Ingredient Information

Function

Bananas can be peeled and eaten fresh, fried, baked or dried. Bananas can be steamed or cooked within the peel which can soften and be consumed as well. They are incorporated in gelatins, salads, custards, baked goods, desserts, jams and pudding. Meat can be accompanied with bananas that are either baked or broiled with brown sugar or chopped peanuts as garnish.

In the islands of the South Pacific, unripe bananas are baked on hot stones or peeled and then sliced with or without coconut cream, wrapped in banana leaves and then baked in ovens. On the other hand, ripe bananas are mashed and mixed with coconut cream, flavored with citrus leaves and served as a thick, aromatic beverage.

Banana puree is a popular infant food. Commercially-produced puree is used in the manufacturing of ice cream, doughnuts, pie, cake, milkshakes and applesauce. Banana nectar is produced by adding a cellulose gum stabilizer to banana puree.

Vinegar can be made from banana rejects and beverages such as wine and beer are made from ripe ones in Africa. Its buds are used in the preparation of curries. In India, ash of the burned leaves is used as sault for seasoning food. Green plantains are ground finely and roasted. It is a substitute for coffee.

Other Use and Industries

Rejected ripe bananas are dried and fed to swine and cattle. In the Philippines, dehydrated green and yellow bananas may compose 14% of broiler meal.

Because the leaves are large, flexible and waterproof, they are often used as eco-friendly disposable food containers in both South and Southeast Asia. Steamed dishes are given a subtle sweet flavor when wrapped in banana leaves. During the rainy season in tropical countries, the leaves are commonly used as an umbrella or a raincoat. Leaves of the Fehi variety are used for packing, thatching and as cigarette wrappers. Woven into thin, transparent fabric, they are used as the principal material in making women’s blouses in the Philippines. Other uses of banana leaves include making soles for shoes, floor coverings, rope, handbags and table mats. The sap of the red banana is believed to be an aphrodisiac.

In Hinduism, the banana is a symbol of fertility and prosperity that is why it is placed at the doorsteps of the houses where marriages are taking place. A decoction of the leaves is used as body wash by women who have undergone childbirth. Paper can either be manufactured from its bark or stem.

Health Effects

PRO’s: 100 g of edible banana contains 22.84g of carbohydrates, 12.2g of sugar, 2.6g of dietary fiber, 1.09g of protein and 89 kilocalories. The micronutrients it has includes 0.073mg of riboflavin, 0.031mg of thiamine, 0.665mg of niacin and 0.334mg of pantothenic acid. In addition, it contains zinc, phosphorus, iron, potassium, manganese and calcium.
Traditionally, the corm is used as a remedy for jaundice and kidney stones. Its flowers are used for alleviating bronchitis, dysentery, ulcers and diabetes. Banana sap is gathered in cases of fever, hemorrhoids, insect stings and bites, epilepsy, diarrhea and hysteria. For burns and skin disease, the young leaves are utilized as poultice. Banana seed mucilage is taken against catarrh and diarrhea.
Antifungal and antibiotic compounds can be found in the peel and pulp.
Bananas are one of the fruits with the highest potassium content. Potassium is a mineral associated with a healthy blood pressure and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, potassium is linked to health bones.
The fruit taken with a number of other fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of colorectal cancer, breast cancer and renal cell carcinoma. It is recognized for its antacid effect capable of protecting the stomach lining from ulcer damage. For people who have difficulties in moving bowels, banana contains fiber which helps normalize movement through the digestive tract and ease constipation. On the contrary, those who are suffering from diarrhea can benefit from banana as it replenishes stored electrolytes in the body.
Regular intake of banana promotes good eyesight. Other ailments it can cure include:
• Depression
• Anemia
• Morning Sickness
• Side-effects of withdrawal from smoking
• Warts
• Colitis
CON’s: Individuals who have latex-fruit allergy syndrome should avoid eating banana and other fruits that contains chitinases. Cooking is also advisable to deactivate the enzymes that cause the allergy.

Origins

To thrive, banana trees should be planted in rich, well-draining soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. It does not tolerate salty soil. Regular watering is necessary during warm weather. Spreading mulch over the topsoil is also advisable to keep the shallow roots protected. Excess shoots should be removed to channel the plant’s fruiting to the main stalk.

Banana stalks usually form in late summer. The fruits must be plump but still green in color before they are harvested off the stalk.
Outside the tropics, bananas have a few pests and diseases. By far, the most threatening disease is root rot caused by cold wet soil. Gophers sometimes knock the plant over while snails and earwigs crawl up to obtain water from the plant.
In other parts of the world, nematodes are a major problem. In fact, 22 known species are plaguing in Puerto Rico. Here are some examples:
• Scutellonema brachyurum
• Helicotylenchus multicinctus and H. nannus
• banana root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus coffaea) syn. (P. musicola)
• burrowing nematode (Radopholus similis)
• root-knot nematode (Meliodogyne javanica)
• Pratylenchus coffaea
• Meliodogyne incognita
• Helicotylenchus spp., especially H. multicinctus
Other pests that may cause serious harm to the tree include:
• black weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus)
• banana rust thrips (Chaetanophothrips orchidii) syn. (C. signipennis)
• banana fruit scarring beetle (Colaspis hypochlora)
• banana scab moth (Nacoleia octasema)
• banana flowers thrips (Thrips florum)
• banana spider mite (Tetranychus lambi )
• banana silvering thrips (Hercinothrips bicintus)
• rind-chewing caterpillar (Barnardiella sciaphila)
• two species of fruit fly—(Strumeta tryoni) and (S. musae)
Diseases:
• Sigatoka, or leaf spot caused by the fungus Mycosphaerella musicola
• Black Sigatoka, or Black Leaf Streak caused by Mycosphaerella fifiensis var. difformis
• Panama Disease or Banana Wilt, which arises from infection by the fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense
• Moko Disease, or Moko de Guineo, or Marchites bacteriana is caused by the bacterium, Pseudomonas solanacearum
• Black-end arises from infection by the fungus Gloeosporium musarum of which Glomerella cingulata
• Cigar-tip rot, or Cigar-end disease, Stachylidium ( Verticillium)
• Cordana leaf spot (Cordana musae)
• Bunchy top (an aphid-transmitted virus disease)