The nutritional benefits of smoothies are impacted by the combination of fruits used. Here are the ones to avoid.
- According to a new study, the beneficial health impacts of smoothies can be increased by combining different fruits well.
- To reach this conclusion, researchers focused on bananas and flavanols, a compound known for its beneficial effects on heart and cognitive health.
- They concluded that you should avoid putting bananas in smoothies.
According to a new studythe beneficial impacts of smoothies on health can be increased by combining different fruits well.
To reach this conclusion, researchers focused on bananas and flavanols, a compound known for its beneficial effects on heart and cognitive health.
Smoothies: the impact of bananas on flavanol
Specifically, the researchers sought to determine how different levels of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), an enzyme commonly found in bananas, could influence the level of flavanols in smoothies and their absorption by the body.
“We sought to understand, at a very practical level, how a common food and preparation, such as a banana-based smoothie, could affect the ability of flavanols to be absorbed after consumption,” explained lead author of the research Javier Ottaviani in a statement.
His study, which involved eight healthy adult men who were asked to fast for 12 hours beforehand, took place over three days, separated by a minimum of six days. Each testing day, volunteers drank a different smoothie: a banana-based smoothie with naturally high PPO activity, a mixed fruit-based smoothie with naturally low PPO activity, or a simple flavanol capsule.
Smoothies and flavanol: blood tests to assess the impact of bananas
Blood tests were then performed to determine the level of flavanols in the body. Compared to the flavanol capsule, people who drank the banana-based smoothie had an 84% lower level of flavanols in their body.
“We were very surprised to see how quickly adding just one banana decreased the level of flavanols in the smoothie and the levels of flavanols absorbed by the body,” said Javier Ottaviani. “This shows how food preparation and combinations can affect the absorption of food compounds,” he continues.
Smoothies: “This is definitely an area that needs more attention”
This discovery is all the more interesting since the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics published a recommendation at the end of 2022 indicating that consuming 400 to 600 milligrams of flavanols per day was the ideal dose for good health. For those trying to meet this recommendation, Javier Ottaviani suggests avoiding bananas in berry-based smoothies and vice versa. Let us point out here that smoothies are generally very sweet, so should be drunk occasionally.
The researchers hope this study will encourage further research into how different methods of food storage, preparation and consumption can affect flavanol levels. “This is certainly an area that deserves more attention,” concludes Javier Ottaviani.
And if smoothies aren’t your thing, you might be happy to know that flavanols are also found in chocolate.
