Banana Facts

Source of article: http://healthnews.today.com/2009/01/31/why-banana-is-an-amazing-fruit/ (To print this article go to this link: http://freedomwellness.blogspot.com/2009/12/banana-facts.html)
Jan 31 2009

Why Banana is an amazing fruit?
Published by runjun at 12:42 pm

Banana is one of nature’s finest gifts to man. Sweet and soft, the pleasantly flavored pulp, secured in nature’s most neat, yet easily peelable pack is wholesome of all our fruits. It has a rare combination of energy value, tissue building elements, protein, vitamins, including riboflavin and niacin, phosphorus and iron. And that’s why it is regarded as an amazing fruit.
The banana has a high calorific value. One large banana supplies over 100 calories unlike other fruits. It’s high content of easily assimilable sugars makes it a good source of quick energy. It’s alkaline ash contributes to the alkalinity of the blood. Combination of milk and banana to growing children is a valuable and rich food. Banana if eaten in large quantities provide enough high grade protein for the needs of the body. It is reported that workers in the Congo rubber forests live for months at a time on bananas alone. Sounds strange. Isn’t it?
Banana is one of the best sources of potassium, an essential mineral required for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function in human body. The vitamin content of banana is high. Because of it’s Vitamin C content, banana ranks second only to orange as a preventive to scurvy - a disease condition that appears due to lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in daily food. Banana is a good protector of eyes and a builder of good teeth due to it’s content of Vitamin A and calcium in good proportions.
The value of banana for infants lies in it’s assimilated sugars combined with vitamins and minerals. Banana may also help in bone formation, as it can improve body’s ability to absorb calcium via several mechanisms. It’s low protein and salt content together with it’s high carbohydrates makes it useful in the diet of the patients with the disease of kidneys. It’s soft texture and blandness are of value in the treatment of intestinal disorders. Banana is also known to have antacid effects that can provide protection against stomach ulcers and ulcer damages.