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 |  Subject: Go Bananas - 7 Nutrition Facts We Bet You Didn't Know  Wed 17 Oct 2012, 14:02 | |
| Go Bananas! 7 Amazing Nutrition Facts We Bet You Didn't Know
|
 There
is much more than meets the eye with the banana. A household favorite, a
lost-leader at the grocery store, a metaphor for psychiatric problems, a
mainstay of comic slap stick, a Freudian "cigar," the banana has woven
itself deeply into human affairs, on both gut and mental levels. And
this relationship is at least 10,000 years old, as far as conscious
human cultivation of the species goes.
But, many do not realize that the banana is more than just an
exceptionally starch-rich fruit, but has a complex biochemistry, with
pharmacologically active properties. Bananas actually contain the
catecholamines dopamine[i] and norepinephrine,[ii] the very same adrenal
hormones released in the human body when it undergoes the typical
"fight-or-flight" response. It is believed that the banana plant uses
the biosynthetic pathway for catecholamines when under the stress of
attack to fight off infectious pathogens such as in crown rot
disease.[iii] Some varieties excrete a form of serotonin in their sap,
[iv] and there is even mention in the biomedical literature of the
discovery of the NSAID drug naproxen (trade name Aleve) within the
banana cultivar Musa acuminate. Sound crazy? Well, that's to be expected
from a fruit we commonly associate with a state of unbridled madness.
But the banana has a secret second life. It likes to practice
medicine without a license, and indeed, seems readily equiped with the
following nutritional "super powers"....
Green Banana Is Anti-Diarrhea
Before a banana is
ripened, while it is in its green state, it contains starches which are
resistant to digestion, but have been studied in combination with pectin
to significantly reduce intestinal permeability and fluid loss in those
suffering with bouts of diarrhea.[v] [vi] Even when used without
pectin, green banana has been found to hasten recovery of acute and
prolonged childhood diarrhea when managed at home in rural
Bangladesh.[vii]
Banana Is Anti-Ulcer Activity
Banana powder has
been studied to prevent ulcer formation induced by a variety of drugs,
including aspirin, indomethacin, phenylbutazone, prednisolone,
cysteamine, and histamine. Researchers have found that banana powder
treatment not only strengthens mucosal resistance against ulcerogens but
also promotes healing by inducing cellular proliferation.[viii] One of
the anti-ulcer compounds identified within unripe banana is the
flavonoid known as leucocyanidin, and which is particularly effective
against aspirin-induced erosion.[ix]
Banana Peel Suppresses Prostate Gland Growth
Banana peel has been found to suppress testosterone-induced prostate gland enlargement.[x]
Banana Stem Extract suppresses Oxalate Kidney Stones
A
water extract of banana stem extract has been found to suppress the
formation of oxalate-associated kidney stones in the animal model,
leading researchers to conclude that it "may be a useful agent in the
treatment of patients with hyperoxaluric urolithiasis."[xi]
Banana Consumption Protects the Skin Against UV-Light Damage
UV-B
light induced skin damage may be prevented or reduced through the
consumption of bananas, with a protective effect against loss of skin
elasticity.[xii]
Banana Has Anti-Diabetic Properties
Banana
flower extract has been studied in a type 1 diabetic model,[xiii] and
has been found to have both antioxidant and blood sugar lowering
effects. Banana root extracts have been discovered to contain blood
sugar lowering properties comparable in efficacy to the drug
glibenclamide (trade name Glyburide).[xiv] Also, unripe banana contain
starches resistant to hydrolysis and therefore beneficial to
diabetics.[xv]
Banana Contains a Variety of Anti-Infective Compounds
Banana contains compounds with demonstrable anti-MRSA
activity,[xvi] anti-HIV replicative activity,[xvii] [xviii] and
following metabolic transformation by fungi, anti-leishmanicidal
activity.[xix] The leaves of the plant are used in many centers in India
during the care of patients with toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and
other extensive blistering disorders which can result in deadly sepsis
in the absence of treatment.[xx]
Source:-
http://activist-post-forum.947009.n3.nabble.com/Go-Bananas-7-Amazing-Nutrition-Facts-We-Bet-You-Didn-t-Know-td4025177.html
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