A banana a day keeps the doctors away?

I was suprised to find such a lot of health benefits from banana as I am not fond of eating this fruit, whenever I eat it, it gives me the hard stool. Now that read all about it, I am thinking twice if it was the culprit. Just a tip from my mom, it is better to eat Latundan over Lacatan and never eat the latter on an empty stomach. She said the former is more healthier and easier to digest. I used to be confused with these two types of banana, until recently.

Here are the details I got about the wonder fruit.

Did you know that bananas contain 3 natural sugars? sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a babana also gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Reasearch has proven that just two bananas provide energy for a strenous 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 our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt muchbetter after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, atype 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 affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anmeia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium and 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 mak official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: Banana boost your 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 proble 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 honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels while the milk soothes and rehydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so it you suffer from heartburn, try eating banana for a soothing relief

Morning sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood suger 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.

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 cased. 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.

SAD: Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan

Smoking: Banana can also help people trying to give up smoking The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, heko the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the beartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high potassium banana snack

Strokes: 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 of 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 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 carbohydrates, 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 it's time to change awell-known phrase, we can say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away."