05.11.2020 Alena Masheva Health
Among manufacturers of weight loss products, Herbalife occupies a special position. His activities were criticized many times, and the drugs were called useless. Despite everything, the company's offices operate all over the world, and some of its products are popular and well recognized. Herbalife herbal drink is a tea that is used to cleanse the body and safely lose weight. Below we will take a closer look at its composition, rules of administration and consumer reviews.
General information
Mark Hughes was once inspired by the idea of creating products for healthy weight loss. It was he who created the Herbalife company in the USA in 1980. He released a line of dietary supplements for weight loss and proper nutrition, among which tea occupied a special place.
The company claims that the drugs contain only extracts, powders and extracts from medicinal fruits and herbs that affect the body without harm to health, helping to normalize metabolism, reduce weight, and improve the condition of skin and hair.
Herbalife weight loss products have a convenient form of use. All supplements and teas are tested and developed in our own laboratories, and also have the necessary certificates. There are more than eighty company offices around the world, including in Russia. Therefore, it is easy to buy products from this brand.
Conclusions - which is better
- Energy Diet products have a rather aggressive advertising campaign, which causes indignation and criticism from potential buyers. Many people consider cocktails to be unreasonably expensive, arguing that they are no different from similar dietary supplements.
- Herbalife is calmer with its advertising company and the demand for its products has been high for many years. However, it cannot be said that these cocktails are better in composition than Energy Diets. ED has a more diverse range, and also offers special programs for weight loss and mass gain. There are still many people willing to buy the products.
- With Energy Diets, it is enough to consume one product, but Herbalife has a division by nutrients, so you need to purchase supplements, which creates additional costs.
We can conclude
that Herbalife and Energy Diet cocktails have minor differences. When taste is important, it is better to go with ED. Herbalife protein shakes can be chosen in all other cases. Now they are not much different in price, so the cost of one course will be almost the same. The choice depends more on taste preferences and attitude towards the manufacturer.
What are the benefits of the drink
It is worth immediately debunking the myth that the Herbalife herbal drink burns fat. Actually this is not true. The components that make up tea act differently. They cleanse the body of toxins, remove excess fluid, reduce appetite and improve intestinal motility.
The benefits of the drink are as follows:
- metabolism is stimulated;
- vitality increases;
- swelling goes away;
- excess water and toxins are removed;
- cheerfulness and lightness appear;
- digestion improves;
- appetite decreases.
Composition and properties of the main components
The composition of the Herbalife herbal drink includes extracts of black and green tea, hibiscus, cardamom, coffee powder and mallow. Below we will take a closer look at each of these components.
- Green tea extract. It has tonic and antioxidant properties and contains caffeine. The therapeutic effect is ensured thanks to vitamin P included in the composition. It lowers blood pressure, strengthens blood vessels, normalizes blood sugar and cholesterol. Catechins have antiviral and antimicrobial effects. Vitamins, enzymes and minerals have a beneficial effect on metabolism, increase metabolism, promote the elimination of toxins and the breakdown of fats. Antioxidant properties slow down the aging process, prevent cell oxidation and have a positive effect on the skin.
- Black tea extract. Improves memory, activates mental activity, stimulates metabolism, relieves fatigue, normalizes heart activity, speeds up metabolism, and is good for teeth. In addition, it contains quercetin, which prevents the formation of blood clots. Black tea extract also contains organic acids, alkaloids, tannins, essential oils and vitamins. And manganese and iron have a beneficial effect on a person’s overall well-being.
- Mallow extract. Strengthens the body's antioxidant defense as it is considered a source of anthocyanins. Caffeine tones and speeds up metabolism. Improves the effects of green tea, which helps eliminate fat more effectively.
- Hibiscus flowers. They contain a special complex of fruit and amino acids, inorganic and organic microelements, and a large amount of vitamins. Hibiscus flowers also contain polysaccharides, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. All this helps cleanse the body, remove toxins, improve metabolism and slow down the formation of fat. A complex of microelements and vitamins provides the body with vital energy, helps overcome fatigue, and improves immunity.
- Cardamom extract normalizes digestion. It is considered one of the best stimulants for the digestive system. Contains calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, B vitamins and beneficial essential oils. Removes waste and toxins from the body.
- Lemon zest extract. Contains a large amount of bioflavonoids, which help better absorb vitamins and other beneficial substances.
Efficiency
It has been proven that cocktails are much easier to digest by the body. This is due to the fact that as a result of grinding, their cell membrane is destroyed, so the components of the cocktail are absorbed much faster.
