The Disturbing Truth about Green Powders (AG1)

Summary

The video script delves into the widespread promotion and skepticism surrounding green powder supplements like Athletic Greens. It scrutinizes the product's claims of enhancing health aspects like skin, energy, and gut health, questioning the validity of these assertions. The script interviews a performance nutritionist to uncover the truth behind the marketing and investigates the proprietary blend's transparency, ingredient quantities, and the actual benefits of these supplements. It concludes that green powders might be overhyped, serving more as a multivitamin rather than a comprehensive health solution, and warns against relying on them as a substitute for a balanced diet.

Takeaways

• 🌿 Athletic Greens is marketed as a comprehensive daily nutrition supplement, but its health benefits are questionable and not fully supported by scientific evidence.
• 💰 The product is expensive, with a subscription costing over $99, and the high price might be due to its aggressive marketing and sponsorships.
• 🔬 The claims of health benefits are not validated by the FDA, indicating that the scientific backing for these claims is not solid.
• 🤔 The term 'superfood blend' used in marketing is criticized as a made-up term without clear nutritional benefits.
• 📊 The product contains a proprietary blend, which means the quantities of individual ingredients are not disclosed, making it difficult to assess their effectiveness.
• 🍏 The fiber content in Athletic Greens is low compared to a single piece of fruit, suggesting it's not a good prebiotic source.
• 🌡️ Probiotics in the product may not be effective due to the lack of evidence supporting their benefits in healthy individuals.
• 🌱 The inclusion of adaptogens is promising, but their effectiveness in the product is questionable due to potential underdosing.
• 🔄 The digestive enzymes in green powders are likely to be rendered ineffective by stomach acid, reducing their utility.
• 🌐 Green powders are popular due to media hype and marketing, which often prioritize catchy headlines over scientific accuracy.
• 💊 There's a concern that people might rely too heavily on supplements like green powders instead of focusing on a balanced diet.

Q & A

What is Athletic Greens marketed as?

Athletic Greens is marketed as the most comprehensive foundational daily nutrition supplement on the market.

What are some of the claims made by Athletic Greens about its benefits?

Athletic Greens claims to improve skin, energy, sleep, mental clarity, gut health, and reduce bloating.

What is the issue with the 'superfood blend' claim made by green powders like Athletic Greens?

The term 'superfood blend' is considered a made-up marketing term by scientists, and the actual usefulness of the ingredients in such small quantities is questionable.

What is a proprietary blend and why is it controversial in the context of Athletic Greens?

A proprietary blend is a mix of ingredients where the manufacturer does not disclose the quantities of individual ingredients. This can be controversial as it allows companies to claim numerous benefits without providing effective doses of the ingredients.

How does the fiber content in Athletic Greens compare to a typical fruit?

Athletic Greens is low in fiber compared to a single piece of fruit, such as an apple, which has more prebiotic content.

What is the role of probiotics and prebiotics in health, and how do they relate to Athletic Greens?

Probiotics are live microorganisms beneficial for health, while prebiotics are substances that feed these organisms. Athletic Greens contains probiotics, but the overall fiber content, which is essential for their function, is low.

What is the significance of adaptogens in Athletic Greens, and are they effective?

Adaptogens are substances that help the body resist stress, but their effectiveness in Athletic Greens is questionable due to likely underdosing and being part of a proprietary blend.

How do digestive enzymes in Athletic Greens compare to their effectiveness in food?

Digestive enzymes in Athletic Greens are likely to be rendered ineffective due to the lack of enteric coating and exposure to stomach acid, making them less effective than in food.

Why might green powders like Athletic Greens be popular despite the lack of strong scientific evidence?

Green powders are popular due to effective marketing, endorsements by influencers, and the appeal of a quick and easy health solution, despite the lack of strong scientific evidence supporting their claims.

What is the potential downside of relying on green powders as a primary source of nutrition?

Relying on green powders as a primary source of nutrition may lead to neglecting a balanced diet and can be an expensive long-term solution, potentially leading to poor dietary habits.

What is the role of affiliate marketing in the popularity of Athletic Greens?

Affiliate marketing plays a significant role in the popularity of Athletic Greens, with influencers earning a percentage of sales, which can incentivize promotion regardless of the product's actual benefits.

