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The History And Evolution Of Banana Hybrids

Bananas are the world's favorite fruit and many nations depend on banana trees to supply its citizens with this delicious food product to save them from famines. Bananas are available on markets year round and are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, containing only small hollow seed that are infertile. Ornamental bananas, ‘Musa ensete' and ‘Musa nana' are inedible but in high demand for landscaping.

India is the world's largest producer of bananas and Alexander the Great found them growing there in 327 BC, when he conquered India. Soldiers of Alexander the Great returned to Greece and Persia with bulbs from banana plants, ‘Musa accuminata,' where they were distributed and planted.

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After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again

Bananas. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

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Have You Tried The Acid Reflux Banana Treatment?

There are different ways to treat acid reflux symptoms, regardless of the cause. While some treatments involve the use of medications, other treatments take a more natural approach such as the acid reflux banana treatment.

Aside from being a really tasty and nutritious fruit high in vitamins and minerals, bananas contain virtually no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. For this reason, bananas are not only an integral part of a healthy diet, they can be used as a natural remedy to treat and prevent a number of health issues including, insomnia, depression, anemia, hypertension, and heartburn.

How exactly can a banana help with heartburn? Bananas have a natural antacid effect on the body. They primarily suppress acid secretion in the stomach by coating and protecting the stomach from acid, which helps against the formation of stomach ulcers and ulcer damage.

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Pineapple Beer

by Luke McKinney

Pineapple beer? Pineapple cocktails are awesomely tropiholic, and you can claim any flavor in an alcopop since they all taste of sugar, but pineapple beer? It sounds like strawberry steak, some evil attempt to turn two great things against each other in a culinary cancel-out, but in Chapeau Exotic pineapple lambic they go all Lethal Weapon and learn to work together despite their differences.

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How to Grow a Pineapple

Pineapples are both delicious and beautiful. They can also make a magnificent plant for you to enjoy, view, and harvest for years to come. Here's how to turn your store-bought pineapple into a thriving plant!

Steps

1. Obtain a pineapple with firm, green leaves (not yellow or brown). The fruit skin should be golden brown. Make sure it's not overripe by gently tugging on the leaves. If it pops right off, the pineapple is too ripe for this purpose. Make sure that there are no scale insects (they look like small grayish spots) at the base of the leaves.
2. Cut off the crown and strip some of the lower leaves so that the stem is exposed. Trim any fruit flesh without damaging the stem (that flesh could rot your plant later).
3. Turn it upside down and let it dry for about a week so that the cut end and the leaf scars can harden.
4. Put the crown in a glass of water until the roots start growing out. Change the water every few days. Keep it away from temperature extremes.
5. Plant the crown in an 6-inch (15.2 cm) pot using light garden soil with a 30% blend of organic matter. Press the soil firmly around the base of the crown without getting any soil on the leaves.
6. Keep the plant moist (but not wet) in a sunny, warm and humid place where the night temperatures won't drop below 65ºF (18ºC). If conditions are dry, mist the plant regularly.
7. Water the soil lightly once a week.
8. Fertilize the plant with half-strength fertilizer twice a month during the summer.
9. Look for flowers. It can take several years, but eventually a red cone should appear followed by blue flowers and eventually a fruit. It takes about six months for the fruit to fully develop.

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Pineapples: Nature's Healing Fruit

By Monique N. Gilbert, B.Sc.
Submitted by the author 15 Aug 2002

Want to give your body a boost in health and healing? Then you may want to add some fresh pineapple and pineapple juice to your diet. Pineapples are nutritionally packed members of the bromeliad family. This delightful tropical fruit is high in the enzyme bromelain and the antioxidant vitamin C, both of which plays a major role in the body's healing process.

Bromelain is a natural anti-inflammatory that has many health benefits and encourages healing. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, bromelain is very effective in treating bruises, sprains and strains by reducing swelling, tenderness and pain. This powerful anti-inflammatory effect can also help relieve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and reduce postoperative swelling. Additionally, the bromelain contained in fresh pineapple can relieve indigestion. This enzyme helps break down the amino acid bonds in proteins, which promotes good digestion.

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Fresh Pineapple Has Many Benefits

Saturday, February 28, 2009 by: Sheryl Walters

(NaturalNews) The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. It is extremely rare that bromeliads produce edible fruit. The pineapple is the only available edible bromeliad today.

It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of individual flowerets that grow together to form the entire fruit. Each scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower. Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked. No special way of storing them will help ripen them further. Color is relatively unimportant in determining ripeness. Choose your pineapple by smell. If it smells fresh, tropical and sweet, it will be a good fruit. The more scales on the pineapple, the sweeter and juicier the taste. After you cut off the top, you can plant it. It should grow much like a sweet potato will. This delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical, it also offers many benefits to our health.

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