Companies that produce meal replacements have one goal in mind – to provide consumers with tasty, healthy, and wholesome products that are affordable for everyone, while having no negative impact on the environment. Living in a constant rush means that we don’t have time to cook, eating out is sometimes too expensive, and fast food is not a long-term and beneficial solution for our health. Hence the growing popularity of meal replacements that have balanced macronutrient ratios and are a source of all the vitamins and minerals required by the body. More and more meal replacement companies are appearing on the market, which include SUPERSONIC Food and Natural Mojo. However, there are noticeable differences between the products of different companies in terms of nutritional values, ingredients used, as well as taste – since we want to be impartial, we will compare only the distinctive features that are not dependent on personal preferences. We are convinced that SUPERSONIC Food is the product that deserves the most attention on the market in terms of composition and nutritional value.

 

Summary

  • In Natural Mojo, 72% of all fats are saturated fatty acids, in SUPERSONIC Food this is only 13%.
  • SUPERSONIC Food contains 42% less simple sugars than Natural Mojo.
  • In Natural Mojo, simple sugars make up 27% of all carbohydrates, while in SUPERSONIC Food this is only 4%.
  • There are 13 vitamins and minerals added to SUPERSONIC Food (the other 13 are naturally occurring in the ingredients), while 18 are added to Natural Mojo.
  • The SUPERSONIC Food formula has been developed by scientists and nutritionists.

 

Carbohydrates

 

The carbohydrate sources in SUPERSONIC Food are oatmeal, linseed, maca root. Oatmeal and linseed provide primarily complex carbohydrates and fibre. Oatmeal and linseed provide mainly complex carbohydrates and fiber, including beta-glucans. Simple sugars in SUPERSONIC Food come only from plant materials.

In Natural Mojo products, the carbohydrate sources are coconut milk powder, rice starch and maltodextrin. These are ingredients with a high glycaemic index, e.g. the GI of maltodextrins is as high as 105 (almost double the glycaemic index of white sugar), causing them to raise blood sugar levels very quickly, with an equally rapid and sudden drop. As a result, satiety is felt soon after consumption, which is short-lived and entails a drop in energy. By consuming products with a low glycaemic index, such as SUPERSONIC Food, satiety is felt for longer and blood sugar levels do not suddenly fluctuate, which is detrimental to health.

 

Due to the different preparation of the products, SUPERSONIC Food provides the nutritional values of one portion (96 g) including water (400 ml) and a sachet of omega 3-6-9 fatty acids (5 ml), while Natural Mojo provides the conversion of one portion of the product (25 g) with sunflower oil (2.5 g) and cow’s milk with a 1.5% fat content (250 ml). When comparing 100 g of a dry product, Natural Mojo has 30% less (10 g) carbohydrates, but this includes up to 40% more simple sugars (18%) than SUPERSONIC Food. According to the nutritional recommendations of the Food and Nutrition Institute, the daily intake of simple sugars should be as low as possible and should not exceed 50 g (1). With a normal daily diet comprising fruit and groceries (e.g. pastry, sweetened yoghurts, sweets), exceeding this amount is very easy, so it is important to choose products with as low levels of simple sugars as possible. But this should not be confused with the carbohydrate content – after subtracting the sugars, they tell us about the amount of complex carbohydrates in the product, which are essential for the proper functioning of the body and brain. The higher the content of simple sugars in a product, the higher its glycaemic index, while the presence of complex carbohydrates and fibre in the product lowers said index (2).

 

Protein

 

Natural Mojo, unlike SUPERSONIC Food, is not a vegan product as its formula is based on a combination of animal and vegetable proteins, whey protein (cow’s milk protein) as well as soy and pea protein. Cow’s milk is one of the most common allergens – up to 7.5% of the population may be allergic to cow’s milk protein (3). The disadvantage of animal products is also that they are a heavier burden on the environment and the climate than plant products, a fact of which more and more consumers are becoming aware. Hence the growing popularity of meal replacements that are based on plant proteins. The soybean, which is the most abundant ingredient in Natural Mojo, has been classified by the Codex Alimentarius as one of the so-called Big Eight of food allergens, which means that it is one of the ingredients that most often cause allergies in humans. Furthermore, most of the soybeans grown in the world are genetically modified, with the use of pesticides that are toxic to humans and the environment, such as glyphosate (which, according to the World Health Organization, is ‘potentially carcinogenic’) (4). For this reason SUPERSONIC Food does not use soy protein, choosing proteins that do not cause allergies and are not as harmful to the environment.

