Adding this to your smoothie makes it less healthy
May 22, 2025, 2:37 PM | Updated: May 23, 2025, 11:03 am
No B-A-N-A-N-A-S for us? This is probably true, but I love me some “nanners,” as my girls call them!
Bananas are a great source of fiber, potassium and other nutrients. A new study found adding them to your morning smoothie might actually make it not as healthy for you.
A study in the journal “Food & Function” found adding a banana can decrease your smoothie’s nutritional value because it prevents your body from absorbing a type of antioxidant called flavanols.
There’s a specific enzyme in bananas called PPO. It’s the enzyme in fruits that causes them to turn brown, and it breaks down the flavanols so fast they don’t hit your bloodstream.
They found adding a banana to your smoothie reduces the amount of flavanols you absorb by 84 percent. So, you’re only getting 16 percent of what you would get without it.
The effects were most drastic when adding one to a smoothie with lots of berries in it. So, if it’s loaded with raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, leave the banana out.
No worries, as my mom says, “everything in moderation”! Just a heads up for you trying to be healthy for summer!
