DavidWolfe.comIf you’re like most people, you probably see banana and orange peels as nothing more than protection for the goodness that lives underneath. But did you know that those two peels in particular contain a whole host of amazing compounds and nutrients? When you mindlessly toss them in the trash, you’re throwing away lots and lots of potential benefits – benefits we’ll explore in this article.
I guarantee that after learning the truth about banana and orange peels, you’ll never throw them away again!
Banana Peels
Remember, as with oranges, make sure you buy organic and wash the peel thoroughly before you go further.
Banana peels are considerably tougher to chew straight than orange peels. Jessica Orwig writing for Business Insider recommends blending a banana peel into a smoothie or frying, baking or boiling it for 10 minutes to loosen up the tough texture.
Once you’ve got that out of the way, prepare for some awesome benefits!
Wart Removal
In her book Natural Healing Wisdom and Know-How, Amy Rost recommends using a brown or black banana peel to get rid of warts. The peel contains a healthy helping of antioxidants that fight off the oxidative damage responsible for warts.
Just use medical tape to attach the peel to the wart. Leave this to sit overnight. You’ll need to repeat this nightly for roughly three weeks, at which point the wart should be gone.
Depression Treatment
That’s right – a banana peel can help treat depression. No, this method does not involve watching funny videos of people slipping on banana peels. It’s far more scientific than that.
Banana peels contain tryptophan, a chemical that is key for boosting serotonin levels. As an added bonus, if your depression is robbing you of sleep, tryptophan and magnesium-laden banana peel will also help in that area.
Eat one banana peel daily.
Nutrients Galore!
The peel from a single medium-sized banana contains:
- 12% of your daily fiber, which will improve your digestion, help you lose weight and lower your risk of diabetes.
- 17% of your daily vitamin C intake, which will boost your immune system.
- 20% of your daily vitamin B-6 intake, which will help your body convert food into energy more efficiently.
Read more about the nutritional benefits of banana peels in this article.
Treat Bug Bites
Are you getting absolutely ravaged by mosquitoes this summer? Banana peel can help reduce itching and pain. The natural sugars in it will draw mosquito fluid up out of the bite.
Rub the inside of a banana peel on the affected area for a few minutes. Repeat as needed. This will also work for any other sort of insect bite or sting.
Check out more in the video below!
https://youtu.be/swAMdwmpG6w
Orange Peels
First things first, it’s imperative that you buy the organic variety of both fruits. Otherwise you’ll be exposed to pesticides and other chemicals. If organic is not an option, have a look at this article to learn how you can wash pesticides off fruits effectively.
Once you’re sure the peel is clean, feel free to go ahead and eat it straight. If you can’t handle the bitterness, consider blending the peel into a smoothie. You can also grate the rind into salad for some zesty flavor.
Alright, now onto the good stuff.
Weight Loss
Orange peels contain an epic amount of fiber. In a recent study, participants who simply added more fiber to their diets – without making any other changes – lost nearly as much weight as those who followed the weight loss recommendations of the American Heart Association.
What’s more, an orange peel actually contains more than twice as much fiber than the fruit itself at 10.6 grams. That works out to over 40% of the daily recommended fiber intake for women looking to lose weight.
Immune Boost
In addition to that epic fiber content, orange peels also contain a large amount of vitamin C – almost twice as much as the fruit itself at 136 mg. Just think, your immune system could reap a total of three times the vitamin C benefits it gets when you eat an orange the conventional way and toss the peel.
Oral Health
Do you suffer from bad breath? Put down that chewing gum and reach for a piece of orange peel instead. The peel’s powerful antimicrobial effects are very effective at reducing the presence of bad bacteria in your mouth, granting you not only fresh breath but greater oral health overall!
Additionally, the white part of an orange peel contains a compound called d-limonene that acts as a solvent to remove teeth stains. Just rub the white part of the peel on your teeth, wait 5 minutes and then brush your teeth. Repeat this daily and within a couple weeks, you’ll see results.
Air Freshener
If you’ve got more orange peels than you can eat, here’s something you can do with the leftovers. Bypass the imitation orange air freshener and go for the real deal! If you’ve got a fireplace, toss the peel right in there – it’s highly flammable and will have your home smelling zesty in no time.
No fireplace? No problem! Just fill an orange peel with salt and leave it to sit where needed. The salt will absorb moisture from the air and get rid of any lingering odors while the orange peel replaces them with freshness. You should be able to squeeze a few weeks out of this freshener.
Learn more in the video below!
Were you surprised to learn about just how awesome orange and banana peels are? Share your thoughts in the comments and let us know if you give any of these tricks a try!
Sources:
Huffington Post
Metro.co.uk
Natural Healing Wisdom and Know-How
NIH.gov
BreathMD.com
LiveStrong.com