How bananas could save thousands of lives

Scientists hope to supplement the diet of thousands of people who die from vitamin deficiencies every year. Photo / Getty

Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology have created a new type of banana that is so rich in provitamin-A it could save thousands of lives a year.

The "biofortified" fruit was made by combining genes from a vitamin-rich banana found in Papua New Guinea with a Cavendish banana, which is a type more commonly found on supermarket shelves.

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They've been in development for ten years, with the hope of supplementing the diet of thousands of people who die from vitamin deficiencies every year.

"Achieving these scientific results along with their publication, is a major milestone in our quest to deliver a more nutritional diet to some of the poorest subsistence communities in Africa," lead researcher Professor James Dale told Newsweek.

The genes have now been sent to Uganda for more field trials.

The fortified bananas are a much richer yellow than normal. Images / Plant Biotechnology Journal