Huel Black makes me sleepy

I’ve been experiencing something similar.
I moved over to a keto diet recently, and have been on Huel black for quite a while.
I’ve also been doing some intermittent fasting.
I have found that quite shortly after eating Huel black there is a big hit of fatigue, this is very different from original huel.
This is not like a food coma, it feels very draining, very tiring, and I often need to rest after eating huel, also there is lack of clarity with working.
I will keep testing, and will try @Phil_C comment regarding carb-rich fruits, this might help

Very interesting, anyone knows why this can happen?

I have also experienced this. I have a high protein diet but having no carbohydrates at all does not suit me. I grew up eating oatmeal so I will stick to Huel White.

It’s hard to say without knowing the ins and outs Aaron but tiredness can be a symptom of switching over to keto, commonly known as the “keto flu”. We cover this in our article here.

This is due to reducing carbs in your diet and the body taking a bit of time to adjust, so I wouldn’t say this is an issue you can solely attribute to Huel Black Edition.

Very interesting topic - I just have the opposite problem, that is difficulty falling and staying asleep. I am often nervous and unable to get some rest.

Do you think it would help to reduce carbohydrate and increase protein (and/or fat?) intake? Maybe switching to black edition would do the job…I am just worrying about the higher caffeine content…

Huel Black has very low caffeine levels - vanilla is half of what is classified as decaffeinated.

Do you drink a lot of coffee by any chance?

Where did you find the exact caffeine content? Is there a list for every Huel product?

And is it really true that more fat and/or more protein improves sleep or makes at least more sleepy? Or is it necessary to reduce carbohydrate intake?

(The latter would be bad as I am trying to gain weight)

Thanks in advance!

it has been covered in previous threads such as this one

There are many factors that affect sleep so it’s possibly not diet related. You could do some digging into these factors to try and improve your sleep quality.

I am a regular user of Huel black and have not found my sleep to be impeded by Huel black.
I

The hypothesis was that Huel Black Edition might improve sleep quality, or make sleepy at least (due to the higher protein and fat content)…

I been drinking the normal huel for 12 months.
Everything was good! :slight_smile:

I tried switched to huel black. I find huel black makes me feel very tried, and if I drink 7 days in a row. I start really struggle to get out of bed in the morning. It feels like when you feel burned out after heavy workout in the gym. :pensive:

I stopped drinking huel black for 1 week,
and I notice I had more energy again and my mood improved.:smiley:

I treid huel black again and I started to feel very tried again and no
energy in the evening :pensive: I don’t drink coffee.

I’m switching back to the normal huel! :slight_smile:

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as others said.
Black has less carbs, which - if you don’t take in carbs from other diets - can have an effect on your blood sugar - which in turn may make you drowsy.

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Hi,

I started Huel Black about a week ago and the thing that I wasn’t in the least expecting (but have found to be the case), is that it has affected my chronic dust allergy (for the better). I haven’t had to take antihistamine since day 2 I think which is the first time since I weirdly got the allergy at the age of 30 (13 years ago). I initially thought something I’ve been missing with my extremely lazy (most days 1 big meal of 4 eggs tuna rice salad) diet is being topped up… for eg if I’ve been out drinking the night before (depleted), not even antihistamine will work to stop my nose being a running faucet (I absolutely hate it - it is the bane of my life).

Then with Huel Black I started slowly getting lethargic, feeling slower and older to eventually taking frequent (hours) naps which isn’t me at all.

My story with the allergy is if I don’t take Loratadine antihistamine, I will be sneezing and blowing my nose until I leave whatever building I’m in, so I take it religiously (1 a day). If I take any other type of antihistamine (not Loratadine), I will be struggling to get up off the floor, it’s genuinely like a sleeping drug and that will take a day or two to fully leave and for my energy to return.

So I’m now looking for what be causing this feeling 20 years older to find Huel Coffee Powder and Huel Black Edition (besides caramel) have high a histamine content.

I don’t claim to know anything about this, but to me it feels like it could be the link to the sleepy effect, at least for me. But then histamine is supposed to be the cause of my body reacting to harmless dust, so I mean… shouldn’t this be having the opposite effect with regards to my not having to take Loratadine for the first time in many years.

I dunno… just a heads up but for me I’m switching to the regular v3 powder to see how I go with that. The rest of my Black edition I guess I’ll have a shake before bed.

I have been having daily:

2 scoops x3 times a day (Black - Chocolate & Vanilla, alternating)
x2 Huel Hot & Savoury

I would be interested to hear any opinions or similar stories on that. Thanks :slight_smile:

Hi David, apologies I’m not fully understanding what’s going on here. @JamesCollier will be able to better help when he’s next available in a few days.

Am I right in saying that you’re having Huel Black Coffee Caramel and other flavours too or just Coffee Caramel?

When you reference histamine, do you have a histamine intolerance or are you trying to link it to the symptoms you’ve been experiencing?

In terms of size/calories is the meal you were having similar to the Huel you’re having now?

Hi David

Thanks for your message. Let’s see if we can help.

Just to add to Dan’s queries, can you confirm that I’ve understood the following correctly:

  • since the second day after starting Huel Black, you’ve not had your dust allergy symptoms and have stopped Loratadine?
  • at the same time, you’ve felt really fatigued?
  • you’re not taking any other anti-histamines?

Thanks

Hi Dan I only had Huel Black Chocolate & Vanilla, 2 scoops 3 times a day + x2 hot & savoury a day. However the farts became something I couldn’t deal for my job alone, and I’ve actually gone back to regular food for now (and as a result… the next day my nose is like a waterfall and I have to take antihistamine)

“When you reference histamine, do you have a histamine intolerance or are you trying to link it to the symptoms you’ve been experiencing?”

I don’t know enough about any of this to do that, just reporting on my nose being dry without the need for antihistamine which hasn’t happened in 13 years of living in different houses across the country, [and also the sudden heavy drowsiness which increased to hours naps… then I see the word histamine and I’m probably adding 2+2 and getting 5 here I know but the reaction of no tap nose and the intense drowsiness is like me taking an antihistamine that isn’t Loratadine.]

“In terms of size/calories is the meal you were having similar to the Huel you’re having now?”

It was a lot more (with Huel) and I think I was a bit silly in this regard. So in this sense maybe I was getting more vitamins/nutrients that helped stem the non-stop sneezing/blowing.

Hi James. Yes to all questions. Although I have had to go back to reg food for the fatigue which was out of control and the farts were a disaster. So all in all the quick/ease appeal of huel was lost but I admit I ran into this and prob ate too much initially.

Since I stopped, the waterfall nose came back the next day (today) and I have had to go back to antihistamine, specifically Loratadine as always.

But again my intake of cals, protein and vitamins etc will have been increased for the time I was on huel… I just saw this histamine content and linked it with the lack of sneezing like clockwork, daily antihistamine and added with the almost heroin like drowsiness… but again I don’t know how any of this or even histamine works.

Many thanks

I hope that helps.

I’ve been feeling exactly the same,but I use Complete Protein powder. It’s definitely an allergy to something. I do have IBS but first time i tried Huel I was happy my tummy liked it,as I tried many other vegan brands before and they used to irritate my stomach quite a bit. But recently I started having Huel on an empty stomach and this morning I nearly passed out in the gym as the fatigue has hit me hard. I feel exactly the same after having some milk, but huel doesnt have milk,so its an allergy to something else. I also think its quite harsh on an empty stomach as its got lots of peas and lentils etc which are all harsh ingredients if you have a sensitive stomach or IBS