Last week I tried doing this presentation live on Friday, November 17, as some of you witnessed. Due to technical difficulties, that didn’t work out as planned. Instead of trying to reschedule again, I decided to record the presentation so you could get the information as soon as possible!
You may have heard about a new study suggesting that an enzyme in bananas called polyphenol oxidase—the enzyme that turns bananas brown—can destroy a class of nutrients found in foods like berries. So, should you stop putting bananas in your smoothies? Is there anything we can add to the smoothie to counter the banana enzyme’s effects? Is it just a smoothie thing? What about eating a banana with meals?<
And what about other fruits and vegetables that turn brown that also have this enzyme, like white potatoes, avocados, and white mushrooms? Is the enzyme destroyed by cooking? Get the answers to all these questions and more.
Here is the breakfast I mentioned: https://youtu.be/Ylu0_wrsa-U
My next live Q&A will be November 29 at 3 ET.
Sources cited: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xRXidBKb59AO0x0x8FPJfz0Je5ehdjE0kdV16t4kb9I/edit#gid=0
https://NutritionFacts.org
• Subscribe: https://nutritionfacts.org/subscribe
• Donate: https://nutritionfacts.org/donate
• Podcast : https://nutritionfacts.org/audio
• Books: https://nutritionfacts.org/books
• Shop: https://drgreger.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NutritionFacts.org
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/nutrition_facts
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nutrition_facts_org
What would happen if you cooked the bananas in a microwave, and subsequently froze them prior to making your smoothie? I think this is worth a try!
Great, my breakfast oatmeal has been destroyed. T_T
Do I use dates to get a little sweetness in the morning?
This is simply bananas! I guess carnivores would be very happy to hear that certain plant foods have a….defence mechanism. Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about it as I've always had a non-penchant for any brown bits in bananas.
Super appreciate all the hard work to help us hack our way to the healthiest selves. Love this work.
I've learnt from a brasilian vlogger, Chef Jana, that you can cook bananas (green) and use them to replace eggs, creams, etc. And also, that you can cook the banana peel and they can replace meat.
whats better a banana and berry smoothie every now n then or eat a banana here n there cause i thought i was being super healthy but now im discouraged, all of a sudden bananas are some destroyer of all goodness
Will freezing the banana destroy the enzyme?
At the moment, I am trying to REDUCE polyphenols that necessitate processing by the liver which needs to process out a lot of stored fat solubles that I accumulated from nearly a decade of high-fat, colorful food diet. (which also included small amounts of organ meats)
So, bananas are actually a very good addition.
This is good to know if you do anything but eat a varied WFPB diet with herbs and spices. Why? Because when you eat varied WFPB with herbs and spices, you already get way more antioxidants than your system can use. So this may be factual, but the vast majority watching this shouldn't need to worry about it. If you're in the west on a SAD, then this definitely will help you get to your daily recommended amount.
Mango is a wonderfully creamy smoothie ingredient. I actually prefer it over banana.
I use ripe plantains in my morning breakfast cereal with berries. Plantains seem to be kind of super bananas (more fiber, deeper color). I'll no longer be eating them with berries, since I'm assuming they have lots of PPO.
For me: boiled sweet potato (preferably purple stoke potato) with my blueberries and strawberries, a little water and some dried fruits or Manuka honey. Yum. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 😊
Im sorry but this video was too unfocused to watch with all the ”ahma…ehm…ahma…ehm”…wasnt able to get anything out of it because of that. Really not your best video.
ugg, I add mushroom powder to my smoothie but not white. Is this across the board on mushrooms? Yunno the ones.. lion's mane, reishi, chaga, etc. cooked is okay.. I imagine the powders would be considered cooked.
I mostly have bananas as a mono smoothie or meal. Maybe some added romaine or fresh or frozen mango.
I'm a big fan … BUT … this was very difficult to listen to. Not at your best in this one.
It would be interesting to hear ideas on different varieties of bananas. The modern grocery store "industrial" banana may be very different than local speicies. That said, most of us are stuck with what big stores sell.
Google Journal of Plant Biotechnology for a Study titled – Effect of vacuum blending on antioxidant activities of apple juice and blueberry juice. And Excerpt from the Conclusion. In the case of apple juice, the vacuum blended sample showed about **83% DO removal rate compared to normal blending at 1.2 mg/L, Blueberry juice showed a DO removal rate of about **86% compared to general blending at 1.3 mg/L in the vacuum blending sample (Table 1).
Journal of Plant Biotechnology for a Study titled – Effect of vacuum blending on antioxidant activities of apple juice and blueberry juice. EXCERPT – The results of time-dependent polyphenol and flavonoid contents of apple and blueberry juice according to vacuum blending are shown in Fig. 2. After 3 hours, the polyphenol and flavonoid content of both apple and blueberry juice decreased. During vacuum blending, it was confirmed that the amount of decrease was significantly less than that of general blending for 3, 6, and 12 h.
