Herbalife is a nutrition company that produces shakes, snacks, multivitamins and other dietary supplements that are designed to help people lose weight and meet nutritional recommendations. Cold Fusion, based out of Duluth, Minnesota, is a similar company but has a more limited product list. It markets only beverages, including herbal tea and supplementary diet shakes.
Types
Herbalife's nutritional products are specifically targeted to six health goals: weight management, heart health, digestive health, personal care, immunity and fitness. The company offers shake mixes, powders, vitamins, bars and more. Cold Fusion offers four flavors of herbal green tea and more than 30 shake flavors, including German chocolate cake, banana split and blueberry cheesecake.
Function
The Herbalife and Cold Fusion weight loss products work in the same way. Each shake, bar or mix has a limited number of calories and is intended to act as a meal replacement. The idea is that a normal meal has a greater number of calories, so by using the shakes and products consistently as substitutes, you can lower daily calorie totals and lose weight gradually without sacrificing vitamins, minerals or essential nutrients. Both Herbalife and Cold Fusion encourage consumers to use their shakes and meal replacements for two meals out of the day in conjunction with one balanced meal and, if necessary, a few healthy snacks.
Benefits
According to Dr. Monica Zangwill in an article for the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, diet shakes and meal replacements can be effective for weight loss. Zangwill cites a 2003 Columbia University study in which more than 200 people lost a greater amount of weight with meal replacements than a similar number of people eating more traditional low-calorie diets.
Nutrition
According to the Herbalife website, a 25g or two scoop serving of its Formula 1 shake has about 170 calories, 1g fat, 140mg sodium, 13g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 9g sugar and 9g protein when mixed with 8 oz. of nonfat milk. The shakes are also fortified with several vitamins, nutrients and minerals. Cold Fusion does not offer detailed nutritional information for its products but does note that they are customizable for patients based on health recommendations; for example, each shake can be fortified with extra protein or fiber upon request.
Warning
In her piece about meal replacements, Zangwill also points out that shakes and meal replacements are classified as dietary supplements, which means that they are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Hence, they may make health claims that have not been backed by research, and they may also produce potentially harmful side effects or contribute to nutrient deficiencies. Before using Herbalife products, Cold Fusion shakes or any other supplements for weight loss, speak with your doctor.
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