 

SUPERSONIC Food’s formula is based on a composition of 4 plant proteins (pea, rice, pumpkin and hemp), which makes it a complete product providing all essential amino acids (ones that the body does not synthesise and which must be supplied in the diet). This makes the protein from SUPERSONIC Food just as valuable and nutritious as animal proteins and it can be an excellent substitute for them, with the added benefits of a smaller carbon and water footprint.

 

Fats

 

Natural Mojo has a lower fat content per 100 g of dry product than SUPERSONIC Food, due to the fact that the preparation of one serving requires adding milk and vegetable oil, which increases the fat content of the final meal. Despite this, the saturated fatty acid content in Natural Mojo is more than double that in the same amount of SUPERSONIC Food dry powder. Saturated fatty acids should be consumed in as small quantities as possible because of their harmful effects on the cardiovascular system when consumed excessively. Fats supplied to the body should consist of mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the consumption of which prevents atherosclerosis, reduces the risk of heart attack and heart disease. Particularly important are omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which the body does not produce on its own and which should be supplied with the diet (5).

 

While most meal replacements add fats in powdered form, Natural Mojo’s formula involves adding a small portion of sunflower oil to the smoothie. This is theoretically better than using powdered fats because the liquid oil retains more of its properties. However, the need to add fat yourself makes it difficult to prepare the smoothie outside the home. In Natural Mojo dry powder, the fats come mainly from coconut milk and therefore they are mainly saturated fatty acids.

 

Each serving of SUPERSONIC Food should be consumed along with SUPERSONIC Liquid – which is a sachet of ethyl esters of omega 3-6-9 acids extracted from linseed and hemp oil, which have an ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 acids (6, 7). They are found in liquid form because this allows them to retain their full nutritional value, and the ethyl ester form ensures a very high bioavailability (ability for a substance to be absorbed and used by the body) and bioretention (ability for body tissues to retain substances for later use) in the body. SUPERSONIC Liquid is included with SUPERSONIC Food in the form of individual sachets with barrier properties, thanks to which the esters inside are protected from the harmful effects of oxygen and light, so that their healthy properties are not changed.

 

Vitamins and minerals

 

When creating the SUPERSONIC Food formula, we made sure that the selected raw materials were as rich as possible in active ingredients, vitamins and minerals, so there is no need to fortify the product (add vitamins and minerals) with all the necessary microelements. The Natural Mojo formula has 18 of the 26 essential micronutrients added to it, while SUPERSONIC Food has 13 – of which 4 fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are added to SUPERSONIC Liquid, making them more easily absorbed. SUPERSONIC Food is rich in superfoods, which are a natural source of valuable vitamins and minerals, for example, bladderwrack is rich in iodine, so it no longer had to be added to the formula, while rosehip extract is a source of vitamin C.

 

SUPERSONIC Food, in addition to containing 26 essential vitamins and minerals, is enriched with other healthy substances that have a beneficial effect on the body but are not produced by it. An example of such a substance is choline (known as vitamin B4), which supports normal functioning of muscles, the nervous system and the brain (8).

 

Unique ingredients

 

The SUPERSONIC Food formula has been designed to provide the body with all the micro- and macro-nutrients that it needs in perfectly balanced proportions. In addition, SUPERSONIC Food is also a functional food, i.e. it shows positive effects on the human body (other than nutritional effects resulting from the ingredients it contains) (9). For this reason, lycopene, which has antioxidant and anti-cancer effects, is included in the composition of SUPERSONIC Food (10). Furthermore, the product contains lutein and zeaxanthin, which contribute to the proper functioning of the sight organ and which the body does not produce on its own (11).

