A closer look at health claims for a popular greens supplement. Plus, a new study links plant protein with healthy aging.
A closer look at health claims for a popular greens supplement. Plus, a new study links plant protein with healthy aging.
Mentioned in this episode:
AG1® Induces a Favorable Impact on Gut Microbial Structure and Functionality (MDPI)
AG1® Increases Short-Chained Fatty Acid Production in the SHIME Model (MDPI)
AG1® Demonstrates Superior Mineral Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability (MDPI)
Dietary protein intake in midlife in relation to healthy aging (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)
Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast, a show where we take a closer look at headlines, trends, and research, so that you can make more informed choices about what you eat. I’m your host, Monica Reinagel, and I have been getting a lot of questions lately about AG1 and other powdered greens supplements that are being heavily promoted by social media influencers.
As I’m sure you’re aware, influencers are not always the best place to get your health advice from. But they are awfully influential! And so when they claim that some powdered vegetable supplement has made a huge difference in their health or energy levels or the way their skin looks or whatever it is, it sells a lot of product.
But before you start shelling out your hard-earned cash for a bunch of powdered veggies, let’s take a closer look at what they can really do for you.
I know that many people struggle to get the recommended servings of vegetables every day and it might seem like powdered veggies would solve the problem. But some powdered green products go even farther. In addition to powdered vegetables, AG1 (formerly known as Athletic Greens) also contains vitamins and minerals, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, medicinal herbs and mushrooms, immune boosters, brain boosters, and more. It’s basically a powdered health food store.
But do you really need all of that in order to be healthy?
Many of the ingredients in these products have exalted reputations that are based more on hype and anecdote than on solid science. For those that do have proven benefits (such as cocoa flavanols for cardiovascular health), it’s not clear that the amounts included in the product are equivalent (or anywhere near) the amounts shown to be effective.
In recent months, there have been a couple of published studies (albeit, funded by the manufacturer) to shore up some of the claims. Most of them used a research device called SHIME, which stands for Simulator of Human Intestinal Microbial EcosystemIt’s essentially a fake digestive system that simulates a human gut–and it’s obviously a lot cheaper than testing things in human subjects.
Experiments conducted using SHIME found that AG1 had a favorable effect on the composition of gut microbiota and increased production of short chain fatty acids. This is probably due in large part to the inulin in AG1. Inulin is a soluble fiber that can also be found in Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, leeks, asparagus and wheat bran. Other SHIME research has found that the nutrients in AG1 are better absorbed than those in pressed vitamin tablets–which makes sense. However, that doesn’t necessarily translate into concrete health benefits for you.
A lot of the nutrients are provided in amounts that are several times the daily recommended intake. But taking three or four times as much of a nutrient doesn't necessarily do you three or four times as much good. In fact, getting high doses of antioxidants from supplements can undermine the body’s own antioxidant mechanisms. Ironically, AG1 contains very little calcium, potassium, and magnesium–three important nutrients that many people are not getting enough of.
I think products like this also tend to reduce the value of nutritious foods to the nutrients they contain–overlooking their role in our overall eating patterns. Let me explain what I mean by that.
Part of the benefit of eating a lot of vegetables is the nutrients they contain. However, there's another equally important benefit. Vegetables are very nutrient dense but not very energy dense. When you fill your plate (and your stomach) with vegetables, it leaves a lot less room for other less nutritious foods - like potato chips or brownies. People who eat more vegetables not only get more nutrients, they also tend to eat fewer empty calories.
If you fulfill your vegetable quota with a scoop of green powder, you'll get some vegetable nutrition. But that powder isn’t going to take up any room on your plate or in your stomach...which may tempt you to eat more junk.
At the end of the day, spending $3-5 a day on AG1 is not going to transform an unbalanced, nutrient-poor diet into a healthy diet. You’re kind of putting lipstick on a pig. And if you already have a reasonably balanced and nutritious diet, then you might be gilding the lily instead.
Shelley wrote to ask me to comment on a recent news story regarding a study which found that women who eat more plant protein are more likely to stay healthy as they get older.
This was a new analysis coming out of the Nurses Health Study, which has followed a group of almost 50,000 nurses since 1984. The subjects averaged 48 years old at the outset of this study, which has given researchers the opportunity to observe how these women have fared health-wise as they have aged.
This latest analysis reinforces the role of protein (from any source) in healthy aging. Higher total protein intake was associated with healthier aging. However, those who incorporated more plant sources of protein into their total did better than who got most of their protein from animal sources.
Many plant-based proteins are rich in fiber, lignans, phytonutrients, and other compounds that are known to protect against disease. So, if you're getting more of your protein from plant sources, you're probably getting more of all of those nutrients, too.
The only caveat is that plant-based sources of protein (such as legumes, nuts, and seeds) usually contain a lot more calories for the same amount of protein. So, for those who are trying to avoid weight gain as they get older, it may be necessary to balance the benefits of plant-based proteins against the additional calorie load.
But the take-away of this study was not necessarily that we need to completely eliminate animal-based protein in order to age well. If you currently eat meat every day, replacing that with a plant-based protein even a couple of times a week could tilt the odds more in your favor.
By the way, although dairy is an animal protein, in this study, dairy products were broken out into a separate category. Their effect was basically neutral, neither substantially increasing nor decreasing the odds of healthy aging. (I wish they had done the same for eggs but eggs are lumped in with the meat.)
Personally, I get about 40-50% of my protein from plant sources, another 40% from eggs, dairy, and fish, and the remaining 10-20% from small amounts of meat and poultry. But remember that diet is only one of many factors that contribute to healthy aging. Physical activity, sleep, social connections, and meaningful work also play important roles.
Thanks to Shelley for sending in that question. If you have a question you'd like me to answer, you can email me at nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com You can also leave me a message at 443-961-6206
If you’re looking for more support for healthy weight management, please check out the tools and resources that are at weighless.life. where our goal is to help people create habits, mindset, and lifestyle that help them weigh less without dieting. That’s at weighless.life
Nutrition Diva is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast and is supported by a fantastic team, which includes Brannan Goetschius, Nathan Semes, Davina Tomlin, Holly Hutchings, Morgan Christianson, and Kamryn Lacy.
That's all for this episode. Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week.