It hasn’t even been two months since the start of fall quarter, and yet I’ve gone to Blenders at least six times. My goal for the year is to try every smoothie flavor, and so far, I’m moving pretty steadily towards that goal. Though it may sound like a problem, I’m not alone in my strong passion for the reasonably priced and addicting smoothie place. Been living under a rock? Blenders, located conveniently in Isla Vista, Goleta, and other locations in the greater Santa Barbara area, is a smoothie store and community staple favored by many.
With the amount of students who order from Blenders, it’s quite shocking that many of them don’t know about one of the store’s biggest benefits: you can order one free supplement per drink. Even with the knowledge that every smoothie can come with a free supplement mixed in, many of us don’t know what we’re adding to our drinks — we just like the sound of it. To all the clueless Blenders fanatics, here’s a guide to some of their more obscure supplements!
immune support
As quoted from Blenders: “a large dose of Vitamin C, combined with Echinacea & Goldenseal, which promotes a healthy immune system.”
My friends and I always supplement immune support when our 800-person lectures start sounding like everyone’s infected with college cough. However, we don’t really know what makes up immune support. What on earth is Echinacea and Goldenseal?
Echinacea is a flower categorized under the daisy family. They’re also referred to as coneflowers. Stated by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, echinaceas are used as dietary supplements to treat common colds and other immune-related infections. They’ve been found to potentially reduce the chances of catching a cold, and to a college student who’s stuck in Campbell Hall six times a week, that potential is good enough.
Also labeled as the orangeroot and yellow puccoon, the goldenseal is an herb plant also used as a dietary supplement. The NCCIH identifies these plants as supplements used customarily for anti-inflammatory purposes. There’s not a lot of scientific backing for the use of this plant, but it has a long history of usage from Native Americans to European settlers.
Bee pollen
As quoted from Blenders: “nature’s mix of 18 amino acids, 14 minerals, enzymes, & all B-vitamins”
Bee pollen initially blew up on TikTok this year as people claimed the wonders of the supplement. Whether it was balancing out their hormones or energizing them throughout the day, bee pollen is no stranger to the spotlight.
Debra Fulghum Bruce of WebMD writes that bee pollen is “the pollen that collects on the bodies of bees as they fly from one flower to another. Bee pollen may also include bee saliva.” Bee pollen is claimed to apply to a multitude of benefits that range from lowering cholesterol and increasing metabolism to balancing out hormone levels.
Maca
As quoted from Blenders: “an adaptogenic root powder that increases energy & supports bone health”
Maca, also known as Peruvian Ginseng, is a root vegetable, not an herb. It’s similar in shape to a radish or beet. As a vegetable in the cruciferous family, maca is related to broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, and brussel sprouts.
The most common uses for maca root powder as a supplement include reducing the side effects of menopause and male infertility. A lot of the scientific backing for maca in medicine is unsupported and underdeveloped. However, according to Healthline, maca has been used for thousands of years by Peruvians as a food and for medicinal purposes.
I’ve personally never tried the maca supplement at blenders, nor on its own as a health supplement. Perhaps at my next sleepy visit to Blenders, I’ll opt for the maca supplement!
What will you try next?
Although I’ve only gone in depth with three of the most puzzling supplements at Blenders, there are so many other options worth exploring. Some of these options include flax seeds, whey protein, pea protein, calcium, antioxidant, and probiotic. There’s a supplement for everyone to try! Be adventurous with your next smoothie order and try a supplement you’ve never thought of blending in before.