Are All Daily Greens Mixes the Same? How to Select the Best Greens Powder for Your Health Goals

How to Select the Best Greens Powder for Your Health Goals

A diet rich in greens can dramatically improve health—but it doesn't have to be a messy, kitchen-intensive ordeal. Often, the best solution is using high-quality grab-and-go daily greens mixes. A carefully prepared greens beverage mix already provides a potentially enormous amount of easily digestible nutrients, though in a much smaller volume of space than those same foods when eaten.

Taking your greens on the go is as simple as selecting the right drink powder according to your health and nutrition goals. Here, we'll dissect the key factors involved in choosing the right greens beverage option, backed by the latest and most robust nutrition science.

For those who won't compromise on their health or lifestyle, this companion guide will help you optimize your greens routine for greater all-around health and well-being. It can also cut down on costs and help you discover which ingredients to look for in a greens beverage product.

Why Take Daily Greens Mixes?

Fresh greens are one of the healthiest types of vegetables you can consume. Nutrition research has linked diets rich in leafy greens to all of the following:

• Brain health, with marked improvements to memory and protection against dementia and cognitive decline

• Stronger bones, thanks to the confluence of calcium and vitamin K—where the latter ushers calcium safely into bones and can help prevent soft-tissue calcification

• Weight management, as greens are an extremely nutrient-dense, low-calorie food

• Detoxification, in large part due to the presence of chlorophyll

• Overall disease reduction, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Greens in almost any form carry all these benefits and more. When dehydrated, a grab-and-go greens mix can also provide two more important benefits:

1. Locking in nutrients at peak freshness

2. Higher concentrations of nutrients

In any form, greens contain an abundance of essential daily nutrients and other compounds that are not normally abundant in other foods. This includes micronutrients, which play an important role in bodily processes at the cellular and even genetic levels.

What Are Micronutrients?

Micronutrients are essential elements and vitamins required by the body in only trace amounts. A regular supply of high-quality micronutrients supports optimal tissue function, efficient metabolism, and protection against disease.

Compared with macronutrients (which the body uses to generate energy and synthesize hormones), micronutrients facilitate a suite of biochemical processes, including:

• Gene transcription

• Protection against oxidation

• Enzymatic activity

There are two kinds of micronutrients:

1. Vitamins—Organic compounds the body cannot synthesize and must obtain through diet.

2. Minerals—Inorganic compounds that comprise the structure of enzymes and molecules involved in gene transcription and cellular energy production.

Good health depends on consistent supplies of micronutrients. While too much of any given micronutrient can be problematic, micronutrient deficiencies affect an estimated two billion people (with many more subclinical cases). Common micronutrient deficiencies include:

• Zinc

• Iron

• Iodine

• Vitamin A

• Folate (Vitamin B9)

For a long time, whole foods have been the primary source of micronutrients. So, what advantages do greens beverages have if the same trace compounds come directly from unprocessed whole foods?

Daily Greens Mixes vs. Whole Foods

Modern produce contains a wide range of macro- and micronutrients, which become even more abundant when concentrated. That makes powdered greens beverages one of the easiest and most practical ways to boost your whole-foods-based nutrition.

Compared to solid foods, a quality green drink mix can provide greater:

• Overall nutrition

• Product selection

• Shelf stability

• Convenience

• Digestibility & nutrient absorption

Greens powders are also compatible with diets having fiber or caloric restrictions. Such diets may even rely on concentrated greens mixes to meet daily nutritional requirements while also heeding calories, fiber, and other limits.

Compared to a given amount of dehydrated/powdered greens, an equivalent amount in its whole-foods state is normally too much to comfortably eat. It can also strain the digestive system, leading to improperly digested foods (a significant issue no matter how healthy a food might otherwise be).

Nutrient Density

Most adults require around 500 grams of fruits and vegetables each day. When dehydrated and powdered, the same amount of food becomes only about 50 grams—a mere tenth of the weight. This makes it easier to consume the healthiest foods in higher quantities, helping convert an already nutrient-dense food into a veritable powerhouse of natural health and nutrition.