The composition of weight loss cocktails is filled with vitamins contained in raw vegetables, fruits and herbs. Some of them deliberately speed up metabolic processes, causing energy to be burned faster.
Herbalife herbal drink: how to drink
Since tea contains quite a lot of caffeine, experts advise drinking it in the morning and afternoon, but no later than 17:00. The drink is brewed very simply: 0.5 teaspoon of powder is poured with hot, warm or cold water, it all depends on the person’s preferences. Tea is consumed several times a day, and the time of consumption does not depend on food.
The therapeutic course lasts one month, then a break is taken. Herbalife herbal drink can be used not only for weight loss, but also for loss of strength, chronic fatigue, and decreased performance. The calorie content of the product is only 5 kcal per serving.
Rules of use
For sports nutrition, instructions are drawn up together with a doctor, because this product is tied to training, body weight, and other physiological nuances. Mostly dry protein powder is drunk in small doses (serving less than 10 g), diluted with any unsweetened liquid. If we consider the Energy Diet and analogues of these cocktails, then first you should study the list of contraindications, and then the basic rules for use:
- Before your weight loss cocktail, you should drink a glass of warm water. An hour after this product too.
- The powder mixture is diluted with cold milk, preferably low-fat.
- Throughout the day you need to drink 2-2.5 liters of clean water.
- Energy Diet analogs can replace 1 or 2 meals, but cannot be the only source of nutrition.
Side effects and contraindications
Long-term use of this tea can cause dizziness, insomnia and dry mouth. In some cases, the heart rhythm is disrupted, blood pressure rises, and a depressed emotional state occurs. Before using the Herbalife Tea herbal drink, you need to consult a doctor.
The drug is contraindicated for:
- pregnancy and breastfeeding;
- diabetes mellitus;
- individual intolerance to components;
- chronic stomach diseases;
- increased nervous excitability;
- hypertension;
- disorders of the liver and kidneys;
- diseases of the circulatory system;
- pronounced atherosclerosis.
You should also not drink tea for migraines and severe headaches until the causes of their occurrence are clear.
Does everyone lose weight?
During the time that the company has been selling its products, thousands of women and men have used the supplements. They drank teas, took protein shakes, ate nutritional bars, and tried to follow the consultants' recommendations.
Real reviews about Herbalife for weight loss only say that you can really get rid of extra pounds only in combination with physical activity and proper nutrition. If you don’t follow a diet and don’t exercise, no teas or nutritional supplements will help. Most people who have an unbalanced diet describe the company's products as useless products that do not help burn fat.
Cost of Herbalife and Energy Diet products
Average price of different products from Energy Diet and Herbalife:
Herbalife products | Energy Diet Products |
Formula 1 Strawberry – 990 rubles per 550 g | Porridge “Oatmeal” – 980 rubles per 630 g |
Formula 1 Cappuccino – 1240 rubles per 550 g | Soup “Mushrooms” – 935 rubles per 450 g |
“Protein” cocktail – 1025 rubles per 450 g | Omelet – 980 rubles per 450 g |
Protein product Formula 3 – 850 rubles per 240 g | Cocktails – 935 rubles per 450 g |
The opinion of doctors and those who have lost weight
On forums and websites you can find many real reviews about Herbalife. There are both positive and negative statements. After analyzing them, we can conclude that tea helps only those who refuse junk food and exercise regularly.
Many doctors are skeptical about the herbal drink for weight loss. Some admit that the drug can be used as an additional remedy when fighting extra pounds. In this case, it is able to increase the effectiveness of other methods by cleansing the body and accelerating metabolism. But the effect of tea is very small, and as an independent product for weight loss it is useless. Experts also emphasize that prolonged and uncontrolled use of the Herbalife herbal drink can be harmful to health.
Energy Diet - features and benefits
Energy Diet is a line of products that provides balanced nutrition. The dietary supplement is produced in France. The manufacturer himself says that regular use leads to weight loss, and according to a separate program, to weight gain. But these are not all the effects.
Energy Diet includes cocktails, cereals, soups, omelettes, desserts and even bread. You can prepare all these products not only at home, but also on the road. An important advantage of the line is the presence of sweet flavors, which is important for those who cannot imagine life without desserts.
The Energy Diet brand produces weight loss products, balanced and sports nutrition, drinks and teas, as well as fruit bars.
Benefits of alternative nutrition Energy Diet:
- Balanced diet. With ED, adequate nutrition is provided, all the necessary substances, fiber, and minerals enter the body. The composition of the product helps the gastrointestinal tract recover and work at full strength without problems. The food has a balanced composition of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
- Changing your usual diet. After the recommended program, it is impossible to return to unhealthy eating, because habits and taste preferences change.
