CyprusLiving

A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again. 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 (Middlesex) 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-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 & Tobacco Use: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 percent.
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!

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!'

WOW ~ thanks Teresa, I'm going to buy some today with a extra bunch for the mrs

Bill

So presumably with it's three natural sugars if you eat two bananas and don't do a strenuous 90 minute workout the excess energy goes straight to ..... your waistline!

O2B

I really think that if you only eat 2 bananas and then do a 90 minutes work out that you would lose weight. You would have burnt off far more than the sugars contained in 2 bananas.
Teresa

I love Cyprus bananas, I cant just eat one it has to be two, bananas on toast for breakfast with some honey on the top is great. I find imported bananas now to strong in flavour, kev cant stand them so it makes even more for me
Lesley