I don't like bananas but

[brichter]

Bananas Are Good For You
by Alfred Jones
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas: Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fibre, 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.
A few people have a slight problem with the digestion of bananas, the simple answer, even though it sounds strange, is to sprinkle a little Pepper on the banana before eating, it works wonders.

Anaemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet 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 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) 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 fibre, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
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.

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.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

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, 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 by strokes by as much as 40%!

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.

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.

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off 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!

A banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare bananas 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. Maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

P.S. Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

I eat a banana everyday at breakfast. I wonder if that is why I keep running around making funny noises all day. I kept waiting for the punch line, I knew billy Ray could not post something without it having some humor in it.

[Mike in Louisiana]

Just like John, I kept waiting for the punch line but the more I read the more it made sense.

[Bob Perry]

Something funny about bananas. Around here, seems everybody picks at the stem (which is really the bottom) and they actually eat it up-side-down. A few years ago, I saw something on the internet about this. Ever since then, I just open the top of the banana (way easier). But I keep seeing people doing it the other way.

Plus you get a free handle !!!

[Barnyard]

I kept waiting for the punch line, I knew billy Ray could not post something without it having some humor in it.

P.S. Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

Maybe, because we are a happy bunch of bananas people, Billy Ray is comparing us to monkeys!

[brichter]

I would never do that. I have too much respect for monkeys.

[Lildog Jr]

I kept waiting for the punch line, I knew billy Ray could not post something without it having some humor in it.

P.S. Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

Maybe, because we are a happy bunch of bananas people, Billy Ray is comparing us to monkeys!

heh...

[Goraidh (Jeff)]

Bananas are great. Not only are they way tasty, they pack in a whole lot of goodness also. Eat more bananas. I once sailed with a chief engineer who shipped bananas in his past. He hated the things because they are so tempermental in shipping. Oh well, more for us.