What are Greens Powders?
By now, you've probably tried the typically green hue-looking, grassy tasting drink also known as greens. Greens powders are typically mixed into water and taken as a dietary supplement by millions of people every single day. Despite the often-grassy aftertaste most people claim to experience with the powder, natural sugar substitutes can be added to help improve the flavour. The most notable ingredients in most Greens Powders across all the different brands are:
- Extra fibre: apple fibre, rice bran, inulin
- Leafy greens: parsley, kale, collards, spinach
- Mushrooms: maitake mushroom extract, shiitake mushroom extract
- Seaweed: chlorella, kelp, spirulina, dulse
- Nutritional extracts: ginkgo biloba extract, grape seed extract, green tea extract
- Other vegetables: green cabbage, beets, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots
- Natural sugar substitutes: stevia leaf extract, monk fruit extract
- Grasses: alfalfa grass, wheatgrass, oat grass, barley grass
- Probiotics: L. acidophilus, Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium lactis
- Herbs: milk thistle, astragalus, holy basil, echinacea
- Plant-based digestive enzymes: protease, amylase, papain, cellulose, papain
- High-antioxidant fruits: raspberries, goji berries, acai berries, blueberries
Greens powders are typically the dried derivatives of vegetable and plant produce turned into powder. In other instances, some of the ingredients can be dehydrated, juiced, or extracted from whole food. Some manufacturers also sprout or ferment ingredients to increase vitamin levels in the greens powders and break down compounds that can hinder the absorption of minerals.
What Ingredients Are In Greens Powders?
Green Leafy Veggies: The most common greens in green powders are collards, spinach, kale, and parsley. These leafy, dark greens are low in carbohydrates and calories but high in minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins. All are proven to support gut health and immunity.
Fiber: Fiber to help with digestion and satiation.
Seaweed and Other Sea Vegetables: Green powder products usually include kelp, spirulina, seaweed, chlorella, and dulse. Seaweed is rich in natural iodine, a mineral that supports a healthy thyroid. Spirulina contains a powerful plant-based protein called phycocyanin and several antioxidants, which have had it labeled as a superfood. Antioxidants help fight off free radicals that may lead to illness. This may benefit you as you age.
Antioxidant Blend: Typical inclusions in many greens powder supplements are fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants like vitamins K, C, and minerals naturally occur in vegetables like broccoli and spinach. The antioxidants found in broccoli and spinach help fight the oxidation process within your body, possibly reducing your chances of developing heart disease and other serious diseases.
Herbal Extracts: Milk thistle, holy basil, echinacea, and astragalus are examples of herbal extracts found in dietary supplements like superfood powders and greens. The benefits of each herbal ingredient differ from ingredient to ingredient. If you currently take any medication for an existing condition, it's important to present your superfood powder to your doctor before taking it. They'll need to check that the remedies don't counteract your prescription.
Grasses: Have you ever heard about people taking raw "shots" of things like oat grass or wheatgrass? These strong-tasting grasses are nutrient-dense and have become a significant trend in the health world. These grasses contain the following nutrients:
- Calcium
- Iron
- Potassium
- Chlorophyll
- Active enzymes
- Amino acids
- Vitamins A, K, C, B, E
- Potassium
- Sulfur
Probiotics : The veggies found in a greens supplements balance the healthy bacteria present in the stomach and promote gut health. Manufacturers include additional probiotics in many green powders to support this further. The antibiotics are:
- Bifidobacterium lactis
- Lactobacillus (L.) rhamnosus
- L. acidophilus
Vitamins and Minerals: Every greens powder's mineral and vitamin content will differ depending on the ingredients used. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) in percentages of nutrients in 10 grams of a good greens powder will be as follows:
- Potassium: 5 percent
- Iron: 20 percent
- Calcium: 5 percent
- Iodine: 100 percent
- Vitamin A (as beta-carotene): 80 percent
- Vitamin C: 80 percent
- Vitamin K: 60 percent
Natural Sweeteners and Flavourings: Greens supplements are often very earthy, bitter, and off-putting and don't come with a naturally pleasant taste. To help offset the less-than-desirable flavour of these powders, manufacturers add things like monk fruit extract, stevia leaf extract, and coconut sugar.
Greens Powders vs. Vitamins
Getting the micronutrients your body needs from whole foods rather than from synthetic or isolated vitamins is the best option, unless your doctor tells you otherwise, based on any underlying health issues. Micronutrients from whole foods are more bioavailable than synthetic forms. Greens Powders, however, still ensure that we are getting an adequate amount of antioxidants and micronutrients. Interestingly enough, most vitamins are considered stimulants. Several people have expressed that they find B vitamins very stimulating to the point where it even causes heart palpitations and anxiety for some. Vitamins from whole food sources have a very low chance of causing problems like this.
What are the Benefits of Greens Powders?
Protect Against Disease: As you can see, leafy, dark green vegetables have various nutrients, from carotenoids, antioxidants, vitamins, and many other elements. Antioxidants are linked to cellular health, meaning they have substantial health benefits. Additionally, these ingredients may help prevent cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of blood clots, and help fight off poisonous matters, carcinogens, and more. Minerals like potassium and calcium help maintain blood pressure levels, while vitamins have anti-inflammatory properties beneficial for various issues.
Enhance Energy Levels: If you're suffering from fatigue, a green superfood supplement may be recommended to you by a nutritionist. Many greens powders contain compounds that help boost alertness and energy levels, like green tea extract. The carbohydrates and protein included as ingredients in greens powders may help sustain energy and blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Supports Detoxification: Greens supplements leave you with an optimal functioning system because they are alkaline-forming foods that help flush out excess acid in the body. Nearly every green ingredient that you'll find in a greens powder has this same effect.
Address Nutrition Gaps: Are you struggling to get the recommended five servings of fresh vegetables and fruit a day? If your answer is yes, you may be deficient in vital minerals and vitamins. Greens powders are an easy way to make up for this gap. Just one scoop of greens powders can give you up to 40 different superfoods to support your needs.
Convenient to Take: The most significant and apparent benefit of greens powder supplementation is that it takes minimum effort and helps you meet your nutritional needs on the go. So, what greens powder do we recommend? Lucky for you, we've done the heavy lifting and can recommend to you Greens Gut Health and Immunity by White Wolf. Not only is it one of the best tasting greens, it has been formulated to support gut health.
The new and improved Greens Gut Health and Immunity by White Wolf has been reformulated to include an out-of-this-world greens blend, which includes antiparasitic essential oils and gut-specific raw organic whole foods designed to assist in improving gut health whilst also increasing nutrient absorption—pressured for time? No fuss, just mix one serving (1 scoop) of Greens Gut Health and Immunity in 150-200ml of water and consume upon waking. Alternatively, you can add it to your smoothie!