fructose and glucose -- combined with fiber one 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 your 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 trypotophan, 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 the 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-chronic ulcer
   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, trypotophan.
   
   Smoking: 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, there
   by 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 you see, 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!"

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