Vegan Forum

Apricot

In Latin, apricot means “precious” .
Greek mythology experts believe apricots are the “golden apples” of Hesperides — the fruit Hercules was ordered to pick in the eleventh of his twelve labors.

Apricots originally came from China. This golden fruit has been around for more than 4,000 years.

About 95 percent of the apricots grown in the U.S. come from California.

The fruit, ranging in a size between 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm in diameter, has high fiber content very low calorie content.

Dreaming of apricots, in English folklore, is said to be good luck.

The first commercially produced apricots were grown south of San Francisco in 1792.

In one ounce apricots contain enough beta carotene to supply 20 percent of your daily vitamin A requirements. Due to their high fiber to volume ratio, dried apricots are sometimes used to relieve constipation or induce diarrhea. Effects can be felt after eating as few as three.

Dried apricots are an excellent source of potassium, as well as a good source of iron, Vitamin C and calcium.

In Europe, apricots were long considered an aphrodisiac, and were used in this context in William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and as an inducer of childbirth, as depicted in John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi.

Lemon

Lemon trees grow to be about 10 to 20 ft tall and are sparsely covered with foliage.

High in vitamin C, lemons prevent scurvy, a disease that causes bleeding gums, loose teeth and aching joints.

It has been traditional to serve fish with a slice of lemon since the Middle Ages, when people believed that the fruit’s juice would dissolve any bones accidentally swallowed.

Adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to fresh cut fruit or a fruit salad will keep fruits like apples and pears from going brown and add that extra nutritional zip.

The Romans used lemons to keep moths from eating their clothing.

A quick rub of lemon in the armpits helps to combat the unpleasant smell.

A medium lemon is about 60 g, and contains 15 calories, of which contains 5 g carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber and 4 g sugars.

About one-fourth of the worlds lemons are grown in the United States, mostly in California.

Lemon juice helps digestion, making sure that the liver rids itself of any impurities, which is essential to losing weight and keeping off excess weight.

For whiter fingernails and to get rid of fingernail stains, soak your fingernails in fresh squeezed lemon juice for about five minutes.

Avocado

The avocado is also called an Alligator Pear because of its pear-like shape and green skin.

There are about 7,000 avocado groves in California; the average size is around 10 acres.

The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means “testicle tree”.

One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year.

The avocado is widely considered a vegetable, since it is commonly used in salads.

Avocados are a great source for omega- 3 fatty acids, antioxidants, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and fiber.

The fruit ripens only after it is plucked out from the tree.

Avocados can weigh from 1 ounce to up to 4 pounds each.

The most common avocado types are: Bacon, Fuerte, Gwen, Hass, Pinkerton, Reed, and Zutano.

The fruit is rich in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that helps in bringing down the cholesterol level.

Avocado is considered a complete food, with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, calories and fiber with no cholesterol and no sodium.

Chestnuts

Displayed at right is the color deep chestnut, also known as deep Indian red. This is the color called chestnut in Crayola crayons. This color was also produced in a special limited edition in which it was called Vermont maple syrup.

At the request of educators worried that children (mistakenly) believed the name represented the skin color of Native Americans, Crayola changed the name of their crayon color Indian Red to Chestnut in 1999.

They are high in complex carbohydrates, contain high quality protein comparable to eggs, are gluten free, cholesterol free, and are very low in fat (1-2% while other nuts can be over 50% fat)

The American chestnut, formerly one of the dominant trees of the eastern United States, has been almost wiped out by chestnut blight; it was an important economic resource not only for the nuts which were sold across North America, even by streetside vendors, but also for timber and tannin.

Chestnuts , including the chinkapins, are a genus of eight or nine species of trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae. The name also refers to the nuts produced by these trees. Most are tall trees to 30-40 m tall, but some species (the chinkapins) are shrubby.

Beets

Beets were an important plant for both the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Red beets get their color from a pigment called “betalain.” Betalain is also responsible for the red color of bougainvillea and amaranth.

Sugar beets are about 20% sugar while beets or beetroot are usually no more than 10% sugar.

Beets are sometimes used to make homemade wine.

Beet offers invaluable nutritional benefits. Beet is the source for potassium, fiber and folate.

