# What Happens to Healthy Compounds When You Make a Smoothie?
Fruits contain healthy compounds called flavan-3-ols that are good for your body. Scientists wanted to know if making smoothies affects how much of these compounds your body can actually use.
They tested this with eight people. Each person drank a banana smoothie, a berry smoothie, or took a capsule with the healthy compounds. The banana smoothie had much less of the healthy compounds reach the bloodstream compared to the capsule. It was 84% lower! The berry smoothie worked just as well as the capsule.
Why the difference? Bananas contain high levels of an enzyme called polyphenol oxidase. This enzyme breaks down the healthy compounds, even after you swallow them in your stomach.
The scientists found that many fruits and vegetables have different amounts of this enzyme. This matters because it affects how much nutrition your body gets from smoothies and other foods. People who make smoothies at home or in stores should think about which fruits they mix together.