u/colormeslowly

Tori said Felipe’s mom does a lot for him, even decorated his apartment and his dad got him the job (assuming it was the one at microsoft), what if Felipe’s mom signed him up to get married, knowing he was not going to do it for himself.

A team at the University of California, Davis published a study in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Food and Function showing that bananas contain high levels of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase, or PPO, which is the same enzyme that causes sliced apples and peeled bananas to brown when exposed to air. When blended together with flavanol-rich ingredients like berries, grapes, or cocoa, that enzyme does not just sit there: it actively breaks down the flavanols in the smoothie, dramatically reducing how much the body can absorb. Participants who drank a banana-based smoothie had 84 percent lower flavanol levels compared to a control, while a mixed berry smoothie with low PPO activity produced flavanol levels nearly identical to a flavanol capsule taken on its own.

What makes the finding especially significant is that the enzyme appears to keep working even after the smoothie is consumed. A second test in the study had participants drink the banana and flavanol-rich ingredients without mixing them together beforehand, and flavanol absorption was still reduced, suggesting PPO may continue affecting nutrient availability inside the stomach itself. Flavanols are plant compounds actively studied for their links to heart health, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose regulation, and brain function, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics already recommends 400 to 600 milligrams per day for cardiometabolic health. This is not a minor rounding error in nutrient intake. An 84 percent reduction is the kind of number that changes the practical value of a food routine millions of people follow every day.

The study was small, with the first phase involving eight participants, and researchers are careful to note that bananas remain a genuinely nutritious food that provides fiber, potassium, and other compounds. The more specific lesson is about pairing and preparation: if the goal of a smoothie is to maximize flavanols from berries, grapes, or cocoa, then adding a banana may be working directly against that goal without anyone realizing it. Better low-PPO alternatives for creaminess and sweetness include mango, pineapple, orange, and yogurt, all of which can carry the same texture role without triggering the enzymatic breakdown that makes berries and cocoa less effective.