I thought I’d share an interesting study I stumbled on recently, which actually is from back in 2023. I’ve been making my cocoa powder super smoothies lately made with some Polyphenol Rich Cocoa Powder and a frozen banana, until I read this study which basically advised that was a really bad idea. According to the study conducted by the University of California, Davis, in collaboration with the University of Reading UK, bananas can negatively impact the absorption of flavanols like those found in cacao, which are the beneficial polyphenols (plant compounds) with antioxidant properties!

“The researchers found that those who drank the banana smoothie had 84% lower levels of flavanols in their body compared to the control [participants who took a flavanol capsule].”

So now I’m skipping the banana and still trying to find a replacement fruit that will go with my cocoa powder! I had no idea bananas were ruining my smoothies all these years, who knew!

Here’s the link to study info - You might be making this one mistake with your smoothie
Link if you interested in the Cocoa Powder - Santa Barbara Chocolate
And a Cleveland Clinic’s post to read more about Polyphenols - Foods Rich in Polyphenols — and Why They’re Important

What I’m watching…
Plant-based chef and Author, Chef AJ, recently hosted a month-long YouTube series, Thriving in the Face of Cancer, where she interviewed top healthcare professionals as well as cancer survivors on how to thrive with cancer after disclosing her own personal journey with Lung Cancer. You can catch all the episodes on her YouTube channel - @CHEFAJ.

A recent study I love …
A new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Eating dark chocolate linked with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes!

July 18, 2025 - Sunny side up for eggs and cholesterol - University of South Australia
“In this study, we separated the effects of cholesterol and saturated fat, finding that high dietary cholesterol from eggs, when eaten as part of a low saturated fat diet, does not raise bad cholesterol levels. Lead researcher, UniSA’s Professor Jon Buckley commented, Lead researcher, UniSA’s Professor Jon Buckley,”… when it comes to a cooked breakfast, it’s not the eggs you need to worry about – it’s the extra serve of bacon or the side of sausage that’s more likely to impact your heart health.”

July 8, 2025 - Study: Mindfulness Meditation Can Sharpen Attention in Adults of All Ages - USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
”The USC study enrolled 69 adults split into three age groups: young (18–30), middle-aged (50–65), and older adults (65–80). Participants were randomly assigned to practice one of two options: Mindfulness meditation using the Headspace app, 10–15 minutes per day for 30 days [or] An audiobook control, listening to chapters from a novel for the same duration.” Study results found participants had faster reaction times, improved goal-directed focus, and reduced distractibility.

June 16, 2025 - Hold the Cream and Sugar: Black Coffee Linked to Lower Risk of Death - Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
”The study, published online in The Journal of Nutrition, found that consumption of 1-2 cups of caffeinated coffee per day was linked to a lower risk of death from all causes and death from cardiovascular disease. Black coffee and coffee with low levels of added sugar and saturated fat were associated with a 14% lower risk of all-cause mortality as compared to no coffee consumption. The same link was not observed for coffee with high amounts of added sugar and saturated fat.”

June 11, 2025 - Eating more fruits and veggies could help you sleep better - University of Chicago Medicine and Columbia University
”The researchers found that each day’s diet was correlated with meaningful differences in the subsequent night’s sleep. Participants who ate more fruits and vegetables during the day tended to have deeper, more uninterrupted sleep that same night, as did those who consumed more healthy carbohydrates like whole grains.”

June 9, 2025 - Creatine Is Safe, Effective And Important For Everyone, Longtime Researcher Says - Texas A&M
”In a comprehensive review published in February in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Kreider and colleagues analyzed 685 clinical trials on creatine supplementation to assess its safety and the frequency of reported side effects. The analysis showed there were no significant differences in the rate of side effects for participants taking a placebo and those taking creatine.”

June 2025 Leafy greens could be good for the heart - Edith Cowan University (ECU), the University of Western Australia and the Danish Cancer Institute
”A cup and a half of leafy green vegetables could go a long way to addressing atherosclerotic vascular diseases (ASVDs)…” According to research let by ECU PhD student Ms Montana Dupuy, “Leafy green and cruciferous vegetables, like spinach, kale and broccoli, contain Vitamin K1 which may assist in preventing vascular calcification processes that characterise cardiovascular disease.”