Bananas galore

Islamabad : Readers must have noticed that bananas are available in plenty these days and have been for some time. Not only is it wonderful that they are available, they are also inexpensive - Rs80 for very good ones, while the average price is Rs50 a dozen going down to Rs50 for two dozen late in the evening before the vendors call it a day. They are available in fruit and vegetable shops; in Suzuki vans and of course the hand carts.

So where do these bananas come from? Asking the vendors gets you a different response from each of them. Some say they are grown in the southern parts of the country and there has been a bumper crop; some say they are coming from across the border either from India or Afghanistan, while yet others say they are from China.

The bananas are mostly good though some are raw when peeled making you suspect that they have been ‘ripened’ with a chemical process as reported on a news channel some time back because some look good from outside but turn out blackish when peeled making you think this must be true.

But on the whole they are okay – you just have to be vigilant when buying to see what the vendor has shown you is the same bunch he’s putting in the bag! And here’s a good tip to keep them fresh longer: wrap the stems in foil – it stops the bananas from becoming overripe.

According to information available bananas are a significant source of several vitamins and minerals, especially potassium, vitamins B6 and C as well as potassium. A diet high in potassium can lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure and has positive effects on cardiovascular health.

Other minerals like manganese and magnesium are also to be found in this fruit along with dietary fiber and protein, so overall they are an incredibly healthy food but they are unsuitable on a low-carb diet and may cause problems for some diabetics. And on the lighter side, you may have heard the phrase, ‘going bananas.’

It is believed that the term evolved from the idiom ‘going ape,’ which also means to go crazy, to explode with anger or to erupt with enthusiasm. Similar idioms with the same meaning include 'go bananas', 'driving me bananas,’ which come from the fact that monkey’s go crazy over bananas!