After reading this, you will never look at a banana the same way again.

Bananas: With three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose, and glucose combined with fiber, a banana provides an instant, sustained, and substantial energy boost. Research has shown that just two bananas provide enough energy for a grueling 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit among the world’s top athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us stay fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a host of diseases and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Some people have a little problem with the digestion of bananas, the simple answer, although it sounds strange, is to sprinkle some Pepper on the banana before eating it, it works wonders.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and thus help in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure – This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium but low in salt, making it perfect for fighting blood pressure. So much so that the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims about 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 for breakfast, break and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that potassium-packed fruit can aid in learning by making students more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel function, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Depression: According to a recent MIND survey of people

who suffered 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, which is known to relax you, improve your mood, and generally make you feel happier.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways to cure a hangover is to make a banana smoothie, sweetened with honey. The banana calms your stomach and, with the help of honey, boosts low blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and rehydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect on the body; so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for relief.

Morning sickness: Eating bananas between meals helps keep blood sugar levels up and prevents morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before using the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana peel. Many people find it incredibly successful in reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are rich in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found that pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort foods like chocolate and potato chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, the researchers found that the most obese were most likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that in order to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by eating carbohydrate-rich foods every two hours to keep levels stable.

SPM: Forget the pills, have a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain tryptophan, a natural mood enhancer.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people who are trying to quit 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 that helps normalize your heartbeat, sends oxygen to your brain, and regulates your body’s water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate increases, which lowers 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 reduce the risk of death from stroke by up to 40%!

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a “refreshing” fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure that their baby is born in a cool temperature.

Ulcers: The banana is used as a dietetic food against intestinal disorders due to its soft and smooth texture. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without anguish in cases of overchronic disease. It also neutralizes excess acidity and reduces irritation by coating the stomach lining.

Warts: Natural alternatives enthusiasts use that if they want to kill a wart, take a piece of banana peel and place it on the wart, yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a dressing or surgical tape!

A banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare bananas to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorous, 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 out there. Maybe it’s time to change that well-known phrase so that we say: “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

PS: The bananas must be the reason the monkeys are so happy all the time!