Latest news with #flavanols
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why Adding Bananas To Your Smoothies Might Make Them Less Nutritious
It's easy to go bananas for bananas -- they're cheap, available year-round, and boast an irresistibly-creamy texture. They're also a popular smoothie add-in. You showcase the flavorful yellow fruit as the star of the beverage or blend them frozen to thicken smoothies in a pinch. Unfortunately, bananas might actually have a negative impact on your drink's nutritional value, according to a 2023 study published in the journal Food and Function. The study found that bananas can interfere with the absorption of certain beneficial compounds when paired with other fruits. Notably, when combined with flavanol-rich foods like berries (as in our strawberry banana oatmeal smoothie), the circulation of flavan-3-ols are significantly reduced in the body. Flavanols are naturally-occurring compounds found in many fruits, and they have some pretty valuable health benefits. They're antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and support your heart health, just to name a few. So, it's not ideal that their effects are negated when bananas are in the mix. But why does this happen? Well, when bananas come into contact with air, they release an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase (PPO). This chemical is responsible for bananas (plus some other fruits, like apples and pears) turning brown when cut open. It might seem like a superficial detail, but the enzyme impacts much more than just the fruit's appearance. The study found that PPO degrades flavanol compounds, reducing how much your body absorbs in the end. Read more: We Tried 10 Chocolate Milk Brands And Ranked Them Worst To Best If your post-workout regiment calls for a nutritiously-dense fruit smoothie, or you're looking to extract the most health benefits from your homemade drinks, it's alright if you want to nix bananas (or other PPO-rich fruits) from your next smoothie. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to substitute bananas in your smoothie. For example, you could use silken tofu, which provides protein and a creamy texture. Or, you could try adding in a handful of dates, which we consider to be the secret to nutritiously sweetened smoothies. They're rich in flavor, with a luxurious, caramel-like taste that we're sure you'll love. All that being said, the study does come with a couple of limitations. For one, the researchers only observed male participants. While it's unclear if the tests would yield very different results in women, it does present a void in the research. In addition, the researchers added flavan-3-ols to the participants' smoothies in hopes of creating a standardized level of bioactivity across each drink. The researchers believe that the extra flavanols might interact differently with the PPO than the naturally-occurring compounds in fruit. Smoothie fans might also want to consider the possibility of nutritional trade-offs. Even with a potential degradation of flavanols, bananas are still a great source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C, alongside a plethora of other nutrients. Not to mention, if you're simply bananas for the taste, there's no reason to not enjoy your favorite smoothie flavors. Read the original article on Tasting Table.
BBC News
28-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Nutrition: Apple really dey good for your health?
Dem dey tell us say one apple a day dey keep di doctor away, but dis fruit really get dat kain positive effect on our health? Di world love apple. Every year, na almost 100 million tonnes of apples dem dey produce globally. Dis fruits dey come in different colours and for long, don get reputation say e dey help us stay healthy. Di popular saying "an apple a day dey keep di doctor away" originate from one Welsh proverb wey dem write for 1866: "Eat an apple wen you dey go to bed and you go keep di doctor from earning im bread." But any truth dey dis longstanding saying? And shey apples dey especially healthy compared with oda fruits? First, make we tink about di nutrients wey apples contain. For one tin, dem be rich source of phytochemicals, including flavanols. Dis compounds don dey linked to plenti health benefits, like maintaining healthy weight and to lower your heart disease risk. Why apples dey so healthy Apples also contain various polyphenols, including anthocyanins, wey dey help give some apple peel im red colour and dey associated wit improved heart health. Anoda polyphenol wey you go find in apples na phloridzin. Dem find say e dey help control blood glucose. Lots of fibres also dey inside apples, mostly pectin, wey dey reduce di amount of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) – di unhealthy form of cholesterol – in our blood. Pectin also dey lower di amount of sugar and fat wey dey absorb from food, help to stabilise our blood sugar levels. Dis nutrients wey dey inside apples be like dem dey offer health benefits. One 2017 review of five studies bin report say to dey eat apples dey associated wit 18% reduction in di risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Anoda review from 2022, wey analyse 18 studies, find say to dey eat more apples, or apple-derived foods like apple juice, fit reduce cholesterol, if you sustain di habit for more dan one week. To get healthy diet in general fit lower your risk of cancer by up to 40%, mostly