The Huel Ready-to-drink Formula Explained

Huel Ready-to-drink is a nutritionally complete meal in a bottle is a nutritionally complete powdered food that is rich in protein, fiber, and healthy fats, and a macronutrient split of 35:42:20:3 (net carbohydrate, fat, protein, fiber) and all 27 essential vitamins and minerals. This means that  35% of the energy comes from carbohydrates, 42% comes from fat, 20% from protein and 3% from fiber.

Additionally, it contains no lactose or any animal products, no soy, and no GMOs.

Huel Ready-to-drink works to meet the HHS and USDA's Dietary Guidelines and Daily Value (DV) requirements for all macro- and micronutrients, and proportion them to provide what you need from a meal[1].

The Huel Ready-to-drink Formula

• Carbohydrate in Huel Ready-to-drink: Oats, Tapioca, and Brown Rice

• Fat in Huel Ready-to-drink: Canola, Flaxseed, Sunflower, and Coconut

• Protein in Huel Ready-to-drink: Peas and Rice

• Fiber in Huel Ready-to-drink: Oats, Flaxseed, and Chicory

• Vitamins and Minerals in Huel Ready-to-drink

• Ingredients of Huel Ready-to-drink

• Nutritional Profile of Huel Ready-to-drink

• Huel Ready-to-drink Cautions and Allergen Advice

Carbohydrate in Huel Ready-to-drink: Oats, tapioca, and brown rice

About 35% of the calories (energy) in Huel Powder come from carbohydrates. The carbohydrate in Huel Ready-to-drink is mainly from oats, brown rice flour, and tapioca starch.

Tapioca, a starch that comes from the roots of the cassava plant. We’ve used this as a source of carbohydrates, and because it provides a smooth, rounded mouthfeel. 

Oats have been shown to have a low glycemic index (GI). The glycemic index refers to how long it takes between ingesting a carbohydrate source and the resulting rise in blood sugar and, hence, energy levels[2]. Macronutrients like fiber, protein and fat help to slow the digestion of carbohydrates, and therefore helps to create a slower, stable release of glucose into the blood rather than a “spike”. Plus, oats provide so much more than just carbohydrates; they also provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. 

Brown rice flour provides carbs, protein, and other nutrients.

The oats, rice flour, and tapioca starch in Huel Ready-to-drink support the other ingredients in helping to sustain energy levels until the next meal.

Fat in Huel Ready-to-drink: Canola, Flaxseed, Sunflower, and Coconut

The fat in Huel Ready-to-drink provides 42% of the total energy and is made up from canola oil, flaxseed and sunflower lecithin to ensure that the essential fatty acids are included in optimum amounts with Huel Ready-to-drink being rich in monounsaturated fat, omega-3s and omega-6s.

We’ve also included coconut, as the fats in coconut are known as medium chain triglycerides, or MCTs. MCTs are an efficient source of energy, as they are treated much like carbs,  so they provide an energy-rich, sustained fuel and are perfect for those of us with busy lifestyles[3].

There are two completely essential fatty acids (EFAs) that humans require: linoleic acid (LA – an omega-6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA – an omega-3)[4]. Using fats from canola, flaxseed and sunflower, we’ve ensured Huel Ready-to-drink contains sufficient amounts of both of these EFAs as well as other omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids.

Moreover, these ingredients provide antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals in a biochemical redox balance to help minimize the negative effects of free-radicals. Free radicals may be involved in the pathology of cancer, cardiovascular disease and aging, so it’s desirable to keep their formation to a minimum, and this is the role of antioxidants. Read more about fats here.

Huel Ready-to-drink is High-protein: Pea and Rice

For healthy adults, the DRI recommends that 10-35% of calories should come from protein, or a minimum of 0.8g of protein per kg body weight per day. The recommendation of 0.8g of protein per kg body weight per day is the recommendation to prevent deficiency[1]. The Western diet typically provides more[5], and Huel Ready-to-drink does too. All essential amino acids, including BCAA’s (Branched chain amino acids) are included in adequate amounts from vegan protein sources: pea protein, brown rice flour, oat powder, and flaxseed.

Each 500ml bottle of Huel Ready-to-drink provides 20g of high-quality protein – 40% of the average person’s daily requirements, a good amount for optimum health as well as building and maintaining a healthy body. Furthermore, protein is more satiating than other macronutrients[6], helping you to feel satisfied after your meal.