While the sweet beet root has some of the minerals in its greens to a lesser degree, it is also a remarkable source of choline, folic acid, iodine, manganese, organic sodium, potassium, fiber and carbohydrates in the form of natural digestible sugars.

Sugar

The word sugar originates from the Sanskirt word Sharkara which means sugar or pebble.

Sugar is one of the oldest cooking ingredients, dating back to 326 BC.

The average American consumes 175 pounds of sugar per year. That is 300,000 calories per year, 800 calories per day. In Canada, a person eats on average 46 kilos of sugar a year.

Sugar comes from two sources: sugar cane (grass) that grows in stalks in sugar
cane fields and beets (root) that grow underground.

Sugar is used to slow down the setting of cement.

Sure’ and ‘Sugar’ are the only two words in the English language that are spelt ‘su’ and pronounced ‘sh’. … ‘.

Sugar has 4 kcalories of energy in every gram – about 20 kcalories in a teaspoon of sugar.

Sugar is an important source of carbohydrate—the body’s main energy supply.

When refined, sugar has no more fiber, vitamins or minerals. It contains neither proteins or lipids

Vitamin

Vitamin A was given the first letter of the alphabet, as it was the first to be discovered.

Vitamin C It helps slow down or prevent cell damage. Vitamin C is an antioxidant but is also vital for the production of collagen and enhances iron absorption.

The word “ascorbic,” as in ascorbic acid (the name for Vitamin C), means “no scurvy”.

Vitamin B6 is found in a wide variety of foods including fortified cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables.

Vitamin D (Ergosterol) helps to build bones and teeth, strengthens the nervous system, and assists in normal blood clotting.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant, neutralizing cell-damaging free radicals in the body.

Vitamin E also protects the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet light.

It has been proven that cancer is a deficiency disease caused by the lack of Vitamin B17 (Laetrile).

Spinach

Spinach is native to central and southwestern Asia.

Spinach was the favorite vegetable of Catherine de Medici, a historical figure in the 16th century.

Spinach is considered to be a rich source of iron.Spinach also has a high calcium content.

Spinach is a rich source of vitamin A (and lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids.

Researchers have identified at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that function as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents.

Spinach is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol.

California produces 74 percent of the fresh spinach grown in the United States.

There are three types of spinach available in U.S. supermarkets: savoy (curly leaf), flat
(smooth leaf) and semi-savoy (slightly curly leaves).

Cabbage

The plant is also called head cabbage or heading cabbage, and in Scotland a bowkail, from its rounded shape.

The cultivated cabbage is derived from a leafy plant called the wild mustard plant, native to the Mediterranean region, where it is common along the seacoast.

The largest cabbage dish ever made was on 19 December 2008 in the Macedonian city of Prilep, with 80,191 sarmas (cabbage rolls) weighing 544 kg (1,221 lbs).

Cabbage is: Low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium, Manganese, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Iron and Magnesium.

Histidine, a compound found in cabbage regulates the T-cells of the immune system. This is essential in the treatment of allergies and other illnesses caused due to a weak immune system.

Cabbage is a source of Vitamin A which your body needs for healthy skin and eyes.

Drinking juiced cabbage is known to assist in curing stomach and intestinal ulcers.

To keep red cabbage red, try adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to the cooking water.

Popcorn

The oldest ears of corn were found in the Bat Caves in western central Mexico.

In 1885, the American Charles Cretors invented the popcorn machine.

Popcorn kernels can pop up to 3 feet in the air.

The world’s largest popcorn ball, as measured by th Guiness Book of World Records is 12 feet in diameter, containing 2,000 pounds of popcorn, 40,000 pounds of sugar, 280 gallons of corn syrup, and 400 gallons of water.

Popcorn is low in calories as compared to other snacks. A cup of air-popped popcorn would have 31 calories and a cup of oil-popped only 55 per cup.

The largest popcorn festival is the Marion Popcorn Festival.

January 30th is National Popcorn Day in US.

Popcorn has more protein than any other cereal grain.

Popcorn has more iron than eggs, peanuts, spinach, or roast beef!

Researches has proven that the ancestors of most Native American tribes enjoyed popcorn even before the birth of Christ.

Popcorn needs between 13.5-14% moisture to pop.

Corn

Each year, a single U.S. farmer provides food and fiber for 129 people – 97 in the U.S. and 32 overseas.

