I’m frequently confronted with questions about Incredible Greens and how to use it.

Here are answers to the most common ones I get.

And while I can’t speak for other companies, I would guess that my answers would suffice for most powders in general.

Can You Take A Greens Powder When Pregnant?

Most of the time taking a superfood powder when you’re pregnant is okay. They’re not designed to be harmful, and if there are any “stimulatory” herbs they usually exist in much smaller doses than if you were to take them in a pill form. And of course, we all know greens confer some health benefits as well 🙂

However, it’s always best to talk to a doctor first, and herbs like ginseng, echinacea, and licorice root are frequently found in greens powders and are considered substances that might be harmful during pregnancy.

Natural pregnancy has a good resource on herbs to avoid during pregnancy.

Given the breadth of ingredients that can go into them, it’s hard to say for sure that any superfood powder would be alright for every situation.

If you do take one, it’s best to use smaller doses than normal. Start with a teaspoon and slowly work your way up if you feel okay. But always exercise caution.

And again…..talk to your doctor first if you have questions!

Can You Give Them To Your Pet?

For a lot of reasons greens powders are probably very good for dogs, and not so much for cats.

Dogs benefit from eating vegetables, but have shorter digestive tracks than true herbivores.  Therefore dogs digest greens best when they’re pureed or mashed…..or powdered! And since many greens powders also have digestive enzymes this aids in nutrient absorption.

However, dogs have certain allergies that humans don’t so you should be careful if you’re giving them a greens powder that’s designed for humans. It’s not hard to find greens supplements designed for pets, so it’s best to go with one of those just in case.

If you do give them a human greens powder, make sure to do it slowly and monitor their behavior afterwards to make sure there are no allergies.

Why Don’t They List All The Nutritional Info On The Label?

If you look on the back of health supplements, you’ll often notice that they either won’t list all the nutritional information  on the label and frequently don’t list the exact amounts of the different ingredients in their formulas.

With regards to the latter problem, many supplement companies have a proprietary formula so they lump the ingredients together so their unique blend of ingredients isn’t given away.

Nutritional information is not listed because the manufacturer will charge the supplement company money to precisely determine the different nutrient content of the formulation, which can get fairly pricey.

Not saying this is consumer friendly, just sayin’ that’s the way it is.

Why Does The Price of Superfood Powders Vary So Much?

The price of greens powders can vary from $20 a bottle for low end varieties all the way up to $150…..and maybe more, who knows.

Here the answer is…”it depends.” Some ingredients genuinely are more expensive than others and the final price has to reflect that.

Other times it’s simply marketing.

In my experience the cost to manufacture a jar of greens powder will begin at $5 a bottle and may go up to about $15-$25 a bottle for the most expensive formulations.

The price to manufacture a bottle of greens powder will depend on the size of the bottle as well as the cost of the ingredients. Perhaps you can use that as a rough guide as to how much value you’re getting out of your greens powder.

Can You Use Greens Powders To Treat Diseases Like Cancer, Diabetes, or High Blood Pressure?

Superfood powders are popular, and useful, because their health benefits are very robust.

I’m a strong believer in the healing powers of nutrition, and most “lifestyle” diseases can be helped with just that…..a change in lifestyle. So in this respect, yes greens powders can be used to improve your nutrition which can have widespread benefits.

However, it’s possible their ingredients *might* interfere with other medication and they’re not allowed to be designed or marketed as cures for diseases……only compounds considered to be “drugs” by the FDA are allowed to do that.

What Are The Best Superfood Ingredients?

There’s no hard and fast rule here. If you want guidance on this issue I’d suggest reading my superfood buying guide.

Personally, royal jelly, acerola, and green tea extract are my favorites.

What’s The Best Brand of Superfood Powders? 

Again, it depends on what you’re looking for. I talk about this in some detail in my superfood powder buying guide and would suggest reading that.

However, here are my condensed opinons on the best ones:

If you’re looking for something decent and cost-effective then go with Amazing Grass.

If you want the best combination of taste and nutrient density then go with Incredible Greens. (Caveat: I make it).

For pure nutrient density I’d suggest Pure Synergy or Vitamineral  Green.

In my opinon Boku, Greens Plus, Dr. Ben Kim, Macro Greens, and Sun Is Shining are all outstanding products as well.

In general all greens powders are pretty good. The worst you can say is that some are overpriced.

How Should You Use A Green Superfood Powder? 

It’s really up to you.

Some taste so bad that they have to be mixed with smoothies or other drinks as a necessity.

Others taste good enough on their own.

It’s possible that cooking one with food might degrade some of the nutrients but in my opinion this isn’t an important concern for most people.  Mixing them with other foods should have no effect.

I usually drink mine with water, but I’m accustomed to their tastes.

For people just getting started with greens powders then I’d recommend mixing them with some milk, juice, yogurt, or something similar.

How Often Should You Take One? 

There’s no harm in taking a lot, but for most people one scoop or spoonful a day should suffice.

Sometimes the suggested serving size will say two full scoops or something similar, but that’s really put there at the manufacturer’s discretion.

How Long Do They Last When Opened?

Usually about 3-4 months. After that they can begin to go a little stale and lose their punch.

What Are The Biggest Benefits of a Greens Powder?

Most people report having better energy after taking one for a while.

For other people it’s simply the convenience. They know they won’t have enough green foods if they’re left to their own devices, so adding a powder to your meals fills in what they don’t get.

It’s also a good way to make sure you’re eating a wide variety of superfoods that would otherwise be very difficult to consume.

Ask yourself….how often would you eat wheatgrass or spirulina if you didn’t have a superfood powder?

What Are The Best Sources of Information on Greens Powders? 

The “product reviews” topic lists all my opinions on greens powders that I’ve tried up to this point. I try very hard to make them the most authoritative, objective sources on the net. That’s a good start.

Green Drink Reviews is also a good place to go.

I’d also steer you to my green superfood powder buying guide , where I go over in some detail how to choose the best product for you.

On my green vibrance review I have a table comparing the different products, which is currently growing and a work in progress.

And Most Importantly, Do They Really Make You Poop?

Saved the best question for last.

I’ve noticed that for people who are already in good health then taking a greens powder doesn’t change your intestines too much. Maybe a little at first, but you’ll quickly adjust.

However, if you’re new to the healthy eating thing then it’s a good idea to prepare for the worst, especially with some of the more dense mixtures out there.

If you think your body is in need of some detoxing, then it’s a good idea to start off small and slowly work your way up.