While bananas may be mildly radioactive, those stringy bits are packed with goodness.
Many banana lovers are quick to banish those strange stringy bits that emerge when peeling the fruit, but there are a few good reasons to relish these strands. Known as phloem bundles, these stringy bits are perfectly edible and surprisingly nutritious [1].
Despite their mild radioactivity, bananas are loaded with nutrients [2]. As per the USDA, one medium banana provides just under 100 calories, plus a load of essential nutrients like fiber, potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, magnesium and manganese, as well as various antioxidants and phytonutrients [3].
[affiliate-product category=”magnesium” position=”top”]
The phloem bundles are no different. The phloem is essentially the internal plumbing of a plant, acting as tubes to pump the sugars and other products of photosynthesis around to wherever they are wanted. These tubes must be exceptionally sturdy to perform this critical task, so they’re formed of more complex fiber types than the rest of the banana.
Per Nicholas D. Gillitt, Chief Scientific Officer at BerkleyRD and former vice president of nutrition research and director at the Dole Nutrition Institute, “Although we have not specifically tested phloem bundles, it is likely that there would be a difference in its nutritional value. Since they are intended to do a specific job, and as such likely have a defined structure which supports that job, they would be expected to have a different compound profile to the regular edible banana flesh.” [4]
“They likely contain more and varied types of fiber and structural components required for their function. Because of this, they probably would have a different nutritional profile for humans,” Gillitt added.
It isn’t just picky humans that have an aversion to banana strings. Viral videos have shown that many monkeys also peel away the strands when peeling a banana. However, bananas are cultivated domesticated plants, so wild monkeys never encounter bananas unless they are near human settlements where bananas are grown [5].
Banana skins are similar. Although they’re very tough and bitter, they are edible and also rich in several vital nutrients.
You can avoid wasting banana skins if you place them in water for a few days if eating banana peels seems unappetizing to you (it’s understandable). This will allow some nutrients to steep into the water, making it an excellent drink for indoor plants.
[1] https://www.iflscience.com/why-you-should-never-waste-the-stringy-bits-on-a-banana-69341
[2] https://www.iflscience.com/are-bananas-really-radioactive-clearing-up-common-misunderstandings-about-radiation-66072
[3] https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173944/nutrients
[4] https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/banana-strings-phloem-bundles_n_59356f67e4b0c242ca25e7f8
[5] https://www.iflscience.com/think-you-know-how-to-peel-a-banana-think-again-63155
