The power of POWDERS
Nutrient-packed green powders claim to give you the goodness of your 5-a-day in one quick shot. Would you beneft from taking them? Nutritional therapist Nicola Shubrook reports
You might have come across jars of green powders in your health-food shop recently. One of the newest ways to supplement your diet, they’re a mixture of land and sea vegetables (such as chlorella and spirulina), plus bacterial cultures (probiotics and prebiotics), freeze-dried into powder form.
Green powders are nutrient-dense, meaning that they’re high in nutrients and low in calories, with numerous health benefts for our digestion, immune system and blood circulation. However, one of the key benefts is their alkalising effect on the body.
This is important because, when our bodies are too acidic, the imbalance can lead to infammation and disease, putting stress on the body and potentially leading to illness. Our bodies naturally strive for the perfect balance between ‘too acidic’ and ‘too alkaline’. Unfortunately, sugar, fried foods, dairy, meat and alcohol will create an acidic environment, which our bodies are in a constant battle to neutralise. Eating lots of alkalising foods, such as fruit and vegetables, helps to achieve this delicate balance.
Drink your veg!
Last year, University College London published research recommending that we should now eat 10 portions of fruit and vegetables a day (one portion of vegetables is the equivalent of two broccoli spears or four heaped tablespoons of kale). This would be a challenge for most of us – which is where green powders can help.
I always recommend mixed green powders rather than single-ingredient powders or tablets. Single powders contain just one source of land or sea vegetable, such as wheatgrass or chlorella, and – while they have some health benefts – they are what is known as a ‘mineral chelator’. This means they bind to certain metals in the body, and in some cases can rid the body of essential minerals, such as zinc. Mixed green powders contain chelators, but the addition of vitamins and minerals such as zinc, iron and magnesium mean they’re a more balanced supplement.
A way to cope with stress
I take green powders four or fve times a week, usually at night so it gets to work while I sleep. If I feel run-down or stressed, I’ll increase the dose. I regularly recommend it to clients
who have a highly acidic diet, or show signs of infammation – for example, arthritis or eczema – or are stressed. If you take a powder regularly (one dose every now and then won’t provide any real beneft), you should start to see improvements in your skin, digestion and energy levels. Build up the dose slowly to avoid initial side effects such as bloating. Good green mixtures are available only in powder form – I’ve yet to see a tablet that contains as many raw, natural ingredients. Also, powders are easier for the body to digest and absorb.
Which to choose?
This can be trial and error at frst. They have quite a distinct taste – some rather grassy, some more ‘pondy’, depending on the combination of ingredients. If you prefer a sweeter taste, look for one with berries, but you must check the labels. As green powders grow in popularity, some brands are adding the plant sugar, stevia, to sweeten them. This negates some of the alkalising benefts, as stevia is still sugar – an acid to the body.
‘One of the key benefts is their alkalising effect on the body’