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Bananas about bananas

Pre-reading
Which fruit is the healthiest? Rate each of these fruits from 1 to 10, according to how
healthy you think each is.

Reading text
1 An apple a day keeps the doctor away. In winter, the antioxidant vitamin C in
oranges and citrus fruits boosts the immune system. Grapes are high in nutrients;
vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, and K; and essential minerals. Pineapple is a natural healer
packed with vitamin C and bromelain, a potential anti-inflammatory. The list of
healthy, healing fruits goes on and on, but when it comes to health, popularity,
versatility, and overall usefulness, none can beat the banana.
History and cultivation
2 Bananas originated in Malaysia as early as 2000 BC, but the first banana
plantations were established in China around 200 AD. In the early 1500s, the
Portuguese and Spanish introduced bananas to the Caribbean and Americas. The
United Fruit Company, formed in 1899, was responsible for the commercialization
of Latin American bananas and controlled most of the trade in tropical fruit into the
mid-twentieth century. Nowadays, bananas are traded as a commodity. With the aid
of refrigerated transport, bananas have conquered the world.
3 According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, India is the
world’s top producer of bananas, with a total output of 21.7 metric tons in 2007. China is
second, with 8 metric tons. However, of the 130 countries that grow bananas, Mexico,
 Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and the Philippines are the major
commercial producers.
4 Bananas do not grow on a tree, as most people imagine, but on a sturdy plant that can
reach 6 to 7.6 meters high, with large leaves up to 0.6 meters wide and 2.75 meters long.
In fact, the banana plant, Musa acuminata, is the world’s largest perennial herb.
Cultivation is best suited to tropical and subtropical areas with ample water, rich
soil, and good drainage. Because bananas have been cultivated to become
seedless, commercially grown bananas are propagated through division, a
process of separating offshoots, or “pups,” from the mother plant.
5 Classified as a berry rather than a fruit, the banana develops in a heart-shaped flower
bud and forms bunches, called a “hand,” of 10 to 20 individual “fingers” weighing 20 to
45 kilograms. Although we picture bananas in a bright yellow skin with brown spots,
turning to a solid brownish black as they ripen and sweeten, they also come in green,
purple, red, orange, pink, black, and striped jackets, and a variety of sizes. Of the 1,200
varieties of bananas, the most widely consumed banana is the Dwarf Cavendish
(Cavendish for short), named for William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire, who
cultivated an early specimen in his hothouses.
Nutritional composition
6 A nine-inch-long banana is 75 percent water and 35 percent skin, and has
between 110 and 140 calories. Bananas contain three sugars: sucrose, fructose,
and glucose, making them an instant and sustained energy food. The following
table lists only some of the most important nutrients in a banana.

(For a more exact, detailed breakdown, go to http://bananasweb.com/bananas-

nutrition-facts.)
Health benefits
Heart protection and hemoglobin production
 7 Because of their extremely high potassium and minimal sodium content, bananas
have been proven to reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke, and to
regulate heartbeat. The iron in bananas ensures the production of hemoglobin in
the blood and prevents anemia.
Mental health and brain function

8 When converted into serotonin, the tryptophan in bananas can lift our spirits. The
potassium in bananas helps relieve stress and heightens the ability to learn. The
next time exams roll around, why not pack a banana with your books at study time?
Bone building

9 Fatty acids in green and ripe bananas, combined with fructooligosaccharides,

allow our bodies to better absorb calcium, which is needed to build strong, healthy
bones and prevent such debilitating conditions as osteoporosis in our later years.
The manganese in bananas helps lubricate cartilage in the joints.
Kidney protection

10 Bananas contain antioxidant phenolic compounds, which detoxify the kidneys.

The International Journal of Cancer has published research showing that
women who eat bananas four to six times a week in addition to cabbage and
root vegetables have a 40 percent lower risk of developing kidney cancer.
Digestion

11 Bananas help our bodies digest food by reducing acidity and irritation in the lining of
the stomach; these can lead to the formation of painful ulcers. Bananas also keep
digested food moving through the bowels, work as an antacid to relieve heartburn,
and restore electrolytes, particularly potassium, after a bout of diarrhea.
Other benefits

12 Bananas can relieve or cure some less serious health problems, such as morning
sickness, mosquito bites, and hangovers. Bananas can improve eyesight and help a
person quit smoking. In dieting, a banana is a better choice to combat a craving for
something sweet than chocolate or ice cream. About the only claim a banana can’t
make is to grow hair on a bald head (but maybe no one has tested that yet).
13 Although the banana peel is not eaten, its antifungal and antibiotic properties can
soothe insect bites, relieve rashes and skin irritation, heal wounds, and help
remove warts. The leaves also have medicinal qualities, but are more widely used
in cooking food—and in providing shelter from rain and sun.
Final words
1
14 It’s no wonder that people are “bananas” about bananas. For all its many uses and
amazing talents, the best thing to do with a banana is to eat it: with yogurt, ice cream,
 peanut butter, chocolate sauce, nuts and whipped cream, or just by itself. You can
enjoy bananas all the more by knowing that you’re doing something for your health!

Vocabulary

EXERCISE 1·1
Organizing vocabulary In the chart below, insert words and phrases from the
following list under the appropriate headings. Include the part of speech (n. for noun,
v. for verb) for each entry. An example has been provided for each heading.
EXERCISE 1·2
Understanding and using vocabulary For each word or phrase in the following
list, indicate its part of speech (n. for noun, v. for verb, adj. for adjective). Then,
for each numbered item that follows, choose the appropriate word or phrase from
the list as a replacement for the underlined word or phrase. Be sure to use the
correct form of each verb and to pluralize nouns, if necessary.

1. Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins and antioxidants.

