In short, we don't know. There has been little research done on greens powders as a whole. The limited research that does exist doesn't suggest that they offer as many benefits as eating whole foods, but more research is needed. What we do know is that there are synergistic effects to eating whole foods. This means that the nutrients in whole foods work together so you get more health benefits from eating foods in their natural form than you get from taking supplements. "While greens powders can help increase your fruit and vegetable intake, don't count on them to completely replace whole foods. Most don't contain all of the vitamins and minerals you need," says Osburn. One area where many greens powders fall short is in the fiber content. Greens and other vegetables provide fiber, which offers numerous health benefits from better digestion to lower cholesterol. Fiber—when consumed from whole foods—is also linked to increased fullness with meals, which may help you eat less overall. But the same can't be said for fiber supplements. When it comes to greens powders, some greens powders contain no fiber, whereas others contain very little.