Amino acid profile of Huel Ready-to-drink

Protein is made up of amino acids. There are over 500 amino acids in nature, 20 of which are known as the standard amino acids as these are the ones that are coded genetically and are subsequently involved in primary protein synthesis. Of these 20, nine are essential as they cannot be synthesized from other amino acids.

Protein is made up of amino acids. There are over 500 amino acids in nature, 20 of which are known as the standard amino acids as these are the ones that are coded genetically and are subsequently involved in primary protein synthesis. Of these 20, nine are essential as they cannot be synthesized from other amino acids.

The nine essential amino acids are:

• Histidine 

• Isoleucine 

• Leucine 

• Lysine 

• Methionine 

• Phenylalanine

• Threonine 

• Tryptophan 

• Valine

The other eleven are:

• Alanine

• Arginine

• Asparagine

• Aspartic acid

• Cysteine

• Glutamine

• Glutamic acid

• Glycine

• Proline

• Serine

• Tyrosine

Generally, proteins derived from animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, milk, and eggs) are considered complete proteins because they provide all nine essential amino acids.  Some plant foods are also complete proteins, including quinoa, buckwheat, and soy. You can also combine plant foods (legumes, seeds, grains, and vegetables) to get all nine amino acids. Many plant foods have insufficient amounts or one or more of the essential amino acids. 

The protein in Huel Ready to Drink comes primarily from pea protein and brown rice protein. This ensures the inclusion of all essential amino acids in sufficient amounts. The protein from brown rice is high in the sulfur-containing amino acids cysteine and methionine, plus it contains good amounts of all the others, but is very low in lysine. Pea protein is low in cysteine and methionine but high in lysine.  Plus there’s additional protein in smaller amounts from the flaxseed.

Fiber in Huel Ready-to-drink: Oats, Flaxseed, and Chicory

The vast majority of Americans do not consume adequate amounts of fiber, with just 5% of the population meeting fiber intake recommendations [15]. Healthy adults require anywhere from 25-38g of fiber per day (14g of fiber for every 1,000 calories).

Huel Ready-to-drink contains 6g of fiber per bottle. The fiber in Huel Ready-to-drink is a mixture of soluble and insoluble forms all naturally supplied from oats, flaxseed, and chicory. This fiber profile helps to ensure the formation of normal, solid stools in healthy users. Fiber can also act like a sponge, so it’s important to include lots of fluid in a fiber-rich diet[7]. As Huel Ready-to-drink is made with water, there’s plenty of fluid supplied, but we do recommend you also include plenty of water in your diet. 

The beneficial soluble fiber in oats is called beta-glucan. Soluble fiber plays an important role in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels [8].

Vitamins and Minerals in Huel Ready-to-drink

The majority of the vitamins and minerals (also known as micronutrients) in Huel Ready-to-drink are from natural ingredients. We then use a micronutrient blend to fortify the product to ensure we are providing all the vitamins and minerals you need from a meal. 

There have been numerous studies in the past 20 years demonstrating that, for many micronutrients, levels higher than the DV may have beneficial effects to health. For example, it’s widely considered that the amount of vitamin C we’re recommended to consume is too low[9-11], so we've reflected this in the Huel Ready-to-drink formula. Benefits of consuming more vitamin C include supporting a healthy immune system, antioxidant properties and it also helps the absorption of minerals like iron[10-12].

There has been some concern about phytic acid: a naturally occurring substance in some plant foods including oats and flaxseed. Phytic acid can chelate (bind) some minerals meaning that they’re less bioavailable[13]. As oats and flaxseed are fundamental ingredients in Huel Ready-to-drink, we've ensured the levels of some minerals, like iron and zinc, are higher, to accommodate any issues with phytic acid chelation. Furthermore, the high level of vitamin C in Huel Ready-to-drink will also further promote iron absorption[14].

Huel Ready-to-drink Cautions and Allergen Advice

Huel Ready-to-drink is food; it is suitable for people with most conditions. However, as some conditions require dietary intervention, like with any food, please heed the notes below for the following conditions:

• Celiac: Huel Ready-to-drink gluten free and therefore is suitable for those with celiac disease.

