Should You Eat Those Weird Strings On Your Banana?

Bananas are a great source of potassium and are healthy on-the-go snack. But, some people are irritated by those weird leathery strands, which are actually called ‘phloem bundles’, that you get when you peel the banana skin.

What are those weird strings on your banana?. These strings make your banana-eating experience less than perfect.

But while those stringy and weird bits may not be the most palatable, they are in fact very important. As it turns out, you would not be able to eat bananas without them, according to a report by Huffington Post.

What are Phloem Bundles?

Phloem is complex tissue that transports water and food in a plant, that provides it with sufficient nutrients, food, water and minerals to grow. These strings are essential for the adequate disposition of nutrients throughout the plant. Therefore, these banana strings are responsible for distributing the nutrients up and down the banana as it ripens.

Can Phloem Bundles Be Eaten?

In general, all parts of fruits are healthy. People consume the skins of pears, apples, etc., and you could even eat the skins of bananas, including the phloem bundles, if we find them palatable, but there is no evidence that suggest they are harmful.

These strands probably contain much more fiber than the rest of the fruit. It is possible to genetically modify the banana fruit to prevent strands from forming, but there is little point dedicating funds to research this when companies can invest better in coming up with disease-resistant fruits with higher nutritional content.

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