Why do bananas get sweeter as they ripen?

The nutrient content in fruit changes as it ripens, encouraging animals to feed on them and help disperse their seeds.

Asked by: Alison Shields, Buckinghamshire

Fruits disperse their seeds when animals eat them. By suddenly increasing the sugar content, plants encourage animals to selectively eat the fruits with mature seeds that have developed the protective coatings they will need to survive passage through the digestive system. Commercial bananas don’t actually have seeds, but the ripening process remains.

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