• FODMAPs:  Huel Ready-to-drink is not a low FODMAP product.

• Diabetes mellitus: For those with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, please review the carbohydrate, sugar and other nutrition facts of the  Huel Ready-to-drink to see if it is suitable for your needs.

• Pregnancy & lactation: Huel Ready-to-drink can be included in the diet of those who are pregnant or breast feeding, however it should be limited to one serving per day. Please review more information about Huel and pregnancy in our FAQ. If you have questions about suitability, we suggest you discuss with your doctor if there are any clinically specific reasons why they wouldn’t be suitable. 

• Children: Huel Ready-to-drink is not suitable for children under the age of 4 years old. Up to a half serving of Huel Ready-to-drink may be suitable for children ages 4-8 years old, or up to a full serving for children 9 years or older. Huel should not be their sole source of nutrition as they have different nutritional requirements to adults; for more information please see our Children, Adolescents and Huel article.

• Phenylketonuria (PKU): Huel Ready-to-drink is not suitable for those who suffer from phenylketonuria (PKU).

• Inborn errors of metabolism: If you have a glycogen storage disorder (GSD) or other inborn error of metabolism where you require dietary manipulation, you should consult your doctor or specialist clinician before using Huel Ready-to-drink.

• Eating disorders: Huel Ready-to-drink can be consumed by individuals with eating disorders as a useful source of complete nutrition if it is an appropriate fit for their current meal plan. However, we recommend that individuals with eating disorders only use Huel after discussing it with their doctor or relevant clinician.

• Medications: There may be specific drug-nutrient interactions relating to a particular medicine you're using, so we recommend you read the drug information provided with your prescription, and if you have any further concerns, please discuss them with your doctor.

Allergen advice

We thoroughly assess our ingredients and the processes we use to make Huel and whenever we identify potential routes of allergen contamination we will first take steps to eliminate the possibility of any contamination of our product. However, where it is not possible to remove the risk we will clearly highlight any allergens that might be present on our product packaging in line with current US food safety guidelines.

However, we recognize that people can suffer from allergies that are outside the US recognized ‘key allergens’, so we assess ingredients and keep a record of other ingredients in our product that may have allergenic potential. If you have any specific inquiries, please contact us.

References

1. Office of Dietary Supplements. (n.d.). Nutrient recommendations. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/nutrientrecommendations.aspx.

2. Foster-Powell K, et al. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002; 76(1):5-56.

3. Marten B, et al. Medium-chain triglycerides. International Dairy Journal. 2006; 16(11):1374-82.

4. Linus Pauling Institute. Essential Fatty Acids. Date Accessed: 09/04/19. [Available from: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/other-nutrients/essential-fatty-acids].

5. Cordain L, et al. Origins and evolution of the Western diet: health implications for the 21st century. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005; 81(2):341-54.

6. Weigle DS, et al. A high-protein diet induces sustained reductions in appetite, ad libitum caloric intake, and body weight despite compensatory changes in diurnal plasma leptin and ghrelin concentrations. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005; 82(1):41-8.

7. Gallaher D. Dietary Fiber. Washington D.C.: ILSI Press; 2006. p. 102-10.

8. Brown L, et al. Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 69(1):30-42.

9. Deruelle F & Baron B. Vitamin C: is supplementation necessary for optimal health? J Altern Complement Med. 2008; 14(10):1291-8.

10. Combs GF Jr & mcClung JP. The Vitamins. 4 ed: Burlington: Elsevier Science; 2012.

11. Carr AC & Frei B. Toward a new recommended dietary allowance for vitamin C based on antioxidant and health effects in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 69(6):1086-107.

12. Linus Pauling Institute. Vitamin C Date Accessed: 09/04/19. [Available from: https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/vitamin-C].

13. Committee on Food Protection; Food and Nutrition Board; National Research Council. "Phytates". Toxicants Occurring Naturally in Foods. 1973.

14. Lopez HL, F, et al. Minerals and phytic acid interactions: is it a real problem for human nutrition? International Journal of Food Science & Technology. 202; 37(7):727-39.

15. Quagliani, D., & Felt-Gunderson, P. (2016). Closing America’s fiber intake gap: Communication strategies from a food and fiber summit. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 11(1), 80–85. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6124841/