Are Green Powders Healthy For You?
Super green powders are a growing trend in the health and wellness space. Green powders are dietary supplements that aim to help people reach their daily recommended intake of vegetables, vitamins, and minerals.
Emerging studies suggest adding green powders to your diet has a variety of health benefits.
What are green powder supplements?
Green powder supplements have varying ingredients depending on the brand. Although the most common ingredients are leafy greens, like kale and spinach, they can also include herbs, fruits, nutritional extracts, and probiotics.
How are these ingredients processed into easily consumable powders? It typically depends on the manufacturer, but the most common process is drying and grinding the ingredients into a powder. Other ways to make green powder supplements are through juicing and dehydrating or even fermenting ingredients. Before purchasing a green powder product, research what ingredients are used and take note of any additives and how they make it.
Once purchased, the best way to consume green powders is to measure out the suggested serving size and mix it into juice, water, or a smoothie.
Green powder benefits
Green powders should not be used as a substitute for consuming vegetables, fruits, and other whole foods. Instead, green powders should be used in moderation as a way to boost a healthy diet with additional antioxidants and vitamins. Doctors and studies are finding that when green powders are used in this way, they have several potential health benefits.
Blood pressure
The National Library of Medicine conducted a study where 40 subjects took a green powder daily for 90 days. The results confirmed that both systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the treatment group consuming the fruit and vegetable powder. These powders typically have minerals like potassium and calcium, which are known for lowering blood pressure.
Immune system
Green powders have high concentrations of Vitamin A and Selenium. These vitamins and minerals are beneficial in boosting the immune system, fighting infections when paired with a healthy diet and active lifestyle, and supporting gut health.
Eye and cognitive health
The basis of green powders is leafy green vegetables. These vegetables, like swiss chard, arugula, and kale, are high in vitamin K. Vitamin K has a variety of health benefits, including lessening the risk of heart problems, promoting eye health and healthy blood vessels, and preventing bone loss.
Green powder vs. multivitamin
Multivitamins and green powders are both supplements for something lacking or needed to maintain a healthy diet.
Green powder is a super green concoction made from whole foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Some green powder manufacturers also add additional enzymes, seaweed, and probiotics to boost the nutritional value and benefits.
Multivitamins are single capsules fabricated in a lab to include a variety of vitamins.
Green powders and multivitamins are beneficial in boosting your health by adding more vitamins and minerals to your daily diet. Although green powders typically have more nutritional value with additional enzymes, seaweed, probiotics, and prebiotics. These nutrients add antioxidants, polyphenols, and bacteria to your diet and support digestion, immune system health, and other bodily processes.
To sum it up
Green powders may be effective in boosting your health. Several studies suggest super green powders potentially enhance wellness by lowering blood pressure, preventing chronic disease, improving immunity function, and supporting eye and cognitive health.
Although the studies seem promising for using green powder products as a supplement, it’s important not to use green powder as a replacement for whole foods, vegetables, and fruits. As more research is conducted, it is important to consult a doctor before use and to only take green powders in moderation.
FAQs
Are green powders a waste of money?
It depends. Green powders can be effective if you are deficient in certain nutrients, struggling with an ailing health issue, or looking to boost your overall health. If you are healthy, active, eating a balanced diet, and feeling good, then green powders may be a waste of money.
Is green powder as good as eating vegetables?
Did you know you need at least 2-4 cups of vegetables every day? Green powder is not as good as eating vegetables. These super green products are meant to boost your diet and health, not replace your daily need for vegetables and fruits.
Are green powders good for gut health?
Green powder products that have probiotics are good for gut health. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria and yeasts that work to keep your body healthy and working well. This good bacteria is often working against destructive bacteria introduced to your body and simultaneously helping your body digest food, support the cells that line your gut, and break down and absorb medicines.
“A healthy gut contains healthy bacteria and immune cells that ward off infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, and fungi,” according to UC Davis Health. “A healthy gut also communicates with the brain through nerves and hormones, which helps maintain general health and well-being.”
Do superfood powders replace vegetables?
No, superfood powders should never replace your daily intake of vegetables. Superfood powders are meant to be used in moderation as a supplement, not a replacement.