Do Supplements and Meal Replacements Actually Work?

The health world is constantly discovering new and exciting ways to help us maintain our wellbeing. From better exercise regimes all the way to fantastic new meal plans. But there is one hotly contested topic that seems to come under a lot of flak from the public. And that is supplements and Meal Replacements.

But there is a lot to unpack here, so we are going to break it all down for you and examine if these Supplements and Meal Replacements actually work.

What Are They

To start, let us clarify what we mean by supplements. Supplements, as the name implies, are designed to replace certain foods within your diet, or be used alongside your normal diet.

They often come in pill or capsule form. Each one is different, depending on what it contains. They are filled with various nutrients that our body needs and often finds from various foods and snacks. The idea is that you can cut down on unhealthy snacking or overeating by taking the supplements instead. But, and this is important to note, they aren’t meant to work in place of proper meals.

But that is where Meal Replacements come in. These are often a bit heartier than simple tablets. Often coming in the form of powders, which you then turn into a thick drink. Meal Replacements are as the name suggest replacements for a complete meal in its entirety.

Do They Work

This question doesn’t have a simple answer. So we are going to look at it in terms of both the technical answer and the health answer.

Technically, Yes. These products do tend to work in the sense that they provide the body with the nutrients needed and can stand in for a complete meal without leaving you starving or your body deprived of what it needs. Very technically they can often be more efficient in terms of nutrient gain than eating food normally.

Healthwise, there is no one answer. It is all dependant on a number of factors. Firstly, your body. No two bodies are identical. Some need more nutrients than others. Some can get by with very little. So some people may be able to take supplements and find it works wonders for them, while others will get nothing from it.

It also depends on branding. There are a lot of dubious and potentially harmful products out there designed to be sold as part of pyramid schemes. These products are often detrimental to your health in the long term or actually have no benefit at all.

But there are plenty of brands out there that do work wonders. Companies that are run by professional health specialists and designed to make life easier for those who might suffer from eating conditions. So overall it is possible to find supplements and meal replacement that work quite well.

Saftey

This is the biggest issue that we need to discuss. Concerning these products, there are a lot more safety factors to consider. The first being how dangerous fad diets can become. We spoke to someone who tried the bodyboss method, a popular fad diet scheme and discovered just how detrimental these sorts of things can become.

The same can happen with supplements and meal replacement. They can become addictive or be used in ways that can cause more harm to the body than good. When using any of these products you should first consult your doctor to make sure it is right for you.

We hope this has been helpful. There are lots of great products out there that can help you get a leg up on your health. As long as you do your research, you’ll be fine.