The time old adage of an apple a day keeps the doctor away may soon be replaced by the banana.
Compared to apples, bananas have twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, four times the protein, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. Bananas also have the added bonus of being rich in potassium.
Bananas naturally contain three types of sugars:
- sucrose
- fructose
- glucose
The sugars in the banana give a the body an almost instant and long lasting energy boost. Research has shown consuming two bananas provides enough energy for an intense 90 minute workout. An increase in energy levels is only the tip of the bananas healthy powers.
Bananas have proven themselves to have several other health benefits:
Anemia: Bananas are high in iron and can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood which may help in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: Being extremely high in potassium and low in salt makes the banana a perfect perfect snack for people with high blood pressure. The US FDA has recently allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. “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.”
Constipation: Say bye, bye to laxatives. Bananas are high in fiber and can help restore normal bowel actions.
Depression: Bananas contain a type of protein called tryptophan that the body uses and converts into serotonin. Serotonin puts your body in a relaxed state, improving your mood.
Hangovers: Banana milkshake to the rescue! Bananas, milk, ice and sweeten with honey. Bananas calm the stomach while the honey builds up depleted blood sugar levels, and 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: Avoid morning sickness by snacking on bananas between meals to help keep blood sugar levels up.
Mosquito bites: Banana skins reduce swelling and irritation. Try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin before reaching for the insecticide.
Nerves: Vitamin B helps calm the nervous system, and bananas are loaded with B vitamins.
PMS: Bananas contain vitamin B6 which regulates blood glucose levels, which in-turn affects your mood.
Temperature control: Cultures all around the world believe the banana to be a “cooling” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. Pregnant women in Thailand eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas have helped SAD sufferers due to the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking & Tobacco Use: Looking to give up smoking? Try a banana. Bananas have B6, B12, potassium and magnesium which help the body recover from nicotine withdrawal effects.
Stress: Stress causes our metabolic rates to rise, which in effect reduces potassium levels. Potassium helps to normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates the body’s water balance. Re-balance with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: The New England Journal of Medicine research study showed eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%
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.
Warts: Natural alternative health users swear by bananas. 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.
Work Munchies: According to studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria 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.
So the next time you feel like snacking…GO BANANAS!
About
AND its the atheist’s nightmare.
Two concerns: They are a mono-culture produce, with all the risks associated with narrow gene pools. And two, the cultivation of bananas is based on exploitive labor practices and land use that has “required” the placement of dictatorships and economic repression that is highly embarrassing to banana consumers. I don’t think that “fair trade” bananas are possible based ont he corporate plantation model of growing that has been so successful.
^ Good points. Plus, I don’t think many of these benefits are unique to bananas. Fruits and healthy foods in general would provide all the same important nutrients. But bananas are the most convenient fruit, I find.
[...] From: Sue’s Health Center [...]
The cavendish (the most popular type of banana, and what most assume to be the only type) is going to go extinct in the next decade or so, barring major breakthroughs in genetic engineering. It’s already been infected with the disease that wiped out the last “only” banana several decades ago, and at this point it’s too late to contain the spread.
nice healthy post, i am very proud that i am helping people in their crucial health problems because i have banana farm.
Does the consumption of bananas increase or decrease belief in and advocacy of end-of-the-world theories?
Last time I ate a banana on an empty stomach it gave me heartburn
Every time I eat bananas I get a stomach ache after as well.
I have never heard bananas have all three sugars before… Do you have the research to back that up?
Bananas have 2 kinds of sugar… sucrose (table sugar) is just a glucose attached to a fructose (Disaccharide). Your body breaks it down before absorbing it, so you really only get glucose and fructose from a banana.
I eat a banana every day after I wake up, will this sugar be digested immediately at all? Or will I not to be able to high intensity exercise?
Bananas have so many great benefits! They even provide enough energy for a 90-minute workout!
Check out this article–
http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ealerts/ea200512/ea20051209.html
[...] credit for high achievers: Just found THIS really great site for some extra info that even I didn’t know! Worth a [...]
excellent
Yep. Know all about the greatness of bananas!
Just had one today. Try to have one almost every day!
I never knew bananas were this nutritive;never will I take them for granted anymore. However, whenever I feast on them for energy, I get so much of it but end up some 6-10kg heavier over a month or two. I am not a heavy eater. I Work out alot but still weigh some 110kg.
Could bananas be contributing to my weigh gain? Please, I look forward to your reply.
No, only if you eat them with other foods.
You need to eat bananas first thing in the morning and nothing else for at least 30 mins, preferably one hour and you will lose weight. Milk in tea or coffee is a no no too. Just bananas plus water, black tea or coffee.
Great breakdown on the power of the banana. I own several fitness and nutrition centers in Southern California, and we are very lucky to have plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to choose from. The banana is one of the super foods, and when it is incorporated into a well-balanced diet, can boost your health in so many ways. That being said, don’t forget the all-mighty berry that is high in antioxidants, fiber and helps raise your good cholesterol. Thanks for sharing the mighty banana with us all.
would be interesting to know how much protein in a banana. Its an interesting article.
I dont normally post comments to blogs, but I have to say this is a great post and a big thanks for this blog post.
Interesting article.
Kristal L. Rosebrook
Perfect Blog! Thanks for the great info and motivation.
yes banana is very good fruit. it gives me energy. im on my diet now. i eat only fruits and vegetables. and one of them is banana. pineapple and apples are good too. i agree with the benefits of banana, thanks to that article. take care.
Great info loved it , I will bookmark this . Looking forward to hear more from you . Digg it. huhuhu
im going to eat a banana—-
[...] olives and a bit of guacamole. I did not eat any flour tortillas Snacks: 2 large radishes, one banana and 3/4 of a carrot throughout the day. Coffee: 3 cups with a splash of 1% milk each [...]
I didnt know that, from now on I’ll eat more bannans
’ve been looking forward to this for sometime. I know some people like to do this just for the link juice. But the truth is, I would do this just for the fun of it. This is my first tim…
It is great to learn great-thing about banana. Thank you is me and banana for now.Thanks
I loooove bananas
My health has definitely improved since beginning to eat them on a regular basis. They are high in carbs, so those with blood sugar issues (and, in my opinion, everyone), you’d be wise to balance them with some good protein and fat. I like to mush up a couple with 2 or 3 tablespoons of chocolate rice protein, toss in some pecans, maybe a bit of shredded coconut, and some good ole healthy sea salt (more minerals) — Luscious, nutritious, energizing, best snack ev-uh 
Dove
I prefer bananas over most fruit when I eat snacks. They are inexpensive, effective, and delicious. I usually consume about 2-3 per day.