"Hopefully this will work. Fingers crossed." Are there double-blind placebo-controlled studies that show that's effective? Evidence-based superstition?
There goes 5 years of a banana in my blueberry smoothie every day then!
What about freezing smoothies? I make a whole Vitamix container full and put it in 8 oz. plastic bottles and freeze them, and defrost one at a time. What effect does freezing have on polyphenols and also on the PPO in bananas?
As several other people have asked, what about adding lemons or lemon juice to smoothies with bananas and apples? Would that inhibit the PPO? I always add bottled organic lemon juice to my smoothies. I make them from 30 different fruits and vegetables (not all 30 every time), some fresh and some frozen.
Darn! I love my banana matcha smoothies!
Wonderful and important video/presentation, thank you so much. One point though: beet greens (like spinach and Swiss chard and I think rhubarb leaves too) are extremely high in oxalates; moreover even more of these are released when ground as a smoothie. So large amounts of these should be avoided: Dr. Greger in a video had suggested a maximum of one cup spinach a day which I presume would be measured uncooked and lightly pressed by hand in a cup.
Join team mango, folks!!!
Thank you Dr Greger and the team. Very much appreciated. Knowledge is key. We're all free to do what we want but I prefer to know because I'm trying to make the most of the nutrition for myself and my family.
I'll forever be thankful to you dr..
As I am watching this video I am drinking my berry smoothie with banana….oops!! Tomorrow I will take out the banana and have my berry smoothie with mango and some organic soy yoghurt which adds some creaminess. Thanks for the info Dr Greger! 🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌
We need a "HOW NOT TO EXERCISE"
Anyone else have the hardest time keeping a plant based diet? Any tips? My willpower is so weak 😪
Nooo! I've been putting bananas in my daily smoothie and my daily breakfast porridge for years. I have been thinking that my smoothie sometimes does turn a little brownish if I don't drink it quickly, and now I understand why. Apples didn't seem to nearly as potent so I think I'm just gonna try with that instead.
I don’t normally eat bananas if I do it’s with chia pudding
How about a banana, date and peanut butter smoothie?plain yogurt, cinnamon and banana?
Dr Greger what about microwaving the banana before adding to the smoothie? Many cultures fry bananas for dessert.
Heating bananas reduces the PPOs. Would freezing peeled bananas have a positive effect in reducing PPOs?
Why we all these vegan doctors look weak and sick? Like they have cancer.
Idk. Seems kind of hypochondriacal.
Wouldn’t your core temperature raise the banana enzymes to be over 77 degrees???
Cooked bananas are delicious. Cook bananas whole to enjoy the real beauty of their flavor and avoid this enzymatic action.
Thanks Dr Greger, is this the same for making ice cream with frozen bananas? I make this every night with berries and cocoa which is delicious…
What if you add banana about 3/4 of an hour AFTER consuming chocolate – will that adversely affect the polyphenols?
Are polyphenols the only benefits of fruit (relative to their suppression by the PPO activity of bananas)? Are their other benefits to adding some berries to a banana smoothie?
Ok Dr Greger, now I’m more confused. In the big grand scheme of things, if I’m wfpb and I drink green smoothies, eat lots of salads, etc does it really matter?
What about avocados in a green smoothie? As you need some fat content to absorb vitamins like K2, E, D etc which are all fat soluble?
So adding avocado to my greens is now bad 😐
Very difficult to make sense of. Please slow down and whatever you’re on, you might need to half it. You’re brilliant but come across as a bit silly.
Why not just reduce the banana content in the smoothie. So often they get overloaded with fruit. You only need a fraction of a banana.
Solution seems to be: Never put chocolate in a smoothie?
I don’t like bananas lol. I tried for a long time to eat them, and ‘hid’ them in smoothies. I finally gave up &have been having smoothies without them for a couple years now. Good to know that it improved nutrient value of the smoothies – thanks for sharing & keeping us up to date.
In consideration of the fact that bananas are so widely used in smoothies to add sweetness, this is such an informative video on how to preserve the vital nutrients of berries. Thank you so much for the quick video.
I stopped adding bananas in my smoothies. I've noticed faster muscle recovery and lower A1C. No joke. I was wondering what I was doing different and it turned out that the damn bananas in my smoothie were lowering the phytonutrients from the berries, thus reducing recovery time and higher A1C.
So… it's ok if the bananas are cooked, right? Cause i do oat porridge with a banana for breakfast… So now i do not know if i should continue to eat it 🤔
Salamat Doc.Mabuhay ka
What about cooked bananas, muffins?
Hi Dr. Greger! I have a question. Since freezing some foods can help reduce their oxidative enzymes, then theoretically can adding FROZEN banana to smoothies reduce the amount of flavinoids destroyed?
I'm sad now😢🍌🍌🍌
Any difference when vacuum blending?
