More people are turning to green supplements to complement their diets and get appropriate nutrition. Nutrition experts and the USDA recommend that moderately active men and women take between 2 and 3 cups of veggies daily.
For busy people who often have to work multiple jobs daily as well as fitness enthusiasts, bodybuilders and athletes, meeting their required green intake daily isn’t usually top on their list of priorities.
Fitness buffs and bodybuilders may think of it, but they’ll more often than not chug down their smoothies and protein powders first, then maybe take the greens as an afterthought. For the average busy person, they just want to grab something on the go, and eat.
Ironically, these are the same people who need a lot more greens in their diets to help fight off and repair the damage that oxidative stress does to the body. To live longer and be in excellent health at the same time, you need a healthy daily intake of greens among other healthy lifestyle habits. So, what’s the solution to this problem? Green supplements.
Green supplements are simply concentrated powdered veggies. So, to meet your required daily green vegetable intake, you just need to pop a few green supplement pills or drink them and you’re good. That’s easy, right?
These usually contain all the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients you would normally find in leafy greens, just without the bulk and time needed to cook, prepare or eat them.
Now, because green supplements are often available in many forms, chances are you’d like to explore the many forms so that you can make a convenient and effectively nutritious choice.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the various forms in which you can take the supplements, their effectiveness, and what makes each form great.
How Are Green Supplements Made?
Green supplements are fast becoming a popular segment of supplements in the food industry. There’s growing demand for it, which means you’re likely to get be misinformed by people looking to capitalize on the trend. It is imperative therefore, that you know the best green supplements available to you.
One of the questions people ask is how are the active enzymes still bioavailable if the vegetables aren’t fresh? After all, dried veggies may lack the necessary nutrients. Well, the good news is that as long as the vegetables aren’t dried at high temperatures, they will keep their nutrients.
In fact, the lower the temperature, the higher their chances of retaining those nutrients. Pound for pound, dried green vegetables have just as much nutrition as the fresh ones. Interesting, isn’t it? Most nutritional companies selling green supplements often air dry the vegetables using a special process that takes away none of the nutrition.
Green supplements are usually made from dried nutrition dense, leafy green grasses and vegetables. As a result, all of them are actually green in color, thanks to the chlorophyll present in the leaves.
Depending on the manufacturer, these often contain varying quantities of
- Kelp
- Broccoli
- Beet greens
- Alfalfa
- Wheatgrass
- Sprouts
- Barley grass
- Kale
- Spirulina or chlorella -algae that are rich in minerals and vitamins
- Antioxidants
- Herbs
Most of the time, manufacturers determine what herbs or vegetables to include in their green powders, pills, shakes or drinks. Always check the label of the supplement you want to see the vegetables and fruit composition.
The good news is that these work in pretty much the same way as a multivitamin supplement works. Also, understand that green supplements don’t take the place of your daily multivitamins.
Green Supplements Health Benefits
Apart from the convenience of green supplements, there are so many benefits. For starters, the National Cancer Institute claims that green vegetables which are a key ingredient in these supplements can help protect your body against inflammation and certain chronic diseases.
In fact, studies have linked the consumption of cruciferous vegetables to a lowered risk of certain cancer types –mostly breast, colorectal, prostrate and even lung cancer.
The frequent consumption of fruits and vegetables has also been linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lowers high blood cholesterol, reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, stroke, obesity, diabetes, lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and eye disease among others. It is clear that vegetables and fruits are basically life giving and does wonders for your health.
It also helps with improving your body’s alkaline levels. You see, high systemic acidity –also known as acidosis- has been linked to all sorts of health conditions, but it is primarily tied to systemic inflammation and toxicity.
Studies have shown that there’s a strong link between high systemic acidity levels and the frequency of diseases. Like it or not, the lower your body’s pH range is, the higher your propensity to become ill frequently and suffer significant damage to your organs.
Alkalinity on the other hand, prevents the spread and proliferation of disease in your body, by providing your body with ample oxygen and creating a medium that’s toxic to diseases. As a result, you’re bound to enjoy better health for far longer periods that those individuals whose pH levels are in the high acidic range.
Fruits and vegetables are a rich source of alkalinity and will increase your alkalinity to optimal levels. Consistent consumption of these help you stay healthy and produces an alkaline medium in the body, thus shielding your body from diseases and toxic overload.
Studies such as this have also shown that the frequent consumption of vegetables also minimize the impact of oxidative stress on your body. This is particularly seen in people living with diabetes or prediabetics, where it drastically lowers their oxidative stress.
It can also do wonders for your energy levels, vitality, bone health and recovery. This is one of the reasons why doctors often recommend a healthy diet of fruits and veggies for those recovering from an illness or surgery.
Now, for those who like working out and training, there are indications that fruits and vegetables can be just as important as your favorite protein shakes. People who eat more vegetables tend to experience more fat loss and the development of lean muscle, compared to those who don’t eat them as much.
This is possible because veggies and fruits contain high fiber content, which makes them great at providing you with the feeling of fullness necessary to keep you from snacking and eating excessively.