Outlines

00:00

🌿 The Hype and Reality of Green Powders

The paragraph discusses the popularity of Athletic Greens, a green powder supplement, and the author's personal journey from skepticism to purchase. It highlights the product's claims to provide comprehensive daily nutrition, including vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and fiber. The author notes the high cost and the skepticism from unbiased reviewers. The paragraph also delves into the concept of 'superfood blends' and the practice of using proprietary blends, which can be misleading as they do not disclose the quantities of individual ingredients. The author interviews a performance nutritionist to explore the actual health benefits of these powders, questioning the validity of the claims and the actual content of the product.

05:00

🧐 Probiotics, Prebiotics, and the Promise of Green Powders

This paragraph explores the role of probiotics and prebiotics in gut health and questions the effectiveness of green powders in this context. It points out that while probiotics can be beneficial in certain cases, their general use may not make a significant difference. The paragraph also discusses the concept of adaptogens, which are thought to help the body and brain cope with stress, but notes that they are likely underdosed in green powders. The author then examines the role of digestive enzymes in green powders, suggesting that they may be ineffective due to the acidic environment of the stomach. The overall conclusion is that green powders may not live up to their marketing as a comprehensive health supplement.

10:01

🚫 The Misleading Marketing of Green Powders

The final paragraph addresses the marketing tactics behind green powders, highlighting the potential for these supplements to replace a balanced diet with a convenient but potentially less effective alternative. It discusses the significant affiliate marketing incentives, which can lead to biased promotion. The author expresses concern that people may be misled into thinking these supplements are a quick fix for optimal health, rather than focusing on a well-rounded diet. The paragraph concludes with a critique of the marketing's influence on consumer perceptions and the need for a more evidence-based approach to health and nutrition.

Keywords

💡Athletic Greens

Athletic Greens is a brand of green powder supplement that is marketed as a comprehensive daily nutrition supplement. It is mentioned throughout the script as the primary subject of discussion, with the video exploring its claims, ingredients, and health benefits. The script questions the validity of these claims and the product's overall value compared to a balanced diet.

💡Green Powders

Green powders are dietary supplements that typically contain a blend of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients, often derived from plant sources. The video discusses the popularity of these powders, their marketing as 'superfood' blends, and the skepticism surrounding their health benefits, suggesting that they may not be as effective as traditional dietary sources of nutrients.

💡Superfood Blends

The term 'superfood blends' refers to the mixture of nutrient-dense ingredients found in green powders, which are often marketed as providing a wide range of health benefits. The script challenges this concept, suggesting that the term is more of a marketing gimmick than a scientifically validated classification, and that the actual benefits of these blends are questionable.

💡Proprietary Blend

A proprietary blend is a combination of ingredients whose specific quantities are not disclosed by the manufacturer. The script points out that Athletic Greens uses proprietary blends, which can be misleading as it allows the company to claim numerous beneficial ingredients without providing evidence of their effectiveness due to unknown quantities.

💡Prebiotics and Probiotics

Prebiotics are substances that promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the gut, while probiotics are live bacteria that provide health benefits. The video discusses the inclusion of these in green powders, suggesting that the amounts may be insufficient to have a significant impact on gut health compared to naturally occurring sources like fruits and vegetables.

💡Adaptogens

Adaptogens are substances believed to help the body manage stress and improve resistance to various physical and emotional stressors. The script mentions adaptogens as one of the ingredients in green powders, but also questions their effectiveness due to potential underdosing in the proprietary blends.

💡Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes are proteins that aid in the breakdown of food in the digestive system. The video suggests that the digestive enzymes found in green powders may not be effective due to the acidic environment of the stomach, which can denature and inactivate them before they can provide any benefit.

💡Micronutrient Deficiencies

Micronutrient deficiencies refer to a lack of essential vitamins and minerals required for various bodily functions. The script discusses how green powders are sometimes promoted as a way to address these deficiencies, but points out that they often lack key nutrients like iron, vitamin D, and calcium, which are commonly deficient in the Western diet.

💡Placebo Effect

The placebo effect is a psychological phenomenon where a person experiences perceived improvement in their condition simply because they believe they are receiving treatment. The video suggests that the perceived benefits of green powders may be largely due to the placebo effect, rather than actual nutritional benefits.

💡Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting a product in exchange for a commission on any sales made through the referral. The script discusses the financial incentives behind the promotion of green powders by influencers and content creators, suggesting that this may contribute to the overstatement of their benefits.

💡Authority Bias

Authority bias is the tendency to trust and accept information from individuals or sources perceived as authorities in a particular field. The video highlights how trust in health experts and influencers can lead to a bias towards their recommendations, such as the use of green powders, even when the scientific evidence may not fully support their claims.

Highlights

Athletic Greens is marketed as a comprehensive daily nutrition supplement, but its high cost raises questions about its value.

