Examine individual changes

'{{POV-check|date=June 2013}} [[File:Homemade-Soylent.jpg|thumb|A homemade batch of Soylent, immediately after preparation|upright=1.5]] '''Soylent''' is a food substitute intended to supply all of a human body's daily [[nutrition|nutritional]] needs, made from powdered starch, [[whey protein]], [[olive oil]], and raw chemical powders.<ref name=Matthews/><ref name=Pomeroy/> Soylent was designed by software engineer Rob Rhinehart as a way to save money and reduce the time and inconvenience of making food.<ref name=Lallanilla/>. Lacking background in chemistry or nutrition, Rhinehart developed the formula by reading web sites, textbooks, and reference materials, and by self-experimentation.<ref name=Finley/><ref name=Storr/> He named it after a fictional food from the novel ''[[Make Room! Make Room!|Make Room! Make Room!,]]''<ref name=Varughese /> on which the 1973 film [[Soylent Green]] was loosely based. Soylent is currently undergoing on-going informal testing and modification. A [[crowdfunding]] campaign has given Rhinehart roughly US$800,000 to produce and market a commercial version of Soylent with the first delivery planned for late September 2013.<ref name=shipping/> The funding may be able to pay for formal research.<ref name=gruel/> == Ingredients == Below are the ingredients that Rhinehart arrived at after his first 30 days of experimentation.<ref name=ingredients/> Many are not readily available and must be ordered from laboratory supply stores.<ref name=Lallanilla/> {{colbegin}} * [[Carbohydrates]] (200g), in the form of [[oligosaccharides]] such as [[maltodextrin]] * [[Protein]] (50g), in a powdered form such as [[whey protein isolate]] * [[Fat]] (65g), in the form of [[olive oil]] * [[Sodium]] (2.4g), from [[table salt]] * [[Potassium]] (3.5g), in the form of [[potassium gluconate]] * [[Chloride]] (3.4g), also from [[table salt]] * [[Dietary fiber|Fiber]] (5g) * [[Calcium]] (1g), in the form of [[calcium carbonate]] * [[Iron]] (18&nbsp;mg), from an iron chelate * [[Phosphorus]] (1g), from [[monosodium phosphate]] * [[Iodine]] (150μg) * [[Magnesium]] (500&nbsp;mg) * [[Zinc]] (15&nbsp;mg) * [[Selenium]] (70μg) * [[Copper]] (2&nbsp;mg) * [[Manganese]] (2&nbsp;mg) * [[Chromium]] (120μg) * [[Molybdenum]] (75μg) * [[Vitamin A]] (5000IU) * [[Vitamin B6]] (6μg) * [[Vitamin C]] (60&nbsp;mg) * [[Vitamin D]] (400IU) * [[Vitamin E]] (30IU) * [[Vitamin K]] (80μg) * [[Thiamin]] (1.5&nbsp;mg) * [[Riboflavin]] (1.7&nbsp;mg) * [[Niacin]] (20&nbsp;mg) * [[Folate]] (400μg) * [[Biotin]] (300μg) * [[Pantothenic acid]] (10&nbsp;mg) Extras not considered essential: * [[Lycopene]] (500μg) * [[Omega-3 fatty acids]] (750&nbsp;mg) * [[Ginseng]] (50μg) * [[Ginkgo biloba]] (100μg) * [[Lutein]] (500μg) * [[Alpha carotene]] (140μg) * [[Vanadium]] (100μg) {{colend}} After three months, Rhinehart made some changes based on experience and further reading. He replaced half the maltodextrin with [[oat]] flour, and added [[creatine]], [[coenzyme Q10]], and 2&nbsp;g of sulfur from [[methylsulfonylmethane]]. The oat flour provides 40&nbsp;g of fiber per day, and continues to provide energy after the initial "kick" from the maltodextrin. Because oat flour is not a raw chemical, he had to adjust the amounts of other ingredients to compensate. He adds [[ethyl vanillin]] to make the drink more palatable.<ref name=month3/> == Development Process and Health Concerns == As of May 2013, Soylent has been tested by Rhinehart himself and by a handful of volunteers as well as individuals recreating the substance independently at home.<ref name=Storr/><ref name=Davis/> When encountering issues with the formula Rhinehart has modified it, for example: Rhinehart's first version of the formula omitted iron, which caused his heart to race.<ref name=gruel/> In other early experiments, intentionally induced overdoses of potassium and magnesium gave Rhinehart cardiac arrhythmia and burning sensations.<ref name=gruel/> After the early recipe had stabilized on the list shown above, Rhinehart found himself suffering from joint pain due to a sulfur deficiency. He then added the methylsulfonylmethane to fix this problem.<ref name=month3/><ref name=gruel/> Soylent in its present form may lack some [[essential nutrient|nutrients essential for normal body functioning]] and/or provides nutrients in inappropriate proportions, potentially causing medical problems if used long-term.