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The Miracle of the Modern Banana

And yet, there is one fruit that deserves the “the” moniker, because it’s a fruit like none other. It's the world's most consumed fruit and spans generations as food for both toothless babies and the toothless geriatric. It's soft, sweet, and easy to digest. It crosses historical eras, has been responsible for entire governments rising and falling, and has propped up beleaguered economies... Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World, explains how the banana found this unlikely stardom. He calls the fruit “one of the most intriguing organisms on earth” for a host of reasons. The banana’s parent plant isn’t a tree but an herb, and the fruit itself is a berry. The…

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 Bananas are at risk of extinction, but scientists have a plan

A fungus that can infect over 100 different plants is devastating the popular fruit.

Articles of Interest

Always grabbing a banana for breakfast? Here's a nutritionists take

Well, according to the experts, it's actually not one of the best grab-and-go breakfast options to eat first thing in the morning (despite your Mum telling you that it was back in the day). Sure, it may be the easiest piece of fruit to grab (bananas require no washing) but below, the pros explain why eating it on its own might actually mean a pretty hefty mid-morning slump.

Are Bananas Really Worth the Calories?

The coolest thing a banana can do, if you ask David Nieman, is to refuel your body as effectively as Gatorade for far less money (and food dye). In 2012, Nieman, professor of health science and director of the Appalachian State University Human Performance Laboratory at the North Carolina Research Campus, published a study in PLOS One testing bananas against Gatorade in athletes. (The study was sponsored by Dole Foods; Nieman says he receives no compensation from the company. “All I care about is the scientific truth,” he says.)

Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World

In this fascinating and surprising exploration of the banana’s history, cultural significance, and endangered future, award-winning journalist Dan Koeppel gives readers plenty of food for thought. Fast-paced and highly entertaining, Banana takes us from jungle to supermarket, from corporate boardrooms to kitchen tables around the world. We begin in the Garden of Eden...

Bananas vs. Sports Drinks? Bananas Win in Study

A banana might reasonably replace sports drinks for those of us who rely on carbohydrates to fuel exercise and speed recovery, according to a new study comparing the cellular effects of carbohydrates consumed during sports. It found that a banana, with its all-natural package, provides comparable or greater anti-inflammatory and other benefits for athletes than sports drinks. But there may be a downside, and it involves bloating.

Building A Better Banana

It is the world’s No. 1 fruit, now diseases threaten many varieties, prompting a search for new hybrids of the “smile of nature”

Doctors Once Thought Bananas Cured Celiac Disease. They Saved Kids' Lives — At A Cost

Haas arrived at his banana diet through an honest error — one that, unfortunately, had serious repercussions for people with celiac disease. In his 1924 paper, he wrote of a town in Puerto Rico where "dwellers who eat much bread suffer from [celiac] sprue while the farmers who live largely on bananas never."

Don't go bananas – but maybe eat one

On the screen, bananas are a menace. Just ask Charlie Chaplin, Bugs Bunny or anyone who's played Mario Kart. In your diet, though, bananas can be a boon. Experts have a bunch of reasons to like them and see only a few ways the elongated yellow fruit could cause your health to slip.

Fruit of the month: Bananas

Bananas are one of the most popular fruits in the United States, perhaps because they're affordable (about 58 cents per pound, on average) and available year-round. Among all fruits, bananas are one of best sources of potassium, with about 450 milligrams (mg) per banana. Healthy adults not on certain medications should aim for 4,700 mg of potassium daily, although few Americans meet this goal. A high potassium intake may help reduce high blood pressure and has also been linked to a lower risk of stroke and possibly heart disease.

How Healthy Is It To Eat A Banana Every Day? Experts Weigh In

Bananas are known for their many uses and benefits, from "brain food" to pre-workout fuel. The breakfast staple is an excellent addition to smoothies, hearty oatmeal, or, on its own, slathered in peanut butter. And, as a fruit with natural packaging, it's easy to carry on the go for a quick snack. We've all heard the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." For many, the versatile fruit is a regular part of the daily diet. But just how healthy is it to eat a banana every day?

How Healthy Is It to Eat a Banana Every Single Day?

Bananas sometimes get a bad rap for having lots of calories and carbs, but they're actually one of the best foods you can choose to eat — both for health and weight management. According to health experts, one banana a day provides your body with a lot of powerful nutrients, so go ahead and buy a bunch.