thanks to bioactive compounds, phytochemicals, wey dey common in apples. Some studies don even link apple consumption to get lower risk of developing some certain cancers. To dey eat apples regularly dey associated wit plenti health benefits – and we know say dem dey full wit healthy compounds. But apples, dey specifically, any more effective dan oda plant-based foods for keeping di doctor away? "Apples no get much vitamin C, and dem no get no iron or calcium, but dem get so many oda ingredients wey dey promote health and do wonderful tins for di body," Janet Colson, professor of nutrition and food science for Middle Tennessee State University in di US tok. "Some researchers say apples get di 'second highest level of antioxidant power among all fruits" Apples contain compounds wey dey common to many fruits and vegetables, including those helpful polyphenols, Flavia Guzzo, associate professor of plant biology for University of Verona in Italy tok. Polyphenols be strong antioxidant molecules. Dem dey help to balance di ratio of antioxidants to free radicals in our bodies – free radicals dey highly reactive, potentially cell-damaging oxygen molecules. By keeping free radicals in check, we dey reduce our risk of developing diseases including cancer and heart disease through long-term inflammation. "Some researchers say apples get di 'second highest level of antioxidant power among all fruits" Apples contain compounds wey dey common to many fruits and vegetables, including those helpful polyphenols, Flavia Guzzo, associate professor of plant biology for di University of Verona in Italy tok. Some researchers say apples get di "second highest level of antioxidant power among all fruits". Apples also contain di polyphenol phloridzin, wey dey much less common within di oda fruits in your fruit bowl. Like pectin, phloridzin appears to lessen di amount of sugar wey dey absorb into our blood from food. Apples also be good source of phenolic compounds, wey be anoda form of phytochemical. E get one study wey find say pipo wey dey live in di US get around one fifth of dia total phenolic intake from apples. Research suggests say apple phenolic compounds dey associated wit lower risk of heart attack, cancer, asthma, diabetes and obesity. But no be just di powerful polyphenols and antioxidant punch wey dey make some scientists to recommend apples over oda fruit. In some papers, scientists dey recommend regular apple-eating sake of say di fruits dey simply so widely available. Wey mean say, to dey eat dem regularly na sometin wey dey relatively achievable for many pipo. E dey clear say apples get di potential to improve our health. But na quite a big claim to say to dey eat one every day go make us no go to see doctor. One 2015 study bin chook eye for dis exact question. Researchers bin analyse one survey of nearly 9,000 pipo, wey di participants tok wetin dem eat during one 24-hour period, wey dem tok say dey indicative of dia typical daily diet. Dey find say apple-eaters dey more likely dan apple-avoiders to keep di doctor away, however, dis result no dey statistically significant wen we wan take into account say apple-eaters dey more likely to be more educated and dey less likely to smoke. "Di main finding, no say much of di association between pipo wey dey regularly consume one apple a day and di likelihood to visit physician, na sake of say e dey complex," lead researcher Matthew Davis, adjunct associate professor of epidemiology for Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire, US tok. "Pipo wey dey consume apples, based on our analyses, dey healthier in general." But dem also find say daily apple-eaters dey less likely to dey reliant on prescription medication – and dis na still one significant finding wen pesin adjust di socioeconomic differences between participants wey dey eat one apple per day and those wey no dey eat am. Therefore, di paper conclude say, one more key saying fit be say: "One apple a day go keep di pharmacist away." But Davis get issues wit di apple-a-day tok, and say anoda reason fit dey why im and im colleagues no find connection between daily apple consumption and to dey go see doctor. "Di underlying assumption na say you dey only visit di doctor wen you dey sick, but pipo dey visit di doctor for annual check-ups and oda prevention-type tins," e tok. Dis na why Davis also analyse di data around di likelihood of using prescription medication, too. "E mean say apples dey reduce di likelihood to get chronic illness," e tok. But ultimately, e say, apples alone no dey enough to stop your visit di GP, and say di most impactful tin na to get healthy diet overall. "Wey, really, be wetin di saying dey reason," e tok. Colson agree say di apple-a-day agree to regularly eating plant-based foods. Apples na good example sake of say dem dey so readily available, affordable and get long shelf-life. "Before fridges, you fit put apples for cellar and dem go last long time, and dem no dey attract mould," she tok. Oda studies don find health benefits wey relate to daily apple-eating – but only wen pipo dey consume more dan one per day. "Anoda study find say to dey eat three apples daily dey stimulate statistically significant weight loss" Inside one study wey dey publish for 2020, researchers bin split 40 participants (wey all get small elevated cholesterol levels) into two groups. One of those groups bin eat two apples per day while di oda get one apple drink wit similar