Herbalife is a global multilevel marketing (MLM) company that develops and sells dietary supplements, personal care products, and weight management programs. Founded in 1980 by Mark R. Hughes, the company operates in more than 90 countries with a network of approximately 4.5 million independent distributors and members. Herbalife's weight loss program utilizes meal replacement shakes and dietary supplements to aid in slimming down. While quick-fix diets like Herbalife can lead to short-term weight loss, they can be costly and unsustainable. As of 2021, Herbalife reports $5.8 billion in sales and claims that 5.4 million Herbalife protein shakes are consumed daily.
This article provides a comprehensive review of the Herbalife weight loss program, including how it works, its benefits and downsides, a sample menu, and more.
Herbalife Products and Services
Herbalife is best known for its meal replacement and protein shakes, but the company has expanded its product offerings to include:
- Formula 1 Select meal replacement shakes (known as the “core” products)
- Formula 2 and 3 supplements (multivitamin and antioxidant capsules)
- Protein powders and bars
- Herbal weight loss teas
- Protein bars
- Aloe products
- Fiber, prebiotic, and probiotic supplements
- Sports nutrition supplements
- Vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements
- Skin care products
The Formula 1 Select meal replacement shake is the most popular product and comes in various flavors, including French Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Cookies n’ Cream, Wild Berry, Café Latte, Banana Caramel, Pralines and Cream, and Natural Vanilla.
How the Herbalife Diet Works
The Herbalife diet is designed to help people lose weight by reducing calorie intake through meal replacement shakes and boosting metabolism with supplements. The program involves three steps:
Read also: Is the Herbalife Diet Right for You?
Step 1: Choose a Program
Herbalife offers three program versions:
- Quickstart Program: Includes Formula 1 Select meal-replacement shake, Formula 2 multivitamins, Formula 3 Cell Activator antioxidant capsules, and a powdered Herbal Tea Concentrate.
- Advanced Program: Includes everything from the Quickstart Program plus Cell-U-Loss for reducing fluid retention and Total Control for boosting metabolism and energy levels.
- Ultimate Program: Includes everything from the Advanced Program plus Snack Defense for blood sugar management and Aminogen for digestion.
These programs cost roughly $125-$241 per month.
Step 2: Calculate your ideal meal plan
Members consult with an Herbalife distributor to determine their ideal meal plan based on gender, height, weight, protein needs and nutrition goals. Each meal plan has three options: Weight maintenance, Weight loss and Weight gain. For the weight loss plans, four different calorie levels are offered: 1,200, 1,400, 1,500 and 1,950 calories per day.
Step 3: Begin the Herbalife Diet
Following the Herbalife diet is relatively easy. You replace two meals each day with Herbalife shakes and take the supplements included in your chosen program. There are no dietary restrictions, but people following the diet are generally advised to drink plenty of water and eat small, frequent meals and snacks that include fruits and vegetables. There are no official recommendations for how long to stay on the diet, but most people continue until they reach their weight loss goal.
Cost of Herbalife Products
Herbalife products vary in price depending on the products you use and whether you buy them as part of a program. Here are the costs of some of the company’s top-selling products:
Read also: Weight Loss Guide Andalusia, AL
- Formula 1 Select meal replacement shake: $43.30 for 30 servings
- Formula 2 capsules: $26.40 for a 30-day supply
- Formula 3 capsules: $28.95 for a 30-day supply
- Protein Drink mix: $53.10 for 30 servings
- Herbalife24 Enhanced Protein Powder: $81.60 for 20 servings
- Herbal Aloe Concentrate: $121.95 for 1/2 gallon (1.89 liters)
- Active Fiber Complex: $30.30 for 30 servings
- Protein Bar Deluxe: $27.70 for 14 bars
Here are the average monthly costs if you opt for one of Herbalife’s weight loss programs:
- Quickstart Program: $125.05 per month
- Advanced Program: $189.40 per month
- Ultimate Program: $240.95 per month
You may need to purchase another Formula 1 container each month (an additional $43.30) if you consume more than one serving per day.
Herbalife Meal Replacement Shakes
The Herbalife Formula 1 Select shakes are intended to replace a meal or snack. Herbalife recommends mixing the shakes with nonfat milk or soy beverage, which will further increase the protein and nutrient content. One serving (2 scoops, or 25 grams) of Formula 1 Select shake mix contains:
- Calories: 90
- Protein: 10 grams
- Fat: 1 gram
- Carbs: 13 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
- Sugar: 6 grams
When mixed with 8 ounces (240 mL) of nonfat milk, the mix provides 170 calories and 17 grams of protein per serving.
Research on Meal Replacement Shakes
Research on meal replacement shakes presents some considerations:
Read also: Beef jerky: A high-protein option for shedding pounds?
- Short-term weight loss: Studies show that meal replacement shakes may help with weight loss when used for up to 1 year and may be more effective for short-term weight loss than traditional low calorie diets.
- Pound per week: People on Herbalife may lose 1 pound per week, at least early on. A Herbalife sponsored study found that people who replaced 2 meals per day with Herbalife shakes lost an average of 12.5 pounds (5 kg) in 12 weeks.
- Long-term benefits: Research on the long-term benefits and drawbacks of meal replacement shakes is lacking, but one review suggests that they may help prevent weight gain over several years.
