Are Supergreens Powders Really Super? (with Christine Blank, MS, RD)

Your Doctor Friends

GREEN DRINKS! Let's dive in to the murky green waters of the "supergreens" beverages currently sweeping the market! Are they as "super" as they claim? Do our bodies need to supplement all of these substances in the "proprietary blends", presented on the back of the packaging, in barely-pronounceable, long lists?

How do we know what's in these powders? Who regulates them? What's the nutritional science behind their main ingredients?

Thankfully we have an expert with us today, Christine Blank, MS, RD! Christine is both a chef and registered dietician, and serves as the Team Dietician for the Chicago Bulls. She is a fantastic resource for today's episode, and presents the dietary science behind green superfood beverages, and supplements in general.

Topics covered in today's episode include:

Do we "need" supplements?

What's the best way to meet our dietary needs?

How are these supplements tested/verified? Does the FDA get involved?

What does "third party tested" mean?

What are "adptogens"? What is the science behind ashwagandha? What about rhodiola rosea?

What are "phytonutrients"?

Which vitamins and minerals are vital for our health? Do we need pills or powders to supplement them?

What are pre- and probiotics? What do they do?

Do we need to supplement "digestive enzymes"? Which ones?

Resources for today's episode:

Link to examine.com pages on ashwagandha and rhodiola rosea.

A Chinese Medicine journal article re: adaptogens.

An article from Nutrients titled "Clinical Evidence of the Benefits of Phytonutrients in Human Healthcare."

A 2019 article published in Foods re: prebiotics.

The NIH fact sheet on probiotics for health professionals.

A 2020 Heliyon article titled "Global analysis of clinical trials with probiotics."

A 2017 article in Gut Microbes reviewing meta-analyses re: using probiotics in clinical practice.

A 2023 VeryWell article titled "What Are Digestive Enzymes?"

A Johns Hopkins Medicine article reviewing digestive enzymes.

The YouTube clip from Andrew Huberman re: Athletic Greens.

The AG1 commercial Jeremy references in the cold open.

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