Reading an article on bananas just might get Gwen Stefani’s song stuck in your head all day, but it’s not my fault “because I ain’t no hollaback girl!”
1. Bananas help to alleviate depression; they are the only fruit that contains the amino acid tryptophan mixed with vitamin B6. These help your body naturally produce serotonin, which combats depression and boosts your mood.
2. Bananas are low in calories, but they enable you to stay fuller longer because they have no fat, sodium or cholesterol. However, they do contain potassium, fiber, Pantothenic Acid, Niacin and Vitamins B6, A, B1, B2, C, E and K, which help you lose weight!
Photo by: Julie Haupin
3. If you rub the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite, or on poison ivy, it will reduce the itching and inflammation. Also, if you rub the inside of a small piece of a banana peel on a wart every night, it will disappear in one to two weeks… Just in case you wanted to know.
4. Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. It’s a good thing, seeing as bananas are high in fructooligosaccharide, a compound which helps create (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These good bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that increase our ability to absorb nutrients like calcium while also protecting us from unfriendly microorganisms.
Photo by: Julie Haupin
5. The FDA says that eating bananas can lower your risks of having a heart attack or stroke. They also decrease your risk of getting cancer. Eat your ‘nanas!
6. Did you know that a man in a race swam 2.4 miles, biked 112, and ran 26.2 miles on just 10 bananas? And guess what, he won!
Photo by: Julie Haupin
7. Bananas are the number one fruit for the world’s leading athletes, and just two bananas give you enough energy for a very strenuous 90-minute workout.
8. Have a hangover? Make a banana milkshake with honey, milk, and a banana. It’s the quickest way to heal a hangover, and you don’t even have to leave your room.
Photo by: Julie Haupin
9. Bananas > Botox: Mash a banana, add some honey and apply it to your face and neck. It will leave your skin feeling refreshed, soft, and smooth.
10. Bananas have demonstrated safe sex practices since the first health class. What elementary school didn’t show the safe way to put on a condom using a banana? That’s right, we all unfortunately witnessed it.
Photo by: Julie Haupin