Bananas

are one of the most nourishing fruits known to man, and have been a life giving food in the tropics since ancient times. As a result, many different cultures have tales about its origins and uses. According to the Burmese, when man was created, he looked and looked for good food for himself and his children. He came upon a beautiful, tall green tree with many fruits, being busily devoured by birds. Seeing the birds eating the fruits, he knew that they must not be poisonous, so he shooed the creatures away and took the bananas to feed his family. Ever since, the Burmese have eaten the fruits of the banana, which they call hnget pyaw, "the birds told." The Hawaiians, also fans of the fruit, which they call mai`a, tell a story that the brother of the goddess Pele brought the banana in his canoe to Hawaii from Tahiti. They also believe mai`a to be the body of Kanaloa, their god of healing.

The banana plant grows 10 to 26 feet and belongs to the same family as the lily and the orchid, and are thought to have originated in Malaysia around 4,000 years ago. From there, they spread throughout the Philippines and India, where they were recorded growing by Alexander the Great’s army in 327 B.C. They were introduced to Africa by Arabian traders and discovered there in 1482 A.D. by Portuguese explorers who took them to the Americas, the place where the majority of bananas are now produced. Bananas were not brought to the United States for sale in markets until the latter part of the 19th century.

Bananas can replenish your stores of potassium, one of the most important electrolytes, which helps regulate heart function as well as fluid balance. Potassium is an esssential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and has long been recognized for it’s antacid effects that protect against stomach ulcers and ulcer damage.

In addition, bananas are a good source of pectin, a soluble fiber that absorbs fluid, thus helping to normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation. In bananas, pectin is combined with a good supply of starch, supplying complex carbohydrate for slow-burning energy.

Enjoying bananas frequently as part of your healthy way of eating can help improve your body's ability to absorb calcium and other nutrients. Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms. When fructooligosaccharides are fermented by these friendly bacteria, not only do numbers of probiotic bacteria increase, but so does the body's ability to absorb calcium. In addition, gastrointestinal transit time is lessened, decreasing the risk of colon cancer.

Eat at least one banana a day, they are said to contain everything a human needs and they contain all 8 amino-acids our body cannot produce itself. Three or more servings of fruit per day, including bananas, may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily. Frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially bananas, cabbage and root vegetables, may reduce risk of kidney cancer. This is because bananas and many root vegetables contain especially high amounts of antioxidant phenolic compounds.

significant nutritional content:

vitamins B6, C, potassium, fiber, manganese, pectin, amino acids, prebiotics, cardiovascular protection, soothes ulcers, good for colon, bones, kidneys, and long-term energy

FRUITS

Apples
Bananas
Coconut
Mango
Oranges
Peaches
Strawberries

VEGETABLES

Beets
Carrots
Celery
Cucumber
Garlic
Ginger
Parsley
Spinach
Spirulina
Wheatgrass