Monthly Archives: February 2017

Herbalife Protein Powder has a sales model similar to Shakeology: they pay other people to sell and promote their products (this is called MLM, or Multi-Level Marketing).

I mention this for two reasons:

1. Herbalife has been in hot water because of their “Multi-Level Marketing Scheme” (the FTCs words, not mine), and
2. Most Herbalife reviews you’ll come across are completely biased because the site owners have a vested interest in selling Herbalife products.

I’ve analyzed dozens of protein powders, including Vega, PlantFusion, Aria, and more and here’s the truth about what my Herbalife reviews revealed:

Herbalife shakes / protein powders have some ingredients you might want to take a second look at

In this Herbalife protein powder analysis, I used three objective criteria: 1.) Ingredients, 2.) Nutrition, and 3.) Cost.

Let’s see how they stack up …

Herbalife Reviews: Is Herbalife Protein Powder Healthy?

Here’s what Herbalife says on its website:

Similar to my other plant protein powder analyses, I am reviewing Herbalife protein powder and shakes based on health and nutrition … NOT taste. If you want to know how it tastes, read the Herbalife reviews on Amazon.

Overall, there are 5 things that I think could be improved with Herbalife protein powders:

1. Their ingredients are not organic, which means you can be certain some of their ingredients have been sprayed with chemical pesticides and herbicides.

2. The sugar content in many of their products is high (more on this below).

3. At $.05/gram, Herbalife is not cheap. You can get protein powder with organic ingredients for about the same price.

4. Similar to 99.9% of protein powders on the market, Herbalife protein powders have “natural” flavors. Natural flavors may be filled with chemicals, according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG). The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says natural flavors “may trigger an acute, allergic reaction, intolerance, or other problems.”

Click here to get my FREE report on the dangers of natural flavors.

5. The protein sources for most Herbalife shakes are the two I recommend least: whey and soy. Learn more about whey protein dangers and side effects here. Soy is one of the “Big 8” food allergens. The soy protein in most powders usually comes from GMO soybeans that are often processed using the petroleum-based solvent hexane. Dr. Mike Roussell, a nutrition scientist who has been published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also had this to say about soy protein: 

Ninety percent of genetically modified soy is resistant to glyphosate, the pesticide found in Round Up. A concern raised about eating products with soy protein isolate is that you will consume excessive amounts of this chemical.

Look, you guys, the data is shaky at best about soy protein. Some studies say it’s safe and effective for older women. Others like the one above suggest it may contain chemicals. I’ll stay unbiased and cite this one:

Overall, existing data are inconsistent or inadequate in supporting most of the suggested health benefits of consuming soy protein.

Next we’ll look at the nutrition facts and ingredients for each of Herbalife’s protein powders and shakes. I’ve listed the nutrition label for all products below, along with red flags under each set of images.

Herbalife Protein Powder Ingredients and Nutrition Facts

Formula 1 Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake Mix

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Red Flags–Formula 1 Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake Mix:

10 grams of sugar

Contains gums, fillers, flavors, and additives

Contains corn- and soy-based ingredients

Protein Drink Mix Chocolate

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Red Flags–Protein Drink Mix Chocolate:

Contains “natural” flavors

Contains gums, fillers, and additives

Contains corn- and soy-based ingredients

Protein Drink Mix Vanilla

Click/tap to enlarge:

Red Flags–Protein Drink Mix Vanilla:

Contains “natural” flavors

Contains gums, fillers, and additives

Contains corn- and soy-based ingredients

Protein Drink Mix Peanut Butter Cookie

Click/tap to enlarge:

Red Flags–Peanut Butter Cookie:

Contains “natural” flavors

Contains gums, fillers, and additives

Contains corn- and soy-based ingredients

Personalized Protein Powder

Click/tap to enlarge:

Red Flags–Personalized Protein Powder:

Contains “natural” flavors

Contains gums, fillers, and additives

Contains dairy- and soy-based ingredients

Formula 1 + PDM Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake Mix

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Red Flags–Herbalife Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix:

6 grams of sugar

Contains “natural” flavors

Contains a looooong list of high processed gums, fillers, and additives

Contains corn- and soy-based ingredients

Bottom Line: Is Herbalife Healthy?

Herbalife shakes and protein powders leave something to be desired.

Unfortunately, all of them:

a) Are not organic.

b) Contain sugar or artificial sweeteners

c) Contain fillers, additives, and/or “flavors”

d) Have a premium price of $.05/gram (you can get a good organic raw vegan protein powder for only $.06/gram)

Want a Better Alternative to Herbalife (With Organic, Whole Food Ingredients and None of the Junk)?

Then Check Out Pure Food