Bananas: A Healthy Tropical Fruit

Bananas are a wonderful fruit of the tropics! It is a fruit we all take for granted and most certainly cannot recall when they were not readily available to us. Most people started eating them way before they can even remember. They are used in baby foods for the added health benefits and for the development of our bodies. When we see them in the grocery stores we see groups of 6 to 8 in a bunch; however, when they are growing, the cluster can have more than a hundred bananas in each cluster. They are actually an herb, not a tree, even though they grow 20-30 feet tall. Not only are they a very nutritional food, the plant is also used for paper as well as for fabric. The leaves can be as wide as 2 feet and as long as 9 feet and are waterproof. In some countries the leaves are used for roofs for homes, as well as serving plates for food. The fruit can be red, yellow or purple! The skin as well as the fruit inside are both edible. This tropical plant is grown in more than 100 countries.

What Are The Health Benefits Of The Vitamins and Minerals That They Provide?The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed the growers to label them as a fruit that will reduce the risk of high blood pressure, strokes and atherosclerosis. Just one of them will contain more than 450 mg of potassium and only 1 mg of sodium.

Are you anemic? Eating this fruit can help the production of hemoglobin as they are a good source of iron. They also help your system absorb calcium, which helps you to build stronger bones.

Bananas are high in fiber and assist in normal bowel function. They have also long been known for their anti-acid effect and can help protect against ulcers. They have a compound protease inhibitors that help reduce bacteria in the stomach which is the primary cause of ulcers.

If you have had a little too much alcohol say the evening before, a quick hangover relief is simply to enjoy a healthy banana milkshake. In a blender add some milk and a little honey along with this fruit to make a healthy smoothie. Drink up, and in a short time you will feel better.

Insect/mosquito bites can be soothed by placing the inner side of the peel on the bite, secure it with tape, and soon you will notice that the sting and itch will no longer be bothersome.

Which Vitamins And Minerals Are Found In This Tropical Fruit?

Riboflavin

Vitamin C

Fiber

Vitamin B6

Biotin

Iodine

Magnesium

Potassium

Vitamin E

Zinc

Iron

Folic acid

Vitamin B3

Vitamin B5

Vitamin A

Pyridoxine

How to Buy and Store This Fruit

This fruit ripens quickly, so when purchasing them consider when you will be using them. Ones that have a slight green color in the peel will be ready to eat in 2-3 days. A soft yellow with a few brown spots on the skin indicates they are ready for immediate consumption. The ones that are totally brown are ready for baking cakes and cookies. Before selecting them, be sure to check for bruised spots or torn peels.

To help bananas ripen quicker place them in a paper bag. To slow down the ripening process place them in the refrigerator. Unused fruit can be placed in a Ziploc bag and placed in the freezer, and once you have collected 5 or 6, you can make banana nut bread or banana pudding with them.

How to Enjoy This Great Tropical Fruit

Simply peel and eat or they are a great addition to salads, in your favorite cereal, add them to a peanut butter sandwich or alone between two slices of bread and some mayonnaise, eat them chocolate covered, or even dried as chips. But don't forget the all time favorite...add them to a bowl of your favorite ice cream.

No matter how you enjoy eating this fruit, they are a very nutritional and healthy food, graciously provided to us by mother nature.

For more articles of similar interest click these links:

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away!

Avocados: Exploring the Health Benefits of This Fresh Fruit

Cranberries: A Healthy Food Sent To Us By The Pilgrims

Papayas: A Powerhouse Of Digestive Enzyme Nutrition

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