10 amazing and weird facts about bananas

10 amazing and weird facts about BANANAS

Every year more than 100 billion bananas are consumed and it is the single most popular fruit in the world! You might also eat this delicious and healthy fruit sometimes (or quite often). 

Here is a list of amazing banana facts; some of these will definitely surprise you!

1. Bananas are actually berries, Strawberries are not

It may come as surprise to learn that bananas are actually a type of berry. When you look at the definition of a berry this only adds to the confusion! A berry is defined as any type of fleshy fruit that stems from the ovary of a single flower. It has a seed, or several seeds enclosed inside its flesh. But, bananas don’t have seeds, right? Actually, they do. The seeds of a banana are so small that you can’t see them with the naked eye. Other surprising foods that are berries include pumpkins, tomatoes and kiwis.

2. Bananas are radioactive

Did you know that bananas are radioactive? Don’t panic this doesn’t mean your health is at risk and you should stop eating bananas immediately! Bananas contain high levels of potassium and it’s the K-40 potassium atoms which are the radioactive kind, but the dosage is very mild and humans are actually more radioactive than a banana anyway as we too have harmless radioactive potassium in our bodies. We need to maintain good potassium levels in our bodies to keep them functioning well. There really is nothing to worry about. You would have to eat 10,000,000 bananas in one sitting to die from the radiation effects and that’s hardly likely now is it!

3. There is more than one type of banana

Even though the Cavendish banana is the only banana variety available in most export markets around the world, there are thousands of other different types of banana out there for you to try on your travels. There are Apple bananas which are grown in the tropic forest of Hawaii and they are so sweet that they are often called the Candy Apple Banana. The Pisand Raja (or Musa Belle) banana is grown in Indonesia and is used to make delicious banana fritters. There’s also plantain which is banana that is more similar to the consistency of a potato and needs to be cooked before eating. Plantain is a versatile cooking banana, mainly used in Caribbean dishes, and can be fried, roasted or steamed.

4. Bananas aren’t always yellow

When you’re in the supermarket buying your bananas it’s likely that you are checking that the color is the bright yellow banana color that we associate with ripeness, and often we buy bananas when they are still green and ripen them at home. There are other banana varieties out there in the world that are not yellow but are still edible and delicious. The red Dacca banana grows in Australia and has a reddish-purple skin and when they’re ripe the flesh turns to a light cream pinkish color.

5. Ripe bananas are better for weight loss

People tend to be very wary about eating bananas when they are trying to lose weight and this is probably because we associate bananas with being a denser more filling fruit, especially as one banana contains roughly 30 grams of carbs. Green bananas contain resistant starch, which is a type of indigestible carbohydrate, but the amount of resistant starch reduces as a banana ripens. So make sure you are eating ripe bananas as part of a healthy diet. Eat them one hour before your workout to give your body the fuel it needs for exercise.

6. Bananas can lower your blood pressure

Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure and studies have shown that eating more bananas can help to lower your blood pressure. Bananas are rich in potassium which helps to reduce the levels of sodium (salt) in the body which in turn lowers blood pressure. It is recommended that an adult’s diet should contain 4,700 milligrams of potassium in it per day. A medium size banana provides roughly 400 milligrams of potassium

7. Bananas make us feel happy

When you’re feeling low eat a banana to help make you feel happy. The magnesium in bananas acts a mood booster. It’s recommended that women should consume 320 milligrams of magnesium per day and men should have at least 420 milligrams to keep levels where they need to be to stave off depression. A medium size banana contains roughly 30 milligrams of magnesium so grab a banana when you’re feeling sad and let the bendy yellow lift your spirits.

8. Bananas help other fruits to ripen

Bananas produce a larger quantity of the gas called ethylene which is the hormone that helps fruit to ripen. So, if you have some avocados, peaches or other plums that you want to ripen quicker, then, stick your bananas in the bowl with them and they will help to speed up the ripening rate of your other fruits.

9. Bananas have healing powers

Not only are bananas a delicious and healthy fruit, they also have the power to heal. Apparently, if you rub the inside of a banana peel onto a mosquito bite, the oil found in the banana skin will reduce inflammation and ease itchiness. The same thing applies to minor burns. The potassium and magnesium found in banana peel can even help whiten your teeth. Rub the inside of a banana peel on your teeth for two minutes every night and you could see the results in two weeks. Some people swear that rubbing a banana peel on your forehead can help cure a headache, while some have used banana peel to shine their shoes and silverware.

10. India produces the most bananas

It is highly likely that the next banana you eat will have come from India. India is the largest producer of bananas, producing over 27 million tonnes of bananas per year, that’s a whopping 19% of the world’s total banana production! In India, banana crop account for almost 3% of the country’s agricultural GDP. The Indian state, Maharashtra is the largest producer of bananas with 25% of India’s banana production coming from this state, closely followed by the state, Tamil Nadu which produces 20%. In India millions of people rely on banana production for their livelihoods and bananas are a particularly important crop for subsistence farmers as it provides them with a year round income and financial security.