Garden of life meal replacement side effects

Ellen Diamond, (2021, September 8). 5 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Drinking Meal Replacement Shakes. Psychreg on General. https://www.psychreg.org/avoid-drinking-meal-replacement-shakes/

The lifestyles of people worldwide seem to be speeding up; with so many due dates and filled schedules, many people feel like they can’t find enough time to ensure a nutritionally balanced diet. Skipping meals, overindulging, and having replacement shakes are some of the unhealthy habits people turn to during their busy week. Some of you may be surprised to see that we’ve categorised replacement shakes as an unhealthy eating habit, and that’s understandable.

Companies that sell such shakes often put their efforts into making their products look like wonder beverages, containing the right amounts of all the nutrients you need, in such a convenient form. Still, it’s vital to pay attention to product labels, and if you end up reading too many unknown words, we highly advise you to make your own meal replacement shake using whole foods and some protein. Although having a low-calorie replacement meal in the liquid state may sound like a perfect weight loss solution – its downsides actually beat the perks.

I’ve asked medical experts from A Better Weigh clinic to let us in on the disadvantages of drinking meal replacement shakes:

They can upset your digestion

One of the most significant flows of meal replacement shakes is that they typically lack fiber and can, therefore, negatively affect your gut health. When you eat fast and don’t take enough time to chew each bite properly, you’re making it hard for your system to digest the food. One of the biggest misconceptions regarding meal replacement shakes is that they’re easily digestible. Although they’re liquid, these beverages often contain artificial ingredients your body doesn’t recognize as food. Such components can slow down the digestion process and cause adverse side effects, such as constipation, gas, and even leaky gut. Some meal replacement shakes also contain senna, a natural laxative that can be used short-term to treat constipation but should not be taken each day.

They can contain inflammatory additives

Soy lecithin and maltodextrin are often found in meal replacement shakes. Although they are derived from soy and corn, which might trick you into thinking they’re natural, they are actually inflammatory additives. Maltodextrin is typically used to thicken the beverage since it is a powder made from rice, corn, or potatoes (all of which are starchy vegetables). You should therefore consider this ingredient a carb when calculating your daily macronutrients. 

They may cause weight gain

One of the primary reasons people take meal replacement shakes is to consume fewer calories and eventually lose weight. Still, it’s essential to get familiar with reading labels on these beverages, as they often contain too much sugar, which can mess up your insulin levels and leave you starving in no time. There’s really no point in consuming a shake if you’ll still have to indulge in a full caloric meal afterward. 

They can contain artificial ingredients

Unfortunately, meal replacement shakes often contain artificial ingredients, such as preservatives, sweeteners, and stabilisers. For instance, they typically include a vitamin complex in some form, but these vitamin blends are often synthetic – meaning your body might not recognise them as beneficial. It’s always better to take your vitamins by consuming whole foods or mixing some fruit and veggies into your homemade meal replacement shake.

They are not a long-term weight loss solution

Although some companies try to provide good quality meal replacement shakes, it’s important to remember that such beverages are not a long-term weight loss solution, and they can’t fix your previous eating habits. By consuming them for a long time, you may end up depriving your body of essential nutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, and plant-based compounds, eventually doing more damage than good for your body and weight. 

Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.

Psychreg is mainly for information purposes only; materials on this website are not intended to be a substitute for professional advice. Don’t disregard professional advice or delay in seeking  treatment because of what you have read on this website. Read our full disclaimer. 

Most meal replacement drinks contain some of the same vitamins, minerals and nutrients you’d get from whole foods, and they’re generally safe for most people. The array of ingredients in the drinks, however, doesn’t affect everyone in the same way, and there are inherent risks involved in using any dietary supplement.

Weight Gain

Although some meal replacement drinks are designed to help you lose weight, others are made to encourage muscle gain or general weight gain and are significantly higher in calories. If you begin drinking meal replacements on top of your usual diet, you’ll be adding calories that will result in gradual weight gain if you don’t burn them off. Even if your objective is to gain lean mass, drinks won’t do it for you by themselves. Extra calories and protein are necessary for muscle growth, but they’ll result in fat gain unless you also participate in regular strength training.

Digestive Discomfort

A main ingredient in many meal replacement drinks is whey protein, in the form of whey concentrate powder. Although whey concentrate contains less lactose than milk, it is not lactose-free, and individuals who are lactose-intolerant should avoid it. Even for people who can tolerate lactose, drinks that contain whey may cause digestive discomfort in large doses. “Men’s Fitness” notes that common side effects of high doses include nausea, cramps and bloating.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Meal replacements are typically fortified with a variety of essential vitamins and minerals to make them more suitable as substitutes for real foods. Not every drink is as nutritious as a balanced meal, however, and even those that do provide those essential nutrients have inherently lower nutritional quality than whole foods because they lack beneficial substances such as antioxidants, phytonutrients and dietary fiber. Although fiber is not classified as an essential nutrient, it's an important component of a healthy eating plan. Not getting enough fiber daily can lead to side effects including constipation, hemorrhoids or diverticulitis.

Harmful Additions

Meal replacement drinks are classified as dietary supplements, which means they’re not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. In one study published in 2010 by “Consumer Reports,” testers discovered that 15 commercially produced protein drinks all contained traces of arsenic, and most contained traces of harmful heavy metals cadmium, lead or mercury as well. Chronic low-level heavy metal poisoning over time can produce health problems such as weakness, muscle and joint pain, headaches, fatigue and constipation.

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