HEALTH BENEFITS OF PLANTAIN
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Plantain is the fruit of the plantain plant, it is found in most part of the world especially in equitorial climate both in high rainfalls and high sunshine. It is a plant propagated by the roots and the stem the stem is planted and why it is growing other plantains sprouts from the nearby parent plant. The fruit comes in a bunch and it is made up of many fingers of plantains attached to a major rib.
A plantain that is unripe measures between 6-9 cm in length and 3-4 cm at the middle in width, it has a tapering end and the unripe one is usually greenish. The plantain fruit itself is covered by this greenish covering and it has a milky colour. The unripe plantain contains an appreciable amount of iron, carbohydrates, fibre and other essential minerals and vitamins like vitamin B but the unripe plantain contains only carbohydrate.
Plantain is a staple food for millions of people in the world. It does not require a special knowledge of agriculture to grow plant because it is a self propagating plant and it grows on its own without much dressing and care, all that is required in the growing of plantain is to reduce the cluster in other to grow healthy and sizable plantains. When the plantain becomes heavy with fruits, it is usually supported with a long stick so as to reduce the risk of it's falling before maturing.
Plantain can be prepared in various ways since it is a staple food for millions in the world, different communities and people have evolved many ways of preparing plantain. one of them is plantain porrage which could be prepared with ripe or unripe plantain. It consists of peeling and removing the covering of the plantain, cutting into the plantain vertically and slicing horizontally to produce shapes. These shapes are eventually cooked with ingredients like fish and others like onions, it is allowed to boil for a period of 20-30 minutes then palm oil is added to form a very appetizing delicacy.To make a variety, beans can be added to make the food more palatable.
Plantain can also be fried as chips especially using the unripe ones, it is cut to produce an oval shape which is deep fried and the result of this process is light yellowish and hard crispy chip which can serve as snacks. Plantains can also be prepared by milling which colud be for meals which is other wise called plantain floor. It could also be roasted with hot coal , which becomes crispy and brownish and is eaten with palm oil gravvy.
Benefits if plantain are numerous as a food crop, as a source of income and financial sustainance to many families of the world. It contains iron which builds the haemoglobin of the blood, in other words it helps produce a healthy blood. It contains fibre which helps in easy bowel movement of the intestine . Plantain is one of the most daily digestable food because of its fibre content.
It is also useful as a food requirement in the management of diabetes type 1 and 2 because it contains iron and has a low sugar content.plantain is also used by some baby food industry in the manufacture of baby food. There is also a medicinal way which involves grinding and storing with water in a container for a few days.The fermented mixture is believed to have healing property. In addition, ulcer and also plantain peels serves as good feed for livestocks like goats and pigs.
I strongly believe that I have been able to share an educating and interesting article which is centered on the benefits of plantain. I thank you all fellow steemians once more for your support and also thank you all for reading this post.
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@ngoenyi
@steemkidss