If you were on the TV game show Jeopardy and the answer was “a seedless, sexless fruit” what would your question be?

If you guessed “what is a banana?” you would score the bucks!

Bananas as we know them probably evolved from a wild, inedible fruit first cultivated in Southeast Asia. Some experts believe that it was more likely that it was the banana that got things stirred up in the garden of Eden, not the apple. The banana then traveled to Africa and across the pacific and hit the shores of the United States probably in the 15th century.

Bananas contain three natural sugars (sucrose, fructose and glucose) and are high in fiber. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a 90-minute workout. (Now you know why so many athletes rely on this fruit.)

Bananas are really a wonder food that should be incorporated into our diet on a regular basis. Here are some of the ways they are thought to benefit us:

-Depression: According to a survey by mental health professionals, patients suffering from depression felt much better after eating a banana. This is probably due to the protein tryptophan, which is known to make you relax and improve your mood.

-Anemia: Bananas are high in iron and this can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so may help anemia.

-Brain power: Students at a school in Middlesex, England, were given bananas to eat for breakfast, mid-morning break and lunch to boost their brain power during exam week. Research shows that the high potassium content of bananas helps the kids be more alert.

-Blood pressure: High in potassium and low in sodium, bananas are thought to be helpful in beating high blood pressure. The US Food and Drug Administration has allowed the banana industry to make official claims regarding the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and/or stroke.

-Hangovers: A quick remedy for over-imbibing is a banana milkshake sweetened with honey. The banana calms the tummy and the natural sugars and honey build up the depleted blood sugar level; the milk soothes and hydrates your system.

-Mosquito bites: Try rubbing the bite with the inside of a banana peel (and eat the banana while you’re at it)! Many people say this reduces the swelling and itchiness of the bite.

-Smoking cessation: Bananas are rich in vitamins B6 and B12, potassium and magnesium – all thought to help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
-Stress: Potassium is vital to help regulate the heartbeat. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises and depletes potassium levels. You can easily restore that important mineral by snacking on a high-potassium banana.

-Strokes: According to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet may reduce the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40 percent.
A banana has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals of an apple. Rich in potassium, it is one of the best value foods you can eat.

Perhaps that well known adage about apples should be changed to “a banana a day keeps the doctor away.”

Banana cream cheese muffins

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened (reduced fat works fine)
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
• 1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in bananas, pecans, and vanilla. Spoon batter into 24 paper lined muffin cups and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 22-25 minutes or until tester inserted near center of muffin comes out clean. Remove from pans and let cool on wire racks. Yield: 24 muffins.

Double chocolate banana bread

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium bananas)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa in a small bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed of electric mixer until light and creamy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, banana and sour cream. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips until well incorporated.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes or until a tester inserted near center comes out clean. Remove the bread from the oven and cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn bread out onto rack and cool completely before slicing. Yield: 1 loaf.

Banana spice coffee cake

• 2 medium bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, divided use
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup golden raisins (optional)

Puree bananas in food processor (or blender). You should have about 1 cup puree. Set aside. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl. Cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts; set aside. In a small bowl, combine both flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, beat remaining 1/4 cup butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with bananas, ending with flour mixture and beating well after each addition. Stir in raisins if desired.

Spread half the batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube or Bundt pan. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven 45 to 50 minutes or until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen edge; remove from pan and cool completely on rack. Yield: 1 (10-inch) coffeecake, 8-10 servings.

Paula Anderson is a freelance journalist specializing in food, entertaining and nutrition. She writes for several newspapers, as well as Maine Food & Lifestyle Magazine. She divides her time between Scarborough and Big Pine Key, Fla., where she lives with her husband Peter. Correspondence can be addressed to her at the Boothbay Register, P.O. Box 357, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or the Wiscasset Newspaper, P.O. Box 429, Wiscasset, ME 04578. You can also write to her directly via email at pander@maine.rr.com.