This Common Smoothie Ingredient Could Undo Some Of Its Heart Health Benefits

"Among smoothie drinkers, the addition of bananas to the puree is a hotly debated topic. Some feel the ingredient, which is very commonly found in the drink, completely overwhelms the flavour. "Banana takes over the whole smoothie [for real]," TikTok user Fly Hi Chris said in his viral video. In the clip, he played a banana physically beating out the other fruit flavours - "they can only taste me!" he bragged after knocking out "strawberry"."

"Per the study, which was led by the University of California, Davis, as well as the University of Reading, the addition may take away your ability to absorb flavonols from the drink. Flavonols are natural compounds found in things like cocoa, cherries, strawberries, grapes, and teas. Because they can make fruits and veggies red or purple, produce with those colours tends to be higher in flavonols."

"But in the 2023 Food and Function research, scientists found that polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme found in lots of fruits and veggies, especially those that have been cut and bruised, seemed to inhibit participants' absorption of flavonols. This enzyme is found in quite high levels in bananas. This, the scientists theorised, may be why adding a banana to a smoothie decreased flavanol absorption compared to those who took a flavanol capsule or drank a smoothie made only with mixed berries."

Adding a banana to a fruit smoothie markedly reduces flavonol absorption compared with consuming a flavanol capsule or a mixed-berry smoothie. Bananas contain high levels of polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that increases when fruits are cut or bruised and inhibits flavonol uptake. Flavonols are natural compounds present in cocoa, cherries, strawberries, grapes, and teas and contribute antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral effects. Testing of blood and urine indicated an approximately 84% lower flavanol absorption after banana addition versus the flavanol capsule control. Choosing berry-only smoothies or capsules preserves higher flavonol bioavailability.

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