Bananas rule!

[BananaDan]

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A 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 our 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 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:
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 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 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. 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 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.

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-chroniclercases. 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.

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 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!'

[ODZKing]

I love bananas.  In fact as long as you seem to be the expert, I have some questions.
Are there different types of bananas? Seems some have a thinck or tougher skin and some are sweeter than others.
Some stay greener but taste ripe, and some get ripe VERY quickly.

[BananaDan]

Sadly, I do not know.   

[JB400]

http://healthmad.com/nutrition/six-most-popular-types-of-bananas/

[ODZKing]

Well, I should hav ebeen more specific as I often do (or don't do).
Cavendish in particular.  And I went one step further.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish_banana_subgroup

[mrsskip68]

Bananas are awesome to prevent/stop leg cramps or charley horses! Since I injured my right knee my left leg has been compensating. Due to fatigue, it tends to cause leg cramps while im trying to sleep. I get up in the middle of the night, eat one banana and within 15 mins, cramps are gone!!!! Amazing fruit! 

[twodko]

And don't forget the "marital aide" option. 

[polywideblock]

some are allergic to them but         make my lips go tingly and I get "butterflies  in my chest,  if I eat them  

[TruckDriver]

Cool! Guess I have to start eating them more now. 

[Ghoste]

Smoking the peel is supposed to have some effect too.  Mellow yellow.

[polywideblock]

its the dried stringy bits off the banana  not the peal 

[Grim Jhaixus]

Fine fine! Dammit I'll go buy a banana!

[fy469rtse]

Don't forget the jokes pranks on your friends, the old Eddie murphy , bananna's up the the tailpipe

[b5blue]

  As a single dad raising 3 kids and trying to keep good snacks around at all times I found that with bananas:  if you buy a large bunch nobody eats them. If you buy just a few they are gone in less than 24 hours and someone is complaining they got none. Kids consider any naner with the slightest hint of anything not yellow (Slight greenish tint top or bottom okay.) to be disgustingly rotten.  Then lastly the moment you decide to eat one you'll find there are none to be had. (Like many other foods, even the ones everyone said they had no interest in at the store.) 

[Grim Jhaixus]

The brown spots are some kind of cancer destroying chemical. The high starch is the only bad thing I can think of concerning bananas, and since I'm not sensitive to starch or having specific weight issues there's no downside for me. I seem to remember hearing they cause weight gain in people with some kind of water-retention bs.

https://www.google.com/search?q=brown+spots+in+bananas+anti+cancer

Short on time can't read it for you guys.

[mrsskip68]

  As a single dad raising 3 kids and trying to keep good snacks around at all times I found that with bananas:  if you buy a large bunch nobody eats them. If you buy just a few they are gone in less than 24 hours and someone is complaining they got none. Kids consider any naner with the slightest hint of anything not yellow (Slight greenish tint top or bottom okay.) to be disgustingly rotten.  Then lastly the moment you decide to eat one you'll find there are none to be had. (Like many other foods, even the ones everyone said they had no interest in at the store.) 

When that happens here, I use the brown naners for banana bread. I have a great homemade recipe I could send you, and I also have a quicky bisquick recipe too!
Lisa