The Huel Daily Greens Formula Explained
Huel Daily Greens is a green superblend powder supplement with 91 vitamins, minerals and whole-food-sourced nutrients, including phytonutrients, adaptogens and probiotics. Each 8.5g serving is vegan, gluten-free, and contains less than 1g of sugar.
Huel Daily Greens contains no lactose or animal products, and is GMO-free.
Continue reading to find out more about Huel Daily Greens.
Huel Daily Greens Macronutrients
The principal macronutrients that we obtain energy from food are carbohydrates, fat, protein and fibre. Huel Daily Greens contains 4g carbs, 0.2g fat, 0.9g protein and 1g fibre per 23-calorie serving.
The protein in Huel Daily Greens comes primarily from pea protein, faba bean protein, as well as some from gluten-free oats, flaxseed, and chia. The fibre in Huel Daily Greens is a mixture of soluble and insoluble forms, and is provided mainly by pea fibre, chicory root fibre (inulin), flaxseed, oats, chlorella, spirulina, chia and the greens and fruits blends. Oats contain a special class of fibre called beta-glucans, which have been shown to have a favourable effect on cholesterol and blood glucose levels [1,2]. The oats used in Huel Daily Greens are certified gluten-free. Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava, a root vegetable, similar to sweet potato. Along with providing carbohydrates, the tapioca in Huel Daily Greens helps with mixability and provides a smoother texture.
Flaxseed and chia seeds both contain essential omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. Sprouted quinoa is grown in a nutrient-rich medium, meaning it's even higher than quinoa seeds in several B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12 which is extremely rare in plant-based foods.
Antioxidant Greens Blend
Chlorella is the collective name for several species of green algae. These algae provide key micronutrients including B-vitamins, vitamin E, choline, phosphorus and iron, as well as essential fatty acids, amino acids and fibre. Spirulina or blue-green algae provides numerous vitamins and minerals and is high in protein.
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable high in fibre. It’s also high in glucosinolates, a group of phytonutrients with a range of properties from antioxidant to anti-inflammatory properties [3]. The nutrient profile of broccoli sprouts is more concentrated when compared to older broccoli, which is why we’ve included both in Huel Daily Greens.
Black garlic extract is made from raw garlic that has been exposed to low heat and humidity to alter its taste, colour and structure. It has been shown that its antioxidant components, including polyphenols and flavonoids, increase significantly with aging of the garlic [4].
Superfruit Blend
Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A and phytonutrients. One of particular interest is lycopene, which is the pigment that gives tomatoes their red colour, and is an antioxidant that’s been linked to better cardiovascular health [5].
Acerola cherries (aka Malpighia emarginata) are grown in Central and South America and are rivaled by few other fruits in respect of their high vitamin C content, and also contains several phytonutrients such as flavonoids. Tart cherries are distinct from their sweet cousins and have a brighter red color. They contain a number of phytonutrients which may reduce inflammation [6].
One of the first popularised ‘superfoods’, blueberries have a high number of polyphenolic compounds and anthocyanins, and there’s growing research on the positive effects of including blueberries for good brain health [7,8]. However, hawthorn flower could be considered an even older ‘superfood’, containing antioxidants that could be beneficial for the heart, which may explain why, in the Middle Ages, it was taken to cure a broken heart (though we’re a little sceptical of this claim!).
Super Mushroom and Adaptogen Blend
The term ‘adaptogen’ was coined in the late 1950s by Soviet scientists to describe any substance that exerts positive effects on both sick and healthy individuals without producing unwanted side effects [9]. While we now know that’s not strictly true, the evidence base for adaptogens’ positive effects is growing and strengthening.
One popular adaptogen is ashwagandha, a herb used in Indian medicine. Ashwagandha has been shown to reduce cortisol (a stress hormone), which may help to lower stress levels over time [10,11]. Another adaptogen, rhodiola root extract, has been shown to reduce fatigue, particularly stress-induced fatigue, such as exam stress [12,13]. Lion’s mane mushroom has been shown to boost concentration and cognition [14] and possibly mitigate against the effects of depression and anxiety [15]. Cordyceps mushrooms appear to improve a person's VO2 max, which means they may promote increased oxygen utilisation during intense exercise and thereby improve performance [16,17].
