The Huel Powder Formula Explained

Huel Powder is a nutritionally complete powdered food that is high in protein and fibre, low in sugar and salt, rich in phytonutrients, and contains a balanced macro split of 37:30:30:3 (carbohydrate, protein, fat, fibre) and all 26 essential vitamins and minerals.

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

Huel Powder meets the UK and EU Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI), Reference Intake (RI) and Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) for all macro- and micronutrients ^{[1, 2, 3]}, it is a sustained source of energy and has a wealth of other nutritional benefits.

Continue reading to find out more about Huel Powder.

The Huel Powder Formula Explained

Nutritional Information and Ingredients of Huel Powder

Huel Powder is 37:30:30:3 Macro Split

Amino acids are the most basic units of protein, and several amino acids are essential for life, with others being crucial for good health, so any diet has to contain a significant amount of protein.

There are also fatty acids that are essential for life and good health, so including sources of fat is crucial too.

Carbohydrates, however, are not essential per se, but they do have significant benefits to sustaining even energy levels and are significantly cheaper, helping to make Huel Powder more affordable.

We’ve designed Huel Powder at these ratios as they are not only within the parameters of the healthy eating guidelines but are also levels designed for optimum, sustained energy release whilst covering macronutritional requirements for disease prevention.

Carbohydrate in Huel Powder: Fine Powdered Oats and Tapioca

The carbs in Huel Powder are from ultra-fine powdered oats and tapioca. Oats have been shown to have a low glycaemic index (GI); GI refers to the speed after which we ingest a carb source to the resulting rise in blood sugar and, hence, energy levels ^[4]. The oats in Huel Powder mix easily and help sustain energy levels until the next meal. Many of the formulas used in sports nutrition or for weight reduction use maltodextrin as the main carb source. Maltodextrin is cheap and easy to mix, so there’s a valid reason for its use. However, although it’s a ‘complex’ carb, it actually has a high GI ^[4], so these formulas provide a surge of energy followed by a slump: far from ideal for busy people with active jobs. Maltodextrin is also a synthetic carb so provides nothing more than carbohydrates for energy. The oat powder in Huel Powder has been milled so finely that it’s readily soluble, and there’s also not a huge price difference compared to maltodextrin. Plus, as oats are natural, they provide so much more than just carbohydrates: many vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients too. Indeed, it could be said that the inclusion of oat powder is one of the main reasons why Huel Powder could be considered superior to many foods readily consumed today.

Tapioca is a starch extracted from cassava, a root vegetable, similar to sweet potato. It’s inclusion in Huel Powder provides additional carbohydrates and aids texture.

Fat in Huel Powder: Flaxseed, Sunflower and Coconut

The fats in Huel Powder provide 30% of the total energy and are made up from flaxseeds and sunflower seeds to ensure that the essential fatty acids are included in optimum amounts. We’ve also included coconut for very good reasons: the fats in coconut are what are known as medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, and these are treated much like carbs, i.e. they provide an energy-rich, sustained fuel and are perfect for those of us with busy lifestyles ^[5]. But MCTs have another invaluable quality: they are not susceptible to oxidation and rancidity, meaning that they do not contribute to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. In short, MCTs from coconut are a healthy and efficient source of energy.

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) ^[6]. Using our blend of flaxseed and sunflower oil powder, we’ve ensured Huel Powder contains sufficient amounts of both of these EFAs as well as other omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. Moreover, these natural seed powders provide antioxidants and other vitamins and minerals in a biochemical redox balance to help minimise free-radical production. Free radicals may be involved in the pathology of cancer, cardiovascular disease and ageing, so it’s desirable to keep their formation to a minimum, and this is the role of antioxidants.

Huel Powder is High-protein: Peas, Rice and Faba

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 Powder does too. All essential amino acids are included in adequate amounts from three vegan protein sources: Pea, Brown Rice and Faba bean protein, as well as protein from the oat powder. Based on an average 2,000-calorie intake, you’ll be consuming 150g protein per day from Huel Powder. 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 Powder to stop unwanted hunger pangs.

