National Banana Lovers’ Day
National Banana Lovers’ Day
Peel open a ripe one and enjoy National Banana Lovers’ Day on August 27th. Full of beneficial nutrients like potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, and vitamin C, the high-fiber fruit can help prevent ulcers, reduce high blood pressure, and even prevent certain types of cancer.
Bananas are the world’s most popular fruit with the average person eating around 100 bananas every year. Despite the appearance and name, banana trees are not trees at all but large plants of the Musa family.
As with many other plants, banana trees can be propagated; in fact, they must be since the banana fruit does not produce viable seeds. Because of this, all banana trees cultivated for commercial production are genetically identical making bananas a monoculture.
The bananas you get from the grocery store today are all Cavendish bananas, but previously, the banana of choice had been the Gros Michel. However, the Gros Michel was wiped out by disease in the 1950s and has since served as a ghostly reminder of the dangers of monoculture crops and the importance of biodiversity.
So whether you have yours with ice cream, cereal, or just on its own, be sure to savor this powerful fruit on August 27th for National Banana Lovers’ Day.
