Greens Powders We Don’t Recommend

Huel Daily Greens for $50: Huel’s greens powders come in a big bag with a scoop, and an optional shaker bottle that is included for free if you purchase from the Huel website for the first time. The normal flavor is horrifyingly bad. I am not a person who gags easily, ever, and I thought I was going to actually hurl as I walked around my kitchen gagging after trying it. It is oddly reminiscent of banana, but specifically the white stringy parts of a banana, mixed with the way dog food smells. It’s bitter, savory, and vaguely sweet at the same time. I could only sip it a few times to get those tasting notes down before I dumped it down the drain. The Watermelon flavor is, somehow, even worse. Like if you drank whole milk mixed with a watermelon seltzer water and added in a dash of white button mushrooms. I won’t tell you what’s in this powder because I can’t in good conscience recommend it to you. Even if you hate the taste of Brussels sprouts, I promise they’re still preferable to this supplement. And! To add insult to injury, this vile powder made me gassy, which I am unfortunately admitting to you here on the internet in the hope that it further persuades you to try something else.

Amazing Grass Sweet Greens for $30: I’ve been drinking powdered greens for over a year now, and I can say that, like broccoli or Vegemite, many if not most greens brands are an acquired taste. Ironically, none has challenged my ability to keep drinking ground-up spirulina and alfalfa as much as Sweet Greens, Amazing Grass’ attempt at making greens more palatable. “Fall in love with greens all over again,” say the marketing materials, promising tasty fruit flavors like Peach Hibiscus, Summer Berry, and Tropical Lime. For reasons known only to myself at that exact moment in time, I bought the latter, and if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to add plain stevia to a bucket of moldy cardboard covered in pond water, you might enjoy Tropical Lime Sweet Greens. For everyone else, I’d recommend sticking with Bloom. —Kat Merck

WelleCo Super Elixir for $85: This powder claims to come “without the bitter greens taste,” but bitter greens were all I could taste with the Lemon and Ginger flavor. It wasn’t outright offensive, per se, but the flavor combined with the texture made this a miss for me. The powder took forever to fully dissolve, and it left behind a gritty texture that made me want to brush my teeth—no matter how much I diluted it, the granules stuck to the roof of my mouth and all of my tooth enamel. The nutritional profile isn’t bad, with added biotin, zinc, and copper, but, ultimately, I think this greens powder would be too difficult to drink on a daily basis for the average person to reap any benefits. Unless you want to plug your nose and chug it, I’d recommend going with another pick.

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Last Updated:June 22, 2025, 17:57 IST

While therapy, and lifestyle changes are essential tools to manage mental health, many women are also turning to supplements to support their mental well-being.

From juggling careers and family to navigating hormonal shifts, women often carry a complex emotional load. In the pursuit of balance, mental well-being can sometimes take a backseat. While therapy, mindfulness, and lifestyle changes are essential tools, many women are also turning to natural supplements to support their emotional health. Backed by science and rooted in holistic wellness, these supplements can play a gentle yet impactful role in managing stress, mood swings, anxiety, and fatigue.

Jeevan Kasara, Director and CEO of Steris Healthcare Pvt. Ltd shares about how targeted nutrients can help nurture the mind, and why supporting mental well-being naturally is more relevant than ever.

Why Supplements Matter for Mental Well-being

An individual’s mental well-being is closely tied to their physical health; moods can be changed or energy levels affected directly by nutritional deficiencies that might be subtle and overlooked. Kasara explains, “For instance, irritability and fatigue may result from low vitamin B12 or iron levels, while a decrease inomega-33 could contribute to mood disorders. Such vitamins that can help supplement meals are essential in stress management as well as hormonal balance and even brain function support.”

Kasara shares some key Supplements that support women’s mental health.

Magnesium – Magnesium, also called the ‘relaxation mineral’, plays an important role in calming the nervous system. It helps regulate cortisol (the stress hormone) and supports better sleep. Most women do not know they have low magnesium levels which can worsen their anxiety, PMS symptoms or lead to insomnia.

Vitamin B Complex – B vitamins, mainly B6, B9 (folate) and B12, are vital for brain health because they assist in manufacturing neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine that regulate a healthy mood. Kasara explains, “B-complex supplements will work great on women with mood swings, fatigue or postpartum depression.”

Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Omega-3s found in fish oil and flaxseed oil support brain health and reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that they may help with symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Adaptogenic Herbs – Herbs like ashwagandha, rhodiola, and holy basil to name a few helps the body to respond to stress by controlling cortisol levels.

Probiotics – Good mental health begins in the gut through the gut-brain axis where there is a strong connection between your mental status and probiotics. A healthy gut microbiome plays a key role in keeping our mood stable, enhancing memory, and managing stress levels. It also supports digestion, making it essential for maintaining overall emotional and physical balance.