Even better, they are rich in vitamins and minerals, two key components necessary for the active production of red blood cells in the muscle, muscle contraction, inflammation control, and other essential processes necessary for muscle growth.
And because they help normalize blood sugars, they help improve your insulin sensitivity, thus ensuring that your pancreas works well and preventing you from developing insulin resistance –a metabolic syndrome that precedes diabetes.
The best part is that you can get all these benefits by simply popping a few green supplement pills, or drinking some green supplement powders every day. This beats the stress of having to prepare your veggies, and the struggle to eat them… because many people just don’t like eating vegetables.
Difference Between Green Supplements And Multivitamin Supplements
Multivitamins have been around for a very long time. People have been taking and using them as a way to supplement their minerals and vitamins. They are great for helping you meet your required daily allowance of vitamins and minerals.
Multivitamins simply help you get complete nutrition on a daily basis. Now, because green supplements are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals, there’s the tendency to want to use replace one with the other. Well, you might want to reconsider that because both of them play a complementary role in the body.
You see, your multivitamins usually have limited amounts of certain nutrients. This makes them somewhat limited in their provision of important vitamins and trace minerals. Also, many of them are usually made from synthesized plants or chemical compounds, which means they may not have a lot of natural ingredients.
Green supplements on the other hand, are made wholly from natural plants and fruits. They are 100 percent organic, and often have no synthetic preservatives. This makes it the perfect supplement to put in your body. It’s essentially dried food, packaged for your convenience.
Even better is the fact many green supplements are targeted at specific health issues. These often contain unique herb and vegetable concoctions proven to help alleviate certain health problems or discomfort.
For instance, the ingredients in green supplements for muscle recovery will most likely be different from that used for arthritis relief. The same goes for one that’s specifically targeted at weight management or digestive problems.
These might have more fiber for instance, than the aforementioned. This is because the manufacturer would have to source for different vegetables, plants and fruits known to help improve each condition.
Then, there’s the general or complete green supplement which is designed to help you meet your daily required allowance of vegetables and fruits. Just make sure to check the label on the container to be sure of the ingredients, minerals and vitamins percentages too. This way, you know exactly what you’re getting without any doubt.
Types of Green Supplements
Green supplements have such flexibility that makes them really easy to take on the go. It often comes in various forms, depending on the manufacturer as well as your health goals.
Here’s a quick look at the various categories:
Best Green Juice Superfood Powders Powders
Fast becoming one of the more popular categories, green superfood powders are ground vegetables that can be taken alone, mixed with your smoothie or added to your protein shake. There are quite a few of these vegetable supplement powders in the market, some of which have reviews.
These organic green superfood powders, are often made from 100 percent raw organic natural vegetables and fruits, and have been known to do everything from improving healthy gut bacteria to boosting your immune system to helping with muscle recovery after workouts.
If you’re looking for the best green superfood powders, the following brands are good options to check out (we’ve listed them with their specific functions too):
Athletic Greens
Known for its great taste and complete formula. This is a good brand for those looking for an all-round green superfood powder that also helps with weight loss.
Novaforme’s Cytogreens for Athletes
Rich in chlorophyll, probiotics, and antioxidants, this is specifically made for athletes who do lots of strength training and HIIT. It’s a traditional green superfood powder that claims to relieve muscle soreness, and improve recovery.
All Day Energy Greens
Designed for anyone needing to keep their energy levels up throughout the day, without necessarily taking stimulants.
Living Fuel Supergreens
This antioxidant powerhouse is designed to help your body get rid of free radicals, boost immune system, lower your stress levels by reducing cortisol presence, and flat out increase your energy levels. It also has high concentrated amounts of vitamins B12, C and decent amounts of calcium and iron.
This is best for people looking to improve their overall health, increase their disease fighting capacity and kick their health up a notch.
Green Vibrance
This affordable green superfood powder has been described as a nutritional powerhouse that’s also great for digestive health. It contains significant amounts of vitamins A, C, D, and E, as well as chromium and selenium.
The selenium and chromium makes it great for immune boosting. Its probiotic contents -25 billion- too are off the charts (probably the highest available anywhere). It also has come cognition enhancing ingredients to help you keep your mind sharp, and increase productivity.
Green Supplement Pills and Capsules
The good thing about this category of green supplements is their convenience and ease. When you don’t have the time for a smoothie in the morning, and still need to take your veggie supplements, these green supplement capsules will do just fine.
While there are so many of these inn the market, we have found a few with proven effectiveness and wonderful customer reviews that’ll justify the expense.
- Green Vibrance capsules
- Nature’s Way Garden Veggies
- Garden of Life Whole Food Vegetable Supplement
- Amazing Grass Green Superfood Original
- Green 33 Vegetable Daily Greens-in-a-Pill Superfoods Supplement
- NOW Chlorophyll
These Are Very Popular And Effective For Their Target Functions
Green Juice Superfood Supplements & Drink Mix Powders are generally free of side effects and great for people who need to get proper nutrition, but don’t have the time to cook their veggies and meet their daily requirements. Get them and make them a staple in your life, and your health will thank you for it.
