Eat your fruits and veggies, we’ve been taught for years. However, for many individuals, saying something is simpler than doing anything.
According to a 2017 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 9% of American adults consume their daily recommended vegetable servings, while only 12% consume their daily recommended fruit servings. Green superfood powder supplements, like TikTok’s AG1 and Vital Proteins’ Collagen Beauty Greens, aim to fill that void for salad-averse people. What’s the catch? You can get the vitamin equivalent of a plant-rich diet by simply sprinkling the powder into any liquid instead of eating celery and apples.
Is It, However, Trustworthy?
Green powders shouldn’t totally replace whole foods in your diet, according to Natalie Rizzo, a certified dietician and creator of Greenletes.
“Although most green powders do use plant powders as their main ingredients, it’s not the same as eating whole food fruits and vegetables,” Rizzo tells Yahoo Life. “To turn a fruit or vegetable into a powder requires some processing that will likely lead to a breakdown of nutrients and stripping out most of the fiber.”
Rizzo explains that green powder supplements tend to add those nutrients back in, “but research shows that eating single nutrients is not as beneficial to overall health as eating the food,” she says. For example, a review found that the antioxidant lycopene from tomatoes was more effective at improving “cardiovascular health than lycopene from supplements,” points out Rizzo.
Because powders can’t contain all of the elements that whole meals can, Nicole Avena, a neuroscientist who specializes in nutritional counseling and is the author of Why Diets Fail, warns that relying only on these supplements might lead to “nutritional deficiencies.”
“Some micronutrients like pantothenic acid and biotin are lost through the process of dehydration,” Avena tells Yahoo Life. “Green powders are not a substitute for a well-balanced diet and cannot replace the benefits seen from consuming fruits and vegetables.”
Swapping a vegetable or fruit for, say, a scoop of powder, generally means you’re missing out on important macronutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fiber that would have come from the full item.
“Carbs from fruits and vegetables provide energy to the brain, as well as fuel everyday activities and exercises,” Rizzo explains. “Fiber is not only beneficial for digestive health, it’s also an important nutrient for the heart.”
Green Powders Can Aid in the Filling of Nutritional Voids
However, Rizzo and Avena agree that using green powders to complement your diet can help fill in nutritional gaps, but overusing them — or using them to replace whole meals — might backfire.
“If an individual is lacking vitamins and minerals and cannot seem to get those nutrients from the foods they consume, supplementation could be a great idea,” Avena says. “This being said, it is always best to consult your doctor before taking any supplements.”
Another word of caution: Because green powders are supplements, the FDA does not monitor them, which means “you might not be getting what is on the label,” as Rizzo points out.
She adds: “If you do choose to supplement with green powders, choose one that has been third party tested to ensure that it’s safe and you’re getting what you think. Look for third party labels, such as NSF or USP.”
Another word of caution: Because green powders are supplements, the FDA does not monitor them, which means “you might not be getting what is on the label,” as Rizzo points out.
She adds: “If you do choose to supplement with green powders, choose one that has been third party tested to ensure that it’s safe and you’re getting what you think. Look for third party labels, such as NSF or USP.”