Amino Acid Profile of Huel Powder

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 for genetically and are subsequently involved in primary protein synthesis in animals. Of these 20, nine are essential as they cannot be synthesised from other amino acids.

The nine essential amino acids are:

Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine

The other 11 are:

Alanine
Arginine
Asparagine
Aspartic acid
Cysteine
Glutamine
Glutamic acid
Glycine
Proline
Serine
Tyrosine

Amino Acid Content of Huel Powder (based on v3.1 Vanilla - amounts will differ slightly for other flavours)

Amino Acid (mg)	Per 100g	Per 2000kcal	PRI*	%PRI per 100g
Tryptophan	326	1628	347	94%
Threonine	1037	5183	1302	80%
Isoleucine	1135	5677	1736	65%
Leucine	2270	11352	3385	67%
Lysine	1808	9042	2604	69%
Methionine	371	1855	1302**	60%
Cysteine	408	2038
Phenylalanine	1514	7569	2170***	117%
Tyrosine	1028	5142
Valine	1450	7250	2257	64%
Histidine	760	3798	868	88%
Arginine	2307	11536
Alanine	1265	6327
Aspartic acid****	3081	15404
Glutamic acid*****	5277	26387
Glycine	1234	6172
Proline	1262	6310
Serine	1452	7258

*WHO (2007) Population Reference Intake (PRI) for essential amino acids
**Combined total for methionine + cysteine
***Combined total for phenylalanine + tyrosine
****Figure includes asparagine
*****Figure includes glutamine

All protein sources are not equal: some are classed as ‘complete proteins’ and some are not. A complete protein is one that contains sufficient quantities of all nine essential amino acids.

Generally, proteins derived from animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, milk and eggs) are complete. Indeed, some proteins derived from plant foods (legumes, seeds, grains and vegetables) are often complete as well; examples include quinoa, buckwheat and soya. Many plant foods have insufficient amounts of one or more of the essential amino acids. Some are notably low, such as corn protein, which is low in lysine and isoleucine.

The protein in Huel Powder comes from five of the main six ingredients: pea protein, oats, brown rice protein, flaxseed and faba bean protein. This ensures a good range of all amino acids and that there are sufficient amounts of the essential amino acids. Rice protein is high in the sulphur-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. Whilst Faba bean protein is high in glutamic acid and aspartic acid but low in tryptophan. This is why we selected these three sources, ensuring everything was covered whilst keeping Huel Powder vegan. Plus there’s additional protein from the oats, which are reasonably high in all essential aminos, and the flaxseed.

Huel Powder is High-fibre: Oats and Flaxseed

Huel Powder contains 130-165% (based on European v3.1 formula, varies between flavour/variety) of the recommended daily amount of fibre. The fibre in Huel Powder is a mixture of soluble and insoluble forms all naturally supplied from the food ingredients, mainly from oats and flaxseed, and provides more than most modern solid diets. The high-fibre content of Huel Powder helps to ensure the formation of normal, solid stools in healthy users.

Fibre acts like a sponge, so it’s important to consume lots of water when using Huel Powder ^[9]. The Huel Powder formula has been designed to maintain optimum digestive system health. Moreover, you may well have heard about the beneficial soluble fibre in oats called beta-glucan; well, Huel Powder is loaded with this cholesterol-lowering fibre; ideal for a healthy heart ^[10].

Vitamins and Minerals in Huel Powder

A bulk of the vitamins and minerals – also known as micronutrients – in Huel Powder are from natural ingredients. However, in order to meet the demands of a Western lifestyle, we've added a unique vitamin and mineral formula to provide, in some cases, more than 100% of the recommended amounts.

