Benefits Of Greens Powder

Greens powder can be an excellent option for people on the run or too busy sometimes to get all the veggies they need. It acts as a safety net to ensure you get a healthy dose of vegetables every day, regardless of your lifestyle. Let’s delve into the benefits of greens powder.

Everyone has a slightly different idea about what constitutes a good, healthy diet. Even doctors and nutritionists disagree from time to time.

However, almost everyone agrees that vegetables should be vital to every healthy meal. If that’s not possible, or you’re not getting enough whole-food vegetables for whatever reason, consider supplementing with a greens powder.

Greens powder is a dry form of many required vegetables and even fruits. Sometimes manufacturers take the juice and dry it out to crush it into powder form. Other companies just dry the fruit itself to grind it into a powder—more on that below.

Greens powder can be an excellent option for people on the run or too busy sometimes to get all the necessary veggies. It acts as a safety net to ensure you get a healthy dose of vegetables every day, regardless of your lifestyle.

What Are Green Powders?

Greens powders mostly come in two different forms.

One way is a powder made from dehydrated or dried fruits and vegetables. After they’re dehydrated, the manufacturer crushes them into the powder. Another form of greens powder is when the manufacturer extracts juice from the fruit or vegetable. They then dry the juice and crush it into the powder you buy at the supermarket.

You may even find a greens powder that combines these two forms. Dehydrating the juice has a milder taste but is often quite sweet. At the same time, dehydrating a vegetable straight can be too strong. So meeting in the middle and combining the two methods creates a powder with a pleasing taste.

Eat your veggies! Parents, doctors, and nutritionists have been telling you this since childhood. And yet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that nine out of 10 Americans still don’t eat enough vegetables and the reasons why to vary. (Source)

You could not have eaten enough veggies as a child and never developed a taste for them. Or maybe you’re too busy, and it slips your mind.

Regardless of why you can make green powder drinks a regular habit. But perhaps you’re wondering are powdered greens are good for you. Yes! Greens powders benefit your health in a variety of ways.

Before we get into that, remember that despite all the greens powder benefits, it cannot be considered a substitute for whole-food veggies. For optimum health, people must include fresh vegetables with every meal. However, greens powders can help if you need to bridge a gap between what you eat and what you need.

7 Health Benefits Of Greens Powders

1. Increases Nutrient Density Intake

Nutritionists recommend many vegetables because eating them is the best way to get their vitamins and carotenoids into your system. However, five servings per day can be an overwhelming amount. That’s why most people fall short.

Greens powders can help. They conveniently increase your nutrient density intake without consuming much time or energy. One scoop often adds 30+ fruits, superfoods, and veggies to your diet. That’s a powerful supplement.

One study required participants to take six supplement capsules daily for eight weeks. When the study ended, researchers tested their blood levels. They looked for certain nutrients and found that levels of vitamins E, C, and A, as well as beta-carotene and retinol, went up. (Source)

2. May Improve Energy Levels

Many greens powders contain green tea extract and other compounds that increase energy levels. At the same time, they don’t come with many calories. So if you’re drinking a low-calorie powder containing some caffeine and other ingredients that burn fat, you’ll feel much more alert afterward.

Powders made with veggies like spinach and kale also contain a good amount of natural iron. If someone has low iron levels, they might feel lethargic and fatigued. After eating or drinking iron-rich foods or supplements, their iron levels will increase, and they’ll feel more energy. (Source)

3. Possible Reduced Blood Pressure

Greens contain antioxidants and magnesium, as well as other anti-inflammatories. This combination has been thought to decrease blood pressure. When your blood pressure reduces, so does your risk of certain diseases or chronic illnesses.

Some studies back this up, indicating that as little as two tablespoons of greens powder, especially with beetroot, every day means an 8% decrease in blood pressure among folks who normally suffer from high blood pressure. (Source)

Many powders also contain spinach which comes with a lot of nitrates. This not only lowers blood pressure sometimes but can also reduce risk factors leading to heart disease. (Source)

4. Could Lead To A Healthier Immune System

Many people who regularly drink the vitamins and minerals in greens powders claim to feel better.

It’s no secret that many contain nutrients that contribute to a healthier immune system allowing you to fight off bacteria and viruses better. Such vitamins and minerals include vitamins A and C, antioxidants, and turmeric powder.

Greens with turmeric powder also show promise in reducing inflammation, especially in your largest organ – your skin – and increasing the potency of immune-supporting cells. (Source)

5. May Relieve Constipation

Greens powders often include two ingredients known to keep people regular: fiber and magnesium.

Fiber helps food move through your system much faster than it otherwise would. Fiber helps you feel like you’ve eaten enough when it reaches your intestines. You’re fuller, and faster. It also cleans bacteria and other buildups from your colon. This helps contribute to more regular bowel movements.

Fiber softens your stool while increasing the stool’s weight and size. A soft, bulky stool is easier to pass. This also relieves constipation. At the same time, fiber can help make watery stool more solid because it absorbs water. Good bowel health is an added benefit thanks to the fiber in some greens powder.

Magnesium is a powerful helper too. It aids in many different bodily functions. In the area of constipation, magnesium helps bring more water to your intestines.

