Greens powder is a fantastic source of vegetables and fruit and can introduce new ingredients like spirulina to your diet.
Touted health benefits include weight loss, better sleep, enhanced immunity, and energy levels, and user reviews back these up.
But what do nutritionists think?
We haven't met a nutritionist who doesn't think green powders are excellent sources of vegetables and fruit with a top nutritional profile.
But there is a caveat—greens powder is not a substitute for whole foods, and some products do not contain all of the vitamins and minerals you get from a multivitamin, so they can't replace them, either.
What green powder can do is supplement your diet if it's lacking in veggies and provide compounds and antioxidants that aren't found in diet staples like broccoli, spinach, apples, and turmeric, thanks to more ingredients.
Simply put, they help you meet your vitamin and mineral needs.
For example, vybey Braincare Smart Greens introduces algae, fungi, roots, spices, and digestive fibres to your diet to provide more nutrition than one or two veggies alone, and it's this synergy that makes it a health marvel.
What nutritionists say
Search Google for nutritionists that recommend greens powder, and you'll get many articles saying the same thing: greens powder contains many healthy ingredients but can't replace solid foods from a balanced and varied diet.
We have no arguments there.
Most nutritionists we know of agree that green powder is a worthwhile addition to staying healthy, and dieticians think the same, with an additional point: green powder offers new ingredients that can supercharge your health.
A few examples:
- Algae, namely spirulina and chlorella.
- Roots, such as the Peruvian Maca root.
- Superfruits, like acai berry and acerola cherry.
- Grass powders, including barley and wheat grass.
The list goes on, but the crucial point is that greens powder does much more for you vitamin- and mineral-wise than any plate of veggies can.
The quality of greens powder
Of course, no two green powders are the same, so no nutritionist can say with 100% certainty that they all are good for you.
For instance, AG1 and vybey's offerings have different ingredients; the same goes for every other brand. One thing AG1 and vybey do share, though, is a commitment to quality, and that matters more than anything else.
Whole foods
No greens powder worth its salt will use artificial ingredients. Natural ingredients are the minimum standard, but vybey goes one step further with whole-food ingredients to reduce processing and provide even more nutrition.
Whole foods have no added saturated fat, salt, or sugar, and whole food powders closely match the nutrition of solid ingredients.
Rare ingredients
While some greens powders contain only diet staples like kale, broccoli, carrot, beetroot, apple, and flax seed, vybey goes further with algae, fungi, roots, and super fruits that are hard to find and expensive to buy separately.
A few highlights:
- Spirulina
- Chlorella
- Alfalfa
- Goji berry
- Reishi mushroom
- Bacillus Coagulans
These superfoods and beneficial bacteria have antioxidants, proteins, vitamins, and probiotics that can support overall health and potentially boost immune function, energy levels, and digestive wellness.
Filling nutritional gaps
Greens powder provides a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients from various plant sources and is easy to incorporate into daily routines, making it simpler to consume a broader range of nutrients.
vybey Braincare Smart Greens is formulated to enhance nutrient absorption and contains digestive fibres to support digestive health and promote feelings of fullness.
Add it to vybey Complete Meal Powder to create a super shake with all the nutrition needed to cover one of your daily meals.
Another advantage of Braincare Smart Greens is it has just 0.2g of sodium per 12g serving, so it shouldn't impact your blood pressure.
Convenience in a pinch
Nutritionists often recommend green powder in time-pressured situations when there's no time for a proper meal.
Powdered greens are a rapid way to consume a variety of nutrients, and they are easy to pack and consume while on the go (not to mention excellent value for money).
Gym-goers can also benefit from green powders' quick nutrient source that replenishes the body alongside protein powder after exercise.
The truth is that while whole foods are always preferable, greens powders offer a convenient stopgap to help maintain nutritional balance during unpredictable times.
A few studies for your thoughts
A 2009 study [1] examining the effects of a fruit and vegetable powder mix (NanoGreens10) on blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), and body weight in a group of chiropractic college faculty and students found that after taking the supplement for 90 days, the treatment group showed significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
The systolic blood pressure decreased from 140.4 ± 17.7 to 128 ± 14.2 mm Hg, while the diastolic blood pressure decreased from 90.2 ± 7.7 to 83.1 ± 7.4 mm Hg.
For context, that's around the same as going on medication.
Another study from 2004 [2] investigated the effects of greens+, a natural health product marketed for energy enhancement, on various health outcomes in women.
The research involved 105 women in a 12-week, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, with 63 participants completing the protocol. The greens+ group demonstrated marginally higher scores on vitality.
There aren't any other notable studies on greens powder, but vybey and other powdered greens like AG1 have hundreds of happy customers who claim better sleep, mental clarity, and energy levels from consuming them.
Summing up
Most nutritionists recommend powdered greens to supplement diets lacking in vegetables and fruits. Solid, whole foods are the best sources of nutrition, but liquid greens can fill nutritional gaps and introduce new ingredients unavailable in regular diets.
The best way to determine if greens powder is suitable for you is to try it with a vybey Starter Pack or a pouch of Braincare Smart Greens. It costs as little as $2.84 per serving and delivers more nutrition than most other greens powders out there.
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