Smoothies have become a popular way for people to get a delicious drink and get their days serving of fruits and vegetables. But adding a banana may be sabotaging your smoothie's health benefits.
Research recently published in the Food and Function journal highlights how the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO), which occurs naturally in many fruits and vegetables, affects the body's ability to absorb flavanols.
Flavanols are bioactive compounds that have been found to improve heart and brain health and are found in many popular ingredients in smoothies such as blueberries, apples and cocoa. Researchers were looking at how banana-based smoothie could affect the availability of flavanols to be absorbed after consumption.
The study involved participants drinking two different smoothies. One smoothie was made with banana (which has high PPO activity)and the second smoothie was made with mixed berries (which has low PPO activity). The participants also were given a flavanol capsule for comparison.
Researchers were amazed at the results. An 84% lower level of flavanols was found amongst the banana smoothie drinkers compared to the berry smoothie drinkers. For people looking to consume 400 to 600 milligrams of flavanols every day, it is recommended to pair flavanol-rich foods with low PPO activity foods such as mango or yogurt. Bananas are best consumed with foods that are not high in flavanols.
