Investigating Polyphenol Disparities in Plant-Based Nutrition Shakes

To isolate and quantify the crucial nutrient in plant-based diets—polyphenols—the study aimed to discern the specific polyphenols present in each product and their respective quantities, both individually and cumulatively. The recommended daily intake of polyphenols is 400mg, but the average American consumes only 240mg.

Creative Proteomics, a specialized laboratory in New York, utilized mass spectrometry to assess the types and concentrations of 27 distinct polyphenol antioxidants within three nutritional supplements: Goode Health’s Superfood Nutrition Shake, Ka'chava Meal Replacement, and Athletic Greens’ AG1.

Expressed in milligrams of polyphenols per kilogram of product, Goode Health Chocolate measured at 7,770 mg/kg, and Goode Health Vanilla at 7,734 mg/kg. In contrast, Ka'chava Vanilla contained only 58 mg/kg, and AG1 had 439 mg/kg. Per serving, this translates to 320mg of polyphenols in Goode Health, while the other two products contained less than 5mg each. Furthermore, in terms of polyphenol diversity, Goode Health includes four polyphenols not present in Ka'chava and three completely absent in AG1.