Bananas are fruits I've come to really admire and enjoy eating so much. They are loved by everyone, or almost everyone as I've not seen anyone who doesn't like bananas. Every part of the banana fruit and even it's tree is usable. The fruit, its peels, the suckers and even the leaves of the tree are all useful. Before I go ahead to give you reasons why you should cultivate bananas, I'll tell you some fun facts about them. Enjoy this ride with me..
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Fun facts about bananas
-The scientific name for banana is Musa sapientum meaning "fruit of the wise men".
If you want to be wise, eat bananas everyday!
- More songs have been written about bananas than about any other fruit in the world e.g 'Take banana till you go yo' by D'Prince
- bananas float in water, so also with apples and watermelons.
- They are the only fruits which contain tryptophan and Vit. B6 which gets converted to serotonin. This can cheer you up. Isn't that beautiful?
- Japan, and some other cultures use the fibre in banana to make clothes n paper.
- Bananas are the 4th largest consumed agricultural product in the world, followed by wheat , rice and corn.
- The phrase, 'going bananas' is first recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary and is connected with monkeys comic connection with the fruit.
- A cluster of bananas is called a "hand" while a single banana is called a "finger".
- The insides of a banana peel can be used as shoe and silver polish.
- Bananas are slightly radioactive. The potassium present in bananas is present in it's radioisotopic form (potassium-40)
- Banana and its peels also make great fertilizers because of its high potassium and phosphorus content. You can compost the banana(or its peels), burn, or cut them into bits and spread on the ground or bury them in the soil for good and rich manure.
Health benefits of bananas
- Bananas are widely known as the 'laughing fruit'. They are antidepressants. This is due to its high level of tryptophan which the body converts to serotonin which boosts up the mood. The tryptophan it contains is also a good agent for a sound sleep. Magnesium also helps to relax the muscles. Are you in a bad mood? Eat banana.
- They are also a good agent for digestion and weight loss. This is because of their high fibre levels which is very filling, and they have no fat, no cholesterol and no sodium.
- some survey conducted shows that a moderate consumption of bananas may help against kidney cancer, because of their high levels of antioxidant phenolic compounds.
- although carrots get all the glory for eye protection, but bananas also deserve some praise as they contain little but significant portions of vitamin A which helps in proper eye function.
- They are also very good for the heart as they contain potassium which is an electrolyte and enhances heart beats.
- Research shows that those women who consumed a high level of potassium before conception were more likely to give birth to boys than those who did not. Remember, banana is rich in potassium.
- Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite or bug bite, will prevent it from itching and inflammation. This is due to the oil it contains
- A natural remedy for teeth whitening is to rub the insides of a banana peel on the teeth and gargle with salt water. Do this for 3 minutes every night for a period of 2 weeks.
- For those of us who like keeping our narural hair, bananas can also be used as a great source of hair conditioner as they help restore dry damaged hair. Mash about 2 fingers of bananas, add 1 tablespoon of honey and cream. Mix thoroughly and apply to hair. Then wrap hair in a warm shower cap. Leave for about an hour before shampooing.
- Rubbing the insides of a banana peel on a burn, helps the pain go away and keeps it from getting infected.
How to grow a banana tree.
Banana trees are very easy to grow. They thrive in humid, tropical locales. They can be propagated with the use of its suckers or the whole fruit. One advantage of the banana tree is that its suckers can survive harsh weather conditions over a long period of time. Sometimes, they may appear to have died off, but later revive when there is little trace of water. They are perennial plants and self sustaining. By this I mean, planting 10suckers this year might give you over 50suckers in 2 years time.
For an elaborate explanation on how to grow a banana tree, click here
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