Almased is a meal replacement product used for weight loss. It’s a powder that can be mixed into water or other drinks, and the brand claims that the product can “boost metabolism, burn fat, and support weight loss.”
But does Almased contain research-backed ingredients for weight loss, or are these just marketing claims? Has the brand been proven in clinical trials to cause weight loss? Does Almased contain any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the taste and effects of the drink?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the clinical studies on Almased to determine if the drink is proven to cause weight loss, and analyze the ingredients in their drinks.
We’ll also document the cheapest place to buy Almased, and share real, unsponsored user reviews of the brand.
Is Almased Proven to Cause Weight Loss?
Almased has been studied in several clinical trials.
A clinical trial published in the Nutrients journal tested the effects of Almased supplementation in overweight and obese patients. One group received health coaching on healthy eating and exercise, and the other group received the same health coaching but also consumed Almased as a meal replacement.
Those using Almased lost an average of 11.62 pounds after one year. While this is an impressive result, the control group lost an average of 9.81 pounds, so the Almased difference only equated to 1.81 pounds.
A 2014 clinical trial tested the effects of Almased supplementation in middle-aged obese women. The study design was similar to the previous trial (one group with health coaching plus Almased, one with just health coaching).
Again, Almased use led to slightly improved weight loss outcomes. Women using Almased as a meal replacement lost an average of 16.76 pounds after one year, while women getting health coaching alone lost an average of 14.55 pounds.
Another clinical trial published in the Nutrients journal found that Almased improved quality-of-life in individuals with an unhealthy lifestyle. Patients who were at a high risk for metabolic disorder and used Almased experienced improvements in physical function and physical symptoms.
It’s a sign of a quality brand to fund legitimate clinical research in peer-reviewed medical journals. We can conclude that Almased is likely to be effective for weight loss, although the difference between the Almased groups and the control groups only amounted to a few pounds per year of weight loss in the clinical trials we reviewed.
Ingredient Analysis – Is Almased Healthy?
The ingredients in Almased Original are shown above.
Soy protein isolate is the main ingredient, and we consider this an effective choice for a weight loss shake because high protein intake can increase satiation and reduce food cravings. One serving of Almased provides 27 grams (g) of protein in only 180 calories, which is a relatively high amount.
A medical review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that “meal-specific protein quantities of at least ∼25-30 g protein” can cause improvements to appetite and body weight management, and the protein dose in Almased is right in that range.
Raw honey is not only a nutritious, whole food ingredient, but a 2018 medical review found that honey intake is associated with reduced risk of excessive weight gain.
Skim milk yogurt powder may have beneficial probiotics due to the fermentation process, but Almased doesn’t state whether or not their shake contains probiotics.
The remaining ingredients are a vitamin and mineral blend containing nutrients like calcium citrate and vitamin A. We haven’t come across any research that vitamin and mineral supplementation improves weight loss, and this is the only section of the ingredient list that we find to be questionable.
Supplemental vitamins and minerals may cause toxicity in consumers without a deficiency in those vitamins and minerals. As we documented in our review of Premier Protein, a wellness brand was forced to recall their products from the market in early 2022 due to the supplemental vitamins causing toxicity.
Overall we consider Almased to be relatively healthy, but we don’t recommend it due to the added vitamins and minerals. If the shake were made with entirely whole food ingredients we would likely recommend it.
Real, Unsponsored Customer Reviews of Almased
Almased is sold on Amazon, which is a more objective resource for customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.
Almased Original has been reviewed over 350 times on Amazon, with an average review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review comes from a user named “Mart” who claims the product is convenient and helps to reduce hunger:
“I work nights and sleep most of the day. This shake is great to have if I am still away at 1pm, and it's even better to have when I wake up at 9:45pm. I don't have a shake every day, but I do sleep better when I do have one. I don't stay hungry at work if I drink one before I go too.”
The top negative review is written by a user named “Carey” who had a bad experience with the smell and taste:
“Smells & tastes horrible! I threw it out after one try! Yuk!!!”
A TikTok user named “megan_j31” claims to have lost weight using Almased:
@megan_j31 #greenscreenvideo #almased #almaseddiet #diet #walgreens #amazon #cortisol #lepton #hormones #lessstress #feelgood #yourhealth #weightloss #beachbody ♬ original sound - ｍ𝑒𝕘𝐚𝐍
Where to Buy Almased for the Best Price
Almased is sold at a variety of online retailers. Here’s a price breakdown at the time of publishing this article:
CVS: $32.49
Walgreens: $31.99
Amazon: $31.97
Walmart: $29.19 (link)
It’s important to note that while Walmart currently has the cheapest price on Almased, the Walmart listing is from a third-party seller and not from the manufacturer. We generally recommend that consumers purchase products directly from the manufacturer or from authorized distributors, as this may reduce the risk of counterfeit product.
What About Almased’s Other Products?
Almased sells three products other than Almased Original. Here’s our quick takes on each:
Almased Almond-Vanilla: Exact same ingredients as Almased Original except this version is flavored with natural flavoring. As we documented in our review of Skinny Fit, there is clinical research suggesting that some natural flavoring agents may be toxic.
We would recommend Almased Original over Almased Almond-Vanilla.
Almased Wellness Tea: Made entirely from whole herb ingredients and contains no questionable additives. One of the ingredients in this tea, hawthorn berries, is shown in a 2020 medical review to improve cardiovascular health and reduce cholesterol levels.
We would recommend Almased Wellness Tea.
Almased Shaker Bottle: Made from plastic. We recommend avoiding plastic bottles due to the risk of plasticizing chemicals leaching into the drink, and also because they’re harmful to the environment. Stainless steel, glass or silicone bottles are superior options.
Can Food Supplements Cause Weight Loss?
There are several food-based weight loss supplements with significant research backing.
Dietary fiber is associated with weight loss in clinical trials, especially when combined with caloric restriction.
A landmark medical study found that moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline) combined with dietary fiber intake (a minimum of 20 grams per day) caused an average weight loss of 16.03 pounds over 6 months. That’s a pace of 32 pounds per year of weight loss in overweight individuals simply by adding fiber to a moderately-restricted-calorie diet.
The fiber supplement we recommend is SuperGut Fiber Mix, which costs $59.
It contains a clean and effective formulation: a blend of three different types of unflavored dietary fiber and zero additive ingredients. It can be mixed into liquids or foods. Interested consumers can buy SuperGut fiber at this link to the product page on the brand's website.
We recommend using two fiber mixes per day, which provides 16 g of fiber. Diet should provide the remaining fiber necessary to meet the 20 g minimum threshold.
MCT oil is derived from coconuts, quickly absorbed by the body and increases metabolic rate, which causes fat loss. A meta-study on MCT oil documented weight loss of 1.12 pounds over 10 weeks. This equates to a potential annualized weight loss of 5.84 pounds with MCT oil supplementation.
We recommend Bulletproof MCT Oil as our top MCT oil product, because it has a clean and effective formulation. The only ingredient is MCT oil derived from coconuts, and the product has no questionable additives. Interested consumers can buy Bulletproof MCT Oil at this link to the product page on the brand's website. This supplement only costs $15.50 for over a month's worth of product.
The effective dose range of MCT oil for weight loss (based on the medical review) is 1.7 g to 10 g per day. Bulletproof's MCT oil provides 14 g in one tablespoon, so around two-thirds of one tablespoon should be a maximally-effective dosage.