calories. Di experiment bin last eight weeks and, apart from di apple products, di participants no make any oda changes to dia diets. Di researchers bin find say di apple-eaters get clinically significant lower level of cholesterol, at di end of di study. However, one weakness of dis study na im small size; 40 participants na relatively low sample size from which to draw any big conclusions. Anoda study bin find say to dey eat three apples daily dey stimulate statistically significant weight loss and improved blood glucose levels (wey bin no dey statistically significant wen e dey followed up) in 40 overweight women. As for how best to eat apples to get di greatest benefit from dem, Guzzo advise against removing di skin first. "We suppose dey eat di peel of apples, as dis na wia you go find most of di apple polyphenols," she tok. And ancient varieties dey preferable to new varieties of apple, Guzzo tok. For 2021, she and colleagues bin publish one paper wey dey look at di nutritional value of di Pom Prussian apple, one ancient apple from northern Italy, wey she find say dey richer in polyphenols dan more modern apple varieties. "Wen breeders select new varieties, dem dey look oda traits, including size and taste and robustness of di trees," she tok. "And wen dem select dis traits, rather dan polyphenol content, di variety become poorer [from a health point of view]." She tok say some polyphenols fit produce a bitter taste, and say sweeter varieties probably contain a lower proportion of dis compounds. As for colour, Guzzo tok say e no matter so much. Both di polyphenols wey dey cause apple skin to dey red or green dey both good for us. Ultimately, while to dey eat one apple a day fit no mean say you go visit di doctor less often, e fit impact your overall health or your reliance on long-term medication. But, as e always be di case, di bigger picture dey complicated. To dey eat one apple a day dey great, Guzzo tok – but only if dat na part of a diet wey dey rich in various oda plant-based foods, since dat na di key driver of good health.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Is an apple a day really good for your health?
We're told an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but does this humble fruit really have an outsized positive effect on our health? The world loves apples. Every year, almost 100 million tonnes of apples are produced globally. These fruits, which comes in a wide range of colours and flavours, have long had a reputation for helping us stay healthy. The popular phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" originates from a slightly wordier Welsh proverb written in 1866: "Eat an apple on going to bed and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." But is there any truth at the core of this longstanding maxim? And are apples especially healthy compared to other fruit? First, let's think about the nutrients that apples contain. For one thing, they are a rich source of phytochemicals, including flavanols. These compounds have been linked to numerous health benefits, such as maintaining a healthy weight and lowering your heart disease risk. Why apples are so healthy Apples also contain various polyphenols, including anthocyanins, which help give some apple peel its red colour and are associated with improved heart health. Another polyphenol you'll find in apples is phloridzin. It has been found to help control blood glucose. There's also lots of fibre in apples, largely pectin, which reduces the amount of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) – the unhealthy form of cholesterol – in our blood. Pectin also lowers the amount of sugar and fat we absorb from food, helping to stabilise our blood sugar levels. These nutrients in apples do seem to offer health benefits. A 2017 review of five studies reported that eating apples is associated with an 18% reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Another review from 2022, which analysed 18 studies, found that eating more apples, or apple-derived foods such as apple juice, can reduce cholesterol, if you sustain the habit for more than one week. Having a healthy diet in general can lower your risk of cancer by up to 40%, largely thanks to bioactive compounds, phytochemicals, that are common in apples. Some studies have even linked apple consumption to having a lower risk of developing certain cancers. Regularly eating apples appears to be associated with various health benefits – and we know they're packed with healthy compounds. But are apples, specifically, any more effective than other plant-based foods at keeping the doctor away? "Apples don't have much vitamin C, and they have no iron or calcium, but they have so many other ingredients that promote health and do wonderful things for the body," says Janet Colson, professor of nutrition and food science at Middle Tennessee State University in the US. Apples contain compounds that are common to many fruits and vegetables, including those helpful polyphenols, says Flavia Guzzo, associate professor of plant biology at the University of Verona in Italy. Polyphenols are strong antioxidant molecules. They help to balance the ratio of antioxidants to free radicals in our bodies – free radicals are highly reactive, potentially cell-damaging oxygen molecules. By keeping free radicals in check, we reduce our risk of developing diseases including cancer and heart disease through long-term inflammation. Some