It also underscores the importance of choosing only the cleanest greens mix product. After all, consuming large amounts of greens powder means you're likely to get a higher amount of any impurities present.

As for nutritional content, it's important to ensure your greens mix manufacturer is intimately aware of the need to respect upper micronutrient limits and balance particular compounds (e.g., copper and zinc).

Daily Greens Mixes vs. Vitamins/Supplements

As a simple and affordable complement to a whole-food diet, greens beverages may reduce and possibly replace the need for multivitamins and certain other dietary supplements. To understand why, consider the importance of selecting food-based vitamins and supplements over artificial "equivalents." The latter are often of questionable quality and can even create more health complications than they resolve.

Daily greens mixes occupy that happy medium between keeping an abundance of nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables on hand and researching and taking exactly the right vitamins. A quick, on-the-go greens supplement has already prepared nutrient-rich foods for consumption (and they're usually quite tasty).

A greens beverage routine can also reduce the time and expense associated with finding and using commercial vitamins effectively, which means avoiding their drawbacks. Finding an effective multivitamin usually requires extensive research, trial and error, and at least some risk.

That's because many commercial multivitamins create more problems than solutions. To cite just several issues:

• Often poor, incomplete nutrient uptake

• Less biocompatibility (where synthetic vitamins can especially block the body's ability to absorb the real nutrient obtained elsewhere)

• Excess amounts of the wrong nutrient or improper nutrient balance

Given that many people take vitamins and supplements due to insufficient nutrient-dense food in their diet, greens powders offer a balanced solution between whole food nutrition and dietary supplements. Because of this, it's more fitting to see greens beverages as a concentrated source of nutrition rather than just a replacement for multivitamins or supplements.

Improved Foundations of Health

For these reasons and more, natural health seekers often turn to green powders to achieve their health and nutrition goals—particularly:

• Greater vitamin and mineral intake

• Reduced oxidative stress

• Improved immunity

• Clean, sustained energy

These marks of vitality create an unshakable foundation of health that people of almost any condition can enjoy. As such, daily greens mixes underscore the philosophy that health is an unlimited continuum of ever-greater vitality, resilience, and strength—not simply the absence of disease.

What Do Greens Beverages Contain?

The foundation of any powdered green mix can include a combination of green, leafy vegetables, such as:

• Spinach

• Kale

• Seaweed

• Bok choy

• Chard

• Collards

• Beet greens

• Mustard greens

• Turnip greens

• Cilantro

• Parsley

• Spinach

• Arugula

Greens mixes can also include non- and not-so-leafy greens, including:

• Spirulina

• Chlorella

• Asparagus

• Broccoli

• Cauliflower

• Cabbage

• Brussels sprouts

Powdered drink mixes might also contain various other whole foods-based ingredients, often chosen for improved athletic performance, mental acuity, and/or disease-fighting properties. Such non-green ingredients include:

• Adaptogenic compounds (such as Rhodiola—shown to help reduce stress and boost energy)

• Functional mushrooms

• Pea protein

• Fermented foods

• Lemon or pineapple, for taste

• Natural, zero-carb sweeteners, such as stevia

• Dried herbs

• Matcha green tea

• Virtually any powdered fruit or vegetable

Also note that the ingredients in powdered greens beverages can include not just dehydrated and pulverized whole foods but also essential oils, juices, and fortified nutrients. Just be sure your grab-and-go greens mix is truly natural (and not just labeled that way—unlike "organic," the word "natural" is almost totally unregulated).

"Whole Foods" Means Entire Foods

It may seem counterintuitive, but you're not always better off consuming food extracts or other concentrated ingredients. Whether your greens mix should include anything other than dehydrated foods depends on the total food and nutrient profile. If in doubt, investigate exactly what a brand means by "whole foods."

