They say to get your fruits and veggies every day, but sometimes, that’s not possible. At first, the solution is to supplement. After all, isn’t that what they’re meant for? To add on to or fill in the gaps of a diet? Unfortunately, not all supplements are created equal. Some have their place (i.e., vitamin D, fish oil, electrolytes), while others controversially don’t. Green powders happen to fall in the second category. Here’s why you should think twice before shelling out a ton of money of what I believe to be an ineffective supplement.

Green Powders 101

Let’s start with a general 101 about greens powders. What are they, and how are they made? As you might have already guessed, greens powders are a type of dietary supplement made of either vegetable, fruit, pro and prebiotics, enzymes, fiber, antioxidants, herbal, or “superfood” extracts. They’re often a blend of different ingredients and natural flavorings to offset their bitter, grassy taste and can be mixed into smoothies, juices, or plain water.

Examples of a green powder include wheatgrass, barley grass, alfalfa, spirulina, chlorella, and moringa. A typical green powder “mix” may include a blend of spinach, kale, broccoli, seaweed, wheatgrass, green tea extract, goji berries, acai berries, adaptogenic mushrooms, inulin, apple pectin, digestive enzymes, probiotics, and stevia or cane sugar.

 As far as serving size goes, the average “scoop” or portion is about 10 grams or two tablespoons. They’re low in calories, carbs, fiber, fat, and protein. However, they do contain some micronutrients, including vitamins and minerals, and trace amounts of antioxidants.

 When making a green powder supplement, manufacturers start with the whole food first before cooking or dehydrating it. In some cases, they skip the whole food step and only use isolated “extracts” created in a lab. After that, they add additional ingredients like pro and prebiotics, enzymes, fiber, flavors, and sweeteners. 

With the 101 out of the way, let’s switch gears and cover why I am not a fan of them.

Where’s the Evidence?

Companies that sell green powders claim they are a great source of nutrients and can further enhance one’s diet by supporting energy, immunity, digestion, and anti-aging. You even see reviews online that mirror the same thing. “My digestion is running like a well-oiled machine!” “My skin is glowing!” “The new cup of coffee!” “Keeps me from getting sick every year!”

If this sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. First of all, when it comes to reviews, you’re only catching a glimpse into someone’s lifestyle. You have no clue as to what they do every day- are they getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly? Do they have any health conditions like Celiac disease or diabetes? How do we know the green powder is doing all of the work? Did this person make a sudden change in their lifestyle, or is it all a placebo effect? You can’t put all of your trust into personal anecdotes! (Experts refer to these n=1 experiments. They’re also a type of placebo effect.)

Second, where’s the proof? Is there any scientific evidence showing that green powders prevent or cure diseases? Notice that the companies have to fall back on words and phrases like “may,” “a good source of,” “supports,” and “improve.” They cannot make actual claims without running into trouble with the FDA. And even then, the FDA has little regulation over these companies, which get away with convincing customers that their products can “detox,” “act as antioxidants,” or replace your diet? 

These companies are pretty sneaky. What they’ll do to win you (and your money) over is say that a diet high in vegetables is linked to good health. But that doesn’t prove their supplement (which is based on powders and extracts) does the same. Consider that the first strike against them. 

[1] [2] [3]

Ingredients: Quality and Quantity

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the greens in green powders. We know where they come from. And yet, we don’t know how much there is in a single powder. That’s because most companies use what’s known as a proprietary blend, which is basically a mixture of ingredients. The FDA requires that all companies display their ingredients on the label. But the loophole around this is grouping all of them together. They don’t tell you the exact amount of each and every ingredient. Confused? Here’s a quick example.

Say you have a product containing a proprietary blend of 10 grams of spinach, kale, chlorella, blueberries, and wheatgrass extracts. You have no idea how much kale, blueberry, or wheatgrass is in the supplement. Is it 5 grams, 8 grams, or 1 gram? You’ll never know because the company keeps the information to themselves. As long as it contains a pinch of any of these ingredients, they can show the ingredient on the label. 

There’s also quality. Starting off, though greens powders contain some level of nutrients, it’s not much to get excited about. Dietician and nutritionist Julie Rothenberg explains that, “When you actually look at the ingredients, you’re not really getting that much of a boost of anything but vitamin K. Even the amount of vitamin C- which is pretty heavy in many green vegetables- is only four percent of your daily need. To me, that says you’re not getting that much of a benefit from these things.” Some companies choose to add synthetic vitamins to fill in the gaps. But that doesn’t make their formulation better. Rothenberg debunks this attempt, saying, “That’s almost like taking a mega-multivitamin…. blasting yourself with a large amount of vitamins doesn’t mean you’re absorbing all of them.”

The body absorbs the nutrients from extracts differently than it does with whole foods, which are packaged with fiber, phytonutrients, and co-factors that enhance digestion. With powders, you’re getting a quarter of the benefits at best, which isn’t helped when you consider the fact that they often come with added sugars, fillers, emulsifiers (i.e., lecithin), and artificial flavors (all of which interfere with how well the body absorbs nutrients). It’s also worth mentioning that many greens powders are often contaminated with heavy metals like lead and arsenic. 

[4] [5] [6]

Bottom Line

In my opinion, you’re better off investing the extra money into quality whole foods. A greens powder is no replacement for the real thing. Their effectiveness, quality, and ingredient count are all questionable. And in no way will they ever cover up a bad diet! So, please, do yourself a favor, pass the powders, and buy the whole foods. Your health (and wallet) will thank you later!

Sources:

[1] https://chrismasterjohnphd.com/blog/2011/09/11/how-to-do-proper-self-experiment-and/
[2] https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/what-is-the-placebo-effect
[3] https://www.fda.gov/food/dietary-supplements
[4] https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/qa/what-is-a-proprietary-blend-supplement
[5] https://www.gq.com/story/green-powder-eat-your-veggies
[6] https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/2017-11-17/what-are-greens-powders-and-do-you-need-them