The most popular smoothie and fruit combinations may not be as healthy as you think. A recent study conducted at the University of California and published this week in the journal Food and Function found that when bananas are blended with polyphenol-rich fruits such as berries, grapes and cocoa, adding bananas can have negative health effects. It became clear that there is Amount of polyphenols and absorption in the body.
Studies have shown that a subgroup of polyphenols, polyphenols, may prevent inflammation and prevent chronic disease. It also acts as a rich source of antioxidants, and its main role in the body is to fight free radicals and prevent the damage they cause.
In essence, they are bioactive compounds that occur naturally in plants and protect cells. Fruits and vegetables contain thousands of polyphenolic compounds that play important roles in plant cell development and combat environmental factors that can harm plants.
These compounds also help slow the aging process, prevent various diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease, and help the immune system. Undoubtedly, they are very important for the body and reducing their absorption is not recommended.
How was your research done?
In this recent study, researchers used smoothies to see how changes in levels of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), an enzyme found in many fruits and vegetables, affect the levels of polyphenols absorbed by the body. investigated to see if it affects Apples and berries also contain this enzyme, but in smaller amounts.
The researchers fed participants a shake that combined berries with high PPO activity and bananas, or a shake made only from berries with low PPO activity. A control group received a placebo. Blood and urine samples were taken from all participants to measure the levels of polyphenols in the body after ingesting the shakes and placebo.
What were the results?
Researchers found that the group that consumed the banana shake had 84% lower polyphenol levels compared to the control group. In conclusion, the combination of certain ingredients can affect the absorption of nutrients contained in foods, and adding bananas to shakes significantly increased the levels of polyphenols in the shake and the levels of polyphenols absorbed by the body. was likely to decline. Combining PPO-active fruits (such as bananas) with polyphenol-rich fruits (such as berries, grapes, and cocoa) is not recommended.
So how can you increase the levels of polyphenols in your body?
One way is to create different combinations. In 2022, some nutritionists recommended consuming 400-600mg of polyphenols per day. This can be achieved by incorporating polyphenol-rich fruits such as berries into shakes that combine ingredients with low PPO activity such as pineapple, oranges, mangoes, beets and yogurt.
