Bananas, worlds most popular fruit, available year-round, are one of nature’s best sources of potassium. Bananas is a rich source of iron, high in fiber and a good source for vitamin C(Red bananas contain more vitamin C than yellow bananas .) Containing three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy (No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes). Banana is good for people who have high blood pressure (it is low in salt and also extremely high in potassium (about 4673mg), yet very low in sodium (1mg), thus having a perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure), anemia (rich source of iron), Stomach ulcer (banana has a natural antacid) and Constipation (high in fiber), Diarrhea (Bananas also contain electrolytes, which are essential for maintaining fluid levels and preventing dehydration).

Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Bananas help in reducing Depression (Bananas contain tryptophan, an amino acid that can be converted to serotonin, leading to improved mood). Bananas can help cure or prevent hangovers. 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). If you’re out partying and want to avoid a hangover, drink sixteen ounces of water and eat a banana before heading for bed for a good night’s sleep. Rubbing banana peel inside out is the best remedy for mosquito bites.

When selecting bananas, think about your usage time frame. You may wish to choose some already ripe for immediate use and some still slightly but not overly green to ripen for later use. Select bananas that are bright, even-colored bananas without green tips (which will require further ripening) full and plump, avoiding those with bruises. A dull, gray color indicates they have been chilled or overheated during storage.  If you are waiting for green bananas to ripen you can speed up the process by putting them in a brown paper bag at room temperature or place the bowl in the sun. It’s the tiny seeds within the fruit that release a ripening hormone, a mixture of ethylene gas and carbon dioxide. Never store unripe bananas in the refrigerator! They simply will not ripen properly because the cold interferes with the ripening process. Bringing refrigerated bananas back to room temperature will not reverse the process. However, once bananas are ripe, they can be refrigerated for up to two weeks.. Although the skins of refrigerated bananas will turn brown, the fruit itself will be fine. Allow the refrigerated fruit to come to room temperature before consuming for full flavor. However below 8 degrees Celsius the fruit will decay from the inside.

Glued under: Health