Can I raise a banana without phloem?

Pull the yellow peel of the banana, and you will feel how it gently moves vertically along the fruit. At a ripe banana it is separated very easily, at hardly not ripened - it is more difficult. Well, in any case, it will never be needed again.

But there are also irritating white veins on bananas or, if one speaks biological terms, "bunches of phloem". Quite an appetizing name, is not it?

What is phloem

If it seems that the term "phloem" is familiar to you, then this is probably because information about phloem and xylem is provided in school textbooks. These two terms describe complex tissues that transport nutrients and water through the plant. They are needed for the growth of the plant and its fruits.

In fact, these disgusting soft strings distribute nutrients up and down the banana as it grows, which allows us to eat delicious fruits that many like so much.

Some people hate these phoeme beams so much that they even devote whole blogs to this topic. But do people need to know more about phloem? Perhaps, only an expert on bananas can explain many nuances.

Opinion of a connoisseur in the field of chemistry

To get answers to the questions of interest, the journalists of The Huffington Post held a conversation with Dr. Nicholas D. Gillitt, an expert in the field of physical inorganic chemistry. He is also vice president of nutrition studies and director at the Institute of Nutrition Dole.

So, is there a difference in nutritional value between the bunches of phloem and the rest of the edible part of a fruit like a banana?

Gillitt replies: "Although scientists have not specifically tested phloem beams, it is likely that their nutritional value will be different. This is because they are designed to perform a specific job and as such have a specific structure that supports this work. It goes without saying that they will have a composition corresponding to the composition of the usual edible pulp of bananas. It is also likely that phloem beams contain a large number of different types of fibers and structural components necessary for their functioning. Because of this, they are likely to have another nutritional composition. However, they are present in such small quantities in comparison with the rest of the banana that, if they are not eaten individually, they will not affect the overall nutritional value of the fetus. "

Is phloem safe?

Are the phloem beams safe? Gillit answered this question: "In general, all parts of the fruit are not poisonous. People eat the skin of apples, pears, etc., and they could eat banana skins, including bunches of phloem, if they found it acceptable. Science has not provided any strong evidence that they are harmful to the human body. Any fiber can be classified as a healthy product. "

Gillit states that, on the whole, he did not receive any meaningful complaints from consumers on the bunches of phloem. From the point of view of a scientist who has conducted several clinical experiments with hundreds of subjects who eat a large number of bananas during their studies, he can state with all certainty that no case has been reported when a subject would think that phoeme bunches pose a health hazard.

Can I develop a banana without phloem?

This is a very interesting question. The scientist claims that this is potentially possible. But if phloem beams are necessary for the adequate distribution of nutrients throughout the plant and are not really superfluous, then what will control the growth of the banana? From the point of view of the company's representatives to expand access to healthy nutrition, much more important steps should be taken to conduct research on the multiplication of disease-resistant banana varieties that would have a high nutrient content.