Ten Things You Might Not Know About Bananas

My family and I are bananas about bananas! We can't keep them in the house. We probably go through several bunches of bananas every single week.

So simple, yet versatile. So undervalued, yet packed full of nutrition. It should come as no surprise then, that bananas are always our first choice when we're suffering from a "snack attack".

I could write an ode to my love of bananas, instead here's a list of ten things you just might not know about an often under-appreciated fruit.

1.) Botanically, a banana is a berry.

2.) The mineral Manganese - which is essential for bone formation, body growth, normal metabolism activity, and many essential enzymes, is found in bananas.

3.) The protein found in a banana, is made up of 18 amino-acids, including all the essential ones your body cannot make in sufficient quantity, or fails to make at all.

4.) Since bananas are rich in potassium, they can aid in reducing hypertension.

5.) Bananas have five-sided cross sections.

6.) There are a hundred or more varieties of bananas!

7.) During the post-World War II era, bananas were an occasional luxury.

8.) Bananas have been cultivated in the Canary Island for centuries. Spanish colonizers took them to the Caribbean shortly after the discovery of America.

9.) Migraine headaches are caused by the swelling of the blood vessels in the head. Certain foods contain chemicals that can contribute to this problem. Bananas are one of these foods.

10.) Bananas are a great natural remedy for both diarrhea and constipation!

Who'd thought, that under the simple peel of a banana, lay so much richness and depth.