Ginseng mainly refers to the root of plants that belong to the genus Panax. Huel Daily Greens contains three varieties. White ginseng is the dried root and has been shown to reduce reactive oxygen species, which can cause negative health effects, and it may do this by increasing the level of glutathione in cells [18]. Red ginseng is the root that’s been steamed and then dried. In certain groups, such as those with chronic illness and post menopause, red ginseng may reduce symptoms of fatigue [19].
Botanical Blend
Cinnamon, a popular flavouring, may play a role in helping to control blood glucose levels [20] and may also have antimicrobial attributes [21].
Echinacea is a herb that contains bioactive compounds called alkylamides. Research suggests that the alkylamides could modulate the immune response [22] and decrease the odds of developing a common cold, as well as the duration of experiencing cold symptoms [23].
Lemongrass leaf has been used in traditional medicine around the world. It contains a number of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, alkaloids and tannins which together potentially exert anti-inflammatory effects [24].
Probiotics in Huel Daily Greens
Huel Daily Greens contains the probiotic Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 (25 Spores (Millions)) and Bifidobacterium Bifidum (125 CFU (Million)) per portion.
Probiotics are ‘good’ bacteria that, when consumed in adequate amounts, may have health benefits, particularly for gut health [25,26,27]. Bacillus coagulans is a robust and stable probiotic which makes it a great addition to Huel Daily Greens. Bifidobacterium bifidum could help improve the immune system's resilience to stress [28]. This is because stress can weaken the immune system, making us more susceptible to bacteria and viruses.
Vitamins and Minerals in Huel Daily Greens
Huel Daily Greens contains all 26 essential vitamins and minerals.
There is ever-growing evidence demonstrating that, for many micronutrients, levels higher than the UK and EU Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) may have beneficial effects to health. For example, it’s widely considered that the amount of vitamin C that we’re recommended to consume is too low [30,31,32], so we’ve added a high inclusion in the Huel Daily Greens formula. The benefits of consuming more vitamin C include a healthy immune system, healthy skin and antioxidant properties, and it also helps the absorption of some minerals like iron and zinc [31,32,33].
Huel Daily Greens is rich in all nine essential B vitamins. Of particular note is vitamin B12 as it’s extremely rare in plant foods, meaning that vegans are particularly vulnerable to B12 deficiency if they don’t supplement with it. Huel Daily Greens contains 212% of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for vitamin B12.
Huel Daily Greens is a source of 12 essential minerals. These include iron and zinc, trace elements that are often lacking in people’s diets, as well as potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium and iodine.
Nutritional Information
Huel Daily Greens Cautions and Allergen Advice
As some conditions require dietary intervention, like with any supplement, please heed the notes below for the following conditions:
Diabetes mellitus: For those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, please review the carbohydrate, sugar and other nutrition facts for Daily Greens to see if it is suitable for your needs.
Coeliac disease and other gluten sensitivities: Huel Daily Greens is gluten-free and is made with no gluten-containing ingredients.
Inborn errors of metabolism: If you have a glycogen storage disorder (GSD) or other inborn error of metabolism such as phenylketonuria (PKU) where you require dietary manipulation, you should consult your doctor or specialist clinician before using Huel Daily Greens.
Pregnancy & breastfeeding: Due to the complex formula and high levels of some vitamins and minerals, Huel Daily Greens is not suitable for use during pregnancy or for nursing mothers.
Children: Huel Daily Greens is not suitable for children under 12 years of age. For more information, see our Children, Adolescents and Huel article.
IBS, IBD and related conditions: Huel Daily Greens is not low-FODMAP.
Medication: There may be specific drug-nutrient interactions relating to a particular medicine you're using, so we recommend you read the drug information provided with your prescription, and if you have any further concerns, please discuss them with your doctor.
Allergen Advice
All Huel products are vegan. We thoroughly assess our ingredients and the processes we use to make Huel and whenever we identify potential routes of allergen contamination we will first take steps to eliminate the possibility of any contamination of our product. However, where it is not possible to remove the risk we will clearly highlight any allergens that might be present on our product packaging in line with current UK and EU food safety guidelines.
However, we recognise that individuals can have allergies to any protein in any ingredient therefore if you have a specific allergy that is outside of the remit above, please contact us directly and we will do our best to guide you on which products are suitable.
References
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