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Bananas are one of the most distinct fruits of the berry family.
Used for sweet and savory dishes through different cuisines,
the Musa sapientum also features as one of Andy Warhol’s most famous subjects.
On average, each American consumes 27 pounds of bananas per year.
It is the 4th most popular agricultural product in the world.
Clearly, bananas aren’t just a monkey’s fruit of choice.
Aside from being a go-to workout snack and a universally annoying Mario Kart obstacle,
what else is there to know about bananas?
Watch on to find out.
Eating bananas can lower the risk of stroke and heart attacks.
The high potassium content in bananas helps regulate blood pressure and maintain healthy circulation
through preventing fatal clotting and the narrowing of arteries.
Bananas have been used as punishment.
When a thief from Mumbai once stole a golden chain, he was forced by the police to eat 48 bananas in one go.
This strange punishment was done to extract the gold chain from his stomach as soon as possible.
Since bananas are rich in potassium and fiber, it functions as a natural diuretic.
Keep that in mind the next time you experience bowel difficulties.
In China, it’s illegal to eat a banana seductively on a livestream.
This law was passed so that the underaged women in China wouldn’t attract older male audiences.
The Chinese government deems such acts harmful to the country’s social morality.
You can ripen bananas overnight.
If bananas are too green to eat, you can place them inside a paper bag along with an apple or tomato.
This will cause the bananas ripening process to speed up overnight.
Apples and tomatoes are recommended,
since they release more ethylene which is the chemical that makes fruits ripen.
There is a world record for the fastest banana in a marathon.
On April 24, 2016, Andrew Lawrence made history at the Virgin Money London Marathon as Banana man.
Lawrence completed a 26-mile marathon in 2 hours and 47 minutes dressed up as a banana.
Banana fruits are naturally radioactive.
Due to a composition of potassium and potassium decays, bananas are radioactive.
However, you would only die of radiation poisoning if you manage to eat 10 million bananas at once.
You may also experience chronic symptoms if you eat 274 bananas every day for 7 years straight.
It’s possible to peel and eat almost 10 bananas per minute.
Patrick Bertoletti broke the world record for eating the most number of bananas in one minute
when he devoured 8 bananas in one sitting.
This was achieved on January 14, 2012 at Sierra Studios, Illinois, USA.
Bananas were the first-ever cultivated fruit.
The first written record of bananas were in historic texts from 600 BC.
According to these texts, Alexander the Great first tasted bananas in 327 BC.
The first bananas were grown in Southeast Asia.
According to archaeological evidence,
the cultivation of bananas dates back as far as 8000 BC in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.
Bananas are the only fruit linked to serotonin production.
Serotonin is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that sends messages to the brain between neurons.
Low serotonin levels are often associated with depression.
Bananas are often recommended to stimulate serotonin, since they are rich in Vitamin B6,
a prime component of serotonin.
People who are allergic to latex tend to be allergic to bananas as well.
Banana allergies are often connected to Latex allergies because of the similar proteins found in rubber trees.
The term used for this phenomenon is called latex-food syndrome or latex-fruit allergy.
While few people are born with this particular allergy, it can be developed later on in life.
The inside of a banana peel can help soothe a bug bite.
The natural oils found in banana skin contains a chemical that can help alleviate irritation
from mosquito bites and poison ivy.
Simply rub the banana peel flesh-down on the irritated area and wait for it to take effect.
Bananas are also known to treat headaches and hickeys.
Bananas float on water.
Since bananas are 75% water, they are less dense than a body of water.
Fruits such as watermelons, oranges, and apples can also float on water
due to the amount of air pockets inside them.
Humans share about 50% of their genes with bananas.
By sequencing the entire genome of various organisms,
researchers have discovered similarities in their base material.
Overall, a human shares 1% of their DNA with a banana.
Putting bananas in a fridge can slow down the ripening process.
Placing bananas in the fridge or ice box will keep it from ripening too fast.
The cold temperature slows down the chemical reaction that ripens the fruit.
This will also blacken the banana peel, but it won’t affect its freshness.
Bananas are best eaten ripe at room temperature.
These vitamins and minerals can help prevent medical issues and any instances of organ failure.
Ripe bananas at room temperature are believed to give the highest amounts of benefits.
Portuguese sailors brought bananas from West Africa and introduced them to Americans in the 16th century.
Its original Guinean name was banema, which was later translated to banana in English.
Bananas have no fat content.
Bananas have a total of 89 calories per 100 grams (3.5 oz).
Apart from the many vitamins and minerals it contains,
bananas are also a good source of nutrition for those on a diet.
This fruit is one of the few with the lowest calorie and sodium counts.
Bananas can be used to make ketchup.
When the US introduced ketchup to the Philippines,
Maria Orosa decided to create a similar product using local crops.
Bananas were mixed with red dye to create banana ketchup.
This became a popular choice among Filipinos
since their palates commonly prefer sweeter flavors compared to their American colonizers.
You probably never expected these things about bananas, but it’s always good to know what you eat.
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