Blocking nutrients
Your healthy morning smoothie packed with berries and a banana may be quietly canceling itself out. Research on food combinations is showing that some of the healthiest-sounding meals actually block the nutrients they’re supposed to deliver.
The most striking example involves bananas and berries. However, coffee, calcium and even spinach all play into nutrient bioavailability, the share of a nutrient your body can actually use. The science on how food timing and pairing affect what your body absorbs is more relevant to everyday eating than most people realize.
Why Bananas and Berries Are a Surprisingly Bad Combination
A 2023 study in Food & Function by researchers at UC Davis and the University of Reading found that adding a banana to a berry smoothie reduced flavanol absorption by 84 percent compared with a berry-only blend. The study drew renewed mainstream coverage through UC Davis press releases in October 2025 and May 2026.
The culprit is an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, which bananas contain in high amounts. PPO destroys flavanols both during blending and during digestion in the stomach.
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Flavanols are the heart and brain-protective compounds found in berries, cocoa and grapes. Lead author Javier Ottaviani cited a clinical trial showing 500 milligrams of flavanols daily cut cardiovascular deaths including heart attack and stroke by 27 percent. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics issued its first-ever flavanol recommendation in 2022, calling for 400 to 600 milligrams a day for cardiometabolic health.
It is worth noting that the banana study was funded by Mars Inc., which sells a flavanol supplement. Independent follow-up work has cited and confirmed the underlying mechanism.
Other high-PPO foods that trigger the same effect include apples, peaches, avocados, mangoes, eggplant, potatoes and mushrooms. The fix is simple: swap the banana for pineapple, oranges or mango in smoothies built around berries or cocoa.
Source: US Weekly©
Photo credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Image©
July 4, 2026 Update:
Debate over bananas
Dr Daniel Pompa, a cellular health specialist from Utah, recently raised concerns about bananas in a video shared with his social media audience.
Pompa, who has nearly two million followers on Instagram, frequently posts about diet and environmental health. Pompa argued that bananas may not be as beneficial as commonly believed.
Key takeaways
- Production Concerns: Dr. Daniel Pompa highlights that fungicides used in banana farming and distribution may impact health, raising questions about how the fruit is grown and transported.
- Ripening Chemicals: Bananas are often exposed to ethylene, a plant hormone that triggers ripening, which may affect their natural composition.
- Inflammation Risk: Certain starch components in bananas could worsen inflammation in some individuals, though mainstream nutrition still considers them healthy.
Certain starch components in bananas could worsen inflammation-related symptoms in some individuals. How do you feel after eating one?
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