| NOT all foods that taste good are good for you, and | | | | substantial foods and serve not only as a dessert. |
| not all foods that are good for you taste good. But | | | | Those who would reduce their weight or need to |
| high among the things that are good for you and taste | | | | watch it might well try having a few bananas and a |
| good must be placed the truly ripe banana. When | | | | glass of milk instead of a regular meal. Especially |
| Disraeli, prime minister of Great Britain, on a trip to | | | | would such persons do well to have bananas take the |
| Cairo, Egypt, in 1831, first tasted a banana he | | | | place of desserts or between-meal or late snacks. |
| exclaimed, “The most delicious thing in the | | | | Bananas are high in vitamins A, B and C. In fact, |
| world!” While that may be a matter of opinion, no | | | | according to some authorities, they have so much |
| doubt most persons will agree that bananas are | | | | vitamin C that with young children bananas can often |
| delicious. | | | | be a main source of this vitamin. As for the minerals, |
| The banana does not grow on a tree, for the banana | | | | bananas have noteworthy amounts of calcium, copper, |
| plant has neither trunk nor branches. Strictly speaking, it | | | | iron, magnesium, phosphorus and sulfur. Bananas also |
| is an herb, the main stem of which is composed of | | | | have the power to aid in the regenerating of |
| leaf sheaths. It grows to a height of from ten to | | | | hemoglobin in the red cells in the blood. |
| twenty-five feet and takes from twelve to fifteen | | | | Because of their low protein content, bananas are |
| months to produce its fruit. Once having produced a | | | | recommended for those suffering from kidney |
| stem of bananas, the plant is cut down, as a plant | | | | disorder. When fully ripe the starch in bananas turns to |
| never produces more than one stem—far more | | | | fructose, and so they are recommended for diabetics |
| characteristic of an herb than of a tree. | | | | who cannot tolerate cane or beet sugar (sucrose). |
| Many indeed are the values of the banana. Truly | | | | Bananas have been found helpful in many cases of |
| delicious by themselves, they can be used to make | | | | peptic ulcers. Strange as it may seem, bananas are |
| appealing milk shakes, banana splits, banana cream | | | | food for those who are overweight and those who |
| pies, and in fruit salads. Coming more and more into | | | | are underweight, helping to correct both conditions, |
| use is banana powder, which those few who cannot | | | | even as they are aids to remedying both diarrhea and |
| tolerate truly ripe raw bananas can readily digest. And | | | | constipation. No question about it, when the Creator |
| there are those who like to fry or bake bananas. | | | | made the banana he bestowed upon mankind a fine, |
| Among the many advantages of bananas are their | | | | nourishing and palatable gift. |
| being available throughout the year. They require no | | | | For thousands of years bananas have been enjoyed |
| preparation and are naturally sealed so as to keep | | | | in certain parts of the earth. But in more modern times |
| them practically free from bacteria and dirt. (No need | | | | bananas have been neglected, at least in Western |
| to worry about sprays or whether a banana is | | | | lands, so that the World Book Encyclopedia lists the |
| washed before you eat it!) When fully ripe—when it | | | | banana among “Fruits Unknown to Our |
| has brown spots—it is easily digested, at least by | | | | Forefathers.” Back in 1912 the Journal of the |
| most persons, and it yields much energy. | | | | American Medical Association contained an editorial |
| Bananas have less moisture than almost any other | | | | entitled “The Undervalued Banana.” Today, |
| fresh fruit—about 75 percent. And they have also | | | | however, the banana is becoming ever more valued, |
| more sugar than most other fresh fruits—some 20 | | | | because it is a fruit that both tastes good and is good |
| percent. They can therefore take the place of more | | | | for you. |