Vitamineral Green Review

If I were a hippy (which I’m not!), I’d definitely be looking for some new-age super greens and I think I might just have found the pick of the crop with Vitamineral Green!

Not content with just blending some potent plants and veggies, these guys have gone the whole hog and included some seriously Ayurvedic numbers.

I was fairly certain this super greens supplement wouldn't be a contender for my daily greens but as it seemed to be popular amongst some people, I wanted to check it out and decided to review Vitamineral Greens.

So let’s see if there’s anything even I could like about these products.

I tried over 40 brands: check out my best greens superfoods!)

Vitamineral Green First Impressions

Vitamineral Green comes from a brand called HealthForce SuperFoods, which (to be cynical for a moment) uses a font and logo for their branding which would appeal to the inner nonconformist in you.

Naturopathy is not really my bag, although I do agree with some principles around healthy eating and clean living.

The quote on the HealthForce website from the founder, Naturopath Dr. Jameth Sheridan, is a broad statement that introduces their vision:

Mother Nature has put miraculous healing plants on this earth for us to benefit from. I am honored and deeply driven to uncover the greatest potential benefits from these elements and to assemble these gifts from Nature into products that help people to heal and to realize their full potential.

Although the website looks very outdated and the branding could certainly use an upgrade if it wants to compete in the market with some of the big-hitters, HealthForce obviously caters to a different customer (i.e. not me!).

Perhaps the more old-fashioned supplement-takers out there will like the look of this product and their branding, although it looks as though it hasn’t been changed since about 1990!

Other Greens powders I have reviewed you may be interested in:

• Organifi Green Juice review
• Athletic Greens review
• Your Super review

Background on HealthForce Superfoods Inc

Unfortunately, the About Us page is still under construction, but there is more detail about the founders and their vision on the About the Founders page (they could really use more links on their own site!).

The company is ‘hardcore’ about health and healing, the environment, compassion, and ethics. The founders seem to have been on a long journey through studying various different health interventions and modalities (Iridology, anyone?) and looking at being customer-advocates for other products, before settling on creating and producing mass-market supplements with integrity.

Despite the look and feel being so outdated, I actually really like the intentional vision. I feel this company has real integrity and ethics, which is important when it comes to healthy foods and supplements.

Suffering from health problems himself, Dr. Jameth dedicated himself to optimal nutrition and sourcing products that would improve and enhance body and soul. Sadly the founder passed away in 2016, and the company has been taken forward by his wife, Kim.

Their pledge is to offer ‘the purest, most potent, and deeply beneficial plant-based products possible’, which does actually appeal to me. So without further ado (and cynicism) let’s have a look at exactly what goes into their Vitamineral Green supplement.

Vitamineral Green Ingredients

Quoted as an ‘extremely potent, hard-core, green superfood complex, combining 25 of the most nutrient-dense superfoods on the planet in an easy-to-use powder’ Vitamineral Green contains some unusual ingredients I’ve not yet heard of on my super greens search:

As with most super greens blend, Vitamineral Green has a whole heap of nutritionally-potent ingredients to wade through, so I’ll take a look a bit further on in this review at what some of them do. I will point out however that, once again, this is a company that is choosing to not put the exact amounts of each ingredient on the label.

This being said, there are no binders or fillers, so I am certain that what I would be taking are pure, nutritionally-powered all-natural ingredients.

Here is the full label you see on the outside of the tub.

How Does Vitamineral Green Taste?

As there’s no sweetener, it seems the powder will most likely taste like other super green blends, which is to say very ‘green’, possibly powdery, but definitely a bit grassy. Some reviewers who are used to drinking green blends are happy with the taste:

I feel healthier and enjoy the taste

Taste is not overpowering

With super greens powders, it is also sometimes recommended that you mix with a smoothie or blend with other fruits to mask the flavor, so it may be worthwhile doing so with this product as there are no flavorings added.

There are also Vitamineral Green capsules which of course would be flavorless, however, it is advised you take more of these (up to 8 a day!).

Side Effects

I can’t comment on all of the individual ingredients as there are so many I haven’t ever encountered in a greens blends before! I would caution however that Vitamineral Green contains some unusual herbs which have been found to be harmful in larger doses (for example horsetail, which is considered a pernicious weed in gardens, as are stinging nettles – another ingredient of Vitamineral Green).