Vitamin D – Women who spend most of their time indoors tend to suffer from depression due to low vitamin D levels. Taking Vitamin D3 supplement every day helps boost moods particularly during monsoon as well as winters and even aids in enhancing immunity.

Though supplements can provide relief naturally, they cannot address all kinds of situations. Kasara adds, “If you are pregnant or undergoing chronic illnesses, consult a doctor before starting any supplementation. Furthermore, do not consider dietary supplements as alternatives for good living habits such as balanced diets, regular exercise, or psychological specialist services provided by professionals.”

Mental wellness among women is an integral part of overall health. This emotional resilience can be enhanced further if combined with targeted nutritional supplementation and indulging in mindful practices like yoga, journaling and enough rest.

Location :

Delhi, India, India

First Published:

For the million or so Britons who suffer urinary tract infections (UTIs) every year, the symptoms are all too familiar: discomfort, rushing to the loo and a burning sensation when peeing.

And although antibiotics are routinely prescribed, many patients – more commonly women than men – either find the drugs don’t always cure the problem or the infections quickly return.

But experts now believe these debilitating infections could, in some cases, be prevented and treated with a dietary supplement costing as little as 50p a day.

In her Mail on Sunday column last week, Dr Ellie Cannon wrote that, despite being sceptical about supplements in general, she’d been impressed by patients’ experiences with one called D-mannose.

In response, dozens of readers sent messages detailing how taking it had dramatically improved their health.

Jane Ellaby, 75, from near Sheffield, struggled for years with the bladder infection cystitis – until D-mannose banished her symptoms. She said: ‘I’ve recommended this supplement to several friends who’ve also had positive results.’

Maureen Mathieson, 57, from Ayrshire, has taken D-mannose for five years. She said: ‘I regularly suffered from UTIs which made me miserable – despite repeatedly taking antibiotics. A nurse suggested D-mannose and it’s been really successful.’

And for Elaine Leake, 75, from Durham, up to six bladder infections a year also meant regular antibiotics – until a urologist recommended D-mannose. She said: ‘I haven’t had a bladder infection since April 2021.’

In her Mail on Sunday column last week, Dr Ellie Cannon (pictured) wrote that, despite being sceptical about supplements in general, she’d been impressed by patients’ experiences with one called D-mannose 

According to Dr Cat Anderson, a GP and specialist in women’s health, the benefits can’t be overstated. 

She says: ‘People who haven’t suffered UTIs tend to underestimate how devastating they can be. At worst, patients can be peeing up to 50 times a day: they don’t sleep, they become depressed and run-down, their immune system takes a hit.

‘Finding something like D-mannose that actually helps is incredibly valuable.’

Each year more than a million Britons, 80 per cent of them women, develop a UTI in either the bladder, urethra (the tube carrying urine out of the bladder) or kidneys. Most are caused by bacteria in the urinary tract – with E.coli responsible for up to 90 per cent of cases.

D-mannose is a form of sugar molecule found in some fruits and vegetables – and is sold as a dietary supplement, in tablets or powder form.

It is not absorbed by the body and is quickly excreted in urine. Experts who back its use believe that, while passing through the urinary tract, the molecule binds to harmful bacteria which are then flushed away before they can cause infection.

Dr Anderson says: ‘It’s a bit like rolling a sticky dough-ball in flour. The bacteria – especially E.coli – bind to the D-mannose molecules rather than to bladder cells.’

However, scientific research is divided on D-mannose, and it is not prescribed on the NHS.

Most UTIs are caused by bacteria in the urinary tract – with E.coli responsible for up to 90 per cent of cases (stock Image)

A study earlier this year by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) concluded it does not prevent UTIs. 

But a German study published in 2022 in the journal Antibiotics, found that, in patients with acute cystitis, D-mannose produced ‘very good clinical cure rates’. 

Dr Anderson is confident that more in-depth research will conclusively prove the value of the supplement. 

She says: ‘You have to pump millions into high-grade clinical trials, but UTIs aren’t an area like cancer or heart disease that attracts funding. But if these trials were performed, I can guarantee D-mannose would deliver.

‘Until then, there’s nothing better than experiential evidence – speaking to patients and listening to what they say works.’

Ased Ali, a consultant urological surgeon at Pinderfields Hospital in West Yorkshire and also a member of the medical panel for charity Bladder Health UK, says that as D-mannose has a low risk of side effects it should be considered for patients plagued by UTIs. 

He adds: ‘I’ve seen some very positive results in practice. Given its low risk, I think it’s reasonable to consider D-mannose as part of a broader approach to UTI prevention.’

It’s certainly something MoS reader Sue Molt, 75, from Rochdale, would recommend. She wrote: ‘Finally I found something that helped my problem – and I’ve never looked back.’