Will adding apples to a smoothie do the same thing to other nutrients as a banana?
Hail to the medjool date
Which does he do? Imma do the opposite
This is truly a shame, i've forever enjoyed banana / berry smoothies… banana / berry oatmeal… its the end of an era.
All Bananas are GMO sugar torpedo's, if you want to ditch inflammation and eat for health stop eating carbs.
Don't mix fruit with other food, biggest mistake people make in smoothies. They work best alone. Leafy greens and berries seem to go well sometimes with fruit but any complex fat and especially protein powders and processed junk should stay away from fruit/smoothies. If you want fats keep it fruit fats like coconut meat, nuts are big no-no. Snack them after.
Smoothies only taste good if you add bananas. Bummer.
If i microwave banana firstly and then make smoothie with Cacao? This could Solve the problem with this enzyme in bananas.
I have a reaction to fresh bananas, but I can eat them if cooked without a problem. I then freeze them to use in smoothies. So does that mean they play nice with the berries in my smoothie? 🤔
Dangit!
I usually put a stick of butter in my smoothie.
what about sweet plantains?
Meh, it’s still healthier than eating meat. I’m not perfect, so I’ll continue to enjoy my oats with bananas 🍌 😊
I believe that about bananas but bananas never ever made my skin darker, however greens and green juices have
Thanks for not making it all polished and fancy. I totally enjoy listening to Dr Greger talk contemporaneously.
I cook my steel cut oats with banana in the pot and add berries on top.
Damn, this is bad news. I love bananas in smoothies.
nutritionfactsorg, i love your content and I appreciate your effort. just one quick question. is it ok if I blend blueberries, kiwi and cacao powder?TIA
Thank you for this video! I don't think it would be that big of a hassle to warm up a few bananas and then freeze the resulting goo to add to smoothies later. I wonder how that would change the texture. Bananas are just so great for adding a little sweetness.
The study had only 11 participants, all men, no vegans or vegetarians, they used frozen bananas and funded by mars using cocoa based flavinoid pills…. . needs further scrutiny.
So, how long should you wait before eating a banana after eating berries first, say in the morning with oats, for example?
Very insightful analysis! But does this mean that GMO apples that are engineered to lack the enzyme and thus are better to use in smoothies? I normally avoid GMO when possible, but now I'm confused😅
Is the n, sample size, 11 persons?
Thanks so very much! However unfortunate this news is for my banana, chocolate, blueberry oatmeal- it’s important to know.
Some varities of mangoes do turn brown when cut open.
For blueberry banana, or strawberry banana, or peanut butter banana overnight oats that get heated in the microwave before it's eaten, should we add the banana before we heat it in the microwave instead of right before we eat it? Or should we skip it, or I suppose also option C take our chances?
Question folks: So, I want to stick to my berry smoothies – what are you all doing as far as substituting for the "smoothness" and sweetness that bananas added?? AND, I guess I'm moving to mango nice cream now instead of berry ones.
I’ve been making smoothies for over 2 years now. Never added bananas, apples, pears etc. to my smoothies, just because they turn brown after cutting. It’s good to learn the science behind it now!! Thanks Dr. Greger!!😊
Oh no! I love apples in my smoothie. I dont put bananas but I like apple with spinach and dates and a few berries. Ok what a relief lemon juice helps. But how much do I need to add to my smoothie? I usually squeeze half a lemon. Will I still get the polyphenols from berries?
Would frozen bananas have the same effect? I often do ice cream with frozen bananas and frozen berries
Hmm, ok, so what if I cooked the banana and then froze it and added to smoothies? Does anyone know if this would work?
I like the bananas in my smoothies :/
Things I ALWAYS use in smoothies are bananas and apples. Sometimes Avocado. Maybe I should just eat the berries separately at a later point in the day…
I always add copious amounts of lemon juice to my smoothies, precisely because I want to avoid the bananas and apples turning brown. Nice to know it hopefully provided a little benefit.
What about just a banana shake with whey isolate and coconut milk?
What about a banana and strawberry smoothie?
To not have bananas impact berries you are eating, under what conditions is it not okay to eat a banana? How long before a berry containing meal, or how long after?
I wonder if Dr Gregor ever listened back to his own presentations and considered how they could be improved.
Anxiously awaiting your new book…How not to Age. At almost 70, I'm looking forward to whatever natural ways there are to stave off death, disease and aging. I previously purchased your, How not to Die Cookbook, and thoroughly enjoy the recipes. Would love another cookbook from you at some point too. Keep doing what you're doing…so many of us appreciate you more than you know.
Well it's settled then for me. If I can't have bananas in my smoorhies I'll have a glass of wine instead.
Frozen okra makes smoothies creamy without bananas.
I assume there is a mass limit for enzyme action. How much polyphenol can be deactivated by one banana? One cup of blueberries?
Do mushrooms lose their polyphenols when used in powdered form?