As it is, Huel has an enormous protein amount (148g per 2,000 calories). There are studies linking high protein diets to health problems, however users here on the website say that the problem only crops up for animal protein (not plant based protein like what is in Huel).
Even with that being the case, this is far more protein than anyone could possibly want and every diet ever observed to lead to a long life has not been seen to be high in protein.
A study I came across stated that any amount of protein over .8 grams per pound of body weight gave absolutely no muscle building benefits whatsoever and only .55 grams were needed to maintain muscle mass. So who is benefiting here? Especially for a person like myself who is 5’8’’ and is slim, I do not want to eat that much protein.
Huel has an extreme amount of protein, Soylent has an extreme amount of fat, and Schmilk is the worst of all being some guy’s nutritional playground. I just want a reliable, balanced meal replacement to consume as needed for the next decade or two.
It feels like everyone is being a diet extremist when there’s little to gain.
I’m with you on this one! But I don’t think it’s the only problem with Huel, the processed fats and protein powders that are a part of Huel I do not believe are healthy… I would rather pay a higher price to get that substituted with whole food fats and whole food protein sources. Huel is not the optimal health food but it is a good alternative to the easily available foods of today that are even worse. Huel as a meal from time to time will not hurt you, but I would not want to eat it full time, and that is what makes me sad because I like the concept and I would love to be able to eat it full time when I want to and at the same time knowing that Huel would make me feel the best possible… But that is not the case. Huel doesn’t make me feel bad though I want to add, I feel ok/alright, but it does not make me feel super good either.
Huel please make make a Whole Food Huel version with all natural ingredients except for maybe some added Vitamins/Minerals. It doesn’t matter if it would be lower in protein or fats, because that would resemble the diets of many cultures with the highest life spans and that alone would be a great marketing tool!
It’s not clear what the upper limit is for benefits of higher protein intake when it comes to muscle building and body composition, although of course the law of diminishing returns is in play. There may of course be other factors you’ll want to consider, but the protein content of Huel seems very reasonable from a health perspective.
If you’re right, I would have to say the person is this article is deluded. However the several studies they refer to to back up their claims do exist and are easily found. They claim only .8 grams per pound is necessary for even extreme athletes and more than that gives no extra benefits.
So it seems there many are studies which completely contradict each other in regards to how much protein athletes should consume. But if you are right, only extreme athletes will possibly benefit from this much protein. As I said before, no one else has anything to gain.
Ambronite seems nice, but it is 20$ per 1600 calories due to hand picked ingredients and so on. Ironically it’s more extremism.
I’d honesty stop using Huel if it became lower in Protein. It’s optimal as it is, the guys who developed huel did their research prior to releasing.
Apologies for the copy paste, we explain the reasoning for our high protein content on our Nutritional Information page:
Why Huel Is High in Protein
The RI for protein is 50g per day, but this only covers our very basic needs and prevents protein deficiency(1,2,3). The Western diet typically provides more(7), and Huel does too. All essential amino acids are included in adequate amounts from two vegan protein sources: pea and brown rice protein, as well as protein from the oat powder. Based on an average 2,000-calorie intake, you’ll be consuming 148g protein per day from Huel. This provides a good amount for optimal health as well as building and maintaining a healthy body. Furthermore, protein is more satiating (appetite suppressing) than other macronutrients(8), and we’ve designed Huel to stop unwanted hunger pangs.
You can see it is important to many and although we aren’t going to change the Huel formula to fit with a protein shake (70% protein often), it means that Huel can be used by a wider variety of people - sedentary → athletic.
I wasn’t necessarily asking for Huel to have a lower protein content, but for there to be made a more balanced version which is in my topic title. Similar to how you have a gluten free and professional version of Huel.
I’d be more comforted seeing a studying showing that high consumption of vegetarian protein sources doesn’t lead to health issues. Then surely it wouldn’t matter if Huel was high or low protein.
There is absolutely no shortage of studies which shows high protein consumption leads numerous health problems. However it is rebutted by Huel by stating that these studies focused only on standard, animal sources of protein and hence doesn’t apply to Huel. This logic gives the possibility that vegetarian protein isn’t similarly unhealthy, but it isn’t guaranteed.
As far as I know there is no such vegetarian protein study and is why I’m so skeptical of consuming this much protein. I have little to gain, but a lot to lose.
This explains the benefit of a high protein diet, the author does explore the increased renal load but seems to think that plant based protein is a better choice than animal, and has suggestions to counter potentially negative effects.
Huel is a compromise between different dietary needs and theories. Some people do really need high protein to lose weight and/or to quickly build muscles. Some don’t. The high fat content of Huel is also a compromise.
