Saturday, September 28, 2002
M A I N   F E A T U R E


A banana a day keeps brain stroke away
Shirish Joshi

ACCORDING to a study carried out by Dr Deborah M. Green, MD of the Neuroscience Institute at the Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, people with a low amount of potassium in their diet may have an increased risk of brain stroke.

People whose potassium intake is low are 1.5 times more likely to have a stroke than those whose potassium intake is high. According to Dr Green, a low potassium intake would mean consuming less than 2.4 gm potassium per day, while a high intake would be more than 4 gm per day.

Other studies have also shown that a low amount of potassium in the diet is associated with a greater risk of death from stroke.

Bananas are rich in potassium. Therefore, a banana a day can prevent the deficiency of potassium. Rich in vitamins A, C and B6, bananas also contain high levels of calcium and phosphorus. They are a rich source of nutrition with 16 per cent fibre, 15 per cent Vitamin C and 11 per cent potassium, we need every day.

A banana is low in calories and contains no fat or sodium. It has enough energy to keep us on our feet all day.

 


The Greeks call it musa and believe that this fruit has descended from Heaven. It is the Africans who gave it its present name. In India, the banana is referred to as kela, plantain or the ‘fruit of the wise men’. It is the only fruit that is harvested every day of the year.

Banana not only reduces the risk of high-blood pressure and stroke, but also serves as a good laxative.

Banana powder is added to baby cereals. Even diabetics can take it. You can begin feeding mashed banana even to a six-month-old infant. It can be served to children and adults in a variety of ways: by beating it into yogurt or milk, mixing it with other fruit and preparing chaat or fruit cream or combining it with ice cream.

Bananas can be stored on a hanger or hook to avoid ‘resting bruises’. Slightly unripe bananas can ripen at room temperature. To speed up the process, put the bunch in a paper bag and add a tomato. Bananas when kept in the refrigerator stay fresh and firm for a week. Peel off the skin just before it has to be consumed. Make the banana your daily companion. It comes in nature’s own wrapper and remains unadulterated. Just peel it for a wholesome healthy bite.

It is shaped to fit the human hand, with a non-slip surface. Its ripeness can be gauged by the colour of its skin — green, yellow and black. Its disposable wrapper has a tab at one end and perforated edges for easy peeling. In addition, the banana has a pointed end and curved shape for easy entry into the mouth. Is it not a creation of God?

The banana is the world’s fourth largest staple crop, one on which the livelihood of half a billion people depends. The sweet bananas that we know of only account for about 15 per cent of the 95 million tonnes of bananas grown annually. The vast bulk of the banana family is made up of the starchy bananas.

More than a popular snack, banana is the staple food of many African families.