Food and Nutrition
Goin' Bananas
By
Aug 17, 2008 - 5:03:07 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Bananas are an inexpensive, readily available, favorite fruit that requires no refrigeration and comes packaged in its own handy wrapper. But, before the early 1900’s, the average American had never eaten a banana, considered an exotic, expensive fruit. Introduced into the US at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition, each banana sold for 10 cents, a hefty price for the time.

Today, Americans eat more than 25 pounds of bananas per person per year. They are a staple fruit found in most kitchens with 96% of households purchasing bananas at least once a month. Bananas are most commonly eaten fresh or as a topping on cereal, but in the early 1900s an advertisement showed a bowl of sliced bananas with a small amount of cereal sprinkled on top, minus the milk. Trends in eating bananas have changed along with the price. Currently bananas are one of our least expensive fresh fruits, available year round.

Bananas grew in popularity in the US at the same time that discoveries were being made about calories, vitamins, and bacteria. The American Medical Association recommended bananas as a healthy food for the general public in 1931 because they came in a “germ proof” wrapper. They were promoted for the treatment of diarrhea, ulcers, tuberculosis, diabetes, obesity, malnutrition, infertility, scurvy and gout. Though not a magic cure-all as once believed bananas are a nutrition powerhouse.

A dwarf or midget banana has only 72 calories, compared to a medium banana with 105, or an extra large with 135 calories. Containing only a trace of fat and sodium, and no cholesterol, a medium banana is a rich source of complex carbs and a good source of fiber, vitamin C, B­6 and potassium. Athletes call bananas potassium sticks, a quick post-exercise snack used to replenish potassium and simple sugars after an event.

Foods rich in potassium, like bananas, have been credited with many health benefits: lowering blood pressure, promoting bone health, preserving muscle mass in older adults, and contributing to a healthy heart. An old wives tale that claims women who eat more bananas during pregnancy are more likely to have sons may actually be based in fact. Research has shown that women who eat 300 milligrams more potassium daily (a medium banana has over 400 milligrams) are more likely to have boys.

Bananas are an excellent source of prebiotic fiber and green bananas are rich in resistant starch. Foods high in prebiotic fiber provide nourishment for the natural bacteria that live in your digestive tract. These dietary hitch-hikers have been with you since birth and help to strengthen you immune system and maintain your health from the inside out. Resistant starch, found in unripe bananas helps to curb your appetite and blocks the conversion of some carbohydrates into fuel. This forces the body to burn more fat. Research suggests that eating foods
with resistant starch could aid in weight lose. Eating a slightly greenish banana at breakfast could help you burn more fat all morning.

And, if all this doesn’t convince you eat more bananas, you should know that bananas boost iron absorption, a nutrient many women and teenage girls fall short of. The natural prebiotic fiber and vitamin C in bananas helps to boost the iron absorbed from other foods eaten at the same meal.

A little banana trivia:
It’s believed bananas originated in the Southeast Asia and were brought to the New World by Spanish explorers
All bananas are imported; commercial banana plantations on mainland US have never been successful
Three medium bananas equal 1 pound
Bananas ripen after harvesting; they lose their sweet taste and texture if they ripen on the plant
Bananas ripen best a room temperature; refrigerated the skin turns brown and the fruit doesn’t sweeten
The first banana split was made in the early 1900’s, but there is disagreement on whether it originated Pennsylvania or Ohio
Banana bread is credited to a Depression era housewife trying to earn extra cash baking at home
The Random House Historical Dictionary traces the phrase “going bananas” to the late 1960’s when university students believed that smoking banana peels could lead to hallucinations similar to LSD (sorry, not true).

© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 6 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007
The Compete Food Counter, 2nd Ed., 2006
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to www.TheNutritionExperts.com.

www.HealthNewsDigest.com












© Copyright by HealthNewsDigest.com