Bella Adams
Banana is a fruit we are used to and eat regularly. Banana does not require heat treatment. It can be eaten dried, dried, and raw. Their flesh is juicy and sweet, and they can be used to make a large number of healthy and tasty dishes, salads, and pastries. Bananas are mostly eaten as a raw dessert and are used to make cakes, pastries, sweets, ice cream, jelly, marmalade, and other sweet dishes. In tropical countries, bananas are used to make a huge number of first and second courses. To do this, salt, pepper, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, onion, and other spices are used to cook the fruit in the peel and fry the peeled pulp.
The banana is the tallest plant in the world among herbs. It reaches 9 meters in height. The fruits grow in clusters and can include several dozen to hundreds of bananas. The flesh of the fruit is used for food and has shades of white, cream, yellow, or orange.
Bananas are native to Southeast Asia and the Malay archipelago. Bananas grow only in warm climates. Bananas are brought to us from warm countries, where they are cut green when they are not yet ripe. Currently, the largest banana exporters are India, China, Brazil, Egypt, and Thailand.
How to choose good bananas
When buying bananas, pay attention to the tail. It should be green, firm, and without signs of mold or rot. The part of the banana where the flesh is located should be free of damage and dark dents. This may indicate that the fruit has been bumped. This causes the flesh of the banana to darken. If the banana is firm, but there are small dark spots on the peel, this is not a sign of spoilage, but only a sign of overripe bananas.
The best way to store bananas
If you bought unripe bananas, you just need to leave them to lie down for 1-2 days at 20-22 ° C to make them sweet and tasty quickly. The ideal temperature for storing a banana is 13°C. That’s why the peel begins to darken quickly if they are stored in the general refrigerator section. But, despite this, the fruit inside will remain fresh and suitable for consumption and cooking.
Nutritional value and benefits of banana
100 g of raw bananas contain 89 kcal. It is a low-fat but nutritious product rich in carbohydrates. The calorie content of dried bananas is 346 kcal. A cooked banana has 116 kcal per 100 g of product. The calorie content of banana juice is relatively low – only 48 kcal per 100 g. In moderation, a banana will not harm your figure.
Bananas are rich in vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B9, A, PP, C, E). Bananas also contain macro- and microelements (calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, and zinc).
Bananas are high-energy foods that increase blood sugar levels very quickly. That’s why they provide energy for physical and mental exertion so quickly.
The introduction of this fruit into the diet helps in the treatment of kidney disease, liver disease, anemia, atherosclerosis, hypertension, depression, heartburn, swelling of the extremities, and constipation. This is due to the high content of potassium, iron, and zinc.
B vitamins have a positive effect on the nervous system: they have a calming effect and normalize sleep. When eating bananas, the level of serotonin in the blood increases, which helps to improve mood and makes a person feel happier. This is due to the breakdown of the protein tryptophan.
Bananas have antiseptic and astringent properties, so they should be consumed in case of inflammation of the mucous membranes of the stomach and mouth, enteritis, or stomach and intestinal ulcers (but not during the exacerbation period). Ripe bananas contain fructose, sucrose, and glucose, which are very quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, so it is recommended to eat only unripe fruits in case of diabetes.
Warnings about banana properties
Bananas can be unusual for the stomach and intestines of young children, so you should be careful with this delicacy, otherwise, it can end in bloating, colic, or even poisoning.
In addition to children, people with cardiovascular diseases should refrain from eating this fruit. It is especially dangerous to eat bananas for patients with thrombophlebitis, coronary artery disease, and in cases of increased blood clotting. This is due to the fact that this fruit promotes the excretion of fluid from the body, which causes blood to thicken and makes it possible for blood vessels to become blocked, which in turn can cause a blood clot. Such an effect on the body can significantly worsen the patient’s condition. In addition, banana is not recommended for people who have recently had a stroke or heart attack.
It is known that this fruit is rich in potassium, so excessive consumption can lead to hypervitaminosis of vitamin K, do not forget about it.
