What is Soylent, Is It Safe and Is It Good for Weight Loss?

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The moment you see the name, the first thing that comes to mind is the 1973 Soylent Green. But don’t let images of futuristic cannibalism deter you from enjoying this product. Instead, embrace what is quite possibly one of the healthiest meals you’ll ever consume – we can’t wait to try it here at Defend Your Health.

In fact, the ingredients in Soylent are to the point. There is no guessing on the label at any time. It’s sunflower oil, oat flower and brown rice protein. This mixture also includes 100% of all the vitamins and minerals a person needs to remain healthy and happy. The entire mixture is vegan and animal free, while it follows strict FDA guidelines and is made in the United States.

In short, Soylent is an all around complete nutrient source that is designed to help adults eat a nutritionally balance diet. It is possible to continue to enjoy it and live a long healthy life, as you remove sugar, saturated fat and cholesterol from your diet. Best of all, you have the ability to lose a significant amount of weight while consuming this product. That’s because food is processed better and restores your overall health, much in the same way sticking to whole foods will, without consuming empty calories.

This doesn’t mean you can simply consume Soylent and expect to become healthy overnight. But when combined with exercise, it is very possible for you to begin to experience all the health benefits it can offer. After all, it contains complex carbohydrates, fat, fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein and more.

This is an inexpensive product that is mixed with water. Since you’re only paying $3 per meal, there is also a good chance that you’ll spend less on Soylent than on your traditional meals.

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How Does Soylent Work?

Soylent is essentially a meal replacement drink. It combines natural items you’d find in your kitchen and combines them into a nutrient rich drink. This drink is then consumed three times a day to provide you with a healthy balance of all the vitamins and nutrients you need. It’s fast, easy and requires just a few minutes in the kitchen to enjoy a full meal.

What Does Soylent Taste Like?

On the surface level, it doesn’t sound appealing. The bland mixture of ingredients suggests you’re downing nothing more than a dull blob for each meal. The truth is that the drink is rather pleasing for most people. Like other meal replacement drinks, you are faced with the gritty texture. The flavor though is similar to vanilla cake batter. It has a hint of sweetness and a pleasant aftertaste. Because of that, many people do find that they are pleasantly surprised while consuming it. That is something that you should consider it for your meal replacements.

Is It Made From People?

Despite sharing a name with the famous film from 1973, Soylent does not use any human or animal products in it. Everything is purely natural and comes directly from nature. Because of that, you can enjoy an incredible meal, without having to worry about excessive fat, cholesterol and sugars.

An interesting fact, in the book by Harry Harrison, Make Room! Make Room! Soylent was actually made from soy and lentils to feed the world’s population. The movie changed things up to create controversy and to draw interest to the film.

Am I Stuck to Just Eating Soylent Once I Start?

Soylent is designed to be a single meal replacement option, or your only source of nutrition. You can choose to live on nothing but the mixture for months on end, or you can choose to have it replace all but a single meal during the day. The choice is up to you. What you’ll find is that the more you remain committed to the mixture, the more likely you’ll begin to feel better. Before you know it, you can even wean yourself off caffeine and other foods that are bad for you and enjoy all the benefits that Soylent has to offer.

Can I Lose Weight By Only Consuming Soylent?

The FDA has not approved Soylent as a weight loss product. However, since you can reduce your intake of fat and calories, while being able to properly portion control things, it is possible for you to lose weight while taking it. It is important that you consult with a doctor if you are considering any diet or weight loss plan. These professionals will know your unique medical profile and can help to ensure that Soylent is a smart choice for you.

Does Soylent Last Forever?

Soylent does have a shelf life. When it is prepared, it must be consumed within 48 hours. In turn, the Soylent powder and oil both have a shelf life of only a year. It is important that you don’t buy your food too far in advance and continue to rotate the product in order to have the freshest product available to you.

Is Soylent Safe?
This is a very common question that comes up. Especially since Proposition 65 announced there were dangerous levels of heavy metals in the food. Since California passed the law in 1986 foods are required to include statements about the dangerous levels of 800 listed items in their food. On a routine testing Soylent was found to have obtained a batch of brown rice protein that had higher than usual levels of heavy metals in it.

However, Soylent remains a safe food source. It is designed with all natural products that are clearly listed in the ingredients. With the ability to see each of the ingredients that is listed in it, you can determine in advance if you have any associated food allergies. If you don’t, then it is safe for you to consume this product without any concerns.

