Can bright green ‘super powders’ really make you healthy?
亮绿色的“超级粉末”真的能让你健康吗？
Companies selling super green supplements claim a scoop of their magic powder, mixed with water, is all you need to improve your health.
销售超级绿色补充剂的公司声称，一勺他们的神奇粉末与水混合，就是你改善健康所需要的。
Many promise a long list of potential benefits, such as stronger hair and nails, increased energy and decreased bloating.
他们承诺有一长串潜在的好处，比如更强壮的头发和指甲，增加能量和减少腹胀。
The clean, often green packaging advertises a list of ingredients such as pre and probiotics, antioxidants and vitamins.
这种干净、通常是绿色的包装宣传了一系列成分，如益生素、益生菌、抗氧化剂和维生素。
But experts have told the BBC there are easier and cheaper ways to get these nutrients into our diets.
但专家告诉 BBC ，有更简单、更便宜的方法可以将这些营养素纳入我们的饮食。
Tamsin Hill, a registered dietitian for the NHS, says she first came across them through targeted social media advertising and, because of her job, looked into what they were offering.
英国国家医疗服务体系的注册营养师 Tamsin Hill 说，她第一次看到他们是通过有针对性的社交媒体广告，因为她的工作，她调查了他们提供的服务。
She looked at the market leader, Athletic Greens, which was last valued at £945m ($1.2bn), and claims that taking its superfood powder AG1 made users feel more energetic, have clearer skin and less cravings.
她观察了市场领导者 Athletic Greens ，该公司最近的估值为 9.45 亿英镑（12亿美元），并声称服用其超级食品粉末 AG1 可以让用户感觉更有活力，皮肤更干净，减少食欲。
“I looked on the back of the packet at the ingredients and thought they weren’t likely to improve your health in a significant way,” she tells the BBC.
她告诉英国广播公司：“我看了看包装背面的成分，认为它们不太可能在很大程度上改善你的健康。”。
Another company, Rheal Superfoods, which was featured on BBC programme Dragon’s Den in 2021, claims its daily super greens blend supports digestive health, immune system and “overall wellness from within”.
另一家公司 Rheal Superfoods 于 2021 年在 BBC 的《龙穴》节目中亮相，声称其每日超级绿色混合物有助于消化健康、免疫系统和“从内部实现整体健康”。
Free Soul’s FS Greens blend also makes similar claims, promising to offer digestion and immunity support through key ingredients such as ashwagandha, golden kiwi and maca.
Free Soul 的 FS Greens 混合物也提出了类似的主张，承诺通过印度人参 、金色猕猴桃和玛咖等关键成分提供消化和免疫支持。
A spokesperson for Athletic Greens told the BBC: “Our team of scientists and researchers have reviewed thousands of studies as part of the formulation and continuous improvement process for AG1.”
Athletic Greens 的一位发言人告诉 BBC ：“作为 AG1 配方和持续改进过程的一部分，我们的科学家和研究人员团队已经审查了数千项研究。”
The Free Soul team also told us their product “includes clinically studied and patented ingredients”.
Free Soul 团队还告诉我们，他们的产品“包括临床研究和专利成分”。
Rheal Superfoods, which was also contacted by the BBC, does not make any scientific claims in its online marketing.
BBC 也联系了 Rheal Superfoods ，该公司在其在线营销中没有做出任何科学声明。
These products have also been approved to be sold in the UK by the Food Standards Association, the regulator which monitors food safety.
这些产品也已被监督食品安全的监管机构食品标准协会批准在英国销售。
‘Playing on our health anxieties’
“利用我们的健康焦虑”
Miss Hill says analysing these three products in particular: “If we look at the research, these claims aren’t backed up by scientific evidence and the evidence that we do have is very poor quality.”
Hill 女士特别分析了这三种产品：“如果我们看看研究，这些说法没有科学证据支撑，我们所掌握的证据质量非常差。”
She adds: “It has very few people in the studies and lots of them are only in a petri dish, so fairly unreliable.”
她补充道：“研究中的人很少，而且很多人只是在培养皿中试验，所以相当不可靠。”
Miss Hill says she feels that these products, which count as ultra-processed because they have a complicated manufacturing process, “are playing on our health anxieties”.
希尔女士说，她觉得这些产品“利用了我们的健康焦虑”，因为它们的制造过程复杂，所以被视为超加工产品。
She says from her experience as a dietitian that “younger generations are becoming increasingly health-conscious” but is concerned “people are being misled into spending money for a perceived health benefit that’s not really there”.
她说，从她作为一名营养师的经验来看，“年轻一代越来越注重健康”，但她担心“人们被误导，为了一种感知不到的健康益处而花钱”。
Registered nutritionist and author Jenna Hope says she thought super green products initially had a niche appeal, but says the huge number of products available on the market “suggests that people are buying them”.