This creates a good environment for healthy bowel movements.

That’s why larger doses can be found in some laxatives. In greens powder, look for just enough magnesium to help soften your stool and reduce the risk of constipation.

6. Could Reduce Inflammation

Again, if your favorite green powders include ingredients like dehydrated and crushed blueberries, spirulina, spinach, or kale, you could benefit from reduced inflammation.

Why is this good?

Inflammation increases your risk of heart disease, certain inflammatory bowel diseases, and obesity. You’re also more likely to suffer from arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and psoriasis, among other conditions.

So, reducing it is good for you.

And while some inflammation can be beneficial because it limits your exposure to infection, too much leads to many problems.

Eventually, your doctor will prescribe medication to combat it if it gets out of control. Eating plenty of good veggies and sometimes a greens powder drink is a good preventative practice before inflammation gets serious.

7. May Reduce Oxidative Damage

Greens powders boost your body’s natural defense and contribute to its detoxification process.

Powders do this by supplying your body with nutrients and phytonutrients. In addition, these powerhouses full of antioxidants can supply your body with properties to assist in natural cleaning functions that reduce oxidative damage.

What is oxidative damage?

It’s what happens when your body is exposed to ionizing radiation and nasty chemical agents. It can also be classified as a byproduct of your cell’s normal metabolism. But some common examples include breathing in smoke, pollution, and chronic inflammation.

Many studies link oxidative damage with certain tumors. (Source)

Folate, betaine, and methionine in greens powders and veggies may help.

They can play a major role in helping your body’s natural detox process. Look for glutathione in powders or cruciferous vegetables to help protect the body from free radicals.

Some people also believe that metallothionein can latch onto heavy metals such as lead or mercury to get them out of your body. (Source)

Related: Take a look at our Supergreen Tonik, which contains 38 nutrients to improve your well-being – without the downsides, you’ll read below!

Downsides Of Greens Powder

1. Some Brands Use Proprietary Blends

You want to be aware of proprietary blends. This is when manufacturers only list the combined amount of ingredients on labels rather than the exact amount of each one.

In these cases, you don’t know exactly what you’re putting into your body. Again, this is because the label doesn’t give you enough details.

It doesn’t help you to create a balanced diet if you don’t know how much of a certain vitamin or nutrient you’re getting in a powder. Sometimes, with proprietary blends, you don’t even know which minerals you’re eating in a product.

Also, the more expensive an ingredient is, the less you might get with a proprietary blend. So try to stay away from these products.

2. Shouldn’t Replace All Veggie Intake

You should remember that greens powders are not replacements for real vegetables but supplements. While they benefit you by boosting immunity and reducing the risk of serious illnesses, it truly helps you more to get your main greens from whole food veggies.

Eating natural vegetables is an excellent way to know precisely which greens you eat and how much. So continue to eat plenty of fresh, whole vegetables with every meal. A well-balanced, plant-based variety in your meals contains a complete amount of required vitamins and minerals.

Drinking too much of one kind of green can also create an imbalance or deficiency in other areas. So, by all means, add greens powder to your regimen. This helps if you’re not getting enough greens. Just use this supplement in moderation.

3. Allergic Reactions Are Possible

Some green powders can cause allergic reactions. This means you should be alert to symptoms such as headaches, rashes, or breathing issues.

Specialists don’t always know what can or will trigger these allergies. Sometimes green tea in powders can bring on a reaction in those with a certain sensitivity.

No matter what, if you feel an allergy coming on, stop drinking the greens powder immediately and call your doctor or nutritionist.

What To Consider Before Buying Greens Powder

The best thing you can do before buying greens powder is to research and read—research different blends, manufacturers, and reviews. Then, once you’ve narrowed it down to a few favorites, go to the store and read those labels. Don’t just read the hype and health claims.

Read the ingredients thoroughly.

Find out if a third party has tested your chosen product. Look for a product without trace amounts of heavy metals. Even at low doses, they can be toxic.

Look for labels that indicate approval or good results from NSF International, Informed Choice, or USP. These are all respected companies that test supplements for safety, and proud manufacturers often put their certifications on the label.

You should also discuss your needs and possible products with a trusted doctor, dietitian, or nutritionist.

Final Thoughts

Well-made, high-quality, and respected manufacturers make terrific, tasty, and helpful greens powders. While they’re not to replace the veggies and fruits on your plate, they provide many benefits as a supplement to your eating.

Of course, that includes an overall balanced diet and plenty of water, rest, and exercise.

Supergreens benefits can be felt when the powder contains the most you can get of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.

Many advertise their non-genetically modified and organic ingredients. You want to find a greens powder that also boasts a significant above-average amount of superfoods.

Supplements with natural digestive enzymes and probiotics will also help you to better digest the powder. When you digest well, the absorption of these ingredients improves their ability to work within your system quicker.

Depending on where you live and what your nutrition requires, greens powders can also be a budget-friendly way to add that extra veggie goodness to your lifestyle.

Everybody is different. If you’ve talked to your nutritionist, look at your numbers, and believe a greens powder supplement will help you fill in any gaps, then find a quality product. Start making some delicious smoothies or drinks. In no time at all, you’ll be feeling the super greens powder benefits. Enjoy!