Bananas are great alone and even better in a smoothie. However, the nutritional value of bananas in a banana-berry smoothie was recently called into doubt, leading to some fiery online discourse.
In the original video by TikToker James (@caucasianjames), he claims that there’s an enzyme in the banana that breaks down the nutritional value of the berries, making berries and bananas a supposedly poor smoothie combination.
However, in a clip that has garnered 719,000 views, nutritionist Dr. Jessica Knurick (@drjessicaknurick) hit back at these claims.
“I’m so sorry, but where exactly is the nutritional value going?” she asked. “What does that even mean?”
She then went on to point out that the study, which appeared to inspire this video only had eight participants.
A Nutritionist Hits Back
“Flavanols are just one type of antioxidant in berries that contain many different nutrients and beneficial compounds,” she said. “Guys, this kind of stuff is happening because wellness gurus who want to help you ‘optimize your health’ only have so much they can say. You can only tell people to eat more fruits and vegetables and get more physical activity so many times before they have to start focusing on tiny theoretical optimizations from single studies.”
“And then other creators who need to keep making content make posts like this and get 13 million views. And then I get dozens of DMs from people scared to put bananas in their smoothies.”
She added, “This is what we call majoring in the minors. Over 90% of Americans don’t eat enough vegetables or fiber, yet wellness culture has people stressing about whether adding a banana to a smoothie might slightly affect flavanol absorption based [on] a single study in eight people published three years ago. If adding a banana helps you eat more fruit, fiber, and nutrient-dense foods consistently, that matters far more than obsessing over tiny theoretical optimizations, and this kind of messaging creates a lot of unnecessary fear and health anxiety around perfectly healthful foods instead of helping people focus on the factors that actually improve their health.”
BroBible reached out to James and Knurick via email.
@drjessicaknurick Replying to @Allisandra Arnold Bananas are a top-tier smoothie ingredient ✌️
What Did Commenters Say?
Most commenters appreciated the nutritionist’s input. “I constantly wish that people had high respect and admiration for people with a PhD,” one wrote. “That’s who we should actually be learning from.”
“I love bananas in my smoothies, ain’t gonna change,” a second added.
Other commenters claimed that the original TikToker meant it as a joke—but this wasn’t good enough for some.
“Comedian or not, people latch onto things like this and before we know it, it’s accepted as fact,” a third said.
While a fourth asked, “Where’s the comedy here? It’s a weird lie and most people are only going to see the highlight.”
The Banana Discourse Continued
After Knurick posted her response, James issued a reply to this. In the video, he intently watches the doctor’s rebuttal. He then films himself in the kitchen, standing next to a blender.
“Thank you Dr. Knurick [which he pronounced with a ‘k’], for cleaning things up,” he said. “I’m now going to go back to enjoying my banana berry smoothie.”
In turn, Knurick then responded to his response.
“You know, I’m often asked if anyone whose videos I stitch ever respond to acknowledge that they learned something,” she said. “And now finally, I can say, yes, someone has. So, thank you.”
“Also, I’m not sure if I’ve ever said this on this platform before, but my last name is Knurick,” she added. “The ‘K’ is silent like ‘knife’ or ‘knock knock.'”
So… Are Bananas Still Bad For You In Smoothies?
As a blog post on the University of Maine’s website points out, it’s important to add nuance to this conversation. Dietitian Alex Gayton, who wrote this blog, clarifies that the study that caused all this drama doesn’t say that adding bananas to smoothies or eating bananas in general is bad for you. What it does say is that if you want flavanols to have their maximum impact, it might be worth using different fruits with different levels of the enzyme present in bananas: polyphenol oxidase (PPO).
“Bananas are still a great source of potassium and fiber, and provide a natural sugar that helps sweeten smoothies,” Gayton added. “If you’re drinking smoothies because you want maximal flavanol absorption, then consider alternatives to a banana in your smoothie, but if you are making smoothies for other reasons, like increasing fruit and vegetable intake or because you enjoy the flavor, continue using bananas. I know I will still be using bananas in my smoothies.”
So, have no fear. Bananas are still great not just in smoothies but also as a post-workout snack.