20 Clever Uses for Bananas (Besides Eating Them) (2023)

FAQs

What are bananas used for other than eating? ›

Use as fertilizer or mulch

Many cultivars of roses and other plants, like staghorn ferns, also benefit from the nutrients found in banana peels; simply cut up some peels and use them as plant food around your established plants.

Bananas have been grown as crops for thousands of years. Parts of the banana are used for low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia), constipation, and diarrhea. They are also used for diabetes, high cholesterol, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support most of these uses.

Banana peels contain: calcium, which promotes root growth helps add oxygen to your soil. magnesium, which assists with photosynthesis. sulphur, which helps plants develop strong roots and repel pests.

According to Healthline, banana peel, rich in antioxidants, fibre and essential nutrients, helps brighten the skin and reduce wrinkles. It even acts as a moisturiser and helps in hydrating the skin. Several studies have found banana peel to have anti-inflammatory properties, too just like the fruit.

They can help keep your cholesterol levels healthy.

One major benefit of eating boiled bananas is that it may encourage you to choose underripe, green bananas, which have many health benefits. These include reducing the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood.

Unfortunately, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that banana peels can reduce wrinkles or dark spots on the skin.

How to Freeze Whole Bananas. Technically, you can freeze unpeeled bananas, but we don't recommend it; they'll stick together more than their peeled counterparts. To freeze whole bananas, peel them completely, line them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, and put them in the freezer for at least 1-2 hours.

If you freeze whole bananas, the peels will turn brown with time in the freezer. This is fine and doesn't affect the flavor of the fruit. However, if your frozen banana slices, chunks, or mash turns brown, the container or bag is not airtight.

What are the benefits of putting bananas in the fridge? ›

Stashing your bananas in the refrigerator can slightly prolong the fruit's life—but there's a caveat. When it comes to refrigerating bananas, timing is everything. Refrigerating bananas will slow or stop the ripening process, preserving the fruit at its current state.

It turns out; this beloved fruit is the perfect sleep aid. It provides several vitamins and minerals that can improve the quality of your sleep. Bananas reduce stress and anxiety, alleviate muscle cramps, and regulate your sleep-wake cycle with serotonin and melatonin.

Avoid mixing acidic fruits with sweet fruits

Acidic and sub-acidic fruits such as grapefruits, strawberries, apples, pomegranates, and peaches, should never be combined with sweet fruits such as bananas and raisins. This is because it often leads to digestive problems, nausea, acidosis, and headaches.

This means potassium-rich banana peels are excellent for plants like tomatoes, peppers or flowers. Banana peels also contain calcium, which prevents blossom end rot in tomatoes.

In Tanzania, banana wine is made commercially by fermenting peeled, mashed, ripe bananas. Water (to dilute the rather thick banana mash), wine yeast and sugar is added to the "banana mash".

“Bananas are a happy fruit as they have tryptophan, which gets converted into serotonin in the body, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier," adds Pratima Mishra, clinical nutritionist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ahmedabad.

For most healthy people, bananas are a tasty, nutritious fruit. But it's best to just eat one or two a day, as too many could lead to weight gain and nutrient deficiency. Eating a balanced diet is key for optimal health. Bananas are an incredibly popular fruit — and it's no wonder why.

Bananas are a great way to help you get enough potassium each day. Getting enough potassium in your diet may also help lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular disease, so eating foods containing potassium daily is an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

However, if a banana has begun to grow mold, is releasing liquid, or has an unpleasant smell, it has likely begun to rot and is no longer safe to eat. Because the nutrition composition of the fruit changes as it ripens, you may notice that you digest one level of banana ripeness better than the other.

Does banana peel whiten teeth? ›

Banana peels don't do anything to whiten your teeth. Many articles recommend rubbing the peel against your teeth for a few minutes. While this could scrub off some surface stains, it's no more effective than brushing your teeth. Banana peels have no special whitening properties.

Among the latest crop of TikTok beauty trends is “natural Botox," a hack that entails rubbing the inside of a ripe banana peel on your face to minimize wrinkles. Many women are praising this hack as a cheaper, quicker, and less invasive alternative to Botox injections.

