Bananas contain three natural sugars: sucrose, fructose and glucose and these are combined with fiber.  A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.   Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout--no wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit.   It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions.  Here are only some of the reasons to add bananas to our daily diet:

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. 

Mosquito and Ant bites:  Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin.  Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. 

Smoking & Tobacco Use:  Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6 and B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. 

Stress:  The potassium in a banana helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body’s water balance.  Bananas are high in B vitamins that help to calm the nervous system.

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off 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.  Compared to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, 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 around.   So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”