Bananas

Listing ID #4908283

Bananas are the most popular fruit in the world. The banana is, in fact, not a tree but a high herb that grows up to 15 metres. It is believed that there are almost 1000 varieties of bananas in the world, subdivided in 50 groups. The most commonly known banana is the Cavendish variety, which is the one produced for export markets.Bananas are grown in more than 150 countries, producing 105 million tonnes of fruit per year. The bananas grown for local consumption are generally grown in traditional, extensive systems. Dessert bananas account for 43 million tonnes per year and are of huge economic importance for many countries in the South. Cooking bananas (plantains and others) account for 45 million tonnes. Locally consumed bananas, which are a staple food in many tropical countries, play a major role in terms of food security.It is believed that the earliest written reference to banana is in Sanskrit and dates back to around 500 BC. Bananas are suspected to be the first fruit in the earth by some horticulturists. Their origin is placed in Southeast Asia, in the jungles of Malaysia, Indonesia or Philippines, where many varieties of wild bananas still grow today. Africans are credited to have given the present name, since the word banana would be derived from the Arab for ‘finger’. They started to be traded internationally by the end of fourteenth century. The development of railroads and technological advances in refrigerated maritime transport subsequently enabled bananas to become the most important world traded fruit.

• Bananas help overcome depression due to high levels of tryptophan, which is converted into serotonin — the happy-mood brain neurotransmitter.
• Eat two bananas before a strenuous workout to pack an energy punch and sustain your blood sugar.
• Protect against muscle cramps during workouts and nighttime leg cramps by eating a banana.
• Counteract calcium loss during urination and build strong bones by supplementing with a banana.
• Improve your mood and reduce PMS symptoms by eating a banana, which regulates blood sugar and produces stress-relieving relaxation.
• Bananas reduce swelling, protect against type II diabetes, aid weight loss, strengthen the nervous system, and help with the production of white blood cells, all due to high levels of vitamin B-6.
• Strengthen your blood and relieve anemia with the added iron from bananas.
• High in potassium and low in salt, bananas are officially recognized by the FDA as being able to lower blood pressure and protect against heart attack and stroke.
• Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body.
• Bananas act as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of friendly bacteria in the bowel. They also produce digestive enzymes to assist in absorbing nutrients.
• Constipated? High fiber in bananas can help normalize bowel motility.
• Got the runs? Bananas are soothing to the digestive tract and help restore lost electrolytes after diarrhoea.
• Bananas are a natural antacid, providing relief from acid reflux, heartburn and GERD.
• Bananas are the only raw fruit that can be consumed without distress to relieve stomach ulcers by coating the lining of the stomach against corrosive acids.
• Eating bananas will help prevent kidney cancer, protects the eyes against macular degeneration and builds strong bones by increasing calcium absorption.
• Bananas make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Eat a banana before an exam to benefit from the high levels of potassium.
• Bananas are high in antioxidants, providing protection from free radicals and chronic disease.
• Eating a banana between meals helps stabilize blood sugar and reduce nausea from morning sickness.
• Rub a bug bite or hives with the inside of the banana peel to relieve itching and irritation.
• Control blood sugar and avoid binging between meals by eating a banana.
• Eating a banana can lower the body temperature and cool you during a fever or on a hot day.
• The natural mood-enhancer tryptophan, helps to relieve Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
• Quitting smoking? Bananas contain high levels of B-vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium to speed recovery from the effects of withdrawal.
• Remove a wart by placing the inside of a piece of banana peel against the wart and taping it in place.
• Rub the inside of a banana peel on your leather shoes or handbag and polish with a dry cloth for a quick shine