Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red.
The banana plant is the largest herbaceous flowering plant. The plants are normally tall and fairly sturdy and are often mistaken for trees, but their main or upright stem is actually a pseudostem that grows 6 to 7.6 metres (20 to 24.9 ft) tall, growing from a corm. Each pseudostem can produce a single bunch of bananas. After fruiting, the pseudostem dies, but offshoots may develop from the base of the plant. Many varieties of bananas are perennial.
Nutrition Facts: Bananas are a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin C, potassium, dietary fiber, and manganese. It also contains serotonin or the substance of happiness, having an anti-stress role.
Parts Used: Fruit (unripe and ripe), flower, leaves, juice.
Medicinal actions and uses: Being rich in iron, the bananas stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood, thus helping in cases of anemia. Because of its high potassium, but low salt content, it is indicated for those having problems with arterial pressure.
Bananas are one of our best sources of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.
In addition to these cardiovascular benefits, the potassium found in bananas may also help to promote bone health.