Imagining the Future of the Banana

Bananas are under attack. To keep eating them, you’ll need to keep an open mind. Bananas are different than most other fruits. There are hundreds of types of bananas, but many farmers grow just one kind. It's a large, sweet banana called the Cavendish. It's the one we see in supermarkets. All Cavendish bananas are clones. Clones all have the same genes. Genes are inside every plant and animal. They act like plans telling how something should grow.

Is It Bad to Eat a Banana Every Day? Dietitians Explain Pros and Cons

The short answer? No. In fact, “it is okay to consume a banana every day,” says Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, M.S., R.D.N., C.D.C.E.S. spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and founder of 360Girls&Women. “According to the CDC, only one in 10 Americans consume enough fruits and vegetables daily,” says Nichole Dandrea-Russert, M.S., R.D.N., dietitian at purelyplanted.com and author of The Fiber Effect. “Eating a banana daily can be an excellent way to incorporate essential nutrients from fruits into the diet.”

Is This the Poster Food for a Radiation Menace?

“Bananas are radioactive,” he went on soothingly. “Everything is radioactive, including the food we eat and, for many people in this country, the water we drink. There is a point at which we say there’s no more than Mother Nature out there.” Is there a point at which we say the urge to reassure people might get in the way of straight answers? A point at which, for instance, a reporter might think that if one more person brings up bananas, she herself will melt down, or, with all due respect, giggle.

Meet the 'super banana' – a vitamin-enriched upgrade that could save lives

A million African children die or go blind every year due to vitamin A deficiency – but a new genetically modified strain of banana might help put a stop to that.

Study links bananas, oats and yoghurt to greater diabetes risk in susceptible children

Wheat also raised risk of type 1 diabetes in study of Finnish children, while berries and some green vegetables lowered it

The 17 Best Foods High in Potassium (and How They Support Your Health)

Arguably the most well-known potassium-rich food, bananas are a top pick from both experts. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one medium-size banana contains 422 milligrams (mg) of potassium.

The Amazing Thing Bananas Can Do for Your Health (That You've Never Heard of)

Apples are great, but you might want to change your mantra to "a banana a day." Did you know that they can help with this major health issue...

The banana is one step closer to disappearing

A fungus that devastates banana plants has now arrived in Latin America, the Colombian government confirms.

The Surprising Science Behind the World's Most Popular Fruit

From tropical plantations to grocery aisles, getting a banana to market is a complex process—and a race against the clock.

The Vitamin G Guide to Bananas (Because We Looooove Them)

I've written a lot about bananas in the past few years. In a lot of ways, they're the perfect health food--sweet and luscious and soooo adaptable. It occurred to me that you may have missed some of my most delicious banana posts, so I'm going to share them with you here. Get ready for some serious banana love ...

There are more than 1,000 varieties of banana, and we eat one of them. Here’s why that’s absurd

The lack of diversity could mean the fruit’s extinction. It offers a stark warning of what could happen to other key foods.

This ‘super banana’ was designed to save lives. Will it matter that it’s orange?

Thousands of children die in Uganda every year from vitamin A deficiency. This groundbreaking—and vitamin-packed—genetically modified banana could change that.

We’re Nearing Peak Banana

Of all the astounding facts about bananas—that they’re actually a berry, that they contain trace amounts of radiation, that they’re the top-sold single item at Walmart—this one is my favorite: every banana consumed in the United States and Europe and most of Asia is a clone of an older banana, called the Cavendish that went into commercial production in the 1960s. The banana most of the world eats is a result not of the fruit’s magical characteristics but of humanity’s industrial food system. Its ubiquity is thanks to researchers who have optimized it to grow quickly and reliably and ship large distances with minimal damage.

When is a banana best to eat? The health benefits of each color — including which has the most antioxidants

But not all bananas are nutritionally equal. They go through seven stages of ripeness — from solid green to yellow with brown spots.

‘The Fruit Cure’ Review: The Temptation to Go Bananas

A website and its popular video influencers claimed that the ticket to good health was to eat fruit—lots of it. The message proved seductive.

Resources

The Nutrition Source

There’s a bit of confusion surrounding bananas. Some people consider this iconic golden fruit a healthy choice while others avoid it, after seeing it on Internet lists of “5 Worst Foods.” Unfavorable claims suggest that bananas cause weight gain and constipation.