Farmers grow corn on every continent except Antarctica.

About 800 million tons of corn are produced annually around the world.

The two primary methods of processing corn are referred to as “dry” and “wet” milling.

Corn is native to the Americas, and some form of it was probably growing 7,000 years ago by Native American Indians.

There are hundreds of varieties of corn and all of them are Indian corn.

Americans consume 16.5 billion quarts of popped popcorn annually.

China ranks second in the production of corn, after the US.

Candy corn has 3.57 calories per kernel .

Farmers grow five times as much corn as in the 1930s on 20% less land.

Rice

More than 90 percent of the world’s rice is grown and consumed in Asia, where people typically eat rice two or three times a daily.

More than 40000 varieties of cultivated rice (the grass family Oryza sativa) are thought to exist but the exact number remains a mystery.

Of the 40,000 varieties more than 100 grow world-wide, but only around 10% are marketed and sold.

In Burma a person eats 500 pounds of rice a year.

The Chinese word for rice is the same as the word for food.

Rice is so important in some countries, that they have festivals and celebrations to honor this wonderful food.

Rice provides 20% (that’s one fifth) of the world’s dietary energy supply.

Rice is a good source of insoluble fiber, which is also found in whole wheat, brand and nuts.

Cotton

Cotton accounts for about 40 percent of total world fiber production.

There are 35,000 cotton farms in the U.S.

There is more cotton grown globally than any other non-edible crop.

Cottonseed oil is cholesterol-free, high in poly-unsaturated fats and contains high levels of antioxidants (Vitamin E) that contribute to its long shelf life.

In ancient Egypt, only the High Priest was allowed to wear a cotton garment.

Cotton has been cultivated in many different parts of the world for more than 5,000 years and is used as a food as well as a fiber source.

Fiber for one cotton T-shirt requires no less than 256.6 gallons of water.

The cotton plant requires about 180 – 200 days from planting to full maturity and ready for harvest

Cotton is the most widely used fiber for clothing in the world.

Broccoli

Broccoli has been around for more than 2000 years.

Broccoli is a part of the cabbage family.

Broccoli contains selenium, a mineral that has been found to have anti-cancer and anti-viral properties.

Broccoli consumption has increased over 940 percent over the last 25 years!

One cup of broccoli provides about 75 milligrams of calcium and about 1.2 milligrams of iron.

Broccoli was introduced to the U.S. market in the 1920s.

To eliminate the smell of broccoli, add a slice of bread to the pot.

Broccoli is full of C vitamins, in fact it has almost as double the amount than for instance orange dose.

Aloe Vera

George Ebers in 1862 first discovered its antiquity in an ancient Egyptian Papyrus, dated 3500 BC.Aloe vera has been used for centuries in China and India.

There are approximately two hundred different aloe vera plants.

The gel of older (therefore, larger) Aloe Vera plants is more effective than that of “baby” plants.

Aloe Vera is also called as the “Lily of the Desert”, since it grows naturally in the desert.

The aloe gel extracted from the plant contains more than 75 nutrients and 200 active compounds including 20 minerals, 18 amino acids and 12 vitamins.

The cosmetics industry also uses Aloe Vera for skin care and hair care products.

The leaf of an Aloe Vera plant is an excellent “first aid” kit, to disinfect minor cut or gall injuries, or insect stings or bites

Carrots

Carrots were cultivated for the first time in Afghanistan and then brought to the Mediterranean area more than 2000 years ago.

Originally carrots were found in a variety of colours including purple, white, black, yellow and red.

Hippocrates recommended women eat carrot seeds to prevent pregnancy. The first carrots were not grown for food; they were to be used as medicine.

The longest carrot on record in 2008 was 5.85 meters long!

Several countries have an annual event to celebrate the successful harvest of the carrot.

Carrots are more nutritious when cut by a knife!

No other vegetable or fruit contains as much carotene as carrots, which the body converts to vitamin A.

The largest carrot ever recorded weighed 18.985 pounds.

Veggies

Darker green vegetables contain more vitamin C than lighter green vegetables.

Tomatoes are not a vegetable, they are a fruit. They were once considered a type of apple by France and Italy and used to be yellow, not orange or red.

The world’s largest watermelon on record weighed over 260 pounds.

