Experts Dismiss Banana Claim Over 8-Person Smoothie Study as Blueberry Benefits Largely Hold
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 10
Experts Dismiss Banana Claim Over 8-Person Smoothie Study as Blueberry Benefits Largely Hold
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 10
Summary
An 8-person 2023 study at the center of the debate did not test bananas blended with blueberries, and experts said it cannot support claims that bananas "kill" blueberry smoothie benefits.
Polyphenol oxidase in bananas can reduce some flavanols, but specialists said the study measured added cocoa-derived flavanols rather than blueberries' more abundant anthocyanins—the compounds more central to the fruit's health value.
Mars funded the research and supplied the flavanols, a detail critics said further limits how broadly the findings should be applied to everyday smoothies.
Dietitians said nutrient interactions are real, yet the practical effect is minor in the context of an overall diet, especially when many people still fall short of the recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
Bananas remain a nutritious, inexpensive smoothie ingredient—providing about 3 grams of fiber per medium fruit—and experts said enjoying more fruit matters more than micromanaging polyphenol absorption.