A-Z of bananas

Think you know everything there is to know about bananas? Think again?

A is for Anaemia
If you're anaemic, eating bananas - which are rich in iron - can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood.

B is for Blood pressure
Doctors in India have discovered that eating two bananas a day can reduce blood pressure by 10% in just one week.

C is for Constipation
High-fibre bananas act like laxatives, helping with bowel function and combating constipation.

D is for Depression
Mental health charity MIND carried out a survey of people suffering from depression. It was found that a significant number of patients felt better after eating a banana.

E is for Ethylene
As fruits ripen, they give off ethylene gas, and bananas produce a remarkably large amount of the stuff. Fruits can also absorb ethylene, so any other pieces of fruit next to a banana will ripen faster. If you want to avoid this, store your bananas away from other fruit, preferably on a banana tree.

F is for Fairtrade
In the UK, bananas are the latest products to join the growing range of Fairtrade foods. The Fairtrade Mark was introduced in 1994 to help small producers get a fair deal.

G is for Green
A green skin is a sign that a banana is unripe. It also means that the fruit contains a lot of starch and is therefore difficult to digest. The more yellow-brown the fruit, the easier it is to digest and absorb the vitamins.

H is for Hypertension
An American study of bananas concluded that eating five bananas a day was 50% as effective as taking prescription medication to reduce hypertension. This had been put down to the banana's high potassium and low sodium levels.

I is for India
The first Europeans to set eyes on bananas was probably Alexander the Great, who is believed to have come across them in India in 327 BC.

J is for Jungle
The best bananas grow in dense jungles that provide sufficient protection from winds, which can blow over trees or disrupt their growth, and the sun, which can scorch the leaves. The best position for a banana plant is next to a building or asphalt road, as these can radiate much needed heat to the plant.

K is for Knife
The 'proper' way to eat a banana is, according to Debrett's Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners, with a knife and fork: 'The eating of fruit can be a social minefield for the uninitiated.Bananas must never be eaten monkey-style at the table. Firstly, peel with a knife, pulling off the skin in vertical strips. Cut off around one third of an inch at each end and then cut small discs of fruit and eat either with the fingers or a fork, if provided.'

L is for Lottery tickets
Only lottery tickets and petrol outsell bananas, which are the most valuable food product in supermarkets.

M is for Mosquito
In some tropical regions, the insides of banana skins are rubbed on mosquito bites to reduce the swelling and irritation.

N is for Nibblers
Psychologists have identified five personality types based on the way people eat bananas:

  • Nibblers peel the banana slowly, carefully eating only the exposed area - they tend to be cautious, thoughtful and conservative.
  • Munchers peel the banana fully and take large greedy bites - these people are positive and independent types.
  • Breakers break their bananas into quarters and eat them section by section - revealing creativity, sensuality and thoughtfulness.
  • Cutters eat their bananas from plates, cutting the fruit into pieces and eating with a knife and fork - they tend to be highly organised control freaks.
  • Eccentrics are unpredictable, eating their bananas in a variety of different ways: breaking it into three, for example, or eating from the middle. These people are non-confirmists, rebellious and impulsive.

    O is for Overweight
    Nutritionists researching obesity in Austria have found that bananas are the ideal food for avoiding panic-induced bingeing. The Austrian Institute of Psychology concluded that eating a banana every two hours would mean no more cravings for chocolate or crisps.

    P is for Potassium
    Per 100g, bananas provide a whacking 400mg potassium. A lack of potassium in the diet is now known to be a significant factor in the nation's rising blood pressure, so a banana or two a day can both help prevent and treat hypertension.

    Q is for Queasy
    If you're feeling nauseous or suffering the effects of morning sickness, a banana can help straighten you out. This is because bananas regulate blood glucose levels - which also make them ideal for coping with PMS.

    R is for Ripe
    The bananas we buy in supermarkets are picked while only two-thirds ripe. They continue to ripen as they sail to Britain, so they're ready to be eaten when they arrive in the supermarkets.

    S is for Sales
    Bananas are the UK's favourite fruit. We in Britain eat £750 million worth of bananas each year - a quarter of all fruit sales. This equates to around 30lb per person per year.

    T is for Trypotophan
    This is the protein found in bananas that our bodies convert to serotonin. It relaxes us, improves our mood and makes us feel happy, which is why people suffering from depression are given a boost after eating bananas.

    U is for Ulcers
    Its soft texture and smoothness makes the banana the ideal food for those with intestinal disorders - it's the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralises over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

    V is for Varieties
    There are around 500 banana varieties. The plantain is a variety of banana that needs to be cooked. A staple food in central and eastern Africa, plantains are longer and thicker than eating bananas, and are treated like a starchy vegetable.

    W is for Warts
    If you're keen on natural alternatives, kill a wart by covering it with banana skin (yellow-side up) and holding it in place with a plaster.

    X is for Xanthophyll
    When a banana ripens, the green chlorophyll pigment is broken down and xanthophyll pigments are formed. This is what gives the ripe banana skin its yellow colour.

    Y is for Year
    The banana plant is a perennial herb that dies back to its roots after it has fruited, so unlike most fruits, bananas are available all year round.

    Z is for Zzzzzzz
    The magnesium and copper content of bananas can help you get a better night's sleep. The British Sleep Council even recommends a 'sleep sandwich' for those who find it hard to nod off: a banana, marmite and lettuce buttie.

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