"Banana" Just forget about the jokes for sometime

Hello readers; leaving aside the lot of jokes about banana lets consider the usefulness of this fruit. I have seen lot of people who don't eat it just because of it's shape. They feel embarassed by eating it in front of other people. But if you read this article you will know that it has lot of benefits.

Bananas do not come from trees, but from large plants that are giant herbs related to the lily and orchid family. The bunches of 50 to 150 bananas in which they grow are known as "hands."

Bananas originated in Maylasia about 4,000 years ago. They had a long route to traverse from there to the U.S., where they were not sold until the latter part of the 1800s. From Maylasia, they spread throughout the Philippines and India. Arabian traders introduced them to Africa. Portuguese explorers discovered them there in 1482 and took them to the Americas. Today, the main commercial producers are Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil and most of the African countries like Nigeria.

Bananas grow in most tropical and subtropical regions. There are more than 300 varieties of bananas. They are the fourth most important staple food in the developing world. The annual global production is some 86 million tons. They are the most popular fruit in the U.S., and the average American eats 25 lbs. of bananas per year.

Whether or not you like the taste and texture of bananas (some people dislike the latter), there is no denying that they are nutritious, as well as handy to eat, coming as they do in their own natural, biodegradable "wrapper." They are high in Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and magnesium, but free of sodium and cholesterol. They are almost fat free, and relatively low in calories. Depending on its size, a banana has only about 90 to110 calories. They contain high-grade protein and three of the essential amino acids. Bananas and milk supplement each other very well.

Bananas make excellent snacks for both adults and children. They are a great source of instant energy, either before your workout or after it. Due to their potassium, they help muscles contract properly during exercise and reduce cramps. Because of their sweet taste, they can substitute for sweets and help satisfy sugar cravings. Yet they are fairly low on the glycemic index, between 30 and 60, based on their stage of ripeness.

A less ripe banana - yellow but with no brown speckles - provides longer lasting energy than do most sweet foods. But after strenuous exercise, when muscle energy is depleted, a ripe banana - one with numerous brown speckles on the skin - can deliver very quick energy. Extremely ripe, mainly brown bananas are not "bad," so don't throw them out. They are very good for baking into muffins, banana bread, and the like. The overall nutritional content of the banana is not significantly altered by its stage of ripeness. When you buy bananas, make sure that both the stems and the tips are intact.

Ripe bananas can also help boost mood and help promote sleep, due to the serotonin and tryptophan that they contain. However, it is probably too strong a statement to say that they can relieve true depression.

Very few people are allergic to bananas, and they are often the first solid food given to babies, who tend to love them. They make a healthful way to help supply the energy needs of growing, active children.

Less ripe bananas help relieve constipation. Riper bananas help relieve diarrhea. Bananas are easy to digest. They are a very good source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes the friendly probiotic bacteria in the colon. These friendly bacteria help improve our ability to absorb nutrients such as calcium.

In most people, bananas have an antacid effect, and can help protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage. They do this in two ways. They help activate the cells that compose the stomach lining, and the protease inhibitors in bananas help eliminate bacteria that have been pinpointed as a primary cause of stomach ulcers.

People who are allergic to latex may also be allergic to avocados, bananas, and chestnuts. Fruit processed with ethylene gas might be especially troublesome. Therefore, if you know you are allergic to latex but want to try bananas, buy organic ones not treated with gas.