A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus Musa. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguishing them from dessert bananas. The fruit is variable in size, color, and firmness, but is usually elongated and curved, with soft flesh rich in starch covered with a rind, which may be green, yellow, red, purple, or brown when ripe. The fruits grow in clusters hanging from the top of the plant. Almost all modern edible seedless (parthenocarp) bananas come from two wild species – Musa acuminata and Musa balbisiana.

Nutrition

Raw bananas (not including the peel) are 75% water, 23% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contain negligible fat. A 100-gram reference serving supplies 89 Calories, 31% of the US recommended Daily Value (DV) of vitamin B₆, and moderate amounts of vitamin C, manganese and dietary fiber, with no other micronutrients in significant content (see table).

Ripe dessert bananas are soft, bland, and easily digestible, making them ideal for those with gastrointestinal distress. Therefore, bananas are part of the BRAT diet.

Potassium

Although bananas are commonly thought to contain exceptional potassium content, their actual potassium content is not high per typical food serving, having only 8% of the US recommended Daily Value for potassium (considered a low level of the DV, see nutrition table), and their potassium-content ranking among fruits, vegetables, legumes, and many other foods is relatively moderate. Foods with higher potassium content than raw dessert bananas (326 mg per 100 g) include ground flaxseed (793 mg per 100 g), dry-roasted almonds (684 mg per 100 g), peanut butter (654 mg per 100 g), raw baby spinach (582 mg per 100 g), white button mushrooms (393 mg per 100 g), and whole grain oats (350 mg per 100 g). Raw yellow plantains contain 487 mg potassium per 100 g. Dehydrated dessert bananas (banana powder) contain 1490 mg potassium per 100 g.

1. Help with Anemia: Bananas are relatively high in iron, which helps the body’s hemoglobin function.

2. Can Regulate Blood Pressure: Bananas are extremely high in potassium yet very low in sodium which is the perfect ratio for preventing high blood pressure.

3. Reduce Heartburn: A natural antacid effect exists within bananas so try eating one for soothing relief of heartburn.

4. Help Smokers Kick the Habit: They contain Vitamins B6 and B12 in addition to potassium and magnesium; these substances help the body recover from nicotine withdrawal symptoms.

5. Soothe Mosquito Bites: Rubbing the inside of a banana peel on a mosquito bite is effective in reducing itching and swelling.

6. Provide Stress Relief: They are high in potassium which helps normalize the heart beat and regulate the body’s water balance.

• The banana plant is not a tree. It is actually the world’s largest herb!

• Americans have made bananas their favorite fruit. The average person in North America eats 29 pounds of bananas a year.

• Nearly an ideal food, the banana has a great deal to offer nutritionally.

• Bananas contain less water than most other fruits, so their carbohydrate content, by weight, is higher, which is one of the reasons that bananas are a favorite of endurance athletes.

• Athletes trying to naturally replace spent nutrients should consider eating a few bananas before, and after strenuous workouts.