2. In North America, people eat tons of bananas every year.

3. The company’s new advertising campaign gave its lagging sales a big push.

4. For many decades, farmers in the prairies have raised cereal crops, such
as wheat, barley, and oats.

5. Tomatoes need a lot of sunlight to develop and be ready to be eaten.

6. The banana first came from Malaysia.

7. That set of grapes growing together looks delicious.

 8. It is important to eat food that contains lots of substances that provide nourishment.

9. In order to stay healthy, you have to make certain that you eat fresh produce
and grains, and limit your intake of animal fats.

10. Most plants are reproduced from seed.

11. No one can keep himself going on water alone.

12. Articles of trade, such as coffee, sugar, and grain, are bought and sold daily
on world markets.

13. The profitable marketing of kiwi fruit has made it very popular outside New Zealand.

14. Apples are known for their many different uses in baking.

15. The annual amount produced of hydroelectric power will increase in the future.

Reading comprehension

EXERCISE 1·3
Reading for main ideas Indicate which of the following statements are true
(T) and which are false (F).
 1. _____ Bananas are the most widely known and popular fruit.
2. _____ Bananas are cultivated in only a few tropical countries.
3. _____ Bananas come in many different colors and sizes.
4. _____ Bananas have a wide range of positive health benefits.
5. _____ Bananas have fewer health benefits than apples, grapes, and pineapple.

6. _____ Bananas are a great energy food.

7. _____ Bananas are good for the heart.
8. _____ There is no scientific evidence that bananas are good for our health.
9. _____ Bananas aid in digestion and waste elimination.
10. _____ The banana plant itself has no health benefits.

EXERCISE 1·4
Reading for details Choose the answer that correctly completes each of the
following sentences.

1. Bananas were first grown in _____________.

a. China
b. Malaysia
c. Spain and Portugal
2. Bananas were commercialized by _____________.
a. Portuguese and Spanish explorers
b. Chinese fruit growers
c. an American company
3. The most popular variety of banana is the _____________.
a. Cavendish
b. Devonshire
c. Costa Rican
4. Bananas are a good source of energy because they contain _____________.
a. lots of potassium
b. three sugars
c. Vitamin C
5. Bananas protect the heart because they are rich in _____________.
a. potassium
b. sodium
 c. manganese
6. Bananas are good brain food because they can _____________.
a. lower blood pressure
b. reduce stress
c. help digest food better
7. Bananas help build bones because they allow bones to better absorb _____________.
a. calcium
b. potassium
c. manganese
8. Women who eat a lot of bananas have a lower risk of _____________.
a. breast cancer
b. stomach cancer
c. kidney cancer
9. The banana peel can be used to cure _____________.
a. skin irritations
b. baldness
c. cancer
10. It’s okay to eat a banana when you are on a diet, because _____________.
a. it’s easily digested
b. it has only a few calories
c. it contains antioxidants

EXERCISE 1·5
Reading for facts and figures Complete the chart below with facts and figures
from the reading text.

1. Average length of one banana

2. Water content (in percent)
3. Number of fingers in a hand
4. Weight of a hand
5. Average number of calories
6. Method of propagation
 7. Maximum leaf size (width and length)
8. Height of a plant

9. Requirements for cultivation

10. Main banana-producing countries

11. Number of banana varieties

EXERCISE 1·6
Reading for meaning Would a health professional agree or disagree with the following
statements? Indicate the number of the paragraph that supports your opinion.

1. You should include bananas in your diet. Paragraph ______

Agree
Disagree
Neither
2. If you are on a diet, you should avoid bananas. Paragraph ______
Agree
Disagree
Neither
3. It’s a good idea to eat a banana when you are studying for a test. Paragraph ______
Agree
Disagree
Neither
4. If you have the blues, eating a banana can make you feel better. Paragraph ______
Agree
Disagree
Neither
5. You should eat at least one banana a day. Paragraph ______
Agree
Disagree
Neither

Reading skills

EXERCISE 1·7
 Outline Complete the outline below with relevant information from the reading text.

The health benefits of bananas

Heart and blood production
1.
2.
3.
4.
Mental health and brain function
1.
2.
Bone building
1.
2.
Kidney protection
1.
2.
Digestion
1.
2.
3.
Skin
1.
2.
3.
4.
Other
1.
2.
3.
Web search and writing
The activities on the next two pages prompt you to share information with a study partner
and to search the Web for recipes that call for bananas. In North America, banana bread
(or loaf) is a popular way to use overripe bananas. Try this healthy and tasty snack!
Whole wheat banana bread

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).

2. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
3. In a large bowl, stir melted butter and sugar.
4. Add eggs and bananas; stir until blended.
5. Stir flour mixture into liquid mixture, alternating with hot water.
6. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips.
7. Spoon into a greased 5″ × 9″ loaf pan, and bake for 70 minutes or until done.
(If a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, the loaf is done.)
Cooking and baking with bananas

ACTIVITY 1·1
Exchange experiences Ask your partner the following questions, and add a
question of your own.
1. What is your favorite way to eat bananas?
Banana and peanut butter sandwich
Banana bread
Banana cream pie
Banana smoothie
Banana split
Frozen bananas with chocolate coating
Fruit salad

2. How often do you eat bananas? Why do/don’t you like bananas?
 3. Your question
Discussion Share your answers with another partner or with the whole group.

ACTIVITY 1·2
Search the Web Find delicious-sounding recipes that call for bananas, and
record the information below.

ACTIVITY 1·3
Writing Write out the best recipe that you found, including instructions on
how to prepare it. When and how would you serve it?
1
The slang expressions to be bananas and to go bananas mean to show extreme
excitement, enthusiasm, or craziness about something.