You’ll never look at a banana the same way again after discovering the many health benefits and reasons to add them to your diet. Bananas combat depression, make you smarter, cure hangovers, relieve morning sickness, protect against kidney cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and blindness. They can cure the itch of a mosquito bite and put a great shine on your shoes.

1. Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin — the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.
2. Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar.
3. Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and nighttime leg cramps by eating a banana.
4. Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana.
5. Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.
6. Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.
7. Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.
8. High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.

Eating Bananas Aids Digestion

1. Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.
2. Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.
3. Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.
4. Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhea.
5. Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn and GERD.
6. Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.

Natural Cures From A Simple Banana

1. Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds strong bones by increasing calcium absorption.
2. Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium.
3. Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing protection from free radicals and chronic disease.
4. Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness.
5. Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation.
6. Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana.
7. Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day.
8. The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan, helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
9. Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium to speed recovery from the effects of withdrawal.
10. Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place.
11. Rub the inside of a banana peel on your leather shoes or handbag and polish with a dry cloth for a quick shine.

Source: Foodmatters

Banana Crumb Muffins

Makes: 10

These are basic banana muffin made extraordinary with a brown sugar crumb topping that will melt in your mouth.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375* Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.