- Weight loss. ED helps reduce appetite by providing the body with the right amount of carbohydrates and fats, helping to burn reserves.
- General improvement of the body. Cholesterol levels decrease, blood pressure returns to normal, sugar levels normalize, and weight decreases.
- Increase muscle mass and restore the body after training.
What’s interesting is that either competitors or dissatisfied customers have long exposed in detail each item presented. At the same time, the Energy Diet is still popular, so there is no need to talk about a complete collapse. You should approach the issue of choosing alternative nutrition comprehensively, listening to supporters and opponents.
The Energy Diet nutrition study was conducted by order of NL International at the Scientific and Methodological Center for Sports Medicine in Krasnoyarsk. The information has not been published in any scientific journal, so the results cannot be considered reliable.
Compound
The composition of the ED changes regularly. It includes milk and soy proteins, starch, dextrose, vegetable oil, inulin and others. There are also flavorings, stabilizers, leavening agents, preservatives, and dyes.
Interesting features of Energy Diet components:
- pea and soy protein are some of the cheapest sources of protein with an inferior composition of amino acids;
- milk proteins - they are in 3rd place in the composition, which means there are much fewer of them;
- simple carbohydrates – are quickly absorbed, increase insulin levels, lead to fat deposition, which can be avoided by additional physical activity;
- vegetable oil – practically no different from sunflower oil;
- Chicory inulin is a source of fiber, the most useful in the composition, helps cleanse the intestines and improve its bacterial composition.
- A 450g can has 166g protein, 198g simple carbs, 30g fibre, 42g fat.
Flaws
In the composition of ED, soy proteins come first. The fact is that they are the cheapest. Only some representatives contain milk proteins. Most people buy cocktails for the purpose of losing weight. The following disadvantage is associated with this.
The weight loss process is influenced by the amount of fats and carbohydrates consumed. Energy Diet contains quickly digestible carbohydrates - dextrose syrup and dextrose. Once in the body, they quickly turn into sugar, triggering the release of insulin. When sugar is distributed throughout the cells and becomes excess, it turns into fat tissue. We can conclude that regular consumption of these carbohydrates does not lead to weight loss, but weight gain.
Other disadvantages of Energy Diets that customers note in their reviews:
- high cost - you can buy a jar of ED from 935 rubles, when the cost is no more than 300 rubles, as independent journalists found out, and until recently the cost was from 2000 rubles;
- the minimum period of nutrition for various programs is 3 months, which significantly hits your pocket;
- It contains chemical additives and some controversial ingredients, but the manufacturer claims that only high-quality ingredients are used.
What is important is that ED is recommended for use in diabetes mellitus. In fact, this cannot be done, since the composition contains a large amount of quickly digestible carbohydrates.
Criticism
The company has faced litigation and criticism more than once. Most often, the accusations were based on the fact that the supplements produced do not provide the promised effect and are even harmful. In the 90s, the first publications appeared on the hepatotoxicity of Herbalife drugs. At the same time, studies were carried out that revealed that the drugs can cause severe kidney failure. It is worth noting that the objectivity of the results has been questioned.
In the 80s, Herbalife was called a financial pyramid. This led to the company periodically being under investigation. But here, too, guilt was never proven. The company was also called a cult, suspected of connections with Scientologists and Freemasons, and criticized for the personality cult of Mark Hughes. All this continues today. But, despite everything, Herbalife continues its activities.
Reviews
Elena Kramorova, 48 years old. Cherkessk:
«My daughter managed to lose a lot of weight. She used to be plump, but now she’s like a reed. I read on the Internet that you need to mix kefir, cinnamon and pepper. In addition to this, sometimes I ran in the evenings. Cocktails really work ».
Nadezhda Skryabina, 33 years old. Sochi:
“For many years now I have been using only protein-chocolate or protein-vanilla weight loss products from the Leovit company. They are perfect for me because I can take them with me to work and on business trips. They not only help you lose weight, but also serve as a good way to snack. I recommend it to anyone who has previously suffered from grueling diets.”
Delicious recipe! How to drink cabbage juice
The popularity of powdered nutrition for weight loss has begun to grow again - a product from the network company NL has entered the arena, and according to the manufacturer, it is impossible to find an analogue of Energy Diet, but due to the high cost of this mixture, women are trying to find an alternative. Are miracle cocktails that promise a beautiful figure without effort really so unique and is it possible to pay less but get the same effect?