researchers say apples have the "second highest level of antioxidant power among all fruits". Apples also contain the polyphenol phloridzin, which is much less common within the other fruits in your fruit bowl. Like pectin, phloridzin appears to lessen the amount of sugar we absorb into our blood from food. Apples are also a good source of phenolic compounds, which are another form of phytochemical. We get one study found that people living in the US get around one fifth of their total phenolic intake from apples. Research suggests that apple phenolic compounds are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma, diabetes and obesity. But it isn't just the powerful polyphenols and antioxidant punch that has led some scientists to recommend apples over other fruit. In several papers, scientists recommend regular apple-eating because the fruits are simply so widely available. That means that eating them regularly is something that is relatively achievable for many people. It's clear that apples have the potential to improve our health. But it's quite a big claim to say that eating one every day will prevent us from having to go to the GP. Thankfully, one 2015 study took on this exact question. Researchers analysed a survey of nearly 9,000 people, which the participants stated what they ate during one 24-hour period, which they said was indicative of their typical daily diet. They found that apple-eaters were more likely than apple-avoiders to keep the doctor away, however, this result wasn't statistically significant when taking into account that apple-eaters are more likely to be more educated and were less likely to smoke. "The main finding, that there isn't much of an association between people who regularly consume an apple a day and the likelihood of visiting a physician, is because it's complex," says lead researcher Matthew Davis, adjunct associate professor of epidemiology at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire, US. "People who consume apples, based on our analyses, are healthier in general." But they also found that daily apple-eaters were less likely to be reliant on prescription medication – and this was still a significant finding when adjusting for socioeconomic differences between participants who ate one apple per day and those who didn't. Therefore, the paper concludes, a more pertinent saying might be: "An apple a day keeps the pharmacist away." But Davis has issues with the apple-a-day phrase, and says there may be another reason why he and colleagues didn't find a connection between daily apple consumption and going to the doctor. "The underlying assumption is that you only visit the doctor when you're sick, but people visit the doctor for annual check-ups and other prevention-type things," he says. This is why Davis also analysed the data around the likelihood of using prescription medication, too. "This implies that apples reduce the likelihood of having a chronic illness," he says. But ultimately, he says, apples alone aren't enough to stop you having to visit the GP, and that the most impactful thing is having a healthy diet overall. "Which, really, is what the saying is getting at," he says. Colson agrees that the apple-a-day phrase alludes to regularly eating plant-based foods. Apples are a good example because they're so readily available, affordable, have a long shelf-life. "Before fridges, you could put apples in the cellar and they would last a long time, and they don't attract mould," she says. Other studies have found health benefits relating to daily apple-eating – but only when people consume more than one per day. In one study published in 2020, researchers split 40 participants (who all had mildly elevated cholesterol levels) into two groups. One of those groups ate two apples per day while the other had an apple drink with similar calories. The experiment lasted eight weeks and, apart from the apple products, the participants didn't make any other changes to their diets. The researchers found that the apple-eaters had a clinically significant lower level of cholesterol, at the end of the study. However, one weakness of this study it its small size; 40 participants is a relatively low sample size from which to draw any big conclusions. Another study found that eating three apples daily stimulated statistically significant weight loss and improved blood glucose levels (which wasn't statistically significant when followed up) in 40 overweight women. As for how best to eat apples to get the greatest benefit from them, Guzzo advises against removing the skin first. "We should eat the peel of apples, as this is where most of the apple's polyphenols can be found," she says. More like this:• Can chicken soup really fight off a cold?• Do spices really benefit our health?• Are fermented foods actually good for us? And ancient varieties are preferable to new varieties of apple, says Guzzo. In 2021, she and colleagues published a paper looking at the nutritional value of the Pom Prussian apple, an ancient apple from northern Italy, which she found was richer in polyphenols than more modern apple varieties. "When breeders select new varieties, they look to other traits, including size and taste and robustness of the trees," she says. "And when they select these traits, rather than polyphenol content, the variety becomes poorer [from a health point of view]." She says some polyphenols can produce a bitter taste, and that sweeter varieties probably contain a lower proportion of these compounds. As for colour, Guzzo says this doesn't matter so much. Both the polyphenols that cause apple skin to be red or green are both good for us. Ultimately, while eating an apple a day may not mean you visit the doctor less often, it could impact your overall health or your reliance on long-term medication. But, as is always the case, the bigger picture is complicated. Eating an apple a day is great, says Guzzo – but only if that is part of a diet rich in various other plant-based foods, since that is a key driver of good health. --
