Herbalife Formula 1 shake Review: Does it work?

Intro: What is it?

Herbalife Formula 1 shake is a meal replacement that claims to provide support “at the cellular level”. It comes in 13 different flavors, some of which are seasonal.

It has 21 vitamins and minerals added as well as ingredients which are meant to help support weight management. This all what the company claims to offer, so is it really a good deal? Let’s see if Herbalife Formula 1 truly is a proper meal replacement.

Herbalife Formula 1 Ingredients

With many different flavors added, here’s a list of the ingredients to their most popular French Vanilla:

There’s a few GMO ingredients added such as Corn Bran, Soy Protein Isolate. It’s unknown if the other additives are also from genetically modified ingredients.

There are also artificial flavors which are lab created.  There’s the possibility for allergic reactions due to the way this ingredient is processed.Organics.org mentions that artificial flavors can cause:

• DNA damage.
• Allergies.
• Cancer.
• Brain tumors.
• Seizures.
• Depression.
• Any many other symptoms.

The fats come from canola oil and medium chain triglycerides. Canola oil is a cheap fat source that has been shown to increase cholesterol levels.  Medium chain triglycerides or MCT, can cause issues to people with diabetes or liver problems.

Macronutrients and calories

The amount of calories is fairly low which is good, but the sugar content is high, and the protein is also low per each serving.

All the sugar comes from fructose, which has been linked to obesity and several other health issues. According to AuthorityNutrition.com, there are fears that this additive can cause some of the following:

• Heart disease.
• Nonalcoholic liver disease.
• Insulin resistance.
• Leptin resistance.
• Increased blood pressure and blood sugar.
• Decrease in healthy fats.

Several other issues may present themselves as well.  9 grams is also a lot, considering other meal replacement shakes have calorie free sweeteners that measure at just 1 gram per serving.

Herbalife Formula 1 Quality of Protein

There’s only Soy Protein Isolate added, and it comes in at 9 grams worth. Not only is this a small amount, but it’s not the most optimal form of protein.

Many health risks are possible when you consume large amounts of GMO soy:

• The University of Pittsburgh documented the difference between regular soy and GMO soy; there was a noticeable difference in the amount of amino acids and healthy fats.
• Bacteria strains such as salmonella are more likely in GMO soy.
• The long term health effects have not been thoroughly studied. However, there have already been short term problems seen in some people.
• It’s possible for many other bacteria strains to be higher in GMO soy; this is because these crops become resistant to the pesticides and preservatives added.

Unfortunately, soy itself also has several issues according to the Mayo Clinic:

• It can raise the risk for eczema, bloating, bleeding, asthma, menstrual changes, enlarged thyroid, and irritation to the pancreas.
• Increased risk for hormone changes which can mean lower testosterone in men, and abnormal estrogen production. This can also prevent the loss of weight.
• Worsening symptoms and increase of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer.
• Sensitivity in people with immune, thyroid, intestinal, or heart problems.

A lot of these issues come from the isoflavones, which in high amounts disrupts hormones. This can also lead to obesity and it’s counterintuitive to a proper meal replacement shake.

There are much better options which won’t potentially damage your hormones. Unfortunately this can lead to a malfunctioning thyroid gland, which can make weight loss even harder.

The Price and Quality of Herbalife Formula 1

Before shopping for this product you have to sign up for an account with Herbalife. After researching this shake it became clear that the depending on where you get it, the price may be greatly increased.

The lowest price I saw was for $35.99 for 30 servings.

So at this price at 2 shakes a day: $35.99 divided by 15=$2.39 a day.

Quality is always preferred over a low price, as you can’t guarantee weight loss with a bad mixture of ingredients. Unfortunately there are GMO ingredients, cheap and high amounts of sugar, as well as artificial ingredients added to Herbalife Formula 1.

Claims made about Herbalife Formula 1

One interesting claim made about this shake is that it:

“can help support the metabolic function at the cellular level”

This may sound scientific but it’s actually a statement that can be made about anything you eat. Any foods that are digested will be used by the cells, and this can be for fried, unhealthy, and any kind of foods.

The truth is that any of the nutrients you get that are digested help support metabolism.  This is because according to the Mayo Clinic metabolism is a natural process by which:

“what you eat and drink (turns into) energy”

The company also claims that this meal replacement will help you manage your weight. They never offer any testimonials or clinical studies to prove this.

The customer reviews on Amazon.com seem to mention the exact same problems. That this product has too much sugar which does not lead to weight loss benefits according to some.

