Banana Fruit Facts

Fruits ought to be an essential part of one’s diet and should be consumed regularly in order to obtain all the nutrients that they have to provide. Of the many fruits known to man, the humble banana happens to be one of the most popular and well liked fruit. Bananas were first found in Southeast Asia and there are over 400 different varieties of this fruit grown worldwide today. Bananas these days are one of the world’s top selling fruits, outranking apples and even oranges! Bananas are the fruit of a plant of the genus Musa, and are grown in as many as 107 countries first and foremost for the fruit, and secondly for the quality fibre that can be obtained from its trunk. Apart from being grown for its fruit, banana plants are also grown by people at homes for ornamental purposes. The section that follows will make available to you some interesting facts about this appetizing fruit. Read on to learn more. 

• The word banana was derived from the Arab word “banan” which means finger. 
• Wondering why bananas are harvested when still unripe? Well, bananas are harvested when unripe because even after they are harvested they tend to keep ripening.
• Bananas are different from most other fruits because unlike other fruits that grow on trees, bananas grow on plants. Banana “Trees” as we know them are not actually trees, but are herbaceous plants which belong to the genus ‘Musa’. It is their size and shape that make them look like trees.
• Bananas are usually cultivated for its fruit, but the banana plant is also used as an ornamental plant in many gardens.
• Banana flowers can be eaten raw or steamed and cooked in soups and curries.
• There are generally two types of bananas that are cultivated and used for culinary purposes cultivated in the tropical regions.
• Banana plants can grow to a height of 15 m, but most of the plants that are cultivated reach heights ranging between 3-9 m. The leaves of a banana plant can grow to about 4 x 1 m.
• Wild bananas have large seeds, while the bananas cultivated for culinary purposes have seedless fruits.
• Bananas are high in potassium content and if consumed daily will prevent atherosclerosis by stopping renal calcium loss. Daily consumption of bananas is known to prevent high blood pressure and also has some antacid effects which protect a person against stomach ulcers.
• Consumption of a banana daily is quite helpful in dealing with diarrhoea, because of the potassium content in the fruit. It also helps in regulating heart functions and fluid flow, fighting constipation through the pectin fibre that helps digestion.
• Bananas also help in the production of probiotic bacteria in the colon that protects a person against microorganisms and helps the body to absorb more calcium.
• Studies have shown that eating fruits like bananas might reduce the risk of kidney cancer since it is high in antioxidant compounds.
• Bananas when picked unripe are treated with ethylene gas. Ethylene gas accelerates the ripening process which will otherwise take a long time for the fruit to ripen.
• Bananas are one fruits that can cause certain people to gain weight since they contain a lot of starch. People who tend to gain weight after consuming this fruit should cut down on its consumption.