I have a friend who is allergic to bananas. When he first told me about this, I almost didn't believe it and found it quite amusing. But after expressing my surprise and amusement, I could tell by his face that he didn't seem to share my amusement about his allergies. It made me think about this interesting fruit that seem to be so abundant in every grocery market and in many households. I almost felt sad for him, and it made me more appreciative that I am able to enjoy this fun and abundant fruit.
Bananas are funny. They have a funny name, they have a funny appearance, and as abundant as they are in the US, I believe they are a tropical fruit that must be imported here. So why the trouble? Why spend the money and labor to import such a silly fruit? And why import so many? My belief is because bananas are grown so easily in tropical areas that they are cheap to harvest and cheap to sell. Bananas are also popular in many recipes, from fried bananas to banana extract for baking! But this silly fruit has a much more important element than just taste, bananas are best known for its source of potassium.
Potassium, according to the website ahealthyme.com, is a very critical mineral in our body. This mineral is important for maintaing fluid and electrolyte balance in the body. More importantly, potassium has a very important role in cell to cell interaction. It resets electron potential to enable cells to send nerve impules to each other. Potassium is important for your neurons (nerve cells), brain, heart, and blood pressure. So the question is, how much potassium does one need? The article states, "According to guidelines set by the Institute of Medicine in 2004, people should get at least 4,700 mg of potassium each day to lower blood pressure levels, reduce the effects of salt on blood pressure, lower the risk of kidney stones, and possibly decrease bone loss."
Ofcourse if you are allergic to bananas, you are not doomed. Fortunately bananas are not the only source of potassium. 1 cup of lima beans will satisfy 20% of your daily requirement for potassium. Whereas 1 medium banana will fulfill 9% of your daily requirement. So although, it doesn't contain the highest amount of potassium, bananas taste better than most other sources, and are much more versatile. Bananas can be used in smoothies, fruit salads, cereal, and even cake! So eat your bananas and get your potassium!
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