It is estimated that up to half a million children in Africa and South East Asia suffer permanent blindness each year due to vitamin A deficiency. It is also estimated that half of them die within a year of losing their sight.

It has long been known that carotenoids – the compounds which cause fruit to ripen – are converted into vitamin A in the liver. But until now, it has not been clear how fruits produce and store them. American scientists now report a new understanding of the process in bananas.

It is claimed the ground-breaking research could result in the development of biofortified banana varieties with eye health benefits. Any such development will not come a moment too soon.

Sources:

1. ScienceDaily:
   A better understanding of bananas could help prevent blindness.
2. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry:
   The Quest for Golden Bananas - Investigating Carotenoid Regulation in a Fe’i Group Musa Cultivar.