These Tropical Fruit Smoothies Will Banish Belly Bloat and Speed Weight Loss

Tropical fruits have loads of immunity-boosting, detoxifying, and calorie-burning powers — they also happen to taste delicious! Eaten on their own or in a smoothie (see below for our favorite recipes) their powerful plant enzymes will help you look and feel your all-time best — plus, knock off a few pounds. Read on about the powers of tropical fruit.

Banish Belly Bloat

Tropical fruit enzymes (like the catalase and bromelain in pineapple and bananas) break down and eliminate undigested protein molecules in the GI tract, preventing bad bacteria from feeding on them and producing unwanted gas. The payoff: Austrian scientists found that this effect reduced bloat in 78 percent of subjects on an enzyme-rich diet.

Steady Blood Sugar

Sips that deliver mangiferin, an enzyme found in mangoes, improve the body’s ability to utilize sugar, staving off the blood-sugar spikes that can trigger cravings and fatigue. In fact, one study found that subjects given mangiferin daily had 57 percent lower blood-sugar levels after four weeks than those given a placebo.

Maximize Fat Burning

The enzymes found in tropical fruits work alongside the digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas and liver, reducing the demand on both organs during digestion, report Stanford University researchers. This frees up the liver and pancreas to speed detoxification and facilitate fat burning.

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Fruit Smoothie Recipes:

Pineapple-Lemon Refresher

• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp. honey

Puree all ingredients, adding ice as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: Cal. 150, Pro. 2g, Carb. 39g, Fiber 3g, Sug. 17g, Chol. 0mg, Sod. 2mg, Total fat: 0g, Trans. 0g.

Bonus! The limonoids in lemon juice help lower cholesterol levels.

Orange-Mango Mash-Up

• 3⁄4 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1⁄2 cup orange juice
• 2 tsp. agave syrup
• 1⁄4 tsp. chili powder

In blender, puree all ingredients until smooth, adding ice cubes as needed to achieve desired consistency. Garnish as desired.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: Cal. 190, Pro. 2g, Carb. 48g, Fiber 4g, Sug. 41g, Chol. 0mg, Sod. 21mg, Total fat: 0g, Trans. 0g

Bonus! Capsaicin in chili powder boosts metabolism by 25 percent.

Watermelon-Berry Oasis

• 1 cup watermelon cubes
• 3⁄4 cup frozen
• strawberries
• 1⁄2 banana, peeled
• 2 mint leaves

In blender, puree all ingredients until smooth, adding ice cubes as needed to achieve desired consistency. Garnish as desired.

Makes 1 serving.

Per serving: Cal. 132, Pro. 2g, Carb. 37g, Fiber 5g, Sug. 25g, Chol. 0mg, Sod. 8mg, Total fat: 0g, Trans. 0g

Bonus! Anthocyanins in strawberries boost energy by 35 percent.

This story originally appeared in our print magazine.