Last updated on June 30th, 2024 at 04:25 pm
If you’re struggling with digestive issues like having difficulty digesting food and feeling bloated after ingesting food, you’re not alone. According to a survey conducted by the American Gastroenterology Association, about 40% of people in the United States report daily digestive issues.
Problems like bloating, flatulence, and loose stools, often come down to malabsorption of nutrients, food intolerances, etc. While dietary changes can be a great game changer helping you get a grip on your gut health, a green powder can help relieve some of your symptoms.
Powdered greens have received tremendous interest among the influencer circles, with many of the brands adding digestive enzymes, fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics into their formulas to build on the gut health benefits.
With the amalgam of green powder products available, choosing the right green powder goodness can get difficult. That’s why we break down our list for you of our 4 best green powders for bloating (put together by our in-house experts).
1. Simply Fruits and Greens
Simply Fruits and Greens is a greens powder based on whole food concentrates rich in vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and other antioxidants. It relies on super greens and superfruit ingredients rich in essential micronutrients great for boosting your energy levels, upping your immune function, aiding metabolism, fat-burning, and more.
However, when choosing a greens powder to relieve your bloating issues, it’s only natural to look for one with an added benefit on digestive health. That said, the best green powder for bloating is one containing prebiotic fibers with probiotics and possibly digestive enzymes.
Simply Fruits and Greens is a powder rich in superfood goodness upgraded with probiotics, fiber, and prebiotic proprietary blends. As such, it aims to produce a synergistic effect on your gut health, aside from multiple other health benefits.
The added prebiotic fibers can help reduce bloating by bumping up your digestion and promoting regular bowel movements. Not only that, but they also help you provide sustained energy throughout the day while balancing your appetite. As for the digestive enzymes, they help break down the food you ingest so the food nutrients can be properly absorbed by the body. [1]
The probiotics, as you probably know, populate your GI tract with healthy microbes, thus promoting the absorption of vital nutrients from food. The Simply Fruits and Greens formula contains a 4-strain blend of probiotics which can boost your gut health by creating a diverse gut microbiome.
Why We Love It
- Simply Fruits and Greens comes in 8 delicious flavors and generally the powder receives envious review grades even from the pickiest of eaters.
- The proprietary probiotic, fiber, and digestive enzyme blends put this product on the map as potentially helpful for reducing belly bloat.
- The product contains no allergens, preservatives, stimulants, or added sugars.
- The ginger root powder included in the Simply Fruits and Greens powder can help soothe your GI tract and alleviate nausea. [2]
Listing the Shortcomings
- Some reviewers report the powder doesn’t mix ideally, leaving chalky residue at the bottom of the glass.
- Can be a bit pricey.
2. Awake Green – Super Greens – Superfood Powder
Awake Green Super Greens Powder is packed with superfoods, greens, grains, sprouts, fruits, and veggies that can fuel your energy and support clear thinking and focus. It’s built to help you up your intake of health-supporting nutrients so you can maintain healthy energy levels without the crash you’d otherwise get from sugar, caffeine, or energy drinks.
And don’t get us started on the greens. The Awake Green Blend is rife with healthy alkalizing greens and antioxidants. For those looking for a clean-label product, this powdered green blend is USDA-certified and contains at least 95% organic material including organic greens, sprouts, and grains.
Like other best green powders available on the market it plays into some digestive health benefits as well. The Awake Green comes with the addition of fiber as well as pre and probiotics to boost digestion and help you feel more energized. By creating a healthier microbiome, good probiotic bacteria can help relieve bloating, promote the absorption of vital nutrients from food, and keep your gut free from harmful microbes. [3]
As for bloating in particular, some scientific findings show the relieving effects of certain probiotics on bloating symptoms. [4] Yet, things are not as straightforward since certain strains which are found to help with bloating in some people, can worsen the bloating symptoms in others, especially at the very onset of the probiotic therapy. [5]
The inclusion of barley and wheat grass adds to this powder’s nutritional profile (think vitamins C, A, K, and B with the addition of iron, zinc, copper, and manganese).
Why We Love It
- Awake Green Super Greens is a certified USDA Organic Greens Powder (meaning it’s non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly). This green smoothie powder is also free from artificial colors, sweeteners, and flavors.
- It’s easy to mix and quick to prepare.
- Reviewers claim this powder goes easy on the stomach, preventing bloating issues after ingesting even for those with sensitive stomachs.
- It’s one of the most affordable green powder options out there.
Listing the Shortcomings
- The ingredient profile is not as diverse as with some other products.
3. Super Greens Powder, Green Drink Smoothie Mix
Greens Superfood Powder is a blend of green and red superfoods that mixes well and makes adding healthy nutrients to your diet a no-brainer. The potent antioxidants from superfood greens and reds work to elevate your daily energy levels while the addition of digestive enzymes and probiotics support bloat relief and your overall gut health.
To boot (and this is good news for those whose stomachs don’t agree with healthy greens), the good probiotic bacteria included in the formula help break down the fibrous cell walls of greens and vegetables used. This promotes nutrient absorption and facilitates digestion, helping those with bloating issues get through the day.
This nutrient-packed supergreens blend also contains spirulina and chlorella which bring multiple health benefits. Spirulina comes with a great nutritional profile providing you with essential minerals (such as calcium, magnesium, vitamin A, B-vitamins, zinc, and iron) while adding to your protein intake (containing 60-70% protein). Similarly, chlorella is rife with vitamin A, B-vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium (with a similarly amazing nutritional profile of 50-55% protein).
