1. Apples provide more energy than coffee
The adage ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ may be truer than you realise. While it does not contain caffeine like coffee, it is packed with plenty of natural sugars like fructose which takes longer to metabolise and calories that can boost your energy levels. Coffee stimulates your brain and nervous system which is why you can spot coffee-addled workaholics from a mile away by their tremoring hands. Apples will not stimulate your body in the same way but it does have carbohydrates and fibre which will keep your tummy sated longer.
2. Almost every banana you eat is a clone of the Cavendish variety
That’s right, almost 99% of the world’s bananas are Cavendish clones. Our tale begins in Central America: home to most of the banana plantations where your exported fruit was grown in a monoculture where each fruit is genetically identical. What began as seedless bananas that were easy to eat blossomed into a bonus of regulating quality but biologically, this is a nightmare. Genetic diversity is an important aspect of an organism’s overall health and so many clones means that if one tree is diseased, then the entire plantation will be susceptible too. You can rectify this in your own way by keeping a lookout for other banana varieties because demand always boosts supply.
3. Cashew nuts grow on trees attached to a cashew apple
Cashew nuts actually grow at the base of cashew apples high up on a tropical tree. Both the fleshy fruit and the nut are edible albeit in processed form. The bitter fruit can be used to make a variety of jams and even a fermented liquor called feni (a traditional beverage in Goa). Meanwhile, the nut should only be consumed after it is roasted because raw cashews have urushiol, a compound also found in poison ivy. In addition to this, cashews contain oxalate which when ingested in large amounts, can harm your kidneys.
4. Oranges contain less vitamin C than bell peppers
Oranges actually contain a third of the vitamin C found in red bell peppers. However, this vitamin C content differs based on the colour. Green peppers are great as well but only half the amount of vitamin C red ones have. This is due to the longer ripening time red peppers have left on the vine which concentrates and amplifies its nutritional value while green peppers are picked first before it has a chance to ripen. But consuming both is beneficial. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient required in all cell growth, development and repair. It is involved in strengthening your immune system, bone health, healing and iron absorption.