Go BANANA

When comes to health benefits, bananas are hard to beat. Available throughout the year, they are cheap, delicious and easy to eat. In many ways they help to overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions making it a must to add to your daily diet.

Health Benefits

Below are some benefits complied from online sources -

Energy booster - A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy with its three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose. It is popular amongst athletics as two bananas can provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.

Depression - Survey conducted amongst people suffering from depression found many felt much better after eating a banana as it contains 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 - You can skip the pills and go for 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 - Being high in potassium yet low in salt, it makes a perfect food to beat blood pressure and stroke.

Brain power - Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation - Its high fiber content aids in restoring normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers - Try mixing a banana milkshake with honey. Both soothe the stomach and, build up depleted blood sugar levels and re-hydrate your system.

Heartburn - It has a natural antacid effect in the body to provide fast relief to a heartburn.

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.

Stressed? - High in B vitamins, it helps to calm the nervous system.

Ulcers - It neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. Also, its soft texture and smoothness act against intestinal disorders

Relieve muscle cramps - High in magnesium and potassium content, these minerals help to relax the muscles and protect you from any further episodes of leg cramps.

Nutritional benefits

A medium banana contains 1.29 grams of protein, 105 calories and 3.1 grams of dietary fiber. Other contents as follows:



Minerals -

Mostly: Potassium – 422 mg, magnesium – 32 mg
Others: Phosphorus, calcium, sodium, iron, selenium, manganese, copper, zinc
 
Vitamins -
Mostly: Vitamin A – 76 IU, Niacin – 0.785 mg, folate – 24 mcg
Others: Vitamin B1, B2, B6, C, E and K

Hence, 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, THRICE the phosphorus, FIVE TIMES the vitamin A and iron, and TWICE the other vitamins and minerals. As one of the best value foods around, maybe its time to change that well-known phrase to -

‘A BANANA a day keeps the doctor away!’

Source: http://www.karenstan.net/

Should diabetic patients take bananas?

Diabetic patients are discouraged from taking too many bananas at one go as its high glycemic index can cause a sudden surge in sugar and insulin level, and danger of high potassium toxicity. Its glucose content, the most easily digestible sugar, rapidly enters the bloodstream for a quick release of energy.

A diabetic patient can consume bananas and monitor the blood sugar levels consistently. Taking together with some protein such as yogurt or eggs, can help to prevent any unwanted surge. You can also combine with nut butter as fat slows down the absorption of sugars into your blood stream.


Johns Hopkins researchers found that potassium stimulates the production of insulin and tried to establish a link with low potassium levels affecting people’s chances of developing diabetes. Those with the highest levels of potassium at the start of the study were 64% less likely to develop diabetes. Another study showed patients given diuretic drugs had issue with water and electrolyte loss that may contribute to an increase in risk of developing diabetes. However, those with problems with the kidneys or diabetic condition are probably having high potassium and should avoid foods containing this component.

Green, yellow or black?

 
A common practice adopted by wholesalers is to force-ripe bananas by dipping in water mixed with carbide. The consumption of these bananas is believed to cause cancer or some other infection in the stomach and should be avoided.

The process involved mixing carbide with water in a closed tank results in heat emitting. The energy generated is greater than that of gas in a LPG cylinder that can be used for gas cutting. When a bunch of bananas is dropped into the mixed water, the gas is absorbed into the bananas to expedite ripening. As most fruit vendors are rather ignorant, they tend to apply excessive carbide to hasten the pace of ripening. This chemical is toxic to the stomach, and if remaining left can cause tumors to form in our digestive system.

You can inspect the bananas before buying for naturally ripened ones are dark yellow with small black spots on the body and black stalk, whilst those which are forced to ripe with carbide are lemon yellow, green stalks and no black spots.

Do you know that the nutritional profile of bananas changes as they ripen?

Have you notice that the riper the banana is, the sweeter it tastes? This is because the enzymes found in bananas is progressively breaking down starch into simple sugars (monosaccharides, disaccharides, etc which taste sweet). Since starch has already turned into simple sugar when banana ripens it makes it easier to digest. Although according to studies, the amount of vitamins and minerals lessen as the banana ripens.  Hence, once a banana reaches the desired amount of ripeness, refrigerate to keep it from ripening further.

Recent study by Japanese researchers has found a very interesting fact about bananas. It turns out that as banana ripens it produces abundant enzymes and antioxidants that are effective anti-cancerous agent. Those with dark patches on yellow skin produces a substance called TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which has the capacity to combat abnormal cells. The study also shows that the darker the patches the higher the anti-cancer quality. it is eight times more effective in enhancing body’s immune system than green skin version. Use it to bake banana cake for a sweeter flavor.


Other useful tips

- Peel a banana from the bottom and you do not have to pick the little ‘stringy things’ off it which is how the primates do.

- Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

- To prevent banana from riping too fast, break up the brunch and wrap each stem in plastic wrap. That can reduce the emission of ethlene gas to slow the riping process.
-  Avoid banana at dinner as it may lead to mucus formation and disturb our digestion.

-  Consuming bananas is the universal remedy for those, who are suffering with diarrhoea. During this time, the body looses essential elements, like electrolyte and potassium which the humble banana can help to reinstate.


For aesthetic reason if you want a mouthful of white teeth, try this out.