The Benefits of Greens Powder
Do you consume your five servings of vegetables every day? If, like many others, that doesn’t seem doable with your busy schedule, there is another way to receive all the vitamins and minerals you need to live healthily.
Supplementing with a greens powder is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to complement your existing diet and boost your energy, digestion, skin and long-term health.
In this article, we’ll unpack the benefits of greens powders and some frequently asked questions we receive here at Melrose.
Detoxification
A popular benefit of greens powder is its ability to help detoxify your body. Leafy greens are essential for phase 1 and phase 2 of liver detoxification, meaning your body can eliminate toxins, heavy metals and hormones rather than re-circulating them.
Supplementing your diet with greens powder helps achieve adequate detoxification, allowing your liver to stay healthy while supporting your digestive system to eliminate waste effectively.
Absorption
Bioavailability is a huge benefit of greens powder as it allows nutrients to be absorbed by your body almost straight away.
This not only means you obtain maximum health benefits, but you’ll also get a boost of energy right after you’ve taken it.
Gut Health
One of the benefits of greens powder is that it acts as a plant-based prebiotic, making it great for your gut health.
Greens powder is high in fibre, which acts as food for our good bacteria, allowing them to thrive and produce short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. In turn, butyrate has a natural anti-inflammatory effect on the gut and supports our immune health.
It’s also high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that strengthens our gut barrier function against potential pathogens.
Convenience
We all know we should eat more fruits and vegetables, but the reality is that we are often time-poor, tired or simply staring into an empty fruit and vegetable drawer.
Having a greens powder on hand means you never have to miss out on the essential nutrients you need to thrive just because life gets in the way.
Versatility
Have you ever wondered how to take greens powder? One of the benefits of greens powder is that there isn’t a right or wrong way to take it!
Green powders are traditionally consumed in a glass of filtered water or your favourite morning smoothie, but there are so many other ways to include greens powder across the course of your day. Here are just a few ideas:
- Stir it through a glass of herbal tea or milk
- Mix it in with your porridge or pancake batter
- Sprinkle it on your salads, roast veggies, scrambled eggs and soups
- Make protein ball power snacks with it
- Add it to your homemade protein balls.
Skin Health
The benefits of greens powders also extend to your skin, hair and nails.
Many of the nutrients found in greens powder, including vitamins C, A and E and folate are all essential to supporting skin health and circulation. Folate is essential for healthy cell growth which maintains glowing and healthy skin, as well as strong hair and nails.
So when you regularly take your greens powder, you’ll not only feel more energised but you’ll also enjoy glowing skin and hair too.
Long-Term Health
The last benefit of greens powder is its ability to reduce inflammation in the body. Greens powder is rich in antioxidants which act to offset free radical damage caused by reactive oxygen species.
This down-regulates inflammation and reduces your risk of inflammatory-related chronic diseases including arthritis, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
And after all, managing inflammation is the key to long-term health and quality of life.
Can You Take Greens Powder While Pregnant or Breastfeeding?
Greens powder can be an incredible way to support your body through pregnancy and breastfeeding. But because there haven’t been any studies conducted to observe the impact greens powder has on pregnancy, it’s best to confirm with your health practitioner if greens powder is right for you.
Can Greens Powder Cause Acne?
If you suffer from acne, you may be hesitant about what you consume in fear of causing a flare-up.
While there aren’t any studies that unpack the correlation between acne flare-ups and greens powders, there have been anecdotal reports of people experiencing an acne flare-up while taking a greens powder.
A 2016 study suggests that high levels of iodine may be the cause of acne flare-ups in some people, and while the study was conducted using milk, some greens powders can also be high in iodine thanks to ingredients like algae and spirulina.
We recommend consulting your health practitioner if you are concerned about how greens powder may impact your skin.
Do Greens Powder Help With Bloating and Constipation?
Because greens powder supports digestion, it does help with bloating and constipation. Greens powder is packed with digestive enzymes and antioxidants that boost your gut’s microbiome.
Studies have found that taking a prebiotic, like greens powder, can be beneficial if you’re experiencing digestive issues like bloating or constipation as it restores the good bacteria in your gut.
Greens powder is also a great source of fibre, which supports the healthy passing of stool.
Can You Mix Super Greens With Protein Powder?
Mixing your super greens with your protein powder is a great way to incorporate your greens powder into the day, and it can make the perfect recovery drink post-workout.
Does Greens Powder Break A Fast?
While greens powder isn’t a substitute for food, it can still break your fast. Whether you’re an intermittent faster or you’ve got a blood test booked in, fasting requires you to avoid foods and beverages for a certain period of time.
Because greens powder is packed with nutrients and calories that provide a boost in energy, it would activate your digestive system and ultimately break your fast.
We recommend incorporating your greens powder in the first meal or beverage you consume once your fasting has come to an end.
The Best Greens Powder
Enjoy the benefits of greens powder with Melrose Essential Greens + Phytostrength.
Made up of 100% organic green powders like wheatgrass, barley grass, chlorella and spirulina powder, it will not only increase your energy and vitality but support your healthy body functioning, too.
This nutrient-rich green superfood is packed with phytonutrients such as chlorophyll, carotenes, folate, vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre for whole-body health.
Purchase your very own Essential Greens product today.
References:
- Bedu-Ferrari, C. et al. (2022) Prebiotics and the human gut microbiota: From breakdown mechanisms to the impact on Metabolic Health, Nutrients. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9147914/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
- Guan, Y.-S. and He, Q. (2015) Plants consumption and liver health, Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4499388/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
- Kucharska, A., Szmurło, A. and Sińska, B. (2016) Significance of diet in treated and untreated acne vulgaris, Postepy dermatologii i alergologii. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4884775/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
- Lobo, V. et al. (2010) Free radicals, antioxidants and Functional Foods: Impact on human health, Pharmacognosy reviews. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
- Otten, A.T. et al. (2021) Vitamin C supplementation in healthy individuals leads to shifts of bacterial populations in the gut-a pilot study, Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland). U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8389205/ (Accessed: January 31, 2023).
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