Bananas.   Containing 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  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, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain  power.

  Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can  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 chocola! te  and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most  obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs.  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 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, 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 heart beat, 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%!

  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 its time to change that  well-known phrase  so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor  away!"
from TremoraTrevor.