When a banana plant is mature, the corm stops producing new leaves and begins to form a flower spike or inflorescence. A stem develops which grows up inside the pseudostem, carrying the immature inflorescence until eventually it emerges at the top. Each pseudostem normally produces a single inflorescence, also known as the "banana heart". (More are sometimes produced; an exceptional plant in the Philippines produced five. After fruiting, the pseudostem dies, but offshoots will normally have developed from the base, so that the plant as a whole is perennial. In the plantation system of cultivation, only one of the offshoots will be allowed to develop in order to maintain spacing. The inflorescence contains many bracts (sometimes incorrectly called petals) between rows of flowers. The female flowers (which can develop into fruit) appear in rows further up the stem (closer to the leaves) from the rows of male flowers. The ovary is inferior, meaning that the tiny petals and other flower parts appear at the tip of the ovary.
The banana fruits develop from the banana heart, in a large hanging cluster, made up of tiers (called "hands"), with up to 20 fruit to a tier. The hanging cluster is known as a bunch, comprising 3–20 tiers, or commercially as a "banana stem", and can weigh from 30–50 kilograms (66–110 lb). Individual banana fruits (commonly known as a banana or "finger") average 125 grams (0.28 lb), of which approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter.
The fruit has been described as a "leathery berry". There is a protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with numerous long, thin strings (the phloem bundles), which run lengthwise between the skin and the edible inner portion. The inner part of the common yellow dessert variety splits easily lengthwise into three sections that correspond to the inner portions of the three carpels.[citation needed] In cultivated varieties, the seeds are diminished nearly to non-existence; their remnants are tiny black specks in the interior of the fruit.
Bananas are naturally slightly radioactive, more so than most other fruits, because of their potassium content and the small amounts of the isotope potassium-40 found in naturally occurring potassium. Proponents of nuclear power sometimes refer to the banana equivalent dose of radiation to support
their arguments.
their arguments.
Advantage of Banana
Banana health benefits are comparable to any other type of fruit. In fact, bananas have several positive benefits that many other fruits do not have. These yellow-skinned fruits are ideal for health because they have a sweet taste that most people enjoy. Because of this, it is easy to implement bananas into a daily diet. Bananas are also convenient because you can carry them with you whenever you are in a hurry. Knowing the banana health benefits and the other positive things that bananas can be used for will likely give you a new appreciation for this popular fruit.
Bananas contains three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose. These natural sugars combined with fiber in a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.
Depression
According to a recent survey amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts
into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
According to a recent survey amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts
into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
PMS
Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown
that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown
that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to
overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to
overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar
levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar
levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito Bites
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.
Ulcers
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It
also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It
also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature Control Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be balanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%".
According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine, "eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%".
Warts
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a
plaster or surgical tape.
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a
plaster or surgical tape.
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it 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. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.
Disadvantage of Banana
While any type of fruit can serve as an important component in a healthy diet, some fruits are more beneficial than others. Bananas offer plenty of positive nutritional value per serving, but their relatively high calorie and sugar amounts mean that it might be best to enjoy them in moderation.
Caloric Value
According to the USDA, one large banana has more than 120 calories. While that still makes it a low-calorie snack in comparison with a large cookie or bag of chips, the fact remains that a banana has nearly three times the calorie count of a cup of diced watermelon and six times the calorie count of a 3-cup spinach salad without dressing. Since extra calories manifest themselves as extra pounds, eating bananas on top of your regular daily diet might promote gradual, unwanted weight gain over time. As Dr. Melina Jampolis, physician nutrition specialist for CNN.com, points out, fruits tend to have nearly three times the caloric value as nonstarchy vegetables, which makes them more likely to contribute to weight gain.
Compared with other fruits and vegetables, bananas have a relatively poor shelf stability. Green and firm yellow bananas will stay ripe for several days after you buy them, but as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out, you can prolong the shelf life of ripe bananas for only three to five days in the refrigerator. In contrast, apples store for up to six weeks.
Glycemic Index
Bananas have relatively high sugar contents in comparison with other natural foods, which contributes to their glycemic index and glycemic load values. A large banana has more than 16.5 g sugar, which is a mixture of sucrose, glucose and fructose. According to Harvard Medical School, a ripe banana’s glycemic index is 51 and its glycemic load is 13, higher values than those for apples, grapefruits, grapes, oranges, peaches or pears. When a food has a higher glycemic index and glycemic load, you are more likely to experience spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels after you eat that food. However, bananas' glycemic index value is not nearly as high as values from baked goods and desserts that include refined sugar.
Considerations
It’s important to look at bananas from a balanced perspective and understand that they also have many advantages, including high potassium and fiber contents. Rather than avoiding them altogether, it can be healthy to include them in moderation in your diet along with a mixture of other fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat or nonfat dairy products and whole grains. For individual nutrition guidance, see your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Banana Juice
Vitamins
Bananas are best known to contain the immunity-enhancing Vitamin C. Aside from this, bananas are also rich in B vitamins, such as B3, B5 and B6, and minerals such as manganese and magnesium. Vitamin B3 is niacin and it plays an important role in energy production. It also helps in maintaining healthy skin, brain, nerves, mucous membrane and digestive system. Vitamin B5, on the other hand, stimulates the immune system for the formation of antibodies. It also calms the nerves and reduces stress. Vitamin B6 assists in making amino acids for stronger immunity, healthier brain function and better excretion of waste matter. Also present in banana juice is biotin, which serves the same function as vitamin B3.
Minerals
Manganese is a mineral that is important to insulin production and is also necessary for the production of antioxidants. Magnesium's role is to increase calcium absorption, assist in metabolism and energy production. One of the banana's interesting nutritional content is a protein called tryptophan, which the body converts to seratonin, also known as the "happy hormone." Banana juice is also an excellent source of potassium. Studies have shown that high levels of potassium reduce the possibility of hypertension, even with extreme sodium intake.
Other Benefits
A glass of banana juice or a shake can be beneficial to a person with diarrhea or to athletes, since it helps to replace lost electrolytes. Aside from this, it is also an excellent source of soluble fiber, which helps in lowering cholesterol.
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