 

SUPERSONIC Food also contains the inactive yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, classified by the European Food Safety Authority as Novel Food. They are a source of B vitamins as well as vitamins C, D and E and other active ingredients such as coenzyme Q10, alpha-ketoglutarate and citrulline malate. Coenzyme Q10 is responsible for improving cardiovascular function, lowering ‘bad cholesterol’, normalising blood glucose levels and preventing strokes (12). Alpha-ketoglutarate and coenzyme Q10 contribute to delaying the ageing process and supporting the immune system (13). Citrulline malate regulates blood pressure and increases physical performance (14). The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica is also a source of beta-glucan, which has anti-cancer and immune-stimulating properties, boosting the immune system (15).

 

Ingredients such as papaya powder, turmeric extract, pomegranate juice powder and matcha green tea have been added to the Natural Mojo formula. These are plant-based ingredients with antioxidant potential, but they are present in too small quantities (less than 1% in 100 g of dry powder) to have a significant effect on health.

 

Conclusions

 

The main purpose of meal replacements is to provide consumers with quick to prepare, healthy and tasty solutions – which is what both SUPERSONIC and Natural Mojo offer. However, despite the same premise, the two products differ significantly in composition and nutritional value. SUPERSONIC Food is a completely plant-based product, using only natural raw materials and rich in functional ingredients, while Natural Mojo is a vegetarian product due to its milk protein content, with a rather limited composition in terms of active ingredients. We believe that everyone will find a product for themselves, but we are convinced that SUPERSONIC Food is the most interesting product in its category in terms of composition and nutritional value.

 

Bibliography

 

  1. Agostoni, C. V., Bresson, J. L., Fairweather Tait, S., Flynn, A., Golly, I., Korhonen, H., … & Verhagen, H. (2010). Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for water. Brand-Miller, J. C., Holt, S. H., Pawlak, D. B., & McMillan, J. (2002). Glycemic index and obesity. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 76(1), 281S-285S.
  2. El-Agamy, E. I. (2007). The challenge of cow milk protein allergy. Small Ruminant Research, 68(1-2), 64-72.
  3. https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/01/16/Much-higher-herbicide-residues-found-in-glyphosate-resistant-soybeans-Glyphosate-should-not-be-in-the-food-chain
  4. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA). (2010). Scientific Opinion on Dietary Reference Values for fats, including saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and cholesterol. EFSA Journal, 8(3), 1461.
  5. Leizer, C., Ribnicky, D., Poulev, A., Dushenkov, S., & Raskin, I. (2000). The composition of hemp seed oil and its potential as an important source of nutrition. Journal of Nutraceuticals,
  6. Goyal, A., Sharma, V., Upadhyay, N., Gill, S., & Sihag, M. (2014). Flax and flaxseed oil: an ancient medicine & modern functional food. Journal of food science and technology, 51(9), 1633-1653.
  7. Zeisel, S. H. (2000). Choline: an essential nutrient for humans. Nutrition.
  8. Roberfroid, M. (2002). Functional food concept and its application to prebiotics. Digestive and Liver Disease, 34, S105-S110.
  9. Heber, D., & Lu, Q. Y. (2002). Overview of mechanisms of action of lycopene. Experimental biology and medicine, 227(10), 920-923.
  10. Roberts, R. L., Green, J., & Lewis, B. (2009). Lutein and zeaxanthin in eye and skin health. Clinics in Dermatology, 27(2), 195-201.
  11. Littarru, G. P., & Tiano, L. (2010). Clinical aspects of coenzyme Q10: an update. Nutrition, 26(3), 250-254.
  12. Filip, R., & Pierzynowski, S. G. (2007). The role of glutamine and alfa-ketoglutarate in gut metabolism and the potential application in medicine and nutrition. Journal of Pre-Clinical and Clinical Research, 1(1).
  13. Allerton, T. D., Proctor, D. N., Stephens, J. M., Dugas, T. R., Spielmann, G., & Irving, B. A. (2018). l-Citrulline supplementation: impact on cardiometabolic health. Nutrients, 10(7), 921.
  14. Stier, H., Ebbeskotte, V., & Gruenwald, J. (2014). Immune-modulatory effects of dietary Yeast Beta-1, 3/1, 6-D-glucan. Nutrition journal, 13(1), 1-9.;]
  15. SUPERSONIC Food, data dostępu: 18.06.2021 [https://supersonicfood.com/en/produkt/supersonic-powder/]
  16. Natural Mojo, data dostępu: 18.06.2021 [https://www.naturalmojo.co.uk/product-tag/meal-replacement-shakes/]