Do Fruit Smoothies Lose The Benefits Of Fruits?

Smoothies have a reputation for being healthy, but this isn't always deserved. Many smoothies are high in calories, sugar and fat, and provide very little actual fruit. If you want the benefits of the fruit in a smoothie, choose smoothies that emphasize fresh or unsweetened frozen fruit along with other healthy ingredients. Otherwise, you risk canceling out the health benefits of the fruit.

Processing

When you drink a fruit smoothie, you are consuming fruit that has been processed by the blender. The result is a drink that is much easier to digest. While this can be beneficial for people who have digestive difficulties, for others it presents a problem. The stomach absorbs the sugar from the fruit much faster when it is ground into tiny particles. The result is often blood sugar fluctuations. To keep blood sugar steady, eat whole fruit or smoothies that incorporate protein as well. Added fiber also helps to prevent blood sugar spikes.

Other Ingredients

Fruits are nonfat treats that are naturally low in calories. However, once you add sugar, whole milk or chocolate syrup to a smoothie, you no longer have a healthy treat but instead have a sugary, caloric drink that packs on the pounds. While you still consume the vitamins provided by the fruit, their benefits decline due to the sugar load placed on the body by such smoothies. For example, the Hulk Strawberry smoothie at Smoothie King has more than 1,000 calories and 125 g of sugar per 20-oz. serving. To get the benefits of the fruit, avoid commercial smoothies and prepare your own.

Micronutrients and Fiber

Regardless of how the smoothie is prepared, if it contains real fruit, you get micronutrients and fiber. For example, if you drink a fruit smoothie prepared with a cup of blueberries and half a banana, you get more than 300 mg of potassium and 5 g of fiber. You also benefit from all of the antioxidants the berries have to offer. Just keep in mind that while antioxidants are considered a cancer preventative, sugar has the opposite effect, as it is correlated with increased cancer rates, according to Gary Taubes, author of "Good Calories, Bad Calories."

Healthy Fruit Smoothie

To prepare a smoothie that gives you the maximum benefits from the fruits you've chosen, use plenty of fruit with other quality ingredients. Begin with a base of almond, soy or nonfat cow's milk. Add frozen fruit and stevia, a natural sweetener that provides no calories. Add a scoop of protein powder or a tablespoon of nut butter to give your smoothie a balanced nutritional profile. For extra fiber, add 1 tbsp. of ground flax seed.