Sent as a feature article"Fruit eaters".
This is the 10th serialization. Today's topic is bananas, a tropical fruit. We will also focus on bananas that are produced in Japan and can be eaten with the skin.
 
 
About 300 BC, the center of the world was the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia. The Macedonian kingdom was ruled by Alexander the Great, who is said to be descended from Heracles and Achilles.
 
At the age of 20, Alexander the Great, who inherited a mighty kingdom and army, embarked on an expedition to the east. After conquering the Persian Empire, he invaded India, aiming for the ends of the world. At this time, bananas were discovered in the upper reaches of the Indus River in India.
 
Bananas are said to have originated in tropical Asia near Malaysia, including Southeast Asia, and spread westward to India. Bananas are said to have spread to Africa after Alexander the Great, who had conquered Egypt and held the position of Pharaoh, brought bananas back to Egypt.
 
It grew well in tropical rainforests, and because it required less labor and yielded more than yams, which had been the staple food in Africa until then, it spread as a staple food in the tropical rainforests of Africa. As a result, the food supply became stable and the population increased, leading to the development of the culture and civilization of the region.
 
Nowadays, there is an image that a lot of bananas are produced in the Philippines and Taiwan, but there are two types of bananas, one suitable for eating raw and the other suitable for cooking. Cooking bananas are also a staple food in East and Central Africa, accounting for nearly 25% of global production.
 
As a feature of bananas, the flowers are surprisingly large. However, at first glance, what looks like a large flower is a bract, which is a deformed leaf, with 10 to 20 fingers, which are real flowers, which grow into edible parts. .
 
Because it is cheap and easy to eat in Japan, it is the most consumed fruit in Japan. Most of the consumption is imported from overseas because it can only be cultivated in tropical regions. However, by applying a special treatment to the seeds called the "freeze-thaw awakening method", it seems that it can be cultivated even in cool seasons and regions in Japan.
 
Nutrients are rich in the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is synthesized in the body into a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which is said to have a calming effect on the nerves and promote sleep.
 
In addition, it is said to contain the highest amount of oligosaccharides among fruits. Oligosaccharides, along with dietary fiber, serve as food for Bifidobacterium, which works to improve the intestinal environment, and by increasing Bifidobacteria, it can be expected to support the improvement of the intestinal environment.
 
About 70% of the immune cells are in the intestine, so it is said that improving the intestinal environment will lead to an improvement in immunity.
 
Oligosaccharides are produced when starch is broken down by enzymes, and the enzymes become active when heated to 40-50°C. In other words, baking bananas or heating them in the microwave increases oligosaccharides, so it is recommended.
 
Alternatively, it can be said that it is good for the intestines to eat it by mixing it with yogurt containing bifidobacteria.
 
Also, black spots on the skin of bananas are called "sugar spots", which are said to be proof that ripening has progressed. Cytokines, a type of protein, increase during ripening.
 
Cytokines are said to activate the functions of "natural killer cells" and "helper T cells", which are immune cells in the body, and are expected to improve immunity.
 
And the feature of domestically produced bananas by the "freeze-thaw awakening method" is that you can eat the whole skin. The skin is also rich in tryptophan, polyphenols, folic acid, and B vitamins, making it highly nutritious.
 
Banana diseases are caused by pests and bacteria in the tropics, and domestic bananas, which can be grown without the use of pesticides, are safe to eat with the skin.
 
In order to improve immunity from the intestinal environment as well as nutrition, why not try incorporating bananas into your daily food routine again?
 

Do Bananas Contain Vitamin C?

Banana contains about 360mg of potassium, about 32mg of magnesium, and about 16mg of vitamin C per 100g.

[edit postscript]

Bananas are imported green and unripe, but they don't last as long. Wrapping the bunches with vinyl will prevent the release of ethylene gas from the bunches of bananas, preventing them from ripening and making them last longer. Please try it. (Some supermarkets have already wrapped the tufts in vinyl.)