For example, the skin of most fruits and vegetables often contains some of the largest concentrations of nutrients (certain of which are found only in the skin). Unless there's some drawback to doing so, preserving skins/peels in the drying and pulverization process should be a benchmark for whole food-based nutrition.

Greens Beverage Nutrient Content

The nutrient and mineral content of any green drink mix varies between brands. In most cases, a powdered greens mix will contain moderately high levels of:

• Calcium

• Magnesium

• Selenium

• Potassium

• Iodine

• Chromium

• Iron

• Manganese

• Vitamins A, B12, C, D, and K

Most health-savvy shoppers know the vitamins and minerals listed on food labels are far from a complete listing of the food's nutrient content. More than almost any other whole foods-based greens mix, a high-quality product often contains a host of lesser-known health-promoting compounds, including:

• Enzymes to aid digestion and reduce strain on the digestive tract

• Antioxidants (such as carotenoids) for combatting oxidative stress

• Nucleic acids which contain genetic information for directing protein synthesis

• Amino acids, life's fundamental building blocks that make myriad unique proteins possible

Are There Different Types of Daily Greens Mixes?

Yes, some greens beverage manufacturers cater to niche markets or dietary needs.

For example, greens mixes rich in probiotics and fermented foods have a profound effect on gut health. There are also greens powders with mushroom-powered cognition/memory-enhancing properties. A greens mix with a complete amino acid profile is perfect for recovering from high-powered athletics. The possibilities are endless.

What the Body Needs—Not More or Less

Counterintuitive as is, it's not always best to consume huge quantities of even the best naturally derived vitamins and minerals. Certain nutrients, in excess, simply flush through the body. Other issues relate to how some vitamins inhibit others when out of balance. To cite just several examples:

• Certain commercial greens powders contain upwards of 500% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C—which the body usually can't assimilate in one sitting

• Excess vitamin D could cause the body to release calcium into the blood, contributing to tissue calcification (an issue that gets worse with artificial forms and/or insufficient vitamin K).

• Greens are a fantastic source of both iron and calcium, but the latter inhibits absorption of the former; far better to trust the wisdom of nature, having already placed the two into the right balance for our bodies (which evolved alongside our food sources over millennia) 

Benefits of Daily Greens Mixes

The nutritional benefits of greens powders are largely the same as eating leafy greens (and other foods the product contains), except the amounts can be a full order of magnitude higher. Concentrating the best plant-based whole foods by upwards of ten times makes it possible to comfortably ingest many more greens—which means you're also getting more nutrients.

Better Digestion & Gut Health

Greens powders infused with fermented foods and other sources of pre- and probiotics are great ways to provide comprehensive support for the gut microbiome. This is in addition to the benefits greens themselves have on the digestive system, including increased enzymes and their innate prebiotic properties.

As mentioned, ingesting greens in liquid form enhances nutrient absorption. While greens beverages usually have less fiber than their leafy counterparts, more fiber is not always better. Even if you are trying to consume more fiber, the reduced strain greens drinks often have on the permeable gut lining is well worth it—especially in those vulnerable to such issues.

Liquefied nutrition can mitigate many of the issues associated with permeable gut lining, in which undigested food particles often drive a cascade of digestive issues related to:

• Reduced nutrient uptake

• Gut inflammation

• Autoimmune response

Reduced Autoimmunity

Being a great source of vitamins A and C, the right powdered greens mix can help strengthen the immune system. That's very important in a time when autoimmune disease is rampant, and many believe it often goes underdiagnosed.

Many believe pre-autoimmune conditions largely originate in the gut when the body's sensitive immune response targets poorly digested foods that enter the bloodstream. This forces immune cells to "mop up" the foreign substance, leaving a wake of collateral damage in the body's own tissues.

Permeable gut issues can make getting enough nutrient-dense foods throughout the day a challenge and a chore. The right greens beverage is thus an effective choice for those trying to enhance nutrition without overly taxing their digestive systems.

