By Jackie LeBlanc

Nutrition One, The Wrap and Freshens all offer smoothies with the option of adding a nutritional booster — but what exactly is a booster?

Each booster contains different ingredients ranging from oat bran and Vitamin C to elements such as chromium picolinate and taurine.

Most boosters are a combination of a few ingredients. Studies, such as those found on the Web site www.healthpages.com, give varying opinions of supplements, but Stuart Liatsos, owner of Nutrition One, and his staff are prepared to educate customers.

“They [the boosters] all work for different things,” Liastos said.

Liatsos said some enhancers are underrated, such as Echinacea, Vitamin C, whey protein and glutamine.

Echinacea, which is in the immune package offered at the Marino Center location, comes from the echinacea flower. It can help fight colds and enhance the immune system, but should not be taken longer than eight weeks in a row, Liastos said. Echinacea, if taken consistently for longer than eight weeks, can depress the immune system, making sickness more likely, according to Apria Healthcare’s Web site www.apria.com.

Vitamin C, which helps prevent colds and can lower blood pressure, according to studies on www.webmd.com, is also part of the immune package.

Whey protein comes from milk or cheese and has all essential amino acids. It is easy to digest and is almost immediately absorbed by the body.

Liatsos said whey protein is “good for the morning and immediately following a workout.” People with dairy allergies, however, may have reactions to whey protein.

Glutamine is a protein powder that Liatsos says is good for the immune system, recuperation and protein synthesis. Many athletes and people familiar with glutamine choose to have it added.

The most popular shakes at Nutrition One are the Husky Malt and Protein Storm. The immune package is one of the more popular boosters.

“The timing of protein is extremely important,” Liatsos said.

Employees will often ask a customer when the last time they ate was to help them in their choice of a booster and how much to add. Good times for protein, Liastos said, are in the morning, lunchtime, or after working out.

For vegetarians, there are types of protein powders that are derived from soy, as well as the cheese-derived whey protein.

At The Wrap, located next to Nutrition One, an employee described the enhancers as mostly vitamins. The most popular smoothie is the mango passion and whey protein is the most popular booster. Their boosters include some ingredients not used in Nutrition One shakes.

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is used in supplements at The Wrap. It is 62 percent vegetable protein, making it 10 times more concentrated than carrots, according to the official spirulina Web site, www.spirulina.com. According to the site, daily use is more beneficial for healthy nerves and tissues.

Ginseng is another booster ingredient used by The Wrap. It is a ground root that is used to fight fatigue and offers support for the immune system and extra energy during workouts. According to www.healthpages.org, ginseng is also used by many astronauts and Olympic athletes.

Ginkgo biloba comes from a tree and increases blood flow to the brain. It can help in early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and increases memory, according to www.healthpages.com.

Students have used the boosters found in smoothies for an extra energy kick.

“I’ve had two or three since I’ve been here,” said Katie Sambor, a freshman music industry major.

Sambor has had smoothies from both The Wrap and Freshens, and got the energy booster each time because she “didn’t feel like getting a coffee.”

Sambor said she didn’t think she got any extra energy from the smoothies, but “coffee usually doesn’t do much for me either.”

With midterms and finals often keeping students up late studying, students wouldn’t necessarily turn to a booster-enhanced smoothie for more energy to stay up late studying.

“I’d rather have a Red Bull,” said Nelly Umeh, a junior electrical engineering major.

Freshens is located in the Curry Student Center. Diana Guerrero, who is training to be a manager, says that only “5 percent of people don’t take [a booster.]”

Jamaican Jammer is the most popular smoothie at the Freshens location. Most people choose energy, fat burner or protein as a supplement.

Guerrero said some people ask questions about the boosters, but there is information for customers to read explaining the ingredients in each booster.

“You can’t taste the booster,” says Cassey Geer, a freshman international affairs major.

She gets the Caribbean Passion smoothie with a booster. Which booster?

“Energy. It’s always energy,” she said.