Since the UK Dietary Reference Values were compiled in 1991 ^[1], there have been numerous studies in the past 20 years demonstrating that, for many micronutrients, levels higher than the RNI 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 ^{[11, 12, 13]}, so we've reflected this in the Huel Powder formula. Benefits of consuming more vitamin C include a healthy immune system, healthy skin and antioxidant properties ^{[12, 14]}

With calcium, the US recommended amount is more than the UK RNI (1,300mg vs 800mg per day) ^{[1, 2, 15]}, and we feel the US recommendation is more than sufficient to protect against osteoporosis. With some of the trace elements the levels are far higher than the recommended amounts. This is because we only need tiny amounts of them, but the natural ingredients in Huel Powder are a rich source.

Choline is a conditionally essential B vitamin, and although, strictly speaking, it can be synthesised in our bodies, it’s more efficient to obtain it from our diets ^[16]. It’s of particular importance for post-menopausal women ^{[17, 18]}. As Huel Powder is all about optimum health, the inclusion of choline was felt to be fundamental.

There has been some concern about phytic acid: a naturally occurring substance in some cereals including oats. Phytic acid can chelate (bind) some minerals meaning that they’re less bioavailable ^[20]. As oat powder is a fundamental ingredient of Huel Powder, 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 Powder will also further promote iron absorption ^[21].

Phytonutrients in Huel Powder

Phytonutrients are substances found in plant foods which, whilst not essential, may exhibit some health benefits like disease risk prevention. Junk food diets and many synthetic liquid diets that aren’t based on real food are deficient in phytonutrients, and thus consumers miss out on invaluable health benefits and antioxidant effects.

Because Huel Powder’s fundamental ingredients are plant-based foods, these are already phytonutrient-rich and the benefits are passed onto anyone consuming Huel Powder. However, we've also added some additional phytonutrients to optimise the Huel Powder formula and to complement the antioxidant nutrients vitamins C and E and selenium.

Phytonutrient polyphenols in Huel Powder have antioxidant activity and help protect against cardiovascular disease, some cancers and age-related conditions. Huel Powder's beneficial phytonutrients include:

Avenanthramides: antioxidant polyphenols unique to oats shown to have anti-inflammatory effects^[22].
Ferulic acid: also from oats, a potent antioxidant and antibacterial agent that has also been shown to have anti-cancer properties^{[23, 24]}.
Lutein: from the flaxseed powder and we've also added additional lutein in our vitamin and mineral blend. Although not essential, there is concern that diets low in lutein may lead to macular degeneration of the eye in the elderly, as lutein is involved in eye pigment development^{[25, 26]}. Lutein is also an antioxidant.
Zeaxanthin: another antioxidant, this has been added as it also has a role in long-term eye health^[25].
Other carotenoids and bioflavonoids have antioxidant activity and are naturally present from the main ingredients^[28,29].

Summary - Huel Powder is Food

As you can see, Huel Powder has a far superior nutrition compared to most conventional diets. Huel Powder can be your sole nutritional source, or you can drink it as individual meals or even as a between-meal snack. In this way, it can be an add-on improvement to your diet to ensure you’re giving your body what it needs.

Ingredients of Huel Powder

Cinnamon Swirl v3.1

Oat Flour, Pea Protein, Ground Flaxseed, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavourings, Brown Rice Protein, Sunflower Oil Powder, Micronutrient Blend (Minerals (Potassium (as Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate), Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate), Iodine (as Potassium Iodide)), Corn Starch, Vitamins (Vitamin C (as L-Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin K (K2, as Menaquinone-7), Vitamin A (as Retinyl Acetate), Vitamin E (D-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate), Niacin (as Niacinamide), Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin), Vitamin D (D2 as Ergocalciferol, D3 as Plant-Derived Cholecalciferol), Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium D-Pantothenate), Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin), Folate (as Calcium-L-Methylfolate), Vitamin B1 (as Thiamin Mononitrate)), Lutein), Medium-Chain Triglyceride Powder (from Coconut), Stabilisers: Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Faba Bean Protein, Sweetener: Sucralose.

Allergy advice: For allergens see ingredients in bold. May contain: Mustard.