For the most of us, eating a banana results in the peel being thrown away. This translates to a lot of waste, with 12% of the weight being the peel. Americans are estimated to eat 3.2 billion pounds of bananas each year. This results in 384 million pounds of banana peels hitting landfills each year, if everyone throws their peels away of course! There are countless uses for banana peel which most people do not know about. To help you get full use out of your banana peel, here are ten uses of banana peel that will change the way that you look at this superfood.
1. Apply Banana Peel to Acne
If you are struggling with acne and are looking for a cost-effective way to reduce inflammation, then give banana peels a try. Healing acne is one of the best uses of banana peel. Rub the inside of the peel softly on the affected skin on a daily basis to drop inflammation while speeding up the process of healing.
Banana peels are loaded with antioxidants such as lutein that help protect the skin against damage causing factors like the sun. They are also an abundant source of esterified fatty acids, which help treat issues such as eczema and psoriasis. Bananas are also a great source of zinc, which helps combat acne.2. Get Rid of Warts with Banana Peel
Warts are contagious. They can go away on their own, but it can take weeks, months, or years.
Conventional treatments include chemical peels, surgery, freezing, and laser surgery. These treatments can be expensive and cause skin irritation.
Another option is to try natural home remedies for warts.
The next time you need to get rid of a wart, forget about the painful process of freezing it off and rather give banana peel a try. Rub the inside of a banana peel on your wart before going to bed. Alternatively try taping the banana peel to your skin for your night’s rest. This great treatment gets rid of warts within two weeks.
3. Remove Stains on Teeth
Did you know that banana peel can remove stains, thus whitening teeth. The nutrients within banana peels include good levels of magnesium, manganese and potassium. These three compounds effectively remove stains from your teeth when you rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth for roughly two minutes. Brush your teeth with a non-fluoride toothpaste afterwards for a whitening of teeth within just a few days.
4. Soothe Itches
Regardless of whether you have just been bitten by a mosquito or other bug, or if you have had an allergic reaction to a plant or food type, banana peels can ease and sooth your itch. Rub the affected area with the inside of a banana peel for a dramatic reduction to both swelling and itching.
5. Combat Depression
One of the best uses of banana peel is the mood lift that it gives you when consumed. Bananas are high in tryptophan, which boosts feelings of wellness and therefore increases productivity. Never throw a banana peel away again. Instead make a tea from hot water and one to two banana peels. Let the water and banana peels boil for about 15 minutes before straining and dispensing into a mug. This tea does wonders for promoting sleep while giving excellent total-body hydration.
6. Deter Insects
Try banana peels to control insects such as ants and aphids. Skip the chemical pesticide and rather bury a cut up banana peel at a depth of 1 to 2 inches beneath the soil surrounding your plants. For the best deterrent effect, bury a few orange peels along with your banana peel.
7. Feed Your Roses Banana Peel
The rapid decomposition of banana peel make them the perfect food source for roses. The breakdown of the banana peel causing a release of calcium, magnesium, potassium and many other essential trace elements. This will sure nutrient-rich soil and thriving roses.
8. Polishing – The Strange Uses of Banana Peel
Most people do not realize that an over-ripe banana actually makes for one of the best forms of polish around. Potassium is actually one of the main ingredients in conventional shoe and silver polish. The next time you want to shine up your shoes or silverware, rub the peel over an over-ripe banana over either and then buff off with a soft dry cloth.
9. Boost the Health of Indoor Plants
Indoor plants typically experience more difficulty in their growth cycle than outdoor plants due to the difference in the quality of air. Indoor air is quite dirty. Yet the health of your indoor plants can be considerably improved by treating them with banana-infused water. Boil up some banana peels in a pot of water and allow to cool completely. Water your indoor plants with the solution while burying the peels around your plants.
10. Feed Livestock Banana Peel
Banana peels are a great source of food for many types of farm animals. Studies even show that chickens fed banana peels experience improvements in their feed to weight-gain ratio, liver health and even have lower cholesterol levels. Feed your leftover banana peels to cows, rabbits, goats, pigs or chickens to boost their health while getting rid of your waste in the best way possible.