Carrots can help you to see better in the dark. That’s because carrots contain lots of Vitamin A, which helps to prevent “night blindness”.

The longer that fruits or vegetables sit around waiting to be sold or eaten, the more nutrients they lose.

Potatoes and lettuce are the two most popular vegetables in the US. Americans eat about 145 lbs of potato per person per year and 30 lbs of lettuce per year.

Common celery can be eaten raw or cooked, but Chinese celery is best eaten cooked in stir-fry, soup or fried rice.

Tomato

Tomatoes were first cultivated in 700 AD by Aztecs and Incas. Explorers returning from Mexico introduced the tomato into Europe, where it was first mentioned in 1556.

Because they are closely related to deadly nightshade, tomatoes were once thought to be poisonous!

Spanish explorers first brought tomatoes to Europe from Central America. In Italy and Spain, they were accepted and eaten, but in northern Europe and the colonies, they were grown only for decoration. In 1820, the state of New York even passed a law banning their consumption!

The truth was finally revealed on September 26, 1830, when Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson consumed an entire bag of tomatoes before a shocked crowd on the steps of the courthouse in Salem, New York.

Tomatoes were originally sun-dried due to the absence of refrigeration, freezers and modern ovens. Drying tomatoes in the sun allowed for year round enjoyment of the harvest.

There are thousands of tomato varieties. The most widely available varieties are classified in three groups: cherry, plum, and slicing tomatoes. A

To peel tomatoes easily, place them in boiling water and remove from heat, allow to stand for one minute then plunge them into cold water

Americans eat an average of 80 pounds of tomatoes every year.

Aside from being rich in vitamins C, A and K, tomatoes contain lycopene, a carotenoid with potent antioxidant and cancer-fighting properties.

An average size tomato (148 gram, or 5 oz) boasts only 35 calories.

Ketchup

The original ketchup, or ke-tsiap, was created in the Orient. It was a tangy sauce of pickled fish, shellfish, and spices, which was used on fish.

In the early 1700′s, English sailors discovered it in Malaya, and brought it back to England. But the unusual ingredients were hard to find, so there were many variations, using flavors like walnut, anchovy, lemon, or even tomatoes!

In 1792, a book called The New Art of Cookery introduced a sauce called “tomato catsup,” but it was hard to make. Then in 1876, Henry J. Heinz began mass-producing the stuff, and the red sauce caught on in a big way.

Indonesian and Asian culture invented what we know today as ketchup.

During the 17th century the condiment arrived in England with the name of catsup.

Kids eat 50 percent more ketchup than adults.

Ketchup was first for sale to the public by F. & J. Heinz Company back in 1876.

The ingredients in a typical modern ketchup are tomato concentrate, spirit vinegar, corn syrup or other sugar, salt, spice and herb extracts (including celery), spice and garlic powder.

25% of ketchup is sugar!

When Heinz ketchup leaves the bottle, it travels at a rate of 25 miles per year.

The world’s largest ketchup bottle is proudly displayed in Collinsville, Illinois. Built atop a water tower in 1949, it stands 170 feet tall.

Four tablespoons of ketchup, the average amount eaten with an order of fries,
has the same nutritional value as an entire ripe tomato.

Squeeze bottle were introduced in the 1980’s to solve the problem of ketchup not flowing out of glass containers.

Cherries

Apart from nutritional benefits of cherries, it has been discovered that cherries provide a number of healing benefits.

Cherries are very perishable and do not ripen after harvest. They only remain fresh in the refrigerator for only a few days are harvest.

The cherry fruit are low in fat, sodium, cholesterol and are a source of fiber and Vitamin A,C and E.

Cherry products are available in cherry juice, canned cherries, cherry juice concentrate, fresh cherries, dried and frozen.

Sweet as well as sour cherries can be used for jams. Sour cherries are used more often as an ingredient in pies and are suitable for making soufflés, cooked fruit compotes etc.

Cherries are very versatile fruits and can be a part of any meal or dessert. From breakfast to soups and salads, these find their way into any food item easily!

Watermelon

Watermelon is thought to have originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa. The watermelon was brought into America across the Atlantic oceans by African slaves.

By the 1600′s, watermelon made it’s way to Spain, China, Great Britain, and even farther beyond.

