KEEP CALM AND GO BANANAS Bananas are a delicious and nutritious fruit, and they enjoy worldwide popularity. They belong to the Musaceae family of plants. Bananas rank as the fifth most cultivated fruit in world trade across nearly 130 countries, primarily in the tropical and subtropical regions of Southeast Asia. Bananas are a healthy source of potassium, fibre, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and several antioxidants and phytonutrients. There are many different sizes and types of bananas, typically ranging in colour from green to yellow; sometimes yellow turns black, although some varieties are red. TYPES OF BANANA There are over 1,000 varieties of bananas grown in 135 countries worldwide. We can categorise bananas into two groups: cooking bananas and dessert bananas. 1. CAVENDISH BANANA The Cavendish bananas are easily available in American grocery stores. It has a mild sweet taste and a smooth, creamy feel. It ripens in stages from green to yellow, often developing brown spots. Cavendish bananas, grown widely in Central America, are vital to the economy. 2. PISANG RAJA The name comes from Malaysia and India. In Malai language, banana is called Pisang, and in Indian language, Raja means king. Its English name is Latundan banana. These bananas are very popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, and Pakistan. They are in yellow and orange colors. They taste like honey-flavoured flan, with a hint of citrus. These are smaller than cavandish bananas but very delicious and have a creamy, smooth texture. 3. LADYFINGER BANANA Lady Finger bananas are widely available in grocery stores in Australia, Taiwan, and Indonesia. People call them baby bananas or ladyfingers because they are about three inches long. These are smaller and sweeter than Cavendish bananas. They are naturally sweet and have a great taste with a hint of honey and a creamy feel. 4. RED BANANA Red bananas are very common in Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. They are also known as Red Dacca bananas. Researchers most often find them in the region of Southeast Asia. They have reddish-purple skin and light pink flesh. People have used them for religious festivals because of their unique red color. They taste super delicious. They are soft and sweet, and slightly tastes like strawberry or pear. They are high in vitamin C and B6, to increase blood cells, make antibodies, and boost your immunity system. 5. BLUE JAVA BANANA Farmers grow Blue Java bananas in warm, sunny, and humid regions like Fiji. The Philippines, and South Asia. They are often called ice cream bananas and have a sweet vanilla flavour and a creamy texture. They have a unique blue peel and white flesh. You can eat them fresh and cook. These bananas are quite hardy. They can grow in colder weather and can resist cold and humid weather. They can grow in low temperatures as low as -7 degrees Celsius. 6. MANZANO BANANA Manzano bananas are sweeter than Cavendish bananas and taste like a mix of apple and strawberry. It is cultivated in South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Manzano bananas have yellow skin that turns dark yellow and further black when they are fully ripe, and they are short and thick in size. 7. GOLDFINGER BANANA The Goldfinger banana was first developed in Honduras. Scientists made it more resistant to pests. You can cook it while it is green, and you can eat it raw when it is completely ripe. The Cavendish banana resembles it. Scientists want to replace the more disease-prone variety with it. 8. BARANGAN BANANA Barangan bananas are from Mylasia. They are famous for their delicious taste. They are a sweet type of banana with a mild flavour with a touch of orange. They are yellow with small dots on their skin and are seedless. Barangan banana enriched with vitamin B, vitamin C, fibre, iron, and other nutrients. The majority enjoy them as a dessert in many tropical regions. NUTRITION FACTS A medium-sized banana (100 grams) has these nutrition facts: calories 89, carbs 23 g, fibre 2.6 g, sugar 12 g, protein 1.1 g, fat 0.3 g, potassium 358 mg, vitamin C 8.7 mg, and vitamin B6 0.4 mg. CARBOHYDRATES Bananas are an excellent source of carbohydrates. One hundred grams of medium bananas have about 24 grams of carbs. Unripe bananas have these carbs, while ripe bananas have more sugars. When bananas are green, they can have as much as 80% starch. As they ripen, this starch turns into sugars, and when they reach complete ripeness, the starch is less than 1%. The main sugars in ripe bananas are sucrose, fructose, and glucose. They contain 16% sugar in fresh form. Bananas also have a low glycaemic index (GI) of 42–58, which varies depending on how ripe they are. The GI demonstrates how rapidly carbohydrates from food can raise your blood sugar. The high amounts of resistant starch and fibre in bananas help keep their GI low. FIBRE Unripe bananas contain a lot of resistant starch, which your body does not digest. Instead, it goes into your large intestine, where bacteria turn it into butyrate, a fatty acid that can help your gut health. Bananas also have other types of fibre, like pectin. Some pectin is water-soluble, and as bananas ripen, the amount of this pectin increases, making them softer. Both pectin and resistant starch help keep your blood sugar from rising too quickly after you eat. VITAMINS AND MINERALS Banana are a great source of several vitamins and minerals, especially potassium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C. Potassium: Bananas are rich in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure, regulate the heartbeat, and help our nerves function and contract muscles. Potassium moves nutrients into the cell and moves the waste elements out of the cell. A diet rich in potassium subsides the harmful effects of sodium on blood pressure. • Vitamin B6: They are also high in vitamin B6. A medium-sized banana can have up to 34% of the daily need for one person. • Vitamin C: Bananas are a good source of vitamin
