Are Powdered Greens Worth Trying? with Julia Zumpano, RD

Podcast Transcript

John Horton:

Hello and welcome to another Health Essentials Podcast. I'm John Horton, your host.

How do you like your vegetables prepared? The answer for many of these days is powdered. Interest in powdered greens as a dietary supplement has exploded in recent years thanks to social media influencers. But is there any value in eating your veggies after they've been dried and pulverized? We've got registered dietitian, Julia Zumpano on speed dial to answer questions like that. She's one of the many experts at Cleveland Clinic who visit our weekly podcast to help you make sense of health trends. So with that, let's find out whether powdered greens actually live up to the growing hype.

Julia, welcome back to the podcast. I think this is your 10th visit, so make sure you get your frequent guest card punched. I think you've earned a free cup of coffee by now.

Julia Zumpano:

That sounds great. Thanks again for having me.

John Horton:

So whenever we talk, I'm always in awe of how simple adjustments to what we eat can make an enormous difference for our health. Is it really that easy?

Julia Zumpano:

Well, it is and it isn't. So simple adjustments on their own when you add them all up together can make a huge impact. But if you're just doing one small change and then, unfortunately, haven't changed anything else in your lifestyle, that small change may not have as much of an impact, unless it's combined with other small changes. So I like to start with one small change and then continue to progress and add to improve optimal health.

John Horton:

Well, today, we're going to look at one of those potential small changes and look at powdered greens, which is something that sounds particularly healthy. Let's start with the basics, though: What exactly are powdered greens?

Julia Zumpano:

Powdered greens are a variety of different fruits and vegetables that have been freeze-dried and powdered down to a very fine powdered form that can be mixed pretty easily into a beverage or into a food. So they're generally a combination of fruits and veggies, but in some cases, can add other vitamins, minerals and maybe some pro or prebiotics.

John Horton:

And there can be some kind of oddball stuff in there, too, right? Like seaweed and grasses and just a whole bunch of stuff you wouldn't think of?

Julia Zumpano:

Yeah, there's a lot of greens that most people may not consume on a regular basis, like alfalfa sprouts or seaweed. Again, different types of mustard greens or different things that have high nutrient density — but again, we might not have the availability to have them all the time, or cost, or even just the ease of

consuming these foods on a regular basis. So it's a nice way to get some of those extra greens or even fruits that we may not consume on a regular basis and get them in a dehydrated, easy powdered form.

John Horton:

So I have to be honest with you, this dried pulverized seaweed or grass or veggies just does not sound like the most appetizing thing. So how do people usually consume this?

Julia Zumpano:

So they can be consumed in a variety of different ways. Some people just like to put it in water and shake it up, and like a blender shaker like a shaker bottle, and they're fine with drinking it that way. You can put it in a little bit of juice with some diluted water, a milk or a milk alternative, or you can put it in a smoothie or a protein shake.

John Horton:

I would imagine the smoothies, kind of — I hate to say — they might mask it a little bit, but you can hide it in there and it's just a matter of finding what fits your taste.

Julia Zumpano:

Yeah. A lot of them don't have really a bad taste because most of them are blended with some fruits as well, so they have that natural sweetness to it. They might have beets in there or berries. So it's nice to have a little bit of that natural sweetness. And again, when you're blending it with something else, you can barely taste the greens. But in some cases, they're more stronger than others based on what's in the powder, the combination of what fruits and vegetables they might include. So it's just a matter of trial and error and finding what way you like to enjoy those greens the best.

John Horton:

So I'm guessing when you see people walk around with that odd green liquid in their cup, they probably have something like a powdered green in there?

Julia Zumpano:

Most likely, unless they're doing a green shake on their own, which is recreating that concept of blenderizing greens and a little bit of fruit into a smoothie or a juice. So it could be either one.

John Horton:

Now, can you use powdered greens in cooking, too? I mean, sprinkle them on your eggs or hide them in some sort of stew or something like that?

Julia Zumpano:

Normally, they're not advised with cooking. They're high in antioxidants, so some antioxidants are killed with heat. So generally, I do recommend more of a room temperature, colder beverage. Now, if you're mixing them into a stew and you're not necessarily boiling the stew consistently, kind of throwing it in after, I'm sure it's fine. That doesn't necessarily go along with that flavor or tastes that well, but it's worth a try.

John Horton:

Well, I guess you can experiment a little bit. It sounds like keep it in the glass for the most part, and that's where you should go.

Julia Zumpano:

Please start there and then, maybe experiment from there if that's not serving you well.

John Horton:

Well, let's get to the big question now, which is are powdered greens really worth trying? I mean, are they that good for us?

Julia Zumpano:

Well, I think you want to take a look at your diet. So if we're eating abundant fruits and vegetables and we're kind of meeting all our nutrient needs in that way, they're not necessary. But if you're someone that maybe lacks getting in all your fruits and vegetables and maybe lacks getting in even a pro or a prebiotic or your extra vitamins and minerals that you might struggle getting in, it is a nice added bonus to get some extra nutrients in or even just get the ones you may be lacking for the day. And it's a pretty simple, easy way of doing it. As long as it's being kept consistent, you're going to consistently gain the benefits from there. Of course, we'd rather eat those fruits and vegetables, but it's a nice easy, convenient way to get those in.

John Horton:

Well, and I was going to try to ask you that or just maybe have you emphasize that powdered greens are not the same as eating whole veggies or fruit.