6) Banana face pack for Wrinkles and Fine Lines

Whip up a banana and add 1 teaspoon of orange juice and plain yogurt. Apply and leave on for 15–20 minutes for younger-looking skin. To further tighten the pores, wash the mask off with cold water.

How long can you freeze bananas? Sliced banana can be stored in the freezer in a ziplock bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.

Bananas grow in hot climates, so they are unused to the cold. If they're kept at a cold temperature, the enzymes that enable them to ripen are inhibited. And as those enzymes become inactive, other enzymes operate more efficiently. Some cause cell damage, while others (browning enzymes) cause the skin to blacken.

Best practice is to store eggs in the fridge; that way the temperature is always at a constant and your eggs will be fresher!

It is recommended to wait for at least 15-20 minutes to drink water after eating a banana.

Cherries are known for being one of the best foods for sleep as they naturally contain melatonin. Snacking on cherries or drinking cherry juice can help promote longer, deeper sleep.

Avoid mixing your watermelons, muskmelons, cantaloupe and honeydews with other fruits. Try not to mix acidic fruits, such as grapefruits and strawberries, or sub-acidic foods such as apples, pomegranates and peaches, with sweet fruits, such as bananas and raisins for a better digestion.

Common rules of food combining

Avoid combining starches and proteins. Avoid combining starches with acidic foods. Avoid combining different types of protein.

What is the healthiest fruit? ›

Lemons came out top of the list, followed by strawberry, orange, lime, and pink and red grapefruit. In this article, we look at the nutrition and the many and varied health benefits of these and other fruits you can find in the supermarket.

The roots of the banana plants are the only parts that are not consumed as food by humans. The parts of the plant that we can eat are the inner stem, flower, raw banana and ripe banana. They are eaten commonly in South Asia and South-East Asia. The parts we do not eat are its root, leaf and outer peel of stem.

All parts of the banana plant - fruits, flowers and stems are used as food. Roots are the only inedible part of a banana plant.

Bananas contain essential nutrients that may enhance heart health, help manage blood pressure, and boost a person's mood, among other benefits. Eating bananas can help lower blood pressure and may reduce the risk of cancer.

If you've been wondering if you can eat raw, cooked or even frozen banana peels, the answer is yes! If you are going to eat your banana peel, know that—just like the fruit itself—the riper the peel, the sweeter it will taste.

They have an important purpose: they distribute nutrients throughout the fruit. They are completely edible even though they seem a bit gross.

But contrary to what many people believe, banana peels are not only safe to eat, they also offer a number of health benefits. In addition to the nutritional benefits of eating banana peels, there are environmental benefits as well.

The inner stem, flower, and fruit (raw banana and ripe banana) are all edible portions of the plant. They're widely consumed in South and Southeast Asia. The root, leaf, and outer peel of the stem are the only components that are not consumed.

The tender inner stem of the tree is very nutritious too. Thanks to the stem being able to prevent many ailments, it clearly qualifies as a superfood. In many southern Indian states, homes with a garden would often have a banana tree and could provide the house with the fruit and stem.

What is the flower of banana? ›

The banana flower, often called banana blossom, is a pendulum that forms below the last bunch of unripe bananas. It has a cone shape and its leaves (bracts) have a purple colour which resembles a heart.

Bananas and Plantains are high in magnesium and potassium that can increase bone density. Magnesium may also alleviate arthritis symptoms.

Bananas. These are rich in potassium, a nutrient shown to help lower blood pressure, says Laffin. One medium banana provides about 375 milligrams of potassium, about 11 percent of the recommended daily intake for a man, and 16 percent for a woman.

Do bananas help you sleep? Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium and potassium which help relax overstressed muscles and make them an ideal go-to snack before bed. They also contain all-important tryptophan to stimulate production of those key brain calming hormones.

But as per Ayurveda, banana can lead to mucus production and eating this fruit at night can choke your throat. Apart from this, banana is a heavy fruit and our stomach takes a lot of time to digest it. This is because our metabolism is the lowest at night. Eating bananas at night might lead to stomach issues.

Our stomach takes a long time to digest a banana. On top of that, our body's metabolism is at its lowest in the night. Therefore, one should ideally consume bananas in the morning or the evening and must avoid eating them at night.