What is a diet shake?
Simply put, a diet shake is a drink that is intended to help reduce body weight. More specifically, diet shakes are often a drink intended to replace a normal meal of the day. In order not to make you feel hungry, they often have a specific macronutrient distribution, which also helps to save calories. In addition, they are packed full of micronutrients such as vitamins and trace elements.
What diet shakes are available?
Supermarkets and drugstores, but especially the Internet now offer a variety of different diet shakes. Whether on vegetable or animal basis, the possibilities seem almost inexhaustible. And also the price range moves from less than a euro per meal with the self-marks up to two or three euro per Shake with nameful manufacturers.
Some of the shakes are now even offered as a combination with specially designed fitness programs to maximize the success of these programs. The Diät Shake of DM comes from the house mark the healthy plus and is available in two flavours. One can of the powder contains 500g, which corresponds to ten servings.
In terms of macronutrient distribution, 100g Diet Shake Powder contains 43g protein, 27g carbohydrates (24g sugar) and 13g fat (10.5g unsaturated fatty acids). In addition, the shake contains a lot of trace elements and micronutrients like potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, etc. Furthermore, the shake contains vitamins A, D, E, C, B1-12, H. In terms of protein composition, the shake contains 18 different amino acids, which cover all 9 essential amino acids.
The main amino acids are glutamate (glutamic acid) and aspartate (aspartic acid), which is similar to the situation in the human body. The recommended consumption of shakes is to follow the diet over three weeks, whereby in the first week three meals are to be replaced by shakes, in the last week only one meal is to be replaced by a shake. The consumption recommendation on the back side is to dissolve 50g of the powder in 200ml of water – preferably mixed with a blender to achieve a pleasant consistency.
An addition of oil is not necessary for this shake. The diet shake from the Rossmann drugstore is called Well-Mix-Shake. One can contains 350g, which corresponds to 14 portions according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
This shake is available in various flavours, which allows more variety compared to the DM shake. The macronutrient distribution of this shake reads as follows: 49g protein, 19g carbohydrates (including 3g sugar) and 1.5g fat (including about 0.5 saturated fatty acids). This shake also contains a lot of trace elements and micronutrients like potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, etc.
In addition, the shake contains the vitamins A, D, E, K, C, B1-12, H. A more detailed breakdown of the amino acid profile, as is the case with the competitor product of DM, is missing on the back of this shake. Unfortunately, no information can be given in this regard. However, it can be assumed that the composition will not differ greatly from that of the competitor products.
Unfortunately, there is no information on the packaging of the shake about the exact diet. Only the information that the replacement of two meals by shakes serves to lose weight, the replacement of one meal serves to maintain weight after the diet, can be taken from the package. The 25g powder is prepared in 325ml unsweetened soy drink or 300ml low-fat milk (at this point the manufacturer warns of a lower calorie reduction) with 2g vegetable oil.
The brand shake from Almased is available in almost every drugstore or can also be obtained from the health food store. Also here a package contains 500g, which according to the manufacturer corresponds to ten portions. Here the macronutrient distribution is as follows: 10.3g protein, 6g carbohydrates (including about 6g sugar) and 2.7g fat (including 0.2g saturated fatty acids).
As you would expect, this shake also contains a lot of trace elements and micronutrients like potassium, calcium, sodium, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, etc. In addition, the shake contains vitamins A, D, E, C, B1-12, H. However, the fact that honey is one of its ingredients makes it stand out. The amino acid profile here includes all 20 proteinogenic amino acids, including the 9 essential ones.
Similar to the DM product, glutamate and aspartate are the main components.Again, there is no more detailed information on the packaging itself about the course of the diet. The replacement of two meals a day is recommended. An indication of the duration is missing, however.
It is however advertised with positive studies and the uniqueness of the product. The 50g powders per portion are prepared with 200 ml water, to which still six gram Omega-3 rich vegetable oil addition are to be added, in order to round the fatty acid profile off. Protein shakes are particularly popular with those people on a diet who want to maintain their muscles.
Since the body first uses the muscle components – the proteins – to produce energy after the carbohydrate stores, shakes are a good way of replenishing these components to the body. In addition, protein shakes have even fewer carbohydrates as components than the usual diet shakes and are therefore even better suited for a so-called low-carb diet. As already mentioned above, the proteins in the shakes now come from various sources, which can be of both plant and animal origin.
In order to lose weight with the help of the protein shakes, however, as with any other diet, the person must consume fewer calories than they can burn or metabolize. Since exercise should be part of any sensible diet, the proteins or their components – the amino acids – are necessary to maintain muscle mass. Furthermore, certain amino acids have a positive effect on the regeneration of the body.
In the meantime, lactose-free diet shakes are no longer a rarity. In recent years, vegan brands have increasingly established themselves on the dietary supplement market. Compared to “normal” diet shakes, vegan shakes obtain their proteins from plant sources such as peas, rice, soy or hemp.
In conventional shakes, however, the so-called whey protein is usually processed. This is a product that consists of milk components and can therefore never be completely free of lactose – the so-called milk sugar. Whey protein is often considered a waste product of milk processing. This view cannot be completely maintained. The fact is, however, that the production of whey is much easier and therefore cheaper.
