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  better.

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 the perfect way 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 (Middlesex  England ) school 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-chronicler cases. 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.

Seasonal Affective  Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help  SAD sufferers because they contain the   natural mood Enhancer  tryptophan.

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

Stress:
Potassium  is a vital mineral which helps normalize  the heartbeat, 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:
According  to research in 'The New  England  Journal of Medicine,' eating bananas as  part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death  from strokes by as much as  40%!

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 that well-known   phrase so that we say, 'A banana a  day keeps the doctor away!'