by Angela Horn

Created on: May 13, 2008   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Bananas are nature's answer to fast food. Brightly pre-packaged in jaunty yellow coats they make the ideal travel snack in today's busy world. Packed full of nutritious goodness, they're just the thing for everyone from on-the-go Moms to the office worker in need of an afternoon pick me up. Bananas make the perfect addition to any packed lunch.

The health benefits of bananas are many. A banana just before bedtime will ensure a good night's sleep by raising the body's serotonin levels. Bananas are great for maintaining a healthy bowel and the ideal fruit to eat when you're trying to shed a few pounds as they're low in calories and fat but high in potassium. Eating foods that are rich in potassium has been linked to a reduction in water weight.

Bananas are a fantastic source of potassium, an essential mineral required by our bodies to maintain normal blood pressure. Potassium also aids the heart, muscles and nerves in functioning properly and keeps the body's fluid levels balanced, thus ensuring that it's neither too alkaline or acidic.

A study conducted over a period of four years tracked more than 40,000 American male health professionals to determine the effects of diet on blood pressure. It showed that men who ate potassium-rich foods, along with foods high in magnesium and fiber, had a significantly reduced risk of stroke. In addition to being rich in all three of these bananas also have ample amounts of both vitamins B6 and C.

The Archives of Internal Medicine published a study which confirmed that eating high fiber foods, such as bananas, helps prevent heart disease. In addition to the cardiovascular benefits it was also found that bananas encouraged bone health.

The history of the banana dates back some 4,000 years to where they are thought to have originated in Malaysia. Alexander the Great recorded their discovery in the Philippines and India in 327 B.C. and in 1502 the Portuguese started the first banana plantation in the Caribbean. Bananas finally found their way into the United States late in the 19th century. Nowadays bananas are one of the most widespread fruit crops in the world.

The banana is derived from seed bearing relatives in south-east Asia and the Pacific. Although these original wild plants were inedible, a cross between the two produced a sterile plant which bears the yellow fruit we've come to know and love.

Bananas are truly a versatile fruit. Not only are they healthy, tasty and great for baking with, they have numerous beauty promoting qualities as well. Something that The Body Shop knows better than most, as they use on average 250,000 bananas each year in their banana products.

Guatemalan ladies often used bananas to help relieve dry skin. Take advantage of this little known fact by covering your face with banana slices. Then simply lie back and rest for twenty minutes while the oils and vitamins from the banana permeate and nourish your skin.

Bananas, you've gotta love em.

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