Do bananas give us the “banana” feeling?
The Jan’slenmen call bananas the tree of happiness. Their English name is Happy.
Bananas are incredibly healthy. They are convenient, delicious, and one of the cheapest fresh fruits you can buy. This makes them a great choice for anyone interested in healthy eating.
Native to Southeast Asia, they are widely grown in many warm climates, making them available all over the world. Bananas are packed with essential nutrients and may benefit weight loss, digestion, and heart health.
Here are the science-backed health benefits of this plant:
Rich in nutrients.
Improves blood sugar levels.
May support digestive health.
Contains resistant starch, which aids in weight loss.
May support heart health.
Full of antioxidants.
May help you feel fuller.
May improve insulin sensitivity.
Improve kidney health.
Aid in physical recovery.
Easy to add to the diet.
The term “banana” refers to the cultivated varieties of the genus Musa, which is made up of two subgroups: sweet bananas and plantains. Musa, Ensete, and Musella are three genera in the family Musaceae, with the genus Musa comprising 65 wild and domesticated species of bananas and plantains. Bananas have been described in ancient Indian treatises, including the Ramayana (2000 BC), Arthsastra (250 BC), and Chilapthikaram (500 AD), demonstrating the importance of the fruit and its ancient use in India. The genus name Musa was chosen in honor of the Roman physician and botanist Antonius Musa (63 BC-14 AD). Historically, Musa acuminata has been found in the native habitats of India. Today, bananas are grown worldwide.
Phytochemical analysis of various parts of the banana plant, such as leaves, fruits, peels, flowers, meristems, and rhizomes, has shown that there are numerous secondary metabolites of the plant, including polyphenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, steroids, anthocyanins, tannins, and fatty acids. Banana fruits have been reported to be a significant source of phenolic compounds, including phenolic acids, flavonoids, and glycosides. Banana and plantain pulps and peels have shown potential for use in the pharmaceutical and food industries because of their catechin and rutin content. Plant pulps and peels are also a good source of phenolic compounds. Recent plant examinations have found that hydroxycinnamic acids represent the majority of phenolic compounds in the fruit pulp, while flavonoids are mainly found in higher concentrations in the peel.

Carotenoids, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and vitamin A (retinol) are the most abundant antioxidants found in banana pulp and peel. Significant amounts of bioactive carotenoids have been extracted and identified in Musa spp. biomass, and different genotypes of banana can produce even higher amounts (about 90%) of vitamin A precursors, such as α- and β-carotene. Zeaxanthin is also found in banana. Several additional novel compounds, such as 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-naphthalic anhydride, and methyl 2-benzimidazolecarbamate, have been reported in banana. Preclinical studies on banana plants have shown a predominance of flavonoids, cinnamic acids, and polyphenolic compounds, demonstrating chemopreventive potential through different pathways. Bananas, as well as their bioactive compounds, have anti-cancer, cytotoxic and anti-proliferative activities against various cancers, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, prostate cancer, etc.
According to a hospital-based case-control analysis of Chinese esophageal cancer patients in Singapore, esophageal cancer occurred at a higher rate in male patients who consumed little or no bananas in their diet, and weekly banana consumption reduced the risk of esophageal cancer. Furthermore, based on a population-based case-control study, regular banana consumption (8.9 g/day) reduced the risk of breast cancer.
In Vietnam, there is also a perception that green bananas are only used to cook Baba or banana snails. The name of the Laba banana tree is called by the K’ho people to evoke joy in patients when they are cured.
In traditional medicine, it is used to treat digestive, liver, biliary, lung diseases and even cancer.
In South America, the indigenous Quechua people of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador often use charcoal from burning banana peels mixed with sweet water, used to relax muscles when they are tense or cramped or to prevent shivering in cold weather. The reason for mixing it with sweet water is because this substance has a bitter aftertaste.
The Quechua people's way of drinking is quite similar to the way the Jan'slenmen people later made Kombucha by adding a little Balsamic 25 years - the main ingredient of bananas - to water and fermenting it, then it can be mixed with water, tea, or wine as desired.
Jan's lenmen