<ref name=Finley/> Partly this is due to the limits of current [[nutritional science]], which likely still hasn't discovered some of the essential nutrients that we normally get from food.<ref name=Finley/> And partly there is danger because homemade Soylent is made without the kinds of regulatory safeguards and fine-tunings followed when making accepted artificial diets such as [[medical food]].<ref name=Matthews/> == Cost == Rhinehart spends US$154.62 per month on Soylent, yielding a diet of 2,629 [[kilocalorie|calories]] per day;<ref name=Pomeroy/> the commercial version is expected to cost US$65 per week.<ref name=campaign/> Opinions differ as to whether this is a bargain. It's one-fourth as much as the average [[United States|American]] spends on food,<ref name=Pomeroy/> and a medical food such as Jevity would cost US$456 per month to get 2,000 calories.<ref name=Matthews/> On the other hand, a family of four in the [[United States]] can eat healthy, ordinary food for US$146 per week if they don't eat out.<ref name=gruel/> [[Plumpy'nut]], a peanut-based artificial diet for children starving in famines, costs less than US$10 per week.<ref name=gruel/> == See also == * [[Liquid diet]] * [[Protein shake]] == References == {{Reflist|refs= <ref name="Lallanilla">{{cite news | url=http://www.livescience.com/27908-soylent-meal-replacement.html | title=Who Needs Food When You Have Soylent? | work=LiveScience | date=March 14, 2013 | accessdate=2013-05-13 | author=Lallanilla, Marc}}</ref> <ref name="Varughese">{{cite news | url=http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/14272/20130315/rob-rhinehart-24-creates-soylent-why-never-food-bolemia-diet-weight-exercise-health-nutrition-eating.htm | title=Rob Rhinehart, 24, Creates Soylent: Why You Never Have To Eat Food Again | work=Medical Daily | date=March 15, 2013 | accessdate=2013-05-13 | author=Varughese, Ansa}}</ref> <ref name="Finley">{{cite news | url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/03/silicon-valley-tries-to-reinvent-food-literally/ | title=Silicon Valley And The Reinvention Of Food | work=TechCrunch | date=May 3, 2013 | accessdate=2013-05-13 | author=Finley, Klint}}</ref> <ref name="Matthews">{{cite news | url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/03/14/rob-rhinehart-has-a-crazy-plan-to-let-you-go-without-food-forever-it-just-might-work/ | title=Rob Rhinehart has a crazy plan to let you go without food forever. It just might work. | work=Washington Post | date=March 14, 2013 | accessdate=2013-05-14 | author=Matthews, Dylan}}</ref> <ref name="Storr">{{cite news | url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/active/10032594/The-man-who-lives-without-food.html | title=The man who lives without food | work=The Telegraph | date=May 6, 2013 | accessdate=2013-05-13 | author=Storr, Will}}</ref> <ref name=Pomeroy>{{cite news | url=http://www.realclearscience.com/articles/2013/04/01/evaluating_soylent_can_man_survive_on_goop_alone_106496.html | title='Soylent': Can Man Survive on Goop Alone? | work=Real Clear Science | date=April 1, 2013 | accessdate=2013-05-27 | author=Pomeroy, Ross}}</ref> <ref name=gruel>{{cite web|title=Gruel today, gruel tomorrow|url=http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2013/05/nutrition|publisher=The Economist|accessdate=27 May 2013}}</ref> <ref name="month3">{{cite web | url=http://robrhinehart.com/?p=570 | title=Soylent Month Three | work=Mostly Harmless | date=April 25, 2013 | accessdate=2013-05-27 | author=Rhinehart, Rob}}</ref> <ref name="ingredients">{{cite web | url=http://robrhinehart.com/?p=424 | title=What's In Soylent | work=Mostly Harmless | accessdate=2013-05-14 | author=Rhinehart, Rob}}</ref> <ref name="Davis">{{cite news | url=http://io9.com/could-soylent-really-replace-all-of-the-food-in-your-di-510890007 | title=Could Soylent really replace all of the food in your diet? | work=io9 | date=June 2, 2013 | accessdate=2013-06-02 | author=Davis, Lauren}}</ref> <ref name="campaign">{{cite web | url=https://campaign.soylent.me/soylent-free-your-body | title=Soylent - Free Your Body | accessdate=July 12, 2013}}</ref> <ref name="shipping">{{cite web | url=http://blog.soylent.me/post/56165040577/soylent-manufacturing-ship-date | title=Soylent Manufacturing & Ship Date | accessdate=July 23, 2013}}</ref> }} == External links == * [http://robrhinehart.com/?p=298 Rob Rhinehart's blog] * [http://www.soylent.me/ Official Soylent web site] * [http://www.makesoylent.com/recipes List of Soylent recipes] {{Diets}} [[Category:Staple foods]]'