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.
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