Medscape
05-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Rapid Review Quiz: Chocolate and Health
Cocoa, the core ingredient in chocolate, has gained attention not only for its flavor, but also for its health benefits. As a rich source of dietary polyphenols, cocoa is being studied for its role in supporting cardiovascular health through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vascular effects. Ongoing research has explored its impact on cardiometabolic risk markers, endothelial function, and various cardiovascular outcomes. Cocoa-based products also provide essential nutrients and bioactive compounds that might influence metabolic and vascular health in complex ways. With large, randomized trials and mechanistic studies continuing to explore these associations, healthcare professionals are increasingly interested in the implications for dietary guidance and prevention strategies. Do you know the latest research on cocoa and its health benefits? Test yourself with this short quiz. Results from the large randomized trial COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study showed that after 3.6 years of follow up, cocoa extract (500 mg flavanols/d, including 80 mg (–)[-]-epicatechin) consumption was associated with a 10% lower rate of total cardiovascular events in older adults, including myocardial infarction, stroke, revascularization, and unstable angina, though this reduction was not statistically significant. However, cocoa supplementation led to a statistically significant 27% reduction in cardiovascular disease death. Among participants who consistently adhered to the supplementation, there was a significant 16% reduction in major cardiovascular events compared with the placebo group. Learn more about cardiovascular disease. Dark chocolate consumption, when combined with physical activity, can benefit endothelial function primarily by improving nitric oxide. This effect is largely due to flavanols, compounds in dark chocolate that help relax blood vessels and enhance vascular responsiveness. This leads to improved oxygen delivery and reduced oxidative stress, both essential for maintaining healthy endothelial function. Although the antioxidant effects of polyphenols might reduce oxidative stress, limited direct evidence supports that dark chocolate significantly reduces plaque formation. Though dark chocolate can influence heart rate variability, this reflects autonomic balance rather than direct heart rate stabilization. Even though some metabolic benefits exist, the most immediate and well-supported vascular benefit of dark chocolate is its enhancement of nitric oxide production and not insulin regulation. Learn more about plaque formation/atherosclerosis. Cocoa (the main ingredient in chocolate) is especially rich in magnesium, making chocolate a notable dietary source. Magnesium stands out for its key role in regulating both blood sugar and blood pressure. It supports normal muscle and nerve function, helps maintain a steady heartbeat, and plays a role in glucose metabolism. Sodium is not abundant in chocolate and is more commonly associated with increased, rather than regulated, blood pressure when consumed in excess. Zinc is present in small amounts and plays a greater role in immune and enzymatic functions than in glucose or blood pressure regulation. Iron is found in modest amounts and is primarily involved in oxygen transport rather than metabolic or cardiovascular control. Learn more about magnesium. Regular cocoa consumption has been associated with modest reductions in total cholesterol, likely due to flavonoids. These compounds might reduce cholesterol absorption and LDL production. The effect appears more pronounced in individuals with existing health conditions, supporting cardiovascular health. Cocoa has not consistently been shown to lower triglycerides, likely because it lacks components like reduced sugar and alcohol, which more directly influence triglyceride levels. Although cocoa might modestly lower LDL, increases in HDL cholesterol have not been reliably reported, as it lacks specific fats that typically raise HDL. Learn more about LDL cholesterol. Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat found in chocolate, has been linked to heart health benefits. It might help protect blood vessels and reduce cardiovascular risk by modulating harmful cellular processes and supporting normal platelet function. Palmitic acid and stearic acid (saturated fats also present in cocoa) do not offer the same protection. Palmitic acid is associated with adverse effects on heart cell membranes, whereas stearic acid has a neutral impact on cholesterol and no clear cardiovascular benefit. Margaric acid, another saturated fat, is found in much smaller amounts and lacks strong evidence of any heart-protective role. Learn more about platelet disorders.
