FYI, Those Annoying White Strings On Bananas Actually Have A Purpose

Leathery strings of unpleasantness.

Pull back the yellow peel of a banana, and there they are, haunting you. They run vertically along the fruit, demanding to be removed with precision. They dangle lifelessly from the flesh of ripe bananas, but cling mercilessly to those that are less ripe. Either way, they are never wanted.

We’re talking about those annoying white strings on bananas, or more technically, “phloem bundles.” (Appetizing name, right?)

Anyone who’s peeled a banana has certainly encountered this unpleasantness. But what do we even know about these things?

If the term “phloem” sounds familiar to you, it’s probably because you were taught about phloem and xylem when you learned about plant biology in middle school science class. Those two terms describe thecomplex tissues that transport food and water in a plant, providing it with sufficient food, nutrients, minerals and water to grow.

So essentially, these hideous strings distribute nutrients up and down the banana as it grows, allowing us to eat the delicious bananas that we so love.

Some people hate phloem bundles so much that they’ve dedicated blogs to the subject. Many of us don’t give them much thought, accepting them as just another tedious part of our daily lives. But is there more we need to know? Only a banana doctor could tell us.

To get some answers, we talked to Nicholas D. Gillitt, who has a Ph.D. in physical/inorganic chemistry and is the VP of nutrition research and director at the Dole Nutrition Institute.

HuffPost: Is there any nutritional difference between phloem bundles and the rest of the edible part of the banana?

Gillitt: “Although we have not specifically tested phloem bundles, it is likely that there would be a difference in its