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:
Herbalife has been in hot water because of their “Multi-Level Marketing Scheme” (the FTCs words, not mine), and
Most Herbalife reviews you’ll come across are quite biased because the site owners have a vested interest in selling Herbalife products.
I’ve analyzed dozens of protein powders, including Garden of Life, 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 …
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Herbalife Reviews: Is Herbalife Protein Powder Healthy?
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 they may 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 befilled 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.”
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 cite this one published in the Journal of Nutrition:
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
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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
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Red Flags–Peanut Butter Cookie:
Contains “natural” flavors
Contains gums, fillers, and additives
Contains corn- and soy-based ingredients
Personalized Protein Powder
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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 – .06/gram (you can get a good organic raw vegan protein powder without the fillers and other junk for only $.06/gram)
Want a Better Alternative to Herbalife (With Organic, Whole Food Ingredients and None of the Junk)?
2 scoops Pure Food Raw Cacao protein powder