- Weight loss maintenance: One study found that people who used meal replacement shakes for 3 years lost 5-10% of their initial body weight and maintained that loss. The authors note that if participants had discontinued the meal replacement shakes, they would have needed to pursue other weight loss and maintenance strategies, such as low calorie meal preparation and behavioral counseling.
Overall, research suggests that meal replacement shakes can help people to lose weight in the short term, but additional diet and lifestyle strategies are necessary for long-term weight loss and maintenance.
Herbalife Supplements
The supplements recommended in the Herbalife weight loss programs include:
- Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex: A standard multivitamin with several minerals for general nutrition.
- Formula 3 Cell Activator: A supplement with alpha-lipoic acid, aloe vera, pomegranate, rhodiola, pine bark, and resveratrol that claims to support nutrient absorption, metabolism, and mitochondrial health.
- Herbal Tea Concentrate: A powdered drink mix with tea extracts and caffeine that’s meant to provide extra energy and antioxidant support.
- Total Control: A supplement containing caffeine, ginger, three kinds of tea (green, black, and oolong), and pomegranate rind that claims to boost energy.
- Cell-U-Loss: A supplement containing electrolytes, corn silk extract, parsley, dandelion, and asparagus root that’s meant to reduce water retention.
- Snack Defense: A supplement containing chromium and Gymnema sylvestre extract that claims to support carbohydrate metabolism.
- Aminogen: A supplement containing protease enzymes, which are said to improve protein digestion.
While these supplements contain ingredients that may help with energy, metabolism, or weight loss, there have been no studies to evaluate the effectiveness of these Herbalife products specifically.
Benefits of the Herbalife Diet
In addition to aiding weight loss, the program is popular because of how easy and convenient it is to follow.
- Not time-intensive: Meal replacement shakes can dramatically cut down the time required for meal prep and eliminate trips to the grocery store.
- Easy to prepare: To make the shake, mix 2 scoops of powder with 8 ounces (240 mL) of nonfat milk. You can also blend the powder with ice or fruit for a smoothie-style drink.
- Options for allergies and sensitivities: Herbalife offers an alternative meal replacement shake called Protein Drink Mix Select that’s made with pea, rice, and sesame proteins, which could be an option for those with allergies or sensitivities to soy or cow’s milk.
- Non-GMO: Herbalife works for those who wish to avoid GMOs.
- Coaching and support: There is coaching and group support available for this diet.
Potential Downsides
While the Herbalife diet program has some benefits, it also has downsides.
- Shakes are highly processed: Herbalife meal replacement shakes are made with highly processed ingredients, including protein isolates, added sugars, gums, artificial flavors, and emulsifiers. They also contain a variety of added vitamins and minerals to make up for the nutrients these processed ingredients lack. The Formula 1 shakes are very high in sugar - 40% of the calories in each serving (before adding milk) come from added sugars, primarily fructose. Fructose powder is the second main ingredient. Two servings of the Herbalife shake provide more than 20 grams of added sugar, leaving very little room for other sources throughout the day. It’s generally advisable to get your nutrients from less processed foods, such as high quality proteins, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.
- Too low in calories: Although Herbalife shakes are described as meal replacement shakes, they don’t contain enough calories to constitute a true meal. When mixed with nonfat milk, each shake has just 170 calories, which will likely leave you feeling very hungry throughout the day and could make sticking to the diet difficult.
- Can be expensive: Consuming Herbalife’s recommended 2 shakes per day equates to roughly $86 per month for the shakes alone, not including the cost of supplements or additional groceries, such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Depending on what you usually eat, replacing two meals per day with shakes might save you money on groceries. However, these savings may not be significant enough to justify the additional expense of smoothies and supplements.
- Herbal supplements may cause liver damage: Supplements such as those from Herbalife are usually not tested for effectiveness, and no government agency regulates their quality or purity. Herbal products account for up to 20% of liver injuries in the United States. There have been several reports of suspected liver damage attributed to Herbalife weight loss supplements, sometimes requiring liver transplants or even resulting in death. Some Herbalife products have been contaminated with an overgrowth of the bacteria B. subtilis, which is also linked to liver damage. Therefore, it’s best to consult a healthcare professional before taking Herbalife products.
- Program is not appropriate for everyone: People with allergies, sensitivities, or intolerances to the ingredients in the shakes or supplements should not follow this program. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also avoid the program, because many of the products’ ingredients may not be safe during these stages of life. Plus, the shakes are nutritionally inadequate to support the demands of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Finally, if you’re taking medications or have a medical condition, it’s important to check with a healthcare professional before starting the program.
- Risks: This diet has been criticized by experts and could fall short nutritionally. Herbalife shakes contain ultraprocessed ingredients that may lead to increased risk of diseases like heart disease and cancer. The meal plans at the lower calorie levels may make it more challenging to meet nutrient needs.
Controversies and Criticisms
Herbalife has faced scrutiny and legal troubles over the years.
- FTC Fine: The FTC fined Herbalife $200 million in 2016 for deceiving consumers into believing they could make large amounts of money from selling Herbalife products. The company was also required to restructure its business design to provide fairer compensation.
- Pyramid Scheme Allegations: Herbalife has been accused of deceiving distributors about the amount of income they could expect to earn and that most of their income would be made from recruiting additional distributors instead of from selling merchandise.
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: In 2020, Herbalife was hit with a $123 million lawsuit by the Department of Justice to resolve criminal charges of foreign corrupt practices in China, including bribing Chinese government officials and falsifying its books and records to promote its business operations for nearly a decade from 2007 to 2016.