Re: Bananas/ Home Remedies

Noreen,
Thanks.  Good to know!  Bananas and raspberries are 2 fruits I can handle.
Kitty
> 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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