Julia Zumpano:

Absolutely not. So we never want these to take the place of eating whole fruits and vegetables. They're really just a bonus. Think of it in the way of like, I'm not normally going to eat alfalfa greens or wheatgrass or goji berries. I know they have a lot of nutrients, they're nutrient-dense, antioxidants. This is a great way for me to get those in where I'm not going to be eating those consistently. But your fruits and vegetables should be the foundation of your diet. And varying them is key, so getting a lot of variety of different colors and types of fruits and vegetables are going to really maximize your nutrient intake from those foods. So this is just a little bonus. It should never take the place of what you're eating. So really, primary focus should be consuming as many fruits and vegetables as you can and as much variety as possible.

John Horton:

So what sort of benefits can you get out of powdered greens? I mean, we're all looking for that extra kick that you get. What's the payback for this?

Julia Zumpano:

So depending on what's in them, the payback is going to be a little different. So if there's pre or probiotics, those are good. Prebiotics feed the probiotics. Probiotics are healthy gut bacteria, so they'll just kind of help grow that gut microbiome, and that helps prevent diseases and helps your immune system. They can help with vitamins and minerals, so you'll get an extra boost of vitamins and minerals, which we know can help support your healthy body from head to toe. And then, in some cases, too, depending on what you're taking and how much, it can really help prevent long-term diseases if you're really maximizing your nutrient antioxidant intake and fiber intake.

John Horton:

Can it give you an energy boost, too? I mean, you get a little zoom zoom out of some of these?

Julia Zumpano:

It depends, again, what's in the ingredients. Sometimes, they may add some green tea extract, which can give you a little bit of a boost of that energy because it does contain caffeine and it's very high in antioxidants. So that's another benefit, is maybe you're trying to get away from so much caffeine in your day. This green powder could potentially help you be a source of energy boost without needing to go to those higher caffeine-based beverages.

John Horton:

Yeah. One of the big perks of powdered greens, too, seems to be just the ease of use. I'd imagine if you're traveling or kind of on the go, it's a simple way to make sure you get that serving of veggies that you so desperately need and just slip it into a water bottle, shake and drink.

Julia Zumpano:

Definitely agree. It's super easy. You can take it, as you mentioned, travel. You can keep it at your desk for that midday hump when you're feeling a little tired, but you don't want to reach for that second or third cup of coffee. It's a really easy thing to kind of mix in. I do recommend if you are going to just mix it with water, do something quick — one of the bottles that has kind of a blenderized coil in it that can kind of really shake it up and really mix that much better versus kind of just stirring it.

John Horton:

Well, that would make sense. It would kind of stop some of that clumpiness or kind of make it a little more … something that would make it unappetizing.

Julia Zumpano:

Right, absolutely.

John Horton:

Now, is there any risk to using powdered greens or a reason why somebody should maybe stay away from it?

Julia Zumpano:

Sure. Well, they do have vitamins and minerals. Specifically, greens are high in vitamin K. So if you are on a blood thinner or on any type of medication that could interact with vitamin K, you want to be extra cautious with taking these greens powders and make sure you ask your healthcare provider first before starting it.

John Horton:

Are there any concerns as far as the oversight on these things? I mean, I don't know what kind of approval a lot of these powdered greens go through, but should you be careful when selecting what you use?

Julia Zumpano:

Sure, absolutely. With any supplement, you always want to be very cautious and do your research. So we really advise you to choose any supplement — but specifically, these powdered greens — that have been third-party tested. That means it's been tested accurately, include what it's stating it's including, as well as checking for any toxins or unnecessary ingredients.

John Horton:

OK. So if somebody has heard all this and they're interested in trying powdered greens, what tips do you have for them? I mean, how do they kind of get started, pick the right product, help us get going here?

Julia Zumpano:

Sure. So I don't think there's a right or wrong product. It's really starting with maybe looking at what products are third-party tested, first of all, and then, looking at what you want in a powdered greens product. Do you want the grains? Do you want the fruity and the vegetable? Do you want the probiotics? Do you want some green tea in there? What are you trying to obtain from that? And which product will best meet those needs?

John Horton:

So go into it with a plan that, Hey, I want it to do this, and then find the powder that matches.

Julia Zumpano:

Right. Just don't pick up any old powder. Definitely do your research to make sure it's been tested.

John Horton:

Julia, your tips always make it so easy for us to make good and healthy decisions. But before we head off to the store to start looking for powdered greens, is there anything else we should know about how to use them and just make ourselves a little healthier?

Julia Zumpano:

No, I think it's just a great way to add some more nutrition to your diet. So just find the product that's right for you. Enjoy and use it as often as you can.

John Horton:

And make sure you keep eating those veggies for every other meal, too.

Julia Zumpano:

Absolutely. Eat those veggies all day long.

John Horton:

Thank you so much for coming again today, Julia, and I look forward to our next chat.

Julia Zumpano:

Thank you so much for having me. I do as well, thanks.

John Horton:

Powdered greens aren't a substitute for whole vegetables, but they can help fill in some nutritional gaps or add vitamins to your diet. Take some time in researching what product you buy to make sure you're getting the boost you want.

If you liked what you heard today, please hit the subscribe button and leave a comment to share your thoughts. Until next time, be well.

Speaker 3:

Thank you for listening to Health Essentials, brought to you by Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Clinic Children's. To make sure you never miss an episode, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or visit clevelandclinic.org/hepodcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your own physician.