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Go bananas
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There is no disputing the goodness of bananas
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WHY DO Andre Agassi or Leander Paes have bananas during a game break? Why is the banana so popular among sportspersons? The healthy, high calorie fruit is one of Nature's ideal snacks. Bananas are conveniently and hygienically wrapped by Nature and easy to carry.
The banana is perhaps the cheapest and the most extensively eaten fruit. It is one of the first fruit plants cultivated by pre-historic man. Ancient Chinese and Vedic writing ascribe marvellous healing properties to the vegetable as well as the fruit. Its energy content makes it advantageous and filling staple through poorer in proteins as compared to cereals and pulses.
There are many varieties, each with a distinctive flavour and colour. Colour ranges from different shades of green, light to deep yellow and red. The green banana is put to mature; unripe fruit are made into curries and vegetable dishes. Sliced raw banana (plantain) fried in oil makes tasty wafers.
The fruit weighs about 150 gms and contains carbohydrates in the form of sucrose, fructose and glucose, which are readily digested. It supplies more calories than any other fresh fruit. Cholesterol and fat content is minimal in banana The fruit is a fair source of B vitamins and calcium. It contains appreciable amounts of many trace minerals as well as fibre. Apart from this, the fruit has many important acids, enzymes and physiologically important chemical compounds.
Banana is a good source of potassium, which is a vital mineral for muscle and nerve function. It also contains a high level of natural sugar in both fresh and dried form, which they release quickly into the blood stream.
This explains why many athletes especially tennis players often eat banana before and in between competition. 100 gm of banana provides 1.2 gm of protein, 0.3 gm of fat, 17 mg of calcium, 78 mcg of carotene, 88 mg of potassium, 27.2gm of carbohydrate, 0.4gms of fibre, and 116 kcal of energy.
A ripe banana rarely cause allergic reactions. Babies can digest it as early as in the third month. Because of all this, it is a popular solid food for babies. The fruit is good for treating stomach upsets in kids. BRAT diet comprising of banana, rice, apple, and toast, is used to treat children having diarrhoea.
The plantain or banana has an alkaline ash; therefore it has the ability to correct acidosis caused by acid forming diets. Therefore they may be used in the treatment of peptic ulcer. Stomach ulcer patients feel bananas are soothing food because of the blandness. The medicinal impact of banana and plantain on stomach ulcers claim that bananas stimulate cell and mucus production in the stomach lining.
MUMTAZ KHALID ISMAIL
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