The Controversy of Enzymes

There are 2 different fungus strains added:

Aspergillus niger: A black mold that appears on peanuts, onions, apricots, and grapes. Some humans have experienced illness such as lung disease. It can also cause inner ear infections and it can damage the ear canal.

Aspergillus oryzae: Often added to foods such as miso and soy sauce, it helps them ferment and it’s often used in Japanese cuisine.

In certain people Aspergillus niger has been the result of asthmatic attacks. It’s also known to contain the mycotoxin aflatoxin, which is a very powerful carcinogenic.

The reason why these enzymes are added is because they’re meant to increase the rate of digestion. However, these additives have been shown to be potentially dangerous. For certain people it’s possible they can have serious symptoms and not know it until it’s too late.

The Business of Herbalife

Herbalife has been around since the 1980’s; they’re a Los Angeles, California company that is operated through a multilevel marketing strategy.

Because they run offices across the world, there’s different numbers and emails provided.

The US Herbalife company’s information is below:

Phone Number: 310-410- 9600

Email:  [email protected]

They’ve also been the subject of many controversies for their ingredients and business practices:

• Studies by doctors at the University of Bern showed that Herbalife products had been contaminated with ingredients which increased the risk for hepatitis.
• The FTC is investigating the company over allegations that they run an illegal pyramid scheme. It won’t be revealed for a while whether or not Herbalife is a legitimate company. Over 192 complaints have been filed against them.

There are also many customer opinions on every single Herbalife product which mentions that the positive reviews are likely fake.  The company runs a style of business that is controversial, because it’s based off of how many people can be recruited. Some mention that when you order this brand, that you will get a lot of offers to join the company, and that it’s difficult to opt out.

Customer Opinions of Herbalife Formula 1

Several customers have left their opinion on the taste and quality of this shake:

“loaded with gmo’s”

“I can’t choke it down”

“there are better mixes out there”

“didn’t control my appetite”

There are some positive reviews as well:

“could be worse”

“it’s ok”

Overall people are aware of the GMO’s and they don’t appreciate the taste. Many have said it tastes like baby formula and that has a strongly artificial taste.

It’s also important to realize that many of the positive reviews can be potentially from people who sell this product. Since anyone can begin selling Herbalife products for a commission, it’s possible for people to leave fake reviews.

Conclusion

Herbalife Formula 1 is presented as a way to manage weight with balanced nutrition. Their shake has not only been unfavorably reviewed by customers, but many people have complained about the lack of quality.

Other notable things about this meal replacement include:

• Though there’s 13 flavors offered, customers don’t recommend them: The most common complaint that real customers have is that the product “tastes like baby formula”. People mention there’s a noticeable artificial flavor and that the sugar is overwhelming. This goes for all the flavors offered. This might be due to the addition of artificial flavors added. These lab created synthetic ingredients are cheap to add, but they’re not the best additives you can get.
• They use fancy sounding words which aren’t unique to them: To describe this shake Herbalife mentions that it “supports metabolic function at the cellular level”. This is a way of basically saying that it will provide energy to your body. The truth is anything you eat will affect you cells, because there’s no other way to digest food.
• The protein added is from GMO soy: Not only does soy have the possibility to increase harmful hormones, but in GMO form it loses its nutrients. Getting 9 grams of soy is a lot in one day, and if you drink the recommended 2 shakes day you get 18 grams worth. Brands like to use soy because it has many amino acids, but it’s not the best option for people in need of a quality protein.
• There’s a high amount of sugar: Not only is there 9 grams of sugar, but it’s all from fructose. There have been many studies which show that glucose immediately increases blood sugar, and that it can lead to increases rates of obesity. Fructose is good when it comes in fruits in small amounts, however, by itself it can potentially cause several problems.
• Most customers dislike the lack of quality ingredients: People are aware that there’s GMO corn and soy added. There’s also concern from people who mention that you can taste the artificial flavors. Though it’s priced at a reduced cost to other meal replacement shakes, you end up paying for much lesser quality. Some customers also add that for the price, it’s still not a good deal when you consider the artificial additives.
• There are potential side effects which have been reported: Due to the quality of the ingredients, there are some potential problems which customers have reported, and that are possible according to scientific studies. Some of the possible side effects include DNA damage, hormone changes, obesity, increased blood pressure, and nausea.

People are aware that the product isn’t as good as it claims to be. It’s also loaded with GMO ingredients and a weak protein source. Better options are available which can provide you with quality protein, and only natural ingredients.

It’s better to get brands which aren’t loaded with artificial additives, there’s also better reviewed products as well.