With health at the forefront of many of our minds, people are searching for ways to boost their nutrient intake, so it’s no surprise to see increased talk of supplements, including greens powders. 

Greens powders are designed to supplement -- read that again -- supplement your diet by simply mixing the powder into water or your daily protein drink. While greens powders can offer numerous benefits, they do not give you a pass on eating your fruits and vegetables, which provide you with vitamins, nutrients, phytonutrients, and fiber.

Greens powder formulations vary by brand but generally have 25–40 or more different ingredients. The most common ingredients include:

• Leafy greens: Kale, spinach, collard greens, parsley
• Cruciferous vegetables: Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower
• Other vegetables: Beets, carrot,
• Sea vegetables: Spirulina, chlorella, kelp
• Grasses: Wheat grass, alfalfa grass, barley grass
• Mushrooms: Reishi, shitake, maitake
• Antioxidant-rich fruits: Acai, goji, blueberries
• Adaptogenic herbs: Ashwaganda, rhodiola, astragulus
• Spices: Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon

People who use greens powder like the ease of mixing it with water or partnering it with your daily smoothie to maximize the intake of nutrients. If you aren’t a fan of the taste with water, you can add lemon, coconut water, or raw honey. If you tried to incorporate these popular ingredients into your daily routine, you would soon discover how expensive they are to replace weekly and how much more convenient and affordable greens superfoods blends are, which is another reason for their rising popularity.

Some brands recommend taking your greens on an empty stomach while others prefer to partner them before and after a workout.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN SELECTING A GREENS POWDER

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the options in the crowded market of supplements. Think about your goal for using greens powder and then read labels. If you see any mention of “proprietary blend” on the label, know that FDA regulations require manufacturers to list out all of the ingredients in a given product, but the “proprietary blend” loophole doesn’t require the company to list out the amount of said ingredient, which means that while you may get an idea of what you're putting into your body, it is not clear as to how much. You should also steer clear of anything that has any sort of dye or coloring or additive or anything you can’t pronounce.

Familiarize yourself with the company selling the product. Do others trust them? Why? Do they make it clear on the label what you are getting? For companies that are more transparent, it’s equally important to look critically at the amount of any active ingredient when making a decision because greens powders can vary drastically. If you can find out the process they use to create their powder that may ease your mind as well. For example, the ingredients used in green superfood supplements are generally dried and then ground into powder. Some of them may be juiced and then dehydrated, or extracted from whole foods. Some companies are using sprouted or fermented ingredients. This increases nutrient availability and breaks down compounds that can block absorption ingredients.

HOW TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF YOUR GREENS POWDER

If you are someone who eats the recommended 10 servings of the highest nutrient-density vegetables and fruits daily, then you may not need to supplement your diet with a greens powder. But if we’re being honest, most of us aren’t getting the recommended daily allowances on a consistent basis.

If that’s you, then a greens supplement may help—especially if you have excess body fat levels, are looking for an easy way to get more greens and other nutrient-dense foods in your diet or you’re working to control inflammation. Just know, again, it is a supplement. You budget and focus should start with a good diet and use greens superfood powder to supplement occasional gaps in nutrition.

A diet high in antioxidants, alkalizing foods, and chlorophyll through both real foods and supergreens may help reduce your risk of of chronic illnesses such as

• Cancer
• Heart disease and stroke
• Diabetes
• Bone disease (osteoporosis and sarcopenia)
• Skeletal muscle loss
• Eye disease
• Dementia
• Asthma
• COPD
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Obesity

Since greens supplements retain the antioxidants found in their original ingredients, you can expect to gain the antioxidant benefit of detoxifying your bodY when you use greens powders.

Many greens powders also contain ingredients linked to boosting immune system function. Ingredients that contain sufficient amounts of Vitamins A, B-6, C, E, zinc, and selenium have the potential to boost your immunity.

Since greens are very low in calories, they can also help with healthy weight management. Fighting obesity is another way you can avoid chronic illness. 

HOW TO CHOOSE THE POWDER THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU

If you are looking to supplement your current nutritional habits, and you find that you feel better when you include greens powders in your daily routine, then budgeting for a quality green superfoods supplement may be worth it for your overall health.

One look at  the label of Transformation Protein’s supplement Super Greens confirms that it offers some of the healthiest, best nutrients in its blend. One serving is equal to one full day’s worth of fruits and vegetables. It can help boost immunity, optimize the cleansing cycle, add natural energy to exercise and recovery. And taste is one of the biggest reasons people stick with a greens powder once they find one they can tolerate drinking each day. Transformation Protein’s Super Greens may very well be the best tasting powder on the market for those looking to drink it first thing in the morning with water. Some users like to pair it with their protein shake alongside their workout, which delivers the same benefits and less of the greens taste. Protein needs to be alkalized for you to maintain muscle strength and appear less bloated. Therefore, Super Greens helps you absorb protein better, and it also provides the nutrition equivalent of a full day’s servings of vegetables, with great taste. Super Greens is the all-in-one solution that lasts for 18 months, formulated to give you a balance of the finest alkalizing greens, naturally.