This news is bananas.
Dr. Saurabh Sethi, a California gastroenterologist, is revealing three surprising reasons why bananas should be cut from your fruit smoothie recipes.
“I commonly see my patients make this mistake,” Sethi shared in a TikTok this week. “Adding bananas to your smoothies might be doing more harm than good.”
Sethi points out that bananas can contain high levels of polyphenol oxidase, which can reduce the amount of beneficial flavanols in a fruit blend.
Flavanols — found in blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and other common smoothie ingredients — have been shown to support heart and brain health, decreasing inflammation and lowering blood pressure.
A 2023 study published in the Food & Function journal found that adding a banana to a berry smoothie shrunk the amount of flavanols by 84% compared to a control group.
“Bananas can reduce the antioxidant benefits [of other fruits],” Sethi said.
Sethi also says that fully ripened bananas increase the carb load in smoothies, which can lead to blood sugar spikes, a hallmark of Type 2 diabetes.
“Despite being a healthy fruit, bananas are pretty high in both carbs and sugar, which are the main nutrients that raise blood sugar levels,” registered dietitian Helen West writes for Healthline.
The outlet reports that a medium banana (about 126 grams) contains 29 grams of carbs and 112 calories.
West notes that green, unripe bananas have less sugar than yellow, ripe bananas. The two types of bananas have similar calorie counts, though.
Sethi says it’s just too much.
“Bananas are calorie dense as compared to other fruits, so adding them to smoothies can raise the calorie count,” Sethi said.
He added: “If you’re serious about optimizing your health and nutrition, you’ll want to reconsider this popular ingredient.”
Consumer Reports reports that a large banana has about 120 calories and 16 grams of sugar, while 1 cup of strawberry slices has 53 calories and about 8 grams of sugar.
But Jessica D. Bihuniak, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, argues that bananas don’t deserve a bad rap.
They are rich in fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C and other important nutrients.
“Nobody gets fat or develops diabetes from eating too many bananas,” she told Consumer Reports.