The product claims to improve skin, energy, sleep, mental clarity, gut health, and reduce bloating, but these claims are not FDA-validated.

Athletic Greens contains a 'superfood blend', a term questioned by scientists for its lack of a clear definition and potential for misleading marketing.

The product uses a proprietary blend, which can obscure the actual quantities and effectiveness of individual ingredients.

The first five ingredients in Athletic Greens make up 10g of a 12g serving, leaving minimal space for the remaining ingredients to have a significant impact.

The probiotic content in Athletic Greens is questioned for its effectiveness, as most healthy individuals may not benefit significantly from additional probiotics.

Adaptogens, which are supposed to help the body handle stress, are present in Athletic Greens but likely underdosed to be effective.

Digestive enzymes in green powders like Athletic Greens may be rendered ineffective due to the acidic environment of the stomach.

Athletic Greens is low in fiber, which is essential for gut health, and may not be as beneficial as a single piece of fruit.

The product does not include iron, vitamin D, or calcium, which are common deficiencies in the Western diet.

Green powders are popular due to media hype and marketing, which often prioritizes catchy headlines over scientific evidence.

The high profitability of green powders leads to significant marketing and PR efforts, influencing consumer perception.

Many health enthusiasts may be replacing a balanced diet with green powders, which could lead to nutritional imbalances.

The video suggests that green powders might be more of a multivitamin than a comprehensive health solution.

The long-term cost of green powders can be substantial, raising questions about their value for money.

The video concludes that green powders may not be as beneficial as their marketing suggests and encourages a more evidence-based approach to health.

Transcripts

athletic greens athletic greens athletic

greens it seems like everyone is

promoting these new green powders

delicious it's May my favorite heel

product ever after seeing many of these

ads I was finally convinced to purchase

YouTube premium but I still couldn't

escape it oh quick note from our sponsor

of today's video ag1 promoted by my

favorite podcasters scientists and

influencers the reviews all seem to be

positive improve your skin energy sleep

mental Clarity gut health reduce

bloating what's not to like for those of

you who don't know athletic greens is

marketed as the most comprehensive

foundational daily nutrition supplement

on the market it's the easiest way for

me to ensure that I'm getting all of the

vitamins minerals probiotics and fiber

that I need in my diet the claims almost

seem too good to be true but perhaps

this is why it's so expensive this was

$99 with Market leaders ag1 already

valued at over $1 billion but

unsponsored science-based reviewers are

saying something a little different if

you ever see me promoting something like

athletic greens I have a brain tumor to

make sense of it all I interviewed an

unbiased performance nutritionist and

that's when I realized okay there's a

problem here I need to look into this do

these actually have any health benefits

whatsoever so why are only more people

going to start chugging what looks like

Shrek bath water while some are calling

it the current biggest scam in the

fitness industry this is the unbiased

truth about green powders no one is

claiming there's a magic pill out there

that would be stupid St it turns out

these bold claims stem from six

supplement categories so let's break

these down with the help of unbiased

scientists calling for example athletic

greens one or ag1 a high quality greens

powder is a little misleading there's

very minuscule amounts of the quote

unquote superfood complex one of the

biggest marketing claims of green

powders is that they're a superfood

blend this is something that scientists

question you know you're paying for some

things that are probably not useful like

superfood Blends that's a complete

nonsense madeup term but Shing it means

nutrient bents green powders boast a

long list of ingredients it says it

contains 75 of the highest quality

ingredients yo Mr White I can't even

pronounce half this [ __ ] but if we look

a little closer you'll see that their

quantities are not provided this is

known as a proprietary blend a

proprietary blend it is a name that

contains a various number of ingredients

and they don't have to tell you the

actual quantities of the individual

ingredients that means they can call

some proprietary blend some catchy

phrase like the muscle blend and then

simply provide a lower than effective

dose of many supplements and make it

look like they've done everything to

make the supplement awesome fortunately

ingredients are legally required to be

ordered in quantity from most to least

we know a serving is 12 G so it can

reverse engineer and estimate the

serving sizes these 2 G of fiber are

coming from inulin meaning everything

else before this is 2 G or more

therefore the first five ingredients

make up 10 G of the 12 G serving leaving

a maximum of 2 G s for everything else I

really hate to be the dude that [ __ ]

