Banana: The Largest Herb with Dressed Fruit

Banana is an edible fruit of the largest herbaceous flowering plant, belonging to the genus Musa, of the family Musaceae. The delicious food comes with a unique skin that can be easily peeled off; it makes it appear as though the fruit is wearing a dress. The creamy, sweet and firm edible part of the elongated fruit is made of 75% water and 21% carbohydrates.

The moderate sweetness combined with rich taste of its soft creamy flesh makes banana one of the most preferred food by everyone. It is one of the safest first solid food given to a baby and also to the elderly who face digestive problems. The energy packed food can provide high potassium power, which makes it a favorite choice for those involved in strenuous physical activities. Asia produces nearly half of the banana crop, followed by Central America and South America. Manila Hemp is the most popular variety of banana.

Health Benefits of Banana

banana-treeThe doctors of ancient India and Persia considered banana to be a key to everlasting youth and energy. Bananas are excellent regenerators of healthy tissue, in addition to aiding digestion, preventing high blood pressure and protecting against atherosclerosis. An average sized banana may contain nearly 450 mg of potassium and just 1 mg of sodium, consequently, regular intake of bananas reduces the risk of stroke to a great extent.

The calorie dense banana can provide energy to the body instantly. It helps in situations where a person is suffering from extreme weight loss, aversion to food or high fever, which may require nutritionally dense and easily consumable food.

Bananas are important part of the low in saturated fat and cholesterol diets, which is preferred or recommended for people with heart diseases. The fruit is good source of dietary fiber, manganese, vitamins C, A, and B6, proteins, folate, iron, niacin, and riboflavin, which makes it a super food for pregnant women.

Bananas are helpful to treat conditions like:

  • Constipation
  • Allergy
  • Ulcers
  • Diarrhea
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Hair problems
  • Eye problems
  • Cramps
  • Acnes
  • Warts
  • Kidney ailments
  • Acidity and gastric problems

Green Bananas

The dietary fiber rich green bananas are excellent for losing weight, as it not only burns body fat, but also beats hunger giving a feeling of being satiated. It is also recommended for diabetics as it low in calorie carbs.

Diarrhea

Boil a raw banana until it is soft. Remove the peel, mash the flesh, add some butter and salt, and consume it to get relief from tormenting diarrhea immediately.

Warts

Spread a banana peel inside out over the wart and fix it to the spot by a bandage. Get rid of the peel once it turns black and replace it with a new peel. Continuing the process is known to get rid of even tough warts without harm.

Facial Masks

The banana facial masks are excellent remedies for dry skin and wrinkles. Mash a ripe banana to a smooth paste and smear on the skin. Leave it on for 15 minutes before washing it first with warm water, followed by a rinse of cold water. Adding honey will improve the moisturizing quality of the face mask.

Rubbing inside of the banana peel on a cleansed skin will ward of acnes and pimples as it is rich in anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties.