Karat (fruit)
Encyclopedia
The karat is a local variety of the Fe'i banana
found in Pohnpei
, Federated States of Micronesia
. Its name originates from its bright orange flesh, unusually rich in β-carotene
.
For centuries, the karat was used in Micronesia to wean infants onto solid food. However it is much less often eaten there now, as imported foods have grown in popularity. However, it is now thought that because beta-carotenes are important metabolic precursors of vitamin A
, essential for the proper functioning of the retina
, giving karats to young children could help ward off certain kinds of blindness
. A campaign to reintroduce the feeding of karats to children has therefore begun in Pohnpei.
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
found in Pohnpei
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
, Federated States of Micronesia
Federated States of Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia or FSM is an independent, sovereign island nation, made up of four states from west to east: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. It comprises approximately 607 islands with c...
. Its name originates from its bright orange flesh, unusually rich in β-carotene
Beta-carotene
β-Carotene is a strongly-coloured red-orange pigment abundant in plants and fruits. It is an organic compound and chemically is classified as a hydrocarbon and specifically as a terpenoid , reflecting its derivation from isoprene units...
.
For centuries, the karat was used in Micronesia to wean infants onto solid food. However it is much less often eaten there now, as imported foods have grown in popularity. However, it is now thought that because beta-carotenes are important metabolic precursors of vitamin A
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is necessary for both low-light and color vision...
, essential for the proper functioning of the retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
, giving karats to young children could help ward off certain kinds of blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
. A campaign to reintroduce the feeding of karats to children has therefore begun in Pohnpei.