Banana in Case It Goes Extinct

The original banana, known as Gros Michel, AKA Big Mike, went extinct in the 1950s. And now scientists warn that some of the surviving brands also face a new threat from the same pathogen that killed their cousin.

But there is hope. A study published Aug. 16 in the journal Nature Microbiology details how scientists have found the molecular mechanisms behind the microbe that destroyed several species in the 1950s. Scientists think the new treatments and strategies will be able to combat the pathogens that are working against the surviving lines of bananas today.

Let’s hope so. A bright yellow banana can bring back the warmth of a summer’s day and dish up some excellent nutrition beside.

A typical medium-size 8-inch banana delivers 100 to 120 calories and one gram of protein, including the amino acid tryptophane, which your body converts to the mood enhancer serotonin. Naturally, there’s dietary fiber: three grams, including the insoluble natural laxative cellulose and soluble anti-cholesterol pectins. As the banana matures, some fiber converts to as much as 15 grams simple sugars. Nonetheless, a banana has a low glycemic index, the measure of how fast a food causes your blood sugar to rise.

Vitamin-wise, one banana provides up to 13 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of C, plus a quarter of your daily requirement for B6 (pyridoxine) and 12 percent of the RDA for B9 (folate). Both of the last two play an important role in fetal brain development during pregnancy as well as adult immune-system health.

Minerals also matter, starting with as much as 28 percent of the daily allowance for potassium, which carries a small electrical charge that causes nerve cells to send signals that make your heart beat and your muscles contract, controlling your blood pressure and lowering your risk of stroke. Harvard scientists analyzed data from a major study of more than 50,000 male doctors in 2012 and found that those consuming an average of nine high-potassium foods a day had a risk of stroke nearly 40 percent lower than those who wimped along on fewer than four daily servings.

Given all this good stuff, about the only time you want to avoid bananas is when you are taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAO), the med used primarily to treat depression. MAOs put the kibosh on enzymes that enable the body to digest tyramine, an amino acid found in many aged or fermented foods, including rotten bananas. Tyramine constricts blood vessels, thus raising blood pressure, a result reported among folk who have eaten really, really over-ripe bananas (ugh!) or bananas stewed with the peel still on.

The color of a banana’s peel is a pretty good guide to what’s inside. A green or greenish-yellow peel says the banana is still mostly starch and rich in dietary fiber. As the fruit ripens and the peel yellows, fewer than 10 percent of its carbs may be starch; the rest are sweet sugars fructose, glucose, and sucrose.

Bananas ripen quickly, so it’s best to store them away from direct sunlight. On the other hand, if quick is what you want, put the bananas in a paper bag or store them close to other ripe fruit. Contrary to Chiquita Banana’s musical warning, bananas can be stored in the fridge or even frozen. The cold will darken the skin or the fruit inside, but it will also slow the conversion of starches to sugars without affecting the overall nutritional value.

As they ripen, bananas may develop dark spots on the peel. These do not necessarily indicate that the fruit has gone bad. In fact, bananas with small black spots are often sweeter and more flavorful than their unblemished counterparts. But spots inside, on the fruit itself, have a different message: “Toss this banana and go get an apple or peach or plum instead.”

PS: Seriously savvy cooks know that bananas can be used as a fat-free substitute for eggs, ¼ cup mashed fruit for each egg in structured foods such as cakes and pancakes. Check it out at https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/health-benefits-banana.

Let’s hope the banana is around for a long, long time.

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