The flowering watermelon plant produces a fruit called by botanists “pepo” .

Watermelons are more than 90% water.

Watermelon is actually a vegetable and not a fruit. It is also related to the pumpkin, cucumber and the squash. Watermelon’s official name is Citrullus Lanatus of the botanical family Curcurbitaceae.

The 1996 Guiness Book of Records lists the largest watermelon as being 262 pounds!

Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide.

The watermelon is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

A whole cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories.

Onion

Onion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium.Allium cepa is also known as the “garden onion” or “bulb” onion.

Archaeological and literary evidence such as the Book of Numbers 11:5 suggests cultivation probably took place around two thousand years later in ancient Egypt, at the same time that leeks and garlic were cultivated.

1 medium Raw onion contains: 60 Calories, 1 gram Protein,14 grams Carbohydrates,0 Fat, 0 Cholesterol, 10 mg Sodium, 200 mg Potassium, 11.9 mg Vitamin C .

Americans eat 18.8 pounds of fresh and storage type onions on average each year.

Onions contain a oil, which has lots of sulphur in it. When you cut the onion, this oil is released. When the oil gases reach your eyes, it causes irritation and sends signals to your tear gland to produce tears. (source)

Wine

There are 20 million acres are planted to grapes worldwide.

There are 10,000 wine grapes varities worldwide.

There are about 400 species of oak, though only about 20 are used in making oak barrels.

When Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii in volcanic lava, it buried more than 200 wine bars with it.

The famous Chateau Petrus in Pomerol makes the world’s most expensive Merlot, which sells up to $2,500 or more.

Thomas Jefferson’s salary was $25,000 per year – a princely sum. In 1801 he spent $3,000 for wine.

The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from level ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State.

Foot treading of grapes is still used in producing a small quantity of the best port wines.

30 million gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Sauvignon Blanc is also called Fume Blanc, and is a popular choice for fish and shellfish dishes.

The vintage year on a wine label is the harvest year of the grapes from which the wine was made.

Poor soil quality tends to produce better wines. The trick is to challenge the vines by making them work harder.

Although the average life span of a grapevine is 25 years, grapevines are actually capable of producing grapes for more than 100 years.

Champagne

Dom Perignon a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Hautvillers invented champagne.

Champagne is type of sparkling white wine that comes from the northern region of France called Champagne.

Marilyn Monroe once took a bath in 130 bottles of champagne.

“Good champagne” has multiple bubble trains rising in lines from the sides of a poured glass.

There are 49 million bubbles in a regular bottle of Champagne.

According to the Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), France exports 150.9m bottles of champagne per year.

Most champagne are a mixture of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.

A raisin in a glass of champagne will continuously bounce up and down from the bottom of the glass.

Salt

Salt is vital to prevent excess saliva production to the point that it flows out of the mouth during sleep. Needing to constantly mop up excess saliva indicates salt shortage.

Salt is a vital substance for the survival of all living creatures, particularly humans. Water and salt regulate the water content of the body.

Ocean salt alone possesses the power to restore wholeness to the human internal seas, our body fluids.

Salt is vital for preventing varicose veins and spider veins on the legs and thighs.

Twenty-seven percent of the body’s salt is in the bones. Osteoporosis results when the body needs more salt and takes it from the body. Bones are twenty-two percent water. Is it not obvious what happens to the bones when we’re deficient in salt or water or both.

Consumption of too much salt can be deadly – you need to take about 1 gram of salt per kilogram of weight to die and this was used as a method of ritual suicide in China – especially amongst the nobility as salt was so expensive.

Salt was so important a commodity in ancient times that it was often used as money! Words and expressions reflecting the former importance of salt include “salary”, “safety”, “soldier”, and “worth one’s salt”, as well as the modern Hebrew words for “war” and “peace”.

Salt became a relatively cheap commodity during the Industrial Revolution, when efficient methods for mining salt were developed.

There’s enough salt in the world’s oceans to cover all the continents with a layer of salt 45 stories high!

Each liter of seawater contains about 35 grams of salt, which is fine for sea creatures and many birds but too salty for humans to drink. Scientists and engineers are working on developing cost-effective ways of extracting the salt out of seawater to help insure against fresh water shortages.

