Green powder is a famous dietary supplement people take to help them reach their recommended daily intake of vitamins and minerals. This type of supplement is designed to support the body’s immune system. Besides that, green powders are usually mixed into juices, smoothies, and even in plain water with natural sugar substitutes.
Table of Contents
Getting to Know Green Powders
As mentioned earlier, green powders are considered dietary supplements. It primarily consists of powdered vegetables, fruits, and other plant-based compounds expected to bring more nutrients into your usual diet.
In most cases, green powder manufacturers claim that their product can help detox, improve energy levels, lose weight, support the immune system, reduce the risk of developing some chronic diseases, and so many more.
Green powders are sometimes made by drying the natural ingredients and grinding them. Some manufacturers practice juicing (extracting the juice from the plants) and then drying it to transform it into powder. Making green powders can be done in many different techniques, and each technique carries its own pros and cons. Below are some of the techniques:
● Freeze drying
● Air drying
● Spray drying
Common Green Powder Ingredients
Green powders tend to have at least 20 to 75 different plant-based ingredients. However, the number varies by brand. The following are some of the common ingredients of green powders:
● Extracts: include green tea extracts (like matcha), grape seed extract, cocoa bean polyphenol extract, and ginkgo Biloba extract.
● Digestive Enzymes: like bromelain, astragalus root extract, and burdock root powder.
● Antioxidant-rich fruits and leaves: include pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, goji berries, moringa, and citrus bioflavonoids extracts.
● Leafy greens: this includes spinach and kale.
● Grasses: oat grass, alfalfa grass, wheatgrass, and barley grass.
● Mushrooms: include reishi mushroom extract, maitake mushroom extract, and shiitake mushroom extract.
● Nutrient-packed veggies: cabbage, broccoli, red beets, and carrots.
● Seaweed: this includes kelp, chlorella, and spirulina.
● Probiotic bacteria: lactobacillus acidophilus as well as Bifidobacterium bifidum.
● Prebiotics and fiber: tapioca starch, apple fiber, and inulin.
● Natural sweeteners: this includes stevia or monk fruit extract.
Potential Benefits of Green Powders
Your body can benefit a lot if you take clean and natural supplement choices. Since green powders contain dried fruits and vegetables, they can be very nutritious. If you want to learn more, consider researching it.
Taking green powders is one of the best ways to get the extra boost of antioxidants and vitamins your body needs. The following are the potential benefits of including green powders in your diet:
Immune System Boost
Green powders are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are connected with having a great immune system. Most green powders have vitamin A, which contains some anti-inflammatory properties that work well in boosting your immunity.
Another example is that some green powders have selenium in them. Selenium is proven to help your immune system fight off infection.
Healthy Blood Pressure
Potassium and calcium, minerals commonly found in green powders, are associated with healthy blood pressure. Some people who took green powder daily (in its recommended serving) experienced decreased diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
Prevention of Developing Chronic Diseases
The vitamins in green powders can help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. Vitamins such as vitamin K and C are vital antioxidants that help fight some cell-damaging free radicals (called oxidation). This is associated with developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Eye and Cognitive Health
Leafy greens contain vitamin K. This vitamin is linked to several health benefits such as lessening the risks of having heart problems, maintaining healthy blood vessels, and preventing bone loss caused by aging. Furthermore, study shows that vitamin K can help with eye health.
Is Taking Green Powders Safe?
Green powder is a healthy food powder. However, it is vital to ensure that this supplement will not affect any specific medications you are currently taking or any pre-existing condition you might have. It is always best to check in with your doctor or nutritionist before trying this supplement to be safe.
If you don’t have any medications or pre-existing health conditions, it won’t hurt if you buy green powders from trusted sources. You can try to look for organic greens and non-GMO. You can also try to search for the following green powders:
● Green powders that are certified by third-party laboratories (NSF International, for example);
● Verified green powder products tested for contamination.
Besides the tips mentioned above, it will help to stick to the manufacturer’s serving size and other instructions. More does not necessarily mean good. In fact, it can even lead to wasteful action and an upset stomach.
To Sum It Up
Taking green powders is popular for a reason. People take them because it gives them the extra boost of vitamins and minerals they need. Plus, it can also give them many benefits such as losing weight, supporting the immune system, improving the body’s energy levels, and so many more.