Cardiovascular Health

Regular greens consumption is an incredibly effective way to support heart and lung health. That's because green leafy vegetables have been associated with all of the following:

• Increased nitric oxide production, which dilates blood vessels, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure

• Improved endothelial cells—the incredibly thin, smooth layer of cells forming the inner surface of blood vessels—help prevent arterial plaque from forming

• Reduced arterial inflammation

Higher Brain Function & Cognition

The brain depends on minuscule, tissue-paper-thin blood vessels for nourishment and detoxification. Given the link between greens and cardiovascular health, it's no surprise green mixes can also enhance brain function by several important measures:

• Slowed cognitive decline (with impressive effects after even just one serving per day!)

• Greater neuroprotection—thanks largely to the presence of folate, lutein, phylloquinone, and β-carotene

• Improved memory, perceptual speed, and visuospatial cognition

• Lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia

Stronger Bones

Calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin K all work together to strengthen bones without the risk of tissue calcification. It's quite remarkable how naturally balanced calcium and vitamin K are in greens, with little to no modification required.

Often, foods promoted as good for bone health are fortified via external means—yet this also means the foods themselves aren't intrinsically healthy for bones. Because they've been deliberately modified, issues related to soft tissue calcification become more of a risk. Such worries are why many modern health seekers have begun thinking twice about calcium supplements.

Increasing your intake of essential bone nutrients through food, however, is much safer. While the precaution cited earlier against taking excessive micronutrients still stands, it's much harder to "overdose" on calcium and/or vitamins D and K via greens beverages.

Most greens beverages contain several other important bone nutrients as well. If bone health is a priority, be sure to check for a comprehensive suite of bone-strengthening nutrients:

• Calcium, found in practically all greens, but especially spinach and dandelion leaves

• Vitamin K, which is also abundant in most greens

• Vitamin D (preferably D3, aka cholecalciferol), one of the only bone nutrients in this list that's not so abundant in greens themselves—but it's the perfect excuse to add functional ground mushrooms into the mix!

• Magnesium, found in foods like spinach, beet greens, collard greens, and sweet potato

• Potassium, also abundant in spinach and sweet potato

• Phosphorous, which most people do already get in high amounts—just not usually from high-quality whole-food sources

• Vitamin C, which peppers, broccoli, brussels sprouts, pineapple, and papaya all contain in high amounts

Slowed Aging

Believe it or not, the rate at which we age is not set in stone. Rather, it's writ small in the very foundations of life.

First, understand that much of what drives aging is a direct result of DNA damage. DNA strands are protected by telomeres, which are essentially protective end caps that bear the brunt of damage that might otherwise harm genetic material.

Yet even telomeres have their breaking point. Hard enough blows cause a telomere to lose some of its structural integrity, leaving DNA strands with progressively smaller "shields." After enough genetic rough-housing, a telomere might completely disappear. At this point, cells begin dying because the DNA lacks a protected space to synthesize proteins and self-perpetuate.

The question every longevity researcher keeps firmly in mind, then, is how to protect and lengthen the telomeres. Well, you guessed it: consuming more greens is one of the most important dietary aspects of maintaining genetic health!

Emotional Health and Well-being

Efficient hormone production is extremely important for balancing emotions and maintaining a comfortable, stress-free mental state. This depends on an incredibly complex interplay of:

• Hormones

• Neurotransmitters

• Neurotransmitter receptors

Hormones also depend on a healthy cardiovascular system to transport them where they'll do the most good.

Many of the micronutrients found in greens drink mixes (especially folate) are essential for producing both hormones and neurotransmitters. Two of the most important neurotransmitters for mood and well-being are:

1. Dopamine, which serves (among many things) as the mind's reward system, driving us to healthy and productive sources of stimulation

2. Serotonin, which promotes feelings of bliss and satedness

Sure enough, those who consume more greens often also enjoy greater dopamine levels and dopamine sensitivity. Look for greens powders containing chocolate and/or tea to amplify these benefits, or add them to your on-the-go greens drink. Similarly, spinach and pineapple have been shown to increase serotonin production.

