Meal-replacement-shakes

Meal replacement shakes have strong evidence for short-term weight loss: Heymsfield et al. (2003, Cochrane-level meta-analysis) found meal replacements produced 2.54 kg more weight loss at 3 months than conventional diets. NHS Very Low Calorie Diet programmes (800 kcal/day total meal replacements) produce ~10–15 kg in 12 weeks. The key variable is calorie content and protein adequacy — not brand-specific ingredients. This article covers types, evidence, and what to look for.

Meal replacement shakes have genuine RCT evidence for weight loss — but vary substantially in nutritional completeness, protein quality, caloric adequacy, and evidence standards. This article covers the clinical evidence, how to read meal replacement labels, regulatory requirements, and what to look for when purchasing in the UK.