with

us you

think it is not a superfoods type of

supplement yeah through legal loopholes

bold Claims can still be made says daily

support for energy and immune system

brain and neural function liver function

gut health and digestion hormone

function but there's an asterisk next to

each of these claims those specific

claims have not been validated by the

FDA so many of the claim benefits fairy

Das it doesn't exist it's never landed

it is no matter it's not on the

elemental chart it it's not [ __ ] real

there's like I don't know dozens of

ingredients that are there some of them

objectively perhaps to like look good on

the label not in impactful amounts but I

think also this is just sort of the

standard for the green industry but

let's assume the proprietary blend is

simply to guard their formula from

competitors and the claim do have some

substance let's look at the ingredients

we know the amounts of and what they

actually do in our

stomachs a healthy gut typically means a

diverse microbiome with lots of

beneficial bacteria which AIDS digestion

and overall health the probiotic is the

living organism itself Prebiotic is the

food that feeds those organisms

ultimately fiber is the type of

carbohydrate that our probiotics or the

organisms when are gut are going to feed

on fiber is commonly found in fruit and

veg but here's the problem ag1 is very

low in fiber so compared to something

like even just eating one piece of fruit

I would say it's inferior in terms of

Prebiotic content there's more fiber in

a singular Apple than in most green

powders but I doubt anyone's taking it

for this it was a probotics which got me

more interested so let's take a closer

look a probiotic is a live

microorganism that we ingest uh for the

purpose of a health benefit to the host

they can be found in ferment to dairy

products such as yogurt cafir and milk

in specific cases of gut issues certain

strains of probiotics may be beneficial

to alleviate those problems and symptoms

but just giving them to everybody really

isn't going to make any difference

whatsoever or at least that's what we

know from current level of evidence this

point was made by Dr Mike when

confronting another doctor who sells

probiotic supplements look I can I have

a channel here with 12 million

subscribers I can sell them probiotics

and make a ton of money you think I'm

withholding making money you think I'm

withholding helping patient be out of

principle no then why do you think I'm

not selling those things uh because

maybe you don't believe the evidence

that they work like like I do how's that

but the evidence that you believe they

do is not based on human outcomes that's

the problem the science behind probiotic

supplementation in otherwise healthy

individuals tends to be negligible but

perhaps a more promising inclusion is

that of the promising field of

adaptogens and the adaptogens broadly

speaking are thought to improve the body

and brain's ability to to buffer against

various stressors but typically the

adaptogens are going to reduce cortisol

so for instance ashwagandha is a very

potent suppressor of cortisol this can

help Elevate testosterone now I used to

have elevated cortisol so this was

really promising until you remember that

most popular green powders a proprietary

Blends specifically in the case of ag1

it's most likely that the adaptions

ashanda and Roda Rosa are significantly

underdosed in that product desperate to

find some proven benefits it was time to

look into the digestive enzymes

digestive enzymes are proteins that

break down chemical bonds in the

molecules that make up macronutrients

for the most part they're not going to

do anything at all especially if they're

not you know if it's like in a powdered

form and it's not enally coated they're

going to be broken down just like under

any other peptide would you know once it

hits the stomach acid it's unfolded and

then an enzyme would lose its

functionality by the time they get to

your stomach they've been frazzled the

um exception to that would be lactase so

the lactase enzyme um does seem to help

reduce some of the GI distress we would

experience if we have lactose

intolerance but you have to have a a

fairly small amount of lactose and a

fairly large amount of the enzyme to be

more blunt the digestive enzymes in

green powders are likely redundant

there's a distinct

anti-science flavor to this so these

popular green powders aren't a good

source of probiotics prebiotics

superfood complex a source of adaptogens

and the digestive enzymes are very

questionable surely it has some

use I think it's more of a multivitamin

in fact I'm not impressed with ag1 being

anything more than a multivitamin if

that is how you prefer to take your

multivitamin I think go for it the

typical Western diet is devoid of some

nutrients and deficiencies are becoming

increasingly common for example a B12

deficiency can lead to all of the

following symptoms so how do green

powder stack up a good place to get into

assessing this micronutrient blend would

be to look at the most common

deficiencies that we see in the western

world and then see what kind of dose ag1

has of these nutrients the most common

deficiency in the world is iron with

half of the 1.62 billion cases of anemia

due to iron deficiency ag1 does not

include iron in their green powder a

similarly common deficiency is both

vitamin D and calcium with 42% of

Americans estimated to be deficient in

both yet most green powders don't

include these so originally I thought

they were a decent multivitamin or at

least at least a multivitamin however

most green spws don't actually contain

the full spectrum of essential vitamins

and minerals that you need they do

contain some beneficial vitamins and

minerals but if a well formulated

multivitamin alongside a fiber

supplement offers better results why are

green powder so popular I think we will

know the real answer in health and