Neurotransmitter production is a very labor-intensive biochemical process, and hormones are one of the body's primary means of up- or down-regulating innumerable bodily processes. Yet again, concentrated greens are the answer, with broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, radish, and cabbage particularly beneficial for consistent hormone production.

Together, abundant hormones and neurotransmitters provide the body with everything needed to feel happy, motivated, and secure. While the orchestration of these processes runs mind-bogglingly deep, what's easy about it all is that increasing your intake of nutrient-dense greens is an incredibly simple and effective way to lay stable foundations for emotional and mental health.

What to Look for in Daily Greens Mixes

Getting maximum benefit from your greens powders depends on product quality. With so many greens powders to choose from, it can be overwhelming sifting the good from the bad. We'll end our guide by breaking down the most important aspects of selecting the best greens powders on the market.

Quality Ingredients

Just as greens in the produce section often­ vary in quality, so too do the ingredients in commercial drink mixes. Look for the following marks of quality in any powdered greens beverage:

• No GMOs or artificial colors/flavors

• Gluten, dairy, and soy free

• No fillers or emulsifiers

Be sure your chosen powdered greens product has an ingredient and nutrient profile aligned with your dietary and nutrition goals—but also research the bioavailability of those ingredients, which can vary among brands.

Here are just several ways superior powdered greens mixes provide maximum absorption:

• The right quantity of vitamin D (around 100% of the daily value) helps the body more properly absorb nutrients

• Unlike purified fiber, naturally occurring dietary fiber (e.g., from root vegetables and berries) supports digestion without gas or bloating

• Probiotics must be supported with PREbiotics to ensure the gut microbiome, once established, remains fed

Ingredient Preparation

Maximum absorption also depends on how the foods are prepared. With powdered foods, it's very important to take extra care to preserve the foods' nutrients and absorbability.

• Freeze drying is much more effective at locking in nutrients at a food's peak freshness (it can even rival refrigerated fresh foods, where nutrient density declines almost immediately)

• Fermentation method also matters—where "fast fermentation" methods common to commercial kombuchas cause gas and bloating and disrupt digestion

• Storage is also important, and sub-par packaging can expose powdered greens to nutrient-sapping light, oxygen, and ambient conditions

Choosing the Right Ingredients

How basic or complex should your daily greens mixes be? There are benefits either way:

1. Simpler greens mixes make it easier to avoid food allergens and customize your greens beverage, but they detract from the variety and grab-and-go ease that comes from a curated drink mix.

2. An encyclopedic ingredient list may seem impressive; however, it also means you're getting a smaller amount of each item.

Like all things in life, the best greens solution is usually the most balanced option. That means fresh, nutrient-dense ingredients backed by a variety of superfoods, adaptogens, and other specialty ingredients that will expand your dietary horizons.

Avoid Fillers

When comparing green drink mixes, it's important to watch for and avoid fillers. The beauty of powdered greens is that they provide immense nutrition in a small volume of space—but that benefit is moot if the product contains nutrient-poor filler products, such as:

• Tapioca syrup (look for organic gum acacia instead)

• Sugar and artificial sweeteners, when stevia and monk fruit are perfectly good (and superior) options

• Artificial and even so-called "natural" flavors

Water Solubility

Greens contain a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber. While a small amount of undissolved solids are to be expected, they should easily suspend in liquid when agitated.

One issue with lower-quality greens mixes is a tendency to resist dissolving into the water (or juice, smoothie, etc.). The result is a chalky, clumpy mess, leaving a thick layer of sediment (and valuable nutrients) behind. What you want is to see your greens beverage mix blend fully into your drink, with just an occasional stir to keep it that way.

Customer-First Service

Only the leading greens package stores can wholly back their products with a full money-back guarantee—giving you the peace of mind necessary to make your selection unhurried and unencumbered. Once you've chosen your preferred product, you can save big on personal subscription plans that send regular shipments straight to your door, all at a reduced cost.

