But which product IS it worth splashing out on?
DIETITIAN Nicole Rothband gives her verdict on some popular powders
ADUNA BAOBAB POWDER
80g, €6.69, aduna.com CLAIMS: POWDER made from the pulp of the baobab fruit, which is high in fibre and vitamin C, for the immune system, energy release and skin.
EXPERT COMMENT: THIS is very high in sugar — over 30g per 100g. It’s also high in fibre and vitamin C, and a reasonable source of potassium and calcium. But you would get similar nutritional benefits from eating an orange and a handful of almonds.
ASHWAGANDHA POWDER
100g, €5.45, nourish. ie CLAIMS: ASHWAGANDHA, a type of mushroom, promises to calm body and mind at times of stress.
EXPERT COMMENT: THOUGH this is used in Ayurvedic medicine, there’s no reliable evidence to substantiate the claims.
PROTO-COL GREEN MAGIC
30g, €10, proto-col.com
CLAIMS: POWDERED versions of 16 superfoods including wheatgrass and seaweed. ‘Provides the nutritional equivalent of seven servings of fruit and vegetables.’ EXPERT COMMENT: THE BENEFIT of eating five-aday comes from eating the whole fruit or veg, including the fibre, and only one portion should come from juice. The premise here appears to be that if you bundle together lots of ingredients you’ll get a magical product but you’d still be better off eating whole fruit and veg.
THE FOODIE MARKET CACAO POWDER
100g, €2.49, aldi.ie CLAIMS: HIGH in copper, which protects cells; iron for tiredness; magnesium for mental alertness; and potassium for normal blood pressure. EXPERT COMMENT: IT looks like you need to add some form of sugar to make this palatable. It’s a bit extravagant on the health claims front but probably a healthier way to get a chocolatey hit.
NEWGEN DIRECT SUPERFOOD PLUS
150g, €44, newgendirect.com
CLAIMS: CONTAINS fruit, vegetables, seeds, grains, antioxidants and 35+ billion friendly bacteria.
EXPERT COMMENT: They make a point of saying that one of the ‘best independent labs’ has performed two pre-clinical trials on the product, plus a fully comprehensive suite of antioxidants tests’ but all this data relates to what happens in a test tube, not a person.