Let’s just put this out there: Supplements have a ton of junk in them. A huge variety of artificial additives get tossed into pre-workouts, protein powders and meal replaces for any number of reasons. And, sometimes, these chemically stuffed products are the most readily available option.
At Gnarly, though, we don’t mess with that stuff. All of our products are completely natural. Why do we care so much about avoiding artificial additives? Here are just seven reasons why natural supplements are better.
No artificial dyes – Let’s start with dyes, which are used to color supplements and change their appearance. In their natural state, most ingredients used in supplements are white or some pale shade of brown. Not the most appealing of colors. Unfortunately, the artificial dyes commonly used in supplements and foods have been linked to a host of health problems – most notably, hyperactivity in children. While the Food and Drug Administration has not yet acted on these findings, products containing these dyes must carry warning labels in the European Union. Natural pre-workout supplements, natural protein powder and natural meal replacement shakes should be free of these dyes.
No artificial flavors – Similarly, many raw ingredients used in supplements are either flavorless or bitter when they first start out. In an effort to improve this – and keep costs down – manufacturers pull from a wide selection of artificially created flavors. Since these flavors can come from innumerable sources, it’s difficult to pin down one reason to avoid them all. Except this: they ruin your taste. Some experts argue that the heightened taste experience we get from artificial foods has reprogrammed our brains to expect flavors much stronger than exist in the natural world. This, in turn, makes us crave unhealthy foods and reject whole foods that don’t have the same impact.
No artificial preservatives – Foods go bad, that’s just how things work. But that isn’t really acceptable for the modern grocery store where products can sit on the shelf for weeks or even months. So, then, preservatives come into play. Unfortunately, many of the chemicals used to increase the shelf-life of foods and supplements have been linked to hormonal disruptions, cancer and other health concerns.
No artificial texturizers – One of the other aspects of foods that manufacturers worry about is the texture. And this remains true for supplements. A supplement has to mix well and people prefer their protein powders to have a nice creamy, consistency. And, while natural protein powder and natural meal replacement shakes will have this texture on their own, products made with inferior ingredients need some help. Emulsifiers used to thicken supplements have been shown to cause obesity, diabetes and heart disease by negatively affecting the development of the bacteria that naturally inhabit the human digestive tract.
No artificial sweeteners – Typically many times sweeter than sugar, these calorie-free additives seem like a great option at first. Unfortunately, various artificial sweeteners have been shown to contribute to a host of health problems including cancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Natural supplements, though, use various plant extracts to achieve the same effect without the risks.
Better nutrition – Looked at together, this contributes to a much better nutritional profile. Plus, since natural pre-workout supplements, natural protein powder and natural meal replacement shakes use natural ingredients instead of artificial, they tend to carry with them other health benefits.
Better results – As mentioned, many of these additives can cause obesity and diabetes. Which, if you’re working on improving your body composition and athletic ability… doesn’t really work. Avoiding these chemicals will help you to only get the benefits you’re looking for from the supplements, without any counter-effective additives.
To get the most out of your supplements, then, pick things like Gnarly Pump, Gnarly Whey and Gnarly Feast that are packed with all natural ingredients and absolutely nothing artificial.
