Why We Shouldn't Put Bananas In Smoothies (Plus Other Fruit To Avoid-Simple rule!)

In a recent video Dr Michael Greger dropped the bombshell of why we should NOT put bananas in our smoothies! In this video he shares the simple rule of which other fruits and vegetables we should avoid putting in a smoothie that contains high polyphenol fruits such as berries!

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This information, including but not limited to text, graphics, images, studies, audio and other material contained in this video or youtube channel are for informational purposes only. No material on this channel is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and treatment.

Studies
Polyphenol oxidase as a biochemical seed defense mechanism

Impact of polyphenol oxidase on the bioavailability of flavan-3-ols in fruit smoothies: a controlled, single blinded, cross-over study

Mic's video

Dr Greger's YouTube Channel

Dr Greger’s website

[allencrider]

And yet somehow I'm healthy at age 70. 😆 On the other hand, I insist that fear is unhealthy.

[marcelomiceli]

Lets don"t get obsessive with food, I been making smoothies with bananas since I was a teenager and nothing happened.
I been in a plant base diet since 2003 and didn't eat meat since I was 17, at 68 my health is optimal in and out., the body knows what to do with proper food

[michealtaylor]

I will probably put banana in my smoothie

[royjohnson]

Also slice up and freeze your “Bananas” in the freezer ahead of time before using them because this converts the carbohydrate starch “to a” much healthier Resistant Starch (retrogradiation).

[maggie]

Frozen blueberries, frozen mango, Amla, beet powder, ground flax seed, rolled oats, maple syrup to offset the Amla.

[algibs]

Dr. Greger has said that if the banana is cooked first then the polyphenol blocking effect is greatly reduced or eliminated.

[suemichaelsen]

I have great respect for Dr Greger and find it easy to benefit from his teaching.
Thanks much

[rubenm]

Am glad you mentioned Mic the vegan as his explanation on this study was very thorough and informative.. hence I will continue to use bananas in my smoothies.

[johnmcewan]

It's unfortunate that people attack the messenger. Gregor has nothing to gain by suggesting bananas effect polyphenols.

[ceciliahorvath]

Oh, come on! These details are becoming very cumbersome.

[lizhall]

Studies show  agents, such as lemon, ascorbic acid, pineapple can inactivate PPO by lowering the pH. No problem if you add one of these.

[nonewherelistens]

Perfection becomes the enemy of the good, once again.

[jeanneamato]

Does freezing bananas make a difference in smoothies. In regard to polyphenols ?

[NumberOneOne]

I just prep my smoothie the night before, microwave the banana for a min since cooking prevents the issue, then pop all the ingredients in the cup, leave them in the fridge and blend in the morning.

[Arugula]

I never liked the thick, creamy feel of smoothies with banana added to it. You can get a nice, healthy, creamy mouth feel by just packing the blender with a lot of vegetables and one or at most 2 fruits. I follow Dr. Brooke Goldner's principle of no more than 25% fruits and 75% vegetables, with water added to 3/4 of the blender. This makes the smoothie very creamy due to the pectin. I only make enough to drink within a day. Try not to have leftover smoothie for the next day.
1) Lettuce smoothie - Pack torn romaine lettuce into the blender, add cucumber, frozen pineapple chunks, and a little lemon (sliced like an orange, include a little of the white part and the whole pulp). Blend.
2) Beets smoothies - Put frozen chunks of pineapples into the blender, half a tomato, sliced or cubed beets, 1/4 carrots, sliced oranges and lemons (only the skin is removed for grating just before serving), a little mint leaves or cilantro or parsley. The reason for adding orange and lemon is that a lot of vitamin C is needed for us to be able to absorb the iron in beets.
3) Red cabbage smoothies - same as above.
4) If I have no frozen chunks of pineapples, I use frozen mango chunks instead. But I don't mix the two bcz I don't want too much fructose. The latter causes a rise in uric acid if you are not exercising immediately before or after drinking it, and it shoots up your blood glucose.
3) Green smoothie - Add chopped celery, kale, spinach lemon, frozen chunk of pineapples, cucumber, and blend. For the liquid, sometimes I add half coconut water and half filtered water bcz kale is bitter. If you push the vegetables hard into the blender and pack them in as tightly as Dr. Goldner's protocol demonstrated on YouTube. The smoothie come out thick and creamy. There is pectin in all fruits and vegetables that make for creaminess without adding soy, almond milk, or banana.

[theancientsancients]

My favourite smoothie is milk or ( nut milk ) avocado 🥑 walnuts or mixed nuts, 2 dates . If you wish you can add mixed seeds too. It's such a creamy tasty healthy dessert!

[Firkant]

Does freezing or cooking the bananas help?

[outdoorsman]

Ripe bananas start losing their white color and turning brown within minutes of getting peeled and cut into slices. This discoloration happens when the flesh of the banana comes into contact with oxygen and enzymatic browning results. Enzymatic browning is an oxidation reaction. Understanding what causes this reaction helps you maintain the whiteness of your sliced bananas until they are eaten.
To keep sliced bananas from turning brown (also apples and like fruit which browns when the flesh is exposed to air), squeeze some lemon juice on them to slow the production of enzymes that cause browning. If you are using them in a salad, mix them with high-acid fruits like pineapple as the juice helps to slow the browning process.
However in a smoothie, like when eating a banana (or apple etc.), if consumed quickly, the oxygen and enzymatic browning is unlikely to have time to occur. As above, it takes minutes for the enzyme oxydation reaction to occur.

[Yowzoe]

Avocados are my new favorite thing in smoothies, and lately I’ve been freezing half-bananas in a freezer Ziploc — it makes it perfect for a morning smoothie because I can freeze them at just the ripeness that I want (and they’re quick & easy to add).
As others have said, this is *one* study. I am disappointed in Greger jumping to his conclusions based on a single study. If it works out that avos and bananas are significantly detrimental, I won’t hesitate to keep them out — though I don’t know what a good substitute for a thickening agent would be.

[michaelworsham]

Apparently drinking the smoothie that has a banana in it relatively quickly, as opposed to leisurely over a longer time, can alleviate/minimize some of the concerns in this video, because the banana has less time to do the thing that we don't want it to do.