Bananas

I've received this message and found it interesting:
Recebi esta mensagem que me pareceu interessante mas desculpem lá amigos de língua portuguesa, estou com preguiça de a traduzir.

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 bananasprovide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder thebanana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. Butenergy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can alsohelp overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses andconditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongstpeople suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating abanana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of proteinthat the body converts in to serotonin, known to make you relax, improveyour mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it containsregulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobinin the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high inpotassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. Somuch so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed thebanana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability toreduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helpedthrough their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, andlunch 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 helprestore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem withoutresorting 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 andre-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if yousuffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep bloodsugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbingthe affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find itamazingly 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 inAustria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food likechocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchersfound the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. Thereport concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need tocontrol our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foodsevery two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinaldisorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only rawfruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. Italso neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating thelining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling"fruit that can lower both the physical and emoti onal temperature ofexpectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananasto ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferersbecause they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give upsmoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium andmagnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects ofnicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize theheartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's waterbalance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, therebyreducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help ofa 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 ri sk of death bystrokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to killoff 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 compareit to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate,three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twicethe other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is oneof the best value foods around So maybe its time to change thatwell-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctoraway!"