Garlic

Throughout the ages, garlic has been advocated for a variety of ills. More recently, studies using garlic in its natural form (or in its various supplemental varieties) indicate that garlic may lower high cholesterol levels (hyperlipidemia) and have positive effects on high blood pressure (hypertension), platelet function (blood clotting), cancer and infection.

Although the many health claims concerning garlic are difficult to ignore, they aren’t yet proven. And, there can be undesirable and potentially dangerous side effects.

Most studies use the equivalent of 1 to 2 garlic cloves daily (1 clove = about 3 grams). This is about the same as 400-1,200 milligrams (mg) of dried garlic powder or 1,000-7,200 mg of aged clove garlic (check labels). In these amounts garlic — and its supplemental forms — seems to be tolerated well. Depending on the form chosen, a strong odor may be the only undesired side effect.

At higher doses (equal to about 5 cloves a day), gastrointestinal pain has been described. In some animal studies, raw garlic extract lowered blood proteins and caused stomach ulceration. However, this has not been seen in humans.

Garlic applied to the skin has been associated with inflammation, redness and itching.

The consumption of garlic lowers blood cholesterol levels.

Garlic is found to be an effective antibiotic treatment.

Garlic is closely related to onions, leeks, and shallots.

There are 300 strains of garlic in the world.

Americans consume more than 250 million pounds of garlic annually.

Fresh garlic juice can kill various microorganisms.

Hippocrates, who is regarded by many as being the father of modern medicine, was said to have used garlic to treat cancerous tumors.

Garlic is also extremely popular and common in Italian food and is often cooked with virgin oil.

Garlic has been known as an aphrodisiac .

French Fries

Historians state that potatoes were being fried by at least 1680 in the Meuse Valley of Belgium. Locals would eat small fried fish with their meals, but when the river was frozen over, they cut potatoes lengthwise and fried them in oil to use as a substitute.

French fries were introduced to the U.S. when Thomas Jefferson served them in the White House during his Presidency of 1801-1809.

In 2007 total world production of potatoes was more than 320 million tonnes, and about 2/3 were consumed by people as food.

One of the early references to ‘French fried potatoes’ was in 1894 in O. Henry’s ‘Rolling Stones’, “Our countries are great friends. We have given you Lafayette and French fried potatoes.”

Americans eat more than 16 pounds of french fries every year, which comes to over 2 million tons!

French fries aren’t called “french fries” in France. They’re known there as poninws frites, “fried potatoes.” And the potato itself is known as the ponone de terre, or “earth apple”.

Banana

There are more than 500 varieties of banana in the world.

The word ‘banan’ is Arabic for finger.

Eating a banana can cheer you up. Bananas are the only fruit to contain the amino acid, tryptophan plus Vitamin B6 which together help the body produce seratonin, the natural chemical which alleviates mental depression.

Wild bananas originated in Asia and have been cultivated for more than 4,000 years.

Although referred to as banana trees, they are not trees at all but a perennial herb.

High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Due to high content of potassium and low content of sodium, bananas minimize the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.

The average American consumes over 28 pounds of bananas each year.

Fruities

Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams.

Apples contain an antioxidant that fights cancer .

The banana plant is in the same family as the lily and the orchid.

A medium-sized orange contains the amount of vitamin C that a healthy adult should eat daily.

Olive trees can live for more than 1,500 years.

Kiwis are packed full of cancer fighting Beta-Carotene and contain twice as much Vitamin C as an orange.

People who eat a lot of fruit need to consum less water.

Lemons are popular for cleaning because they are high in acid – which kills bacteria.

Grapes have grown wild since pre-historic times.

Pear wood is hard and can be used to make furniture.

There are more than 100 varieties of bananas, some even have red skin.

Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

100% percent fruit juice is a great way to get started every morning.

Kiwi fruit is said to promote respiratory health and ease wheezing and night coughing.

The largest fruits are giant pumpkins, specially grown and bred for their size. The largest ones can weigh over 1,000 pounds!

Growing giant pumpkins is a fine art, and there are many different ideas about how to do it best. Many growers keep their methods secret. Some use heating cables to protect against cold weather, or special fertilizers for maximum growth. Giant pumpkin vines are pampered and watched carefully.

Good selections are aswell foods affluent in fiber. Also, Adding a little physical activity to your daily routine will help you start losing weight quicker than you can imagine.