The health benefits and uses of banana flowers and a recipe to use these yourself at home.
1. Bananas are one of the most popular foods in the world, however you can also eat the flowers or blossoms from the trees.
2. These flowers are commonly eaten in Laos, China, India and Thailand and have some wonderful health benefits for the human body.
3. They contain healthy nutrients including protein, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, potassium and vitamin E
4. It also contains methanol which is a powerful anti-oxidant. This reduces free radicals in the blood and can keep you looking young.
5. They also work as a natural anti-depressant and mood booster, by simply eating a cup of banana flowers once a day you can get rid of anxiety too.
6. They are often used by women to increase the amount of breast milk they have for their babies.
7. When cooked, they also increase the amount of progesterone in the body. This reduces menstrual pain and heavy bleeding.
8. If you have diabetes, eating these can be beneficial as it can lower blood sugar levels.
9. The natural iron content can also help those suffering with anaemia.
10. Pregnant women often eat these as it can help to prevent constipation due to the wonderful fibre content.
Recipe: You Will Need
1 Banana Flower.
Method:
Simply remove one from the tree and peel away the petals and inner stems. You can eat the red petals if you wish. Once these have been removed, slice off the rough lower part of the stem. What remains is the nutritious heart of the banana flower. Slice this thinly using a sharp knife. The texture is similar to a potato.
This goes dark very quickly, so be sure to have a bowl of water with lemon juice ready to keep them fresh.
Add these to a delicious salad, or stir fry into a tasty curry.
11. If you prefer you can make a banana flower tea, by adding the sliced stem and the red petals to a cup with some hot water. This can also work as a sleep aid.
12. They also work well by mincing and adding to pancake mixes.
13. You can also purchase banana flower extract from some health food stores, if you do not have access to a banana tree.
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