Creative Uses of Daily Greens Mixes

You also aren't limited by the greens beverage mixture itself. Depending on your daily caloric needs, your greens-on-the-go could be the basis of other "fuel foods" to supercharge your way through even the most high-octane activities or narrow nutrition goals.

See if your greens package store carries any of the following additional drink mixes—or try your hand at creating your very own custom super meal drink mix, such as:

• Instant green tea powder, which amplifies the clean natural energy many also report feeling simply from the greens themselves

• Paleo protein smoothie—the perfect opportunity to bolster your new daily greens routine with other, more savory nutritional powerhouses (like nuts and seeds, unadulterated dairy products, and other paleo staples)

• Adaptogenic mushroom concoctions (such as a mouthwatering choco mushroom chai)

Get Your Daily Greens Mixes On!

Powdered greens beverages vary widely from each other. From plain powdered wheatgrass to adaptogen infusions and beyond, you'll find any of the following popular options at leading greens package stores:

• Paleo protein powder—For a muscle-building boost fit for even the most intense athletic performance

• Mocha powder—The perfect, naturally sweetened excuse to increase your antioxidant load (and sate your chocolate cravings)

• Hydrate powder—While not always the first thing one thinks about when preparing a greens beverage, you might be surprised how noticeably sweet and tangy a greens mix sweetened by lemon or pineapple can be

So… Which Daily Greens Mixes Are the Best?

As the natural health market repeatedly proves, there's a certain wisdom of the crowd that is extremely effective at boosting health and well-being en masse. Those who expect more from their health food companies seem particularly well-adapted to discovering the purest and most effective products amidst a sea of red herrings and seemingly deceptive marketing.

That's not to say popularity is a perfect measure of quality, yet it is useful in guiding us in the right direction. So we feel it's perfectly fair to mention that Laird Superfood's Prebiotic Daily Greens was declared the 2023 Winner of Best Powder or Tablet by the Beverage Digest Awards! ...and it's not hard to see why if you take the resources found in this guide to heart.

Take us up on our money-back guarantee, and try Laird Superfood's Prebiotic Daily Greens powder in your next morning smoothie, juice, or even plain water (preferably filtered or distilled). We think you'll agree our pre- and probiotic greens mix is not only sweet and enticing enough to sate your taste buds—but also the perfect complement to many other nutrient-rich drinks. With optimal nutrition, the sky's the limit.

 

Sources

Greens health benefits: https://www.summahealth.org/flourish/entries/2024/03/eat-your-way-to-better-health-why-leafy-greens-are-your-magic-weapon

Micronutrients: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597352

Soil depletion & micronutrients: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8349637/

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2021/01/12/soil-degradation-costs-us-corn-farmers-half-billion-dollars-every-year

Natural vitamins better than synthetic: https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/is-it-better-to-get-vitamins-from-foods-or-supplements/natural-vs-synthetic-vitamin/

Benefits of daily greens powders: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/do-powdered-greens-work

Nucleic acid: https://www.britannica.com/science/nucleic-acid

Calcium and iron absorption: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21462112/

Greens benefits (overall): https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/benefits-leafy-greens

Greens for heart health: https://plantstrong.com/blogs/news/the-power-of-leafy-greens-unlocking-the-benefits-of-nitric-oxide-for-heart-health

Greens for brain health: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5772164/

https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/leafy-greens-are-good-for-the-brain

Greens for bone health: https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/patients/treatment/nutrition/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666149723000385

Greens for longevity: https://www.amymyersmd.com/article/benefits-leafy-greens

Greens for emotional health: https://www.bmcofny.com/9-fast-easy-ways-to-boost-dopamine-the-doing-motivation-hormone/

https://www.bmcofny.com/9-fast-easy-ways-to-boost-dopamine-the-doing-motivation-hormone/