注册营养师兼作家 Jenna Hope 表示，她认为超级绿色产品最初具有利基吸引力，但市场上大量的产品“表明人们正在购买”。
One industry estimate suggests the green powder market will double from £220m in 2023 to nearly £395m by 2030.
一项行业估计表明，到 2030 年，绿色粉末市场将翻一番，从 2023 年的 2.2 亿英镑增至近 3.95 亿英镑。
“There’s lots of misleading information – these brands make you think you need these products to be healthy and support your cognitive function, your gut health, energy and sleep,” Ms Hope tells the BBC.
“有很多误导性信息——这些品牌让你认为你需要这些产品来保持健康，支持你的认知功能、肠道健康、能量和睡眠，”霍普女士告诉 BBC 。
“But actually we know that if you focus on having a healthy and balanced diet, you can get those benefits as well and don’t need to consume these elite green powders,” she adds.
她补充道：“但事实上，我们知道，如果你专注于健康均衡的饮食，你也可以获得这些好处，而不需要食用这些优质的绿色粉末。”。
‘It’s the weekly budget of a food shop’
“这是一家食品店的每周预算”
Super green powder supplements vary in price, but cost about £1 to £4 per day depending on which one you choose.
超级绿色粉末补充剂的价格各不相同，但每天的价格约为 1 至 4 英镑，具体取决于您选择哪一种。
“For some people that can be the weekly budget of a food shop,” Ms Hope says.
霍普女士说：“对于一些人来说，这可能是食品店的每周预算。”。
“So if we instead focus on consuming lots of fruits and vegetables, even things like frozen spinach, greens, beans and pulses like lentils and whole grains, that’s really affordable,” she adds.
她补充道：“因此，如果我们转而关注大量的水果和蔬菜，甚至是冷冻菠菜、绿色蔬菜、豆类和豆类，如扁豆和全谷物，那真的是负担得起的。”。
Ms Hope emphasises that even reducing your intake of refined sugars, artificial sweeteners and ultra-processed foods will have a really positive effect on your health.
霍普女士强调，即使减少精制糖、人造甜味剂和超加工食品的摄入，也会对你的健康产生真正的积极影响。
‘There really isn’t a one size fits all’
“真的没有一刀切的办法”
Miss Hill says that while these supplements may not have the science behind them to back up their claims, “they’re not harmful, so people can try them if they want to”.
希尔女士说，虽然这些补充剂可能没有科学依据来支持他们的说法，但“它们无害，所以人们可以尝试，如果他们想的话”。
There is also another aspect that Ms Hope considers, that “for some people, they can put you in a healthy mindset”.
霍普女士还考虑了另一个方面，即“对一些人来说，他们可以让你保持健康的心态”。
“So if you start your day with these greens, you may feel more confident to make healthier choices later on in the day, even if they don’t necessarily make you healthier,” she adds.
她补充道：“因此，如果你以这些绿色蔬菜开始新的一天，你可能会更有信心在当天晚些时候做出更健康的选择，即使它们不一定会让你更健康。”。
Ms Hope also considers that for people who are perhaps time-poor, there might be a benefit.
霍普女士还认为，对于那些可能时间紧迫的人来说，这可能会带来好处。
“There really isn’t a one size fits all – if you take an individual with a highly stressful job, this could help them get closer to an adequate amount of nutrients,” she adds.
她补充道：“这真的不是一刀切的——如果你让一个人从事压力很大的工作，这可以帮助他们获得足够的营养。”。
She says they can also help people with dietary restrictions that prevent them from consuming some types of fruit and vegetables.
她说，它们还可以帮助人们克服饮食限制，防止他们食用某些类型的水果和蔬菜。
Tips for a healthy diet
健康饮食小贴士
Nichola Ludlam-Raine, who represents the British Dietetic Association, tells the BBC “whole foods should always be the first choice for nutrition”.
英国饮食协会的代表 NicholaLudlam-Raine 告诉 BBC “全食物应该永远是营养的首选”。
“Green supplements are certainly not necessary for health or a healthy diet, and in addition they do not count towards your five-a-day,” she adds.
她补充道：“绿色补充剂当然不是健康或健康饮食所必需的，此外，它们也不计入你每天五次的饮食。”。
She recommends that people should focus on eating 30 different plant-based foods a week, such as whole grains, to increase fibre intake and adds that anyone who wants to take a green supplement should first consult a dietitian or registered nutritionist.
她建议人们每周应重点吃 30 种不同的植物性食物，如全谷物，以增加纤维的摄入，并补充说，任何想服用绿色补充剂的人都应首先咨询营养师或注册营养师。
原文：https://www.bbc.com/news/health-68412650
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