Is Soylent a Nutritionally Sound Option?

Soylent is designed to provide you with all the nutrition you need from a single source. Developed under the watchful eye of Dr. F. Xavier Pi-Sunyer, he has personally helped to ensure that these shakes provide everything a person could need to function and live a healthy lifestyle as they consume them.

What Does A Day’s Meals Look Like

On any given day, a person may consume up to 2,000 calories from this drink. A standard meals is 16 – 18 ounces of the shake, while snacks run 6 – 8 ounces. This breakdown helps you to avoid becoming hungry while you’re on drinking nothing but Soylent and helps you to remain committed to the plan. Since each person is different, you need to determine if this is the right option for you. Currently, the carbohydrate, fat and protein ratio is 45/40/15 which may or may not be the right choice for you, dependent on your current needs.

Is The Soylent Diet Made in a Foreign Country?

Soylent is designed and produced in the United States. Created by Robert Rhinehart for Rosa Labs, it is currently produced in Silicone Valley. The product is approved by the FDA as a meal and not as a supplement, which allows it to be one of the healthier choices you’ll have access to.

I Have an Underlying Health Condition, Can I Take Soylent?

This is where things get tricky. In labs done by participants who sampled Soylent, their bloodwork improved over the course of a several weeks. There were no problems with increase heart rate or other concerns. However, this doesn’t mean that Soylent might be right for you. It is important that you discuss taking it as a source of nutrition with your doctor first. They can help you to determine if it is right for you.

Additionally, if you have a food allergy to any of the ingredients that are in Soylent, it is not recommended that you consume the product.

Is There a Difference Between the Powdered Version of Soylent and the Liquid?

Soylent is offered in two different forms. The first is a powder form known as Soylent 1.5. This version contains all the nutrition and flavor of the Soylent powder line. You just add the sunflower seed oil and water when you’re ready to enjoy them.

Soylent drink is the same formula. The different is that it is ready to consume directly from the bottle. Like the powder, it still has a 1 year shelf life, unless it has been opened. Then it must be consumed within 48 hours.

The drink also contains ingredients that are not found in the powder. The first is soy protein. This protein is designed to help improve digestion and absorb more of the amino acids in the drink. Algal oil in turn adds an essential fatty acid that offers energy, while helping to preserve natural resources. Like the powder, the premixed variation also contains isomaltulose that provides a person with a natural energy source.

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Where Can I Buy Soylent?

As of the date of this post you can only purchase Soylent online. While the company is considering expanding beyond online sales, this has not been done. It is important to pay close attention to the website you are making your purchase from also. There are new variations of Soylent popping up all the time. They use a similar sounding name and some even have the same layout as the main website. However, they are selling a different product and this may not have all the nutritional value you’re looking for.

How Long Will It Take Soylent to Ship Products Out To Me?

Soylent is overloaded by orders that they are trying to process. As a result, it can take 10 – 12 weeks for you to receive your order from the time it is placed. While the nutrient rich supplement is absolutely worth the investment, you may want to consider the long delay when you’re placing it and plan on placing follow up orders before your supply ends up running out.

However, as they catch up on their orders, they should begin to fill orders faster. If you are interested in learning the current turnaround time, you can contact them directly.

So Is Soylent Nothing More Than Hype?

Another valid question. Too often, people are suckered in to buying a product because there is a ton of hype surrounding it. Certainly, the media has been swept up and fascinated by Soylent. The truth is, there are quite a few positives that are associated with Soylent. It’s a great source of nutrients and energy and has scientific evidence backing it. That means it is something you should consider the next time you’re interested in exploring a new nutrient rich option.

Overall, Soylent is a great choice for those who are interested in eating better and getting more out of their diet. If you’d like to explore Soylent more, visit their website and consider purchasing some of their product. While it continues to evolve, the creator is looking at new ways to improve the overall flavor and at how they can continue to provide nutritional value with a sustainable method that doesn’t harm the human body.

Discussion1 Comment

  1. I appreciate the information provided. My recent purchase of Soylent was ordered on a Friday and received the following Thursday delivered. 6 days to my door counting weekends. So far the flavor and the fullness is right where I want it to be. I really like the powder mix and have no real complaints yet.

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