You'll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet. Bananas are high in fiber and three natural sugars -- glucose, sucrose and fructose -- giving them almost magical powers to provide a huge energy boost. Bananas combat depression, make you smarter, cure hangovers, relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and blindness. They can cure the itch of a mosquito bite and put a great shine on your shoes. If you think bananas are just for monkeys, think again.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that have been shows to improve nerve function
Reducing Depression: Bananas contain tryptophan, an aminoacid that can be converted to serotonin, leading to improved mood
Stress Relief: Bananas are high in potassium, which helps normalize the hearthbeat and regulate the body’s water balance. During periods of high stress, our body’s potassium levels tend to be rapidly depleted: eating bananas is a healthy way to rebalance them without using drugs
Anemia: Bananas are relatively high in iron, which helps the body’s hemoglobin function
Blood Pressure: Bananas are extremely high in potassium (about 4673mg), yet very low in sodium (1mg), thus having a perfect ratio for preventing high 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
Constipation and Diarrhea: Due to their content in fiber, they help restore a normal bowel function. In addition, diarrhea usually depletes your body of important electrolytes (of which the most important is potassium, contained in high amounts in bananas). They also contain
pectin, a soluble fiber (hydrocolloid) that can help normalize movement through the digestive tract
Eyesight Protection: Research published in the Archives of Ophthalmology has proven that adults consuming at least 3 servings of fruit per day have a reduced risk (by 36%) of developing age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily
Healthy Bones: Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound that nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce enzymes that increase our digestive ability and protect us from unhealthy bacteria infections. Thanks to fructooligosaccharides, probiotic bacteria can increase both in number and functionality, increasing our body’s ability to absorb calcium.
In addition, green bananas contain indigestible short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) that are very nutrient to the cells that make up the mucosa of the stomach. These cells, when
healthy, absorb calcium much more efficiently
Healthy Kidney: Among the fruits, bananas were especially protective for your kidneys. Women eating bananas four to six times a week halved their risk of developing the disease compared to those who did not eat this fruit. The conclusion of the study is that frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, cabbage and root vegetables, may reduce risk of
kidney cancer. This is because bananas and many root vegetables contain especially high amounts of antioxidant phenolic compounds, while cabbage is rich in sulfur, necessary for effective detoxification of potential carcinogens
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
Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. They contain vitamins B6 and B12 they contain, as well as potassium and magnesium: these substances help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal
Ulcers: This is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicle cases. It also helps reduce acidity and reduces irritation. Bananas stimulate the cells on the internal stomach lining to produce a thicker mucus (which protects against acid).
Additionally, bananas contain protease inhibitors that help eliminate bacteria in the stomach that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of ulcers
Mosquito Bites: Many people report that rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite is very effective in reducing itching and swelling
Stroke Risk: According to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can reduce the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%
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