Banana and Depression (A twitter Reaction Post)

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I really don't know how to feel about this post. On one hand Banana is a really sweet fruit and a good source of carbohydrates, but on another hand, it is just a fruit. Relieving Depression?... I really hope this is true but I strongly doubt it. If it is, however, I'm prescribing it instead of antidepressants.

Anti-depressants have so many side effects, if 1 banana can relieve depression then doctors would be giving this as a drug. But who knows, I am not into dietetics and I know very little about things like this, just the ones that concern me.



Hello there! I am Dr Ebingo Kigigha, I am a medical doctor, illustrator and writer here in Medic Vibes. When I am not singing or goofing around I write posts that give information about depression.

In my last post, I talked about overthinking and depression. What we were able to gather was that they have an egg and chicken relationship where no one is sure which gives rise to the other. We also saw that overthinking can be associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety and Post Trauma Stress Disorder.

In this post, I want to see if there really is a relationship between Banana and Depression in studies and posts from credible sources. But first I want us to talk a little about depression itself.


Depression is a mental health condition with distinct symptoms including a sad mood, and a lack of interest in previously pleasurable activities. There are also weight changes, appetite changes, and sleep disorders.

There are different types of depression, Major depression, seasonal depression, postpartum depression, perinatal depression, premenstrual depression, Bipolar depressive disorder and others.

Depression is a risk factor for suicidal ideation and suicide. Sometimes those who eventually commute suicide give warning signs. They may say things about their death that can cause you to worry.

If you or your loved one is showing these signs and making references to ending life, here are some suicide phone lines you can call:

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Check your country's suicide hotlines here.



Banana and Depression

Healthy vs unhealthy food vector flat illustration.jpg
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Banana is an elongated fruit under the botanical class berry. The nutritional value of the fruit is about 23% carbohydrate, 75% water and 1% protein. It is a good source of Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), it has a significant source of Vitamin C and other micronutrients.

For me, Banana is such a nice fruit but it always gives me gastric upsets when I have to...that doesn't stop me though, it is just worthy to note.

Most of the circulated banana fruits are picked unripe and are ripped with ethylene gas in an air-tight room.

The Neurotransmitter, Seratonin is involved in mood and affect and has a well-known relationship with depression. Even though many people have said that there is no known cause of depression it has been linked to serotonin.

Proof of Serotinin's effect on depression is mostly found in its effect on antidepressants.

The health website Verry Well said that Banana contains this neurotransmitter but one banana can not relieve symptoms of depression. It appears that it is not significant enough to stop depression.

The serotonin from bananas does not cross the blood-brain Barrier.

Although this vitamin B6 is necessary for synthesising the body's natural serotonin. So in a way, it is possible that banana does help but according to the Food and Nutrition Board we need about 5 fingers of banana to give the required amount of Vitamin B6 from Banana for the synthesis of serotonin.

So with this, I feel we have covered the "Banana is a happy fruit" is not true and one finger can not achieve that.

This is the first time I'm getting fact@fact on an inaccuracy. I'm happy that I was able to get this, I hope more people get to see this and get this valuable information.

Hive Stories

dswigle@dswigle wrote about an interesting phenomenon, let's call it holiday depression for lack of a better term. I have to do more reading about this. She wrote this post during the festive season and in the post, she discussed how her friend dealing with this form of depression would give gifts to those who had less. The gift of giving is a real gift and you should really into that spirit.

Questions

  • How do you feel after eating a banana?
  • Do you think there is more to the banana than just the fruit?
  • Do you have any stories of bananas treating depression in your life? If yes then let's hear it.
  • What will you tell a person who is eating bananas for depression

Conclusion

While banana is a very nutritious fruit and contains nutrients and vitamins for food health, it can not act as an antidepressant unless taken in large amounts.

The substance that helps it act as an antidepressant is vitamin Vitamin B6.

The serotonin in bananas when consumed can not cross the blood-brain barrier to act on the brain.

References

Banana and Depression (A twitter Reaction Post) | Ecency