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| Pre-made Soylent drink v. 2.0 (Photo by Dllu via Wikimedia Commons) |
The substance in question is called "Soylent" and it's a liquid (or can be bought as a powder one mixes with water to make a liquid) that supposedly contains all the necessary calories and minerals to sustain life. Soylent is made by Rosa Labs, LLC and can be obtained from the official website here.
Contrary to what its name might suggest, "Soylent" originally did not contain soy (although soy is now its primary protein source); the formula has changed substantially over the time it has been produced. Wikipedia has compiled a list of the differences among the different versions of Soylent that have been produced since Rosa Labs began mass-producing and shipping the product in late 2014 here. The name "Soylent" is a science-fiction reference to a movie called "Soylent Green" about a near-future, massively overpopulated Earth in which the protagonist learns that Soylent Green, the food most citizens live on, is manufactured from the bodies of deceased human beings.
It is clear from articles about Soylent that its inventor, Rob Rhinehart, finds the thought of most foods sufficiently repellent that he was inspired to invent a food substance that requires as little attention to preparation and consumption as possible. The reality seems to be that Soylent is a most an occasional meal replacement, not a food that fulfills all human nutritional requirements, and Soylent's advertising is careful not to represent otherwise despite Mr. Rhinehart's personal efforts to live exclusively on his product.
When I was younger, I rather liked the idea of dealing with nutrition via a pill or a similarly quick no-fuss method, to avoid the bother of cooking and eating. Now, though I'm still not enthusiastic about the business of cooking (and cleaning up afterward), I appreciate the utility of consuming different foods to achieve different health goals, and the importance of eating as a sensual experience. I suspect, from the relatively small number of articles I've found about Soylent on the Internet, that it is unlikely that most people will ever willingly choose to replace their entire diet with a relatively bland liquid. At most, Soylent will be a footnote or paragraph in the wider history of food, and not an end to the variety of preparations humankind has engaged in to meet its personal food needs.
It is clear from articles about Soylent that its inventor, Rob Rhinehart, finds the thought of most foods sufficiently repellent that he was inspired to invent a food substance that requires as little attention to preparation and consumption as possible. The reality seems to be that Soylent is a most an occasional meal replacement, not a food that fulfills all human nutritional requirements, and Soylent's advertising is careful not to represent otherwise despite Mr. Rhinehart's personal efforts to live exclusively on his product.
When I was younger, I rather liked the idea of dealing with nutrition via a pill or a similarly quick no-fuss method, to avoid the bother of cooking and eating. Now, though I'm still not enthusiastic about the business of cooking (and cleaning up afterward), I appreciate the utility of consuming different foods to achieve different health goals, and the importance of eating as a sensual experience. I suspect, from the relatively small number of articles I've found about Soylent on the Internet, that it is unlikely that most people will ever willingly choose to replace their entire diet with a relatively bland liquid. At most, Soylent will be a footnote or paragraph in the wider history of food, and not an end to the variety of preparations humankind has engaged in to meet its personal food needs.
I read a lot about Soylent when I was first diagnosed as diabetic in early 2015.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest issue most people have with it is that they don't drink enough water with it at first; they assume that the liquid Soylent is enough water with it. Everyone who goes on it for the bulk of their meals (the typical "Soylent diet" is two bottles of the stuff and a modest dinner to be social) discovers that they're eating less overall (and consuming fewer calories). They get a week long "bleargh" phase about the second week in where they crave salts and are low energy as their body shifts over to burning fat, and then they "get used to it."
Most have reported a 2-15 lb weight loss, and that their doctors go from being skeptical to "OK, it's safe."
I don't know anyone who's using it personally.
My impression (from the Soylent on-line reviews, most of which come from reporter tasked to live on the stuff for a month or so) is that very few people remain enthusiastic about Soylent after they've tried it. One constant, however, is the modest weight loss you mention. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Soylent were to be marketed as a weight loss product.
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ReplyDeleteI don't see any mention of dietary fiber. If this doesn't contain any and those who consume this aren't getting enough elsewhere, they are going to be *so* constipated...
The articles written by reporters tasked to try living on the stuff for awhile report fairly severe flatulence, though that passes after a week or so.
DeleteSomeone brought some to a gathering I attended. It went down easier with flavoring (I personally liked more than a few drops of vanilla). I believe the fiber issue is addressed and that's why it's not about 1/4 of it's current size. (That's what the person who brought it said, anyhow.)
ReplyDeleteThat could well be right. In any event, Rosa Labs and Soylent's inventor keep tinkering with the formula to fix issues that arise with nutritional completeness, so I'd expect the fiber issue to be fixed if it hasn't been already. Personally, I think Ken Burnside is right; long-term users probably should eat at least one real meal per day to stay healthy.
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