A new product has come to the bitcoin table offering dieters and those strapped for time and cash the chance to exchange digital currency for a food substitute.
Soylent, which was created by entrepreneur Rob Rhinehart from Atlanta, Georgia, is a mixture of powdered starch, grape seed oil, compounds such as ferrous gluconate (iron) and vitamins, including vitamin C and vitamin D. It comes in a powder form, which is mixed with water to create a meal in a glass.
Soylent was dreamt up during the summer 2012 programme run by seed accelerator firm Y Combinator (YC). Rhinehart was initially creating affordable wireless networks for developing countries when he did what YCâs co-founder Paul Graham described as âthe biggest pivot in YC historyâ.
The then-24-year-old came up with the idea for Soylent after hypothesising that the human body doesnât need food, just the chemicals and elements it is made of. He bought numerous tubs of various vitamins and supplements, created a mixture and, one morning, put his theory to the test.
âIt was delicious! I felt like Iâd just had the best breakfast of my life. It tasted like a sweet, succulent, hearty meal in a glass, which is what it is, I suppose. I immediately felt full, yet energized, and started my day,â he said in a post on his blog.
Rhinehart stuck to drinking Soylent for a month and, within that time, noticed a number of positive changes, from an increase in energy and improved concentration to whiter teeth and a greater appreciation of music.
He also enjoyed the fact he was saving money and time by not having to go grocery shopping, cook or wash dishes. Add to this the fact he lost 16lbs over the course of three weeks and you can see why Soylent might be appealing to a lot of people.
There are, understandably, plenty of sceptics who worry that Soylent isnât actually very healthy and could, in the long-term, do greater harm than good. This probably isnât helped by the origins of the name Soylent. Rhinehart said the name comes from the book Make Room! Make Room!, which features a foodstuff called soylent steaks, which are not made of meat, but soya and lentils. However, in the film Soylent Green, which is based on the book, the food substitute Soylent Green turns out to be made of human remains.
Regardless of this rather macabre association, Rhinehart told CoinDesk a lot of people still seem to be interested in the product, which is evident in that his crowdfunding campaign gained more than 10,000 backers.
Those reluctant to take advice on nutrition from an electrical engineering and computer science graduate may be interested in what a dietary specialist has to say.
Cara Sloss, spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, told CoinDesk: âMeal substitutes should be used with caution. Many new products have limited research available for potential users to study and there is often little knowledge about the effects of long-term use.
âIn our hectic day-to-day lives some people may find it easier to grab a replacement meal on the run when thereâs no time to stop for food. This is perfectly acceptable, providing you check the label of the product youâre buying.â
She said the notion that the human body needs to consume solids isnât true and gave the example that liquid diets are regularly used in hospitals when patients are unable to consume solid food. âHowever, this is not recommended for everyone and anyone thinking about embarking on a liquid-only diet should consult their doctor for advice.â
Sloss also had a word of warning for weight watchers thinking of embarking on the Soylent diet: âWhen using liquid meals as an aid for weight loss, be aware that we can often end up drinking more than we think! There have been studies showing that we are less likely to register the calories in liquid form and can end up actually consuming more than eating a solid meal.â
Regardless of some peopleâs hesitations, Soylent is already proving highly popular, having received over $1 million worth of pre-orders. Customers will have to wait a while for their powder to arrive, as deliveries are not set to be processed until September, for the US; December, for Canada, the UK and Mexico; and March 2014 for all other EU countries.
Rhinehart said he decided to allow customers to pay in bitcoin because he âlovesâ the idea of a decentralised currency. âIt fits very closely with my philosophy. I would like to see the currency stabilise and use it at more places myself.â
To pay for Soylent in bitcoin, users simply select the package they want, head to the checkout and select the âBitcoinâ tab. After entering their name and email address, customers will see a QR code and the companyâs wallet address, which they can then use to transfer their bitcoins.
Alternatively, users can pay with their Coinbase account, by entering their email address and password.
Fred Ehrsam, co-founder of Coinbase found out about Soylent when it was in its early days. He approached one of the Soylent team and was given an early batch for the Coinbase team to test out.
âWe tried it for a few consecutive days. Itâs awesome because itâs very efficient to use â you donât have to take the time to eat, you can just gradually drink the nutrients you need without stopping what youâre doing,â he explained.
Ehrsam said Soylent is also very cheap when compared to the average amount he would normally spend on food, plus, it made him really appreciate food when he did have it. âIn short, it separates eating out of necessity from eating out of pleasure.â
He stopped drinking Soylent after a couple of days because, as his batch was an early version, the mixture of ingredients was a little âoffâ.
âIâm sure it will be better tuned once it goes live to the public,â Ehrsam added.
Below is Soylentâs latest ingredients list posted on the companyâs blog. These are the main ingredients â Soylent contains some other vitamins and minerals that are not listed.
What do you make of the idea? Would you be willing to give it a go?