wellness the media likes to reduce

complex issues to catchy headlines

prioritizing hype over science this

leads to misleading claims about

products like green powders leaving us

unsure of the facts I've been using

today's SP

ground news to help me navigate the

complex media landscape ground news is

an app and website that Aggregates

global news stories letting you compare

coverage from various sources in one

place each story comes with a breakdown

of his political bias the reliability

and who owns them let's look at this

story about The Who issuing a warning on

fake weight loss drugs it's covered by

over 25 sources we can visually see on

the bias distribution chart that most of

the reporting comes from the right and

the center scrolling down I can compare

every article and draw my own

conclusions different Outlets use

starkly different language when

reporting on the same story are

typically filter by high factuality

sources which in this case provides

detailed risks of fake weight loss drugs

with scientific references to back it up

ground news helps me cut through the

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Sports and Health Trends if this sounds

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40% off Advantage plan the plan I use to

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useful I used to be bloated and now I'm

my skinny Queen I'll find to Greens I

know that I'm getting so many good

benefits it does just make me feel good

and everyone knows anything green is

good for you here's something you might

not know 528 is the number of people

you'd need to convince to purchase an

ag1 subscription to make over $100,000 a

year Affiliates reportedly receive 20%

of every single purchase for life in

fact I originally started looking into

these after receiving the biggest

brandal offer that I've ever seen from a

greens powder company Dr Andrea love

claims that huberman's contract alone

with ag1 is worth over $40 million green

powers are highly PR profitable with a

large amount of money funding the

marketing there's nothing inherently

wrong with this in fact it's great that

they're helping to fund some of my

favorite content but if we just look at

the comments many people are using them

as a replacement for fruit and

vegetables a lot of these people are

taking these supplements that seem to be

popular with health podcasts biohackers

and health influencers and they think

that because big podcasts that push

these supplements which also give out

great information but sprinkle in these

supplements they think that these are

what's required or these are a quick way

to optimize their health rather than

focusing on the tried and tested but

often boring or difficult stuff I worry

that it's part of a pattern where people

who are interested in health

increasingly lean on supplements to get

their nutrients and the the actual diet

in the background remains poor or maybe

even gets worse as a result this is

something the marketing definitely

insinuates beats the hell out of sitting

there and eating a salad for 20 minutes

and getting it ready and all that [ __ ]

often all it takes is a health expert to

PR promote these for us to overlook the

science cuz he's the most perfect figure

of authority he's an expert in his field

people like me trust everything he says

anything he's got In Those ads I'm just

like shut up and take my money hubman I

can't type it in quick enough but even

Dr hubman himself would admit that green

powers are not his area of specialty I

am a true novice when it comes to the

microbiome we often Place blind trust in

authority figures a tendency known as

Authority bias it's why I used to use

green powders myself as much as I wanted

to believe that the benefits were from

the powder the evidence is weak which is

why nutritionists are skeptical do you

think that most of the people who take

green powders then are benefiting from

the ingredients or purely Placebo yeah

so I think it's purely Placebo that

people benefit look I really wanted

these to be good it'd make me a lot

richer maybe there's some more Niche

benefits which we haven't looked at but

after weeks of research it's clear that

calling these a casual comprehensive

supplement is probably misleading the

bigger problem that I have with their

marketing is that they get the people

who sell it to see the things that they

want to see but they can't because it's

not correct I've seen YouTubers say that

it's a complete nutrition supplement but

it's not assuming you live in over 80

years green powders could set you back

over

$95,000 enough to buy a Ferrari

California if I had 10,000 a month to

spend on supplements I wouldn't purchase

greens PWS if you are looking for a

multivitamin and you like to take it in

that sort of drink form warm then it's

got some pretty decent um micronutrients

in there but beyond that is not going to

serve a purpose of being a greens kind

of replacement but consider the fact

that there's some common deficiencies

which these will not help with pretty

much all greens powders are exactly the

same it's not that I mine doesn't

contain proprietary Blends and yours

does therefore mine is better it's the

fact that there's not really any

evidence to show that these powdered

greens powders are efficacious in terms

of improving really any health and

performance outut comes yeah they do

have another positive effect since

they're funding a lot of the content you

might watch I really believe in a1's

mission of bringing about a healthier

world through nutrition sustainability

and community and yours quotes of

inspiration touch my soul which is why I

made this video being more intentional

evidence-based and aware of your

approach to health and fitness will make

things much more effective and

sustainable so subscribe for more but

this is why green powders kind of suck

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