Ever since everyone went wacko for wheatgrass, complementary wellness experts have been trying to create new concoctions of green sludge that promise astonishing benefits to your wellbeing. Now, you can give yourself a wellness boost with “greens” – supplements derived from nutrient-packed plants and organisms, found in liquid, powder, pill or capsule form.
There are two categories of “greens”. The first is land-grown leaves and grasses, such as wheatgrass, barley-grass and kale. These are particularly good sources of vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. Then you have algaes, such as spirulina, chlorella and kelp. You’d take these if you want a high dose of good fats and protein, as well as magnesium and a host of vitamins and minerals. Celebrity fans of greens include Victoria Beckham, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Australian model Miranda Kerr. In fact, sales of one brand has rocketed 60% in Britain since model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley tweeted a picture of herself drinking a juice cocktail containing chlorella.
Nutritional therapist Ian Marber tells his clients to take a supplement combining several greens, and even does so himself. ‘With so many foods available to us, we are very rarely deficient in essential nutrients,’ he says. But that’s not to say that we couldn’t benefit from a little more of this or that. I use it in place of multivitamins. These ‘edible pond scums’ are not chemical, and that means the body can absorb them more easily. They are good all-rounders and many of them contain probiotic bacteria.’
According to dietician Lucy Jones, ‘We’ve known for a long time that they pack a punch in nutritional terms. But more research is needed into their specific benefits before we can justify their cost. Green supplements are extremely expensive. Their protein content is no better than that of milk or meat, but is about 30 times more expensive. Better sources of protein, as well as all the other vitamins and minerals they contain, can be found elsewhere at a far better price. So if you’re shopping for a supergreen supplement, I’d advise you pick a mixed one, or, better yet, ask yourself whether your money wouldn’t be better spent in the fruit and vegetable aisle.’
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