10 Reasons Why You Should Not Throw Away Banana Peels

10 Reasons Why You Should Not Throw Away Banana Peels
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Think twice before you throw away those banana peels. Recent studies have proven that banana peels are healthy for the body, having a lot of benefits when consumed or applied to the skin. They are also great at home for a variety of household uses! So if you love to eat bananas, don’t forget to save the peel.

1. Banana Peels Fight Wrinkles And Skin Blemishes: A study by Iwasawa and Yamazaki discovered that the riper or more mature the banana peel is, the higher the dopamine content in the peel. Dopamine is a known anti-oxidant, which can rid the body of toxins and free-radicals which damage our tissues. This works well if you have any acne scarring or blemishes; try rubbing the area with a banana peel soaked in honey and watch your skin problems fade away. This can even help fight wrinkles. ^[1]

2. Banana Peels Reduce Microbial Activity: Green banana peels were studied by Mokbel and Hashinaga in 2005, revealing that their extracts were able to significantly reduce microbial activity. The substances found in the banana peel extract were able to actively fight against S. aureus, B. subtilis, B. cereus, S. enteriditis, and E. coli – common strains of bacteria that can cause disease. If you have a cut or scrape, try rubbing it with a banana peel mixture to prevent infection and speed up healing. ^[2]

3. Banana Peels Can Detoxify Water: Despite the way water is filtered and processed for public consumption, water found in certain areas can still be contaminated. Memon, et. al. (2008) discovered that banana peels were able to absorb toxic chromium from water, making it safer to use and drink. If you want to “clean” your water, try adding fresh banana peel instead of your typical lemon or orange. ^[3]

4. Teeth Whitening: One of the most popular uses of banana peels today is teeth whitening! Like other fruits, the skin of a banana is rich in vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium, and manganese that can help whiten teeth the natural way. Rub a small piece of the peel on your teeth for several minutes then brush your teeth like you always do.

5. Pain Relief: Though widely debated, the use of banana peels to manage pain is suggested by the Pain Research Institute, an organization dedicated to managing pain the natural way – drug-free! One of their theories is that pain is caused by signal interruptions from an area of the body to the brain. Because banana peels are rich in potassium, an electrolyte that facilities the movement of impulses in the nerves, applying them to the affected area can help relieve pain.

6. Itch Relief: Because of the moisture content of banana peels, they can help relieve the itchiness from an insect bite or a brush with poison ivy. If you have an itchy patch of skin, try rubbing the area with a small piece of banana peel.

7. Moisturizing Skin: Similar to the itch relief properties of banana peels, you can also solve dry skin by using banana peels extracts or rubbing the banana peel directly on the skin. The high moisture content of banana peels makes them a good replacement for your regular skin moisturizers – try them on your lips to prevent dryness and cracking too!

8. Cleaning: Banana peels contain natural waxes, which make them excellent cleaning agents. You can even use banana peels to shine your shoes or other leather items.

9. Wart Removal: Can you believe banana peels can be used to get rid of warts? The University of Maryland Medical Center actually suggests the use of banana peel patches to treat warts. Place a small piece of banana peel on the wart and tape it in place before going to bed. ^[4]

10. Natural Plant Health: Banana peels are popularly used in compost because they are rich so many nutrients that can help plants grow healthy and strong. Another surprising use for banana peels in your garden is as an insect spray! Aphids hate banana peels – try surrounding your plants with them or creating a spray with banana peel extract.