banana_fun

A friend of mine who lived in Mexico told me that some of the local people smoke banana peel's for an intoxicating effect. After hearing this I was doubtful that there was any intoxicating substances contained within the banana peel. After doing a little research I discoved that a hoax was published in the underground newspaper Berkeley Barb in March 1967 claiming that the banana peel contained the intoxicating substance Bananadine.

This was a hoax, but I was surprised to learn that a banana peel contains the psychoactive chemicals tyramine and dopamine which in concentrations can increase serotonin and have mood altering effects. Studies have shown that eating two bananas a day will increase serotonin in the body. Maybe someone should tell those Mexican's to start smoking something else!