2012年,馬德里歐洲大學(Universidad Europea de Madrid)的David C. Nieman學者等人,想比較在長程運動中,吃香蕉和喝機能飲料,何項對運動員比較有幫助呢?實驗的過程中,14名腳踏車選手在75公里的賽程中分別吃香蕉或喝機能飲料,定時檢測各項生理數據。結果顯示,兩者的表現一樣好(血糖變化、身體的免疫力和發炎反應)[6]!這也難怪每次馬拉松等大型比賽,主辦單位和加油的民眾們總會熱情地提供無限的香蕉給選手們了~
除此之外,香蕉也富含血清素(serotonin)。雖然目前已知大腦內的血清素濃度上升能讓人感到心情放鬆,而哥因拜陀醫學大學(Coimbatore medical college)的K. P. Sampath Kumar等學者也因此推論,食用香蕉能讓人感到心情放鬆 [4];但也有人持反對觀點,麥基爾大學(McGill University)的Simon N. Young學者即認為,香蕉內的血清素無法穿過大腦的血腦屏障,所以無法影響情緒 [7] [註]。另外,香蕉裡的維他命B6可以協助提高注意力,增強精神的敏銳度 [4]。看來每次準備大考前最好來根香蕉配咖啡,肯定能夠更加強專注力面對考試的挑戰!
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好吃、環保、又能治療愛滋?
吃剩的香蕉皮不只能拿來滑倒,更有絕妙的功能!巴西的食品和社會經濟技術中心(Tecnologia de Alimentos e Sócio Economia),Renata S. D. Castro等人組成的團隊,發現切碎的香蕉皮能處理重金屬汙染的河水,有效的吸附水中的銅和鉛離子(Cu+2, Pb+2)[8]!可用來淨化工業污染的河流。
而美國密西根大學醫學中心(University of Michigan Medical Center)的Swanson MD團隊,發現從香蕉裡萃取出的凝集素(lectin)可結合愛滋病毒表面上重要的膜蛋白-gp120,而gp120正是病毒侵入T細胞的關鍵蛋白,此發現在將來或許可有效地阻止病毒感染細胞,成為下一代治療愛滋病的新藥 [9]!
Denham, T.P.; Haberle, S.G.; Lentfer, C.; Fullagar, R.; Field, J.; Therin, M.; Porch, N. & Winsborough, B. (2003) “Origins of Agriculture at Kuk Swamp in the Highlands of New Guinea” Science 301, 189-193. DOI:10.1126/science.1085255.
K. P. Sampath Kumar, Debjit Bhowmik, S. Duraivel, M. Umadevi. (2012) Traditional and Medicinal Uses of Banana. Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 1(3), 51-63
Kevin C. Miller (2012) Plasma Potassium Concentration and Content Changes After Banana Ingestion in Exercised Men. Journal of Athletic Training; 47(6): 648–654.
David C. Nieman, Nicholas D. Gillitt, Dru A. Henson, Wei Sha, R. Andrew Shanely, Amy M. Knab, Lynn Cialdella-Kam, Fuxia Jin (2012) Bananas as an Energy Source during Exercise: A Metabolomics Approach. PLoS One, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037479
Young, S. N. (2007). How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 32, 394-399.
Renata S. D. Castro, Laércio Caetano, Guilherme Ferreira, Pedro M. Padilha, Margarida J. Saeki, Luiz F. Zara, Marco Antonio U. Martines, and Gustavo R. Castro (2011) Banana Peel Applied to the Solid Phase Extraction of Copper and Lead from River Water: Preconcentration of Metal Ions with a Fruit Waste. Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 50 (6), 3446–3451
Swanson MD, Winter HC, Goldstein IJ, Markovitz DM. (2010) A lectin isolated from bananas is a potent inhibitor of HIV replication. Journal of Biological Chemistry 285(12), 8646-8655
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