[These once-daily supplements claim to boost energy, nourish your
gut, support your immune system and more. But health experts aren’t
convinced. ]
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PORTSIDE CULTURE

WILL ‘SUPERFOOD POWDERS’ ACTUALLY MAKE YOU HEALTHIER?  
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Dani Blum
May 19, 2023
New York Times
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_ These once-daily supplements claim to boost energy, nourish your
gut, support your immune system and more. But health experts aren’t
convinced. _

“Greens powders” or “superfood powders,” as they are
sometimes called, usually host a hodgepodge of vitamins and minerals.
Are they really a shortcut to better health?, Derek Brahney

 

You’ve probably noticed ads for these “superfood powders”
scattered across social media or on your favorite podcast.

Athletic Greens, Daily Greens, Supergreens — mix just one scoop of
these multivitamin powders into a glass of water or a shake, their
marketing typically says, and you can get all of the vitamins and
minerals you need for the day, as well as added health benefits like a
stronger immune system, less stress, better digestion and more energy.

These “greens powders” or “superfood powders,” as they are
sometimes called, usually host a hodgepodge of vitamins and minerals,
as well as other trendy ingredients like probiotics, ground up kale,
chia seeds and ashwagandha.

But are they really a shortcut to better health?

“They’re so enticing,” said Dr. Marion Nestle, an emeritus
professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York
University. “You think, ‘Oh, this will be so easy.’”

But as with most things nutrition-related, you’ll likely need more
than a scoop of powder to improve your overall well-being, she said.

What’s in them?

 The ingredients lists on websites and packaging for the powders can
read like a word salad of wellness buzzwords.

You’ll typically find the usual slate of vitamins and minerals, like
vitamins E and C (which are antioxidants), biotin (or vitamin B7,
which helps you metabolize food) and vitamin B12 (which is essential
for blood and nerve cell health).

Many “superfood powders” also contain plant proteins (like pea
protein or brown rice protein powder); ground up fruits and vegetables
like broccoli, spinach and kale; and supplemental probiotics (gut-
friendly microbes) and prebiotics (which act as food for the
probiotics).

You may also find a cluster of plant substances — including
ashwagandha, reishi, ginseng and rhodiola, which are called adaptogens
and are purported to help with a range of ills, including stress
relief and energy production — and dandelion root, rose hip and milk
thistle seed extract.

“This is like throwing the kitchen sink into a powder,” said Dr.
Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School who
studies supplements.

Will these powders make me healthier?

If you’re already following a reasonably balanced diet and aren’t
deficient in any vitamins or minerals, you probably don’t need to
take multivitamin supplements like these, the experts said.

“Superfood powders” often contain far more than the daily
recommended amounts of many vitamins and minerals — one serving of
AG1, the powder made by Athletic Greens, for example, supplies more
than 550 percent of the daily recommended amount of vitamin E, and
1,100 percent of the daily recommended amount of biotin.

For the most part, your body can handle these excess nutrients, said
Dr. Gerard Mullin, an associate professor at Johns Hopkins Medicine
who specializes in gastroenterology. Your kidneys will break down and
dispose of most of them, he said. But certain vitamins, like vitamins
A, D, E and K, can cause harmful effects if they reach high enough
levels, he added — though this is rare.

As for supplemental probiotics, there isn’t clear evidence that
already healthy people will become healthier by taking them regularly,
Dr. Nestle said. And prebiotic supplements might encourage regular
bowel movements and promote gut health, she added, but similarly, the
science on their necessity for most people is far from settled.

Many adaptogens like ashwagandha and ginseng have been used for
centuries in Eastern medicine, in part for their purported
stress-relieving properties. But high-quality evidence on whether they
can do things like stabilize your mood or alleviate anxiety is
lacking, Dr. Cohen said.

“There have been no clinical trials showing how effective they are,
just infomercials,” Dr. Mullin added.

 Representatives from Athletic Greens and Huel (which makes the Daily
Greens blend) said that while some scientific studies have found links
between the individual ingredients in their products and certain
health benefits, no rigorous, independent studies have evaluated the
health benefits of the products themselves.

When manufacturers grind vegetables like broccoli or spinach down into
supplements or powders, some of the vitamins and other beneficial
components are lost in the process, Dr. Nestle said, including some of
their fiber, which is essential for regulating digestion and keeping
your gut healthy.

You’re better off getting nutrients from eating whole, unprocessed
foods directly, Dr. Mullin said.

And many of these powders can come with a hefty price tag — a
30-serving supply from Athletic Greens starts at $79, while Huel’s
Daily Greens version costs $45, and Enso Superfoods’ Supergreens
powder costs $59.99.

“Why not just eat some spinach?” Dr. Nestle said. “I don’t
quite get it.”

The bottom line

As with all supplements, the Food and Drug Administration has not
evaluated these greens powders for safety or efficacy, so you can’t
always be sure that what’s listed on the label is what’s in the
package, or that you’ll get the advertised benefits.

When buying supplements, it’s important to look for seals from
trusted third-party certification programs, like the U.S. Pharmacopeia
or NSF, on their labels, Dr. Cohen said, which ensures ingredient
quality.

Experts say that these powders probably don’t pose a major risk to
the average person, but they also may not do much good.

“You want to take them, take them,” Dr. Nestle said. “But it’s
not going to solve nutritional problems.”

Dani Blum is a reporter for Well.

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