Why We Love It
- Potent Greens Superfood Powder blends easily to form a fairly smooth texture that makes a great healthful drink.
- The nutrient-dense spirulina powder is successfully blended in the green powder formula. The balanced ingredients neutralize the otherwise strong seaweed taste of spirulina, making this powder fairly palatable (it’s also a great mix-in for smoothies).
- Reviewers also praise this powdered green blend for not being overly sweet.
- It comes with a good price point.
Listing the Shortcomings
- Some reviewers aren’t too happy about the taste of this powdered green blend, noting however that mixing the powder with a smoothie (rather than water) does help with balancing out the taste.
- Some reviewers complain the powder is a bit gritty when mixed with cold water.
- Several users warn against the presence of lead in this powdered mix. The product label, though, lists the greens as organic, but not the fruits. However, the label also states the product is non-GMO.
4. Metagenics PhytoGanix Tropical Fruit Flavor
Phytoganix from Metagenics is a convenient way to up your greens uptake and improve your overall health. The powder includes the organic veggie blend, the organic fruit blend, and the herbal support blend—all incredibly rich in antioxidants which hugely help as a preventative measure against oxidative-stress-related diseases, as well as great immune support. [6]
The powerful greens included in the formula featured in broccoli, spinach, and parsley leaf powders are awesome nutrient-dense whole foods that can help you increase your vitamin intake.
This is one of the best green powders for bloating as it contains prebiotics in the form of sprout powder, powered up with a blend of digestive enzymes (including protease, amylase, lipase, and cellulase) as well as GI tract-supporting probiotics (Lactobacillus acidophilus VK3 Strain specifically).
Why We Love It
- It contains sprouts, greens, probiotics, and digestive enzymes to support digestion.
- It has a diverse ingredient profile.
- As a USDA-certified product, Phytoganix is compliant with national organic standards and contains no synthetic chemicals.
- It’s also non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegetarian.
Listing the Shortcomings
- Some reviewers find it a bit expensive.
- Users who report this powder to be on the sweet side also find it to have an overpowering Stevia taste. Some people suggest solving this issue by adding fresh lemon or lime juice or mixing the powder with club soda instead of water.
How to Choose the Right Greens Powder for Bloating?
The first step in choosing the right greens powder for bloating is finding a dependable manufacturer with a reputable brand name. Next is looking at certification. By buying powdered greens that hold third-party certifications, you’re steering clear of questionable ingredients, such as artificial additives and preservatives.
As a rule of thumb, chemical-free green powders will also be more nutritious than their non-organic counterparts (and more antioxidants is always better).
As stated previously, if you’re in search of the powder that targets bloating issues, look for those that incorporate gut-supporting substances such as probiotics. However, not all probiotics are equal—the same probiotic can be helpful for one person while causing issues for another.
This is why it makes sense to consult your healthcare provider before settling on any of the powders. They can suggest probiotic strains that have been proven helpful with specific gastrointestinal issues, as well as recommend doses and treatment duration tailored for your situation. [7]
FAQs
Can Green Powders Replace Vegetables?
Green powders can be taken to boost your nutritional uptake but they shouldn’t be used as a replacement for fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies are a must if you mean to experience what is called the ‘whole food effect’.
This phrase stands for the nutritional effects that come from ingesting whole foods, as every whole food item is made up of a complex combination of nutrients that can be lost in powdered greens (fiber is a good example of this).
While many brands add fiber as part of their formulas, with 1–2 grams per serving, these amounts can’t cover your body’s total fiber requirements (the recommended daily intake is 30g). Remember to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables to make up for this downside of powdered greens. [8]
Should I Take Green Powders for Bloating?
While many people turn to green powders to up their fruit and vegetable intake while also hoping to help relieve bloating, it’s wise to exercise caution. This is especially true if you suspect you may be suffering from any of the GI tract conditions.
Random use of probiotics can potentially carry the risk of plasmid-mediated antibiotic resistance transfer to the gut infectious pathogens, further complicating your undiagnosed condition. [9] To err on the side of caution, it’s best to consult your GP before taking green powders with added digestive enzymes to help treat bloating.
Green powders are also contraindicated in pregnancy as well as in people affected with diabetes, leaky gut, and malignancies as well as those recovering from an organ transplant surgery. [10]
Find Green Powders That Will Nourish Your GI Tract
In retrospect, taking green powders can be a convenient way to fill certain nutritional gaps where your diet is lacking. If you struggle with gas and bloating and also seek to give your gut a little TLC, knowing the right greens powder products can get you on the right track to better GI tract health.
Remember, though, that nutrient-packed green products aren’t a substitute for a balanced diet. Also, given that not all of the gut-friendly ingredients in green powders are suitable for everyone, seeking advice from your physician or a certified nutritionist might be helpful. You can work together to find the right fit for your specific situation, so you can get the most out of your greens powder.
And don’t forget you can reach out to us at any time. Our SimplyNutrients nutritional experts are happy to answer all of your questions.
Resources
[1] https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-digestive-enzymes-89446
[2] https://www.verywellhealth.com/supplements-for-bloating-and-gut-health-7974887
[3] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Probiotics-HealthProfessional/
[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5900870/
[5] https://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(20)30433-X/fulltext#secsectitle0110
[6] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21954333/
[7] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Probiotics-HealthProfessional/#en3
[8] https://fadfreenutrition.nutricionalgrano.com/greens-powder-vs-vegetables/
[9] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30597307/
[10] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30597307/
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