Does Bananas really help your cramps?

Question

I heard that if you eat bananas it will help your cramps go away is that true... if it is im going to be eating a whole lot of bananas when im on my period...

Answer 1

Actually it is scientifically proven that bananas really help with cramps. Forget the pills eat a banana.

The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Bananas contain potassium, 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.

Also according to a recent survey amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

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 cool temperature.

So you see, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. In fact, bananas have an exciting nutritional story. They are a good source of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium. One banana has 16% of the fiber, 15% of the vitamin C, and 11% of the potassium we need every day for good health! 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. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability.

Answer 2

I also get leg cramps after I eat a banana. My cramps will start about 10 to 15 minutes after I've eaten the banana. I don't understand why. I thought banana's were supposed to help leg cramps. I stopped eating bananas because of this. Then today after about 3 months of not eating one, I at 1/2 of a banana and it gave me leg cramps. Also, the riper the banana, the more it gives me cramps.

Answer 3

Yes, they do because of the potassium. I eat bananas with any muscle pain, like from working out. However, prunes actually have more potassium than bananas, so maybe you should eat them instead. But with my cramps, I find that ibuprofen is more reliable and effective. I take 2 every 4-6 hours. If you are a teen, you should probably only take one.

Answer 4

Actually they can help very much but what they mean is eating alot of bananas in your routine diet, not just that particular day. Bananas have a LOT of potassium and potassium will keep cramps away. Give it a try, bananas are good for all KINDS of things healthwise. Good luck sweetie!

Answer 5

Yes, the potassium really does kick cramps in the butt!

Bananas are very high in potassium. One a day really does make a big difference almost instantly. (They have a lot of surgar though so you don't want to eat to many.) I slice my bananas into small pieces and freeze them. When I get a charlie horse I get them out and eat a few pieces (Like 4-5) and it really helps!

Answer 6

I think you are referring to the wrong type of cramps. Muscle cramps in general can be caused by over exertion or low levels of some mineral in your blood. In the case of bananas, the thought is that you are consuming higher levels of potassium. This can help if your cramps are caused by low potassium levels but will do little for you if they are caused by any other reason.

As always, please talk to your doctor if you are having severe menstrual cramping as it may be something that needs checked out.

Best of luck to you!

Answer 7

Bananas are high in potassium, this is probably why you have heard that they are good for cramps. They are good for leg cramps or muscle cramps but they do nothing for period cramps. Try Tylenol or a heating pad.

Answer 8

I don't know if they will help you, but they help me when I have leg cramps. Bananas contain potassium, which helps alleviate the condition. I also take a potassium supplement everyday.

Answer 9

Calcium helps period cramps.

Answer 10

Bananas for Medical Use

Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!!

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost ofenergy. 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 our daily diet.>Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND 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 moodand 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 and so 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 fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

> >Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. 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, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

> >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 itamazingly 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 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. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases.It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

> >Temperature control:
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 cool temperature.

> >Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

> >Smoking &Tobacco Use:
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, thereby 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 by strokes by as much as 40%!

> >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!