A couple of years ago, people started to fear that bananas
would be extinct within the next ten years. While the existence of over 300
different varieties of bananas suggests that this fruit is not in danger of
extinction, one particular type is.
So Long, Cavendish?
Cavendish is the most common edible banana, popular in both
Europe and the Americas.
Unfortunately, Cavendish lacks genetic diversity, which makes it particularly
vulnerable to diseases. While there are still many other varieties of bananas
should the Cavendish suffer extinction, they are so different from what would
be considered a typical banana, it is thought that many people would not
consider them the same fruit. For example, there is no formal botanical distinction
between plantains and bananas, but people perceive them as being different.
Banana Peril!
Disease and insect damage pose a greater threat to bananas
than a majority of other fruits. Bananas are sterile and seedless. Banana
plants (not trees) are created through cuttings of existing ones, therefore
creating clones. Since they do not have the kind of natural diversity that
comes from sexual reproduction, it leaves them with the same genetic
consistency that they were generations ago. Not having the ability to adapt and
mutate leaves bananas at a disadvantage and makes them for vulnerable to
species extinction.
Gros Michel was the predecessor of Cavendish bananas. Gros
Michel bananas were discovered in the 1820's and was the most popular variety
up until extinction due to a strain of Panama disease in the 1960's.
Nutrition
Bananas are high in vitamin B6, a key component for the
production of heme, a part of hemoglobin. As a great source of fiber and a rich
source of potassium, bananas are considered to lower the risk of heart attack
and stroke as stated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Even though the threat of losing bananas as a whole is slim,
the extinction of the 'typical banana' is a lingering possibility. Do you fear
the loss of the soft, sweet banana that we know best?
Resources:
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bananas.asp
http://listverse.com/2009/05/23/another-10-fascinating-facts-that-are-wrong/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantain
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