If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there is no better snack than a banana! Containing three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose -- 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 making it a must to add to your daily diet.

DEPRESSION
According to a recent survey amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood, and generally make you feel happier.
PMS
Forget the pills -- eat a banana! The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
ANEMIA
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood which helps in cases of anemia.
BLOOD PRESSURE
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium, yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruits ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
BRAIN POWER
200 students at a Twickenham Middle School were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch, in a bid to boost their brainpower. Research has shown that the potassium packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
CONSTIPATION
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
HANGOVERS
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
HEARTBURN
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you suffer from heartburn or indigestion, try eating a banana for soothing relief. It neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
MORNING SICKNESS
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
MOSQUITO 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.

NERVES
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese people were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
ULCERS
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. The only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
TEMPERATURE
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a normal temperature.
SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD)
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.
SMOKING
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
STRESS
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water-balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, there by reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
STROKES
According to research in 'The New England Journal of Medicine' eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death caused by strokes by as much as 40%!
WARTS
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that, if you want to kill off a wart, just 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 plastic bandage or surgical tape!
So you see
A banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it 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 it's time to change that well-known phrase to:
"A Banana a day keeps the doctor away"!