See this link for further details on why long-term use of horsetail by mouth is not encouraged.

Does Vitamineral Green Actually Work?

The dosing instructions read:

• Powder: Start with 1 teaspoon per day and increase gradually over two weeks to the suggested use of 1.5 tablespoons per day, or as advised by a qualified health care professional. Consume with conscious, positive intent.
• VeganCaps: Start with 2 VeganCaps per day and increase gradually over two weeks to the suggested use of 8 capsules per day, or as advised by a qualified health care professional. Consume with conscious, positive intent.

Claiming to support the function of the liver, kidney, pancreas, blood, bones, muscles, brain, colon, immune system, this product also gives total detoxification. So that’s a lot going on in one scoop – or even one capsule!

Let’s take one of the ingredients included in the ‘from the land’ blend, Nettle. Looking at examine.com we find that it has been known to have anti-inflammatory properties. The dosage is recommended to be between 120-330mg. In the blend above (where it is 1/18th of 5,570mg one can assume that the effect will not be particularly great).

Similarly, taking Spirulina (from the ‘from the waters’ blend) the recommended dose of this powerful antioxidant is in the range of 1-8g per day. The total weight of the ‘from the waters’ blend is 3.7g, so really you are only getting a small dose of this in each scoop.

Some of the ingredients you may not have heard of (we’re talking chickweed herb, yacon leaf, amla berry, and shilajit) are traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine.

This is an area I’ll fully disclose I know zero about.

So for this reason I can’t even comment about efficacy, use, or recommended dosage. I had a look at Examine.com at the broad category of Ayurveda just to see what broadly is said in terms of research and efficacy.

There is little research that has looked at the testosterone-boosting properties of holy basil on rats. I’ll say no more on that one!

Vitamineral Green Reviews

There are 69 customer reviews on Amazon, 78% of which are 5-star. 7% give 1-star.

A small sample of reviews are below:

I have only been taking the supplement for a few weeks, but feel better and seem to have more energy. – 5 star reviewer

Best greens on the market! Highly ethical company and very pure product. Organic and top ingredients. – 5 star reviewer

Some customers are not happy with the product, stating complaints from side effects to taste, and poor pricing.

Even very small amounts are having very undesirable effects. The taste isn’t very appealing either. – 1 star

Rating is for the price. You used to be able to get 500g for $59.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

There is a ‘customer satisfaction’ guarantee, but dissatisfied customers need to call or email for a refund or replacement.

Where to Buy Vitamineral Green?

Vitamineral Green can be bought directly from the official website.

It is also available at Amazon.

Is It Worth the Price?

At a 10g scoop per day, 300g (30-days’ supply) would cost you $44.95 USD. This isn’t a hugely expensive product, but I would prefer to see more transparency about the ingredients as using a proprietary blend leaves me a little in the dark as to what I’m taking, and I prefer more information than this.

That being said, this product is at the lower price end for super greens and if you are convinced by the purity of the ingredients in the product I can’t see that it is any less value for the money than many other products on the market.

Apart from the fact that they have seemingly changed their pricing and therefore upset some once-loyal customers, I don’t see any reason not to buy Vitamineral Greens as opposed to a different product. At least their sourcing and organic certification is legit.

The Bottom Line

If you like your health foods and supplements steeped in Ayurvedic tradition, fully authentic, and bathed in the light of Gaia’s breath (I don’t know what I’m talking about!) then this might be the product for you.

It comes from the New-Age stable that originally brought to the high-street versions of homeopathy, plant-powered supplements, and medicines, and so you may feel that there is nutritionally sound research here.

For me, the product is a bit old-fashioned and there are some ingredients that I just don’t think have had enough mainstream medical research. I want to feel that my supplements recognize the most recent research and consumer marketing knowledge in their branding.

So it’s not for me, but mostly because I’m not particularly impressed with the use of a proprietary blend (and therefore a lack of integrity, I feel), albeit with clear information on how pure and impressively-sourced the ingredients are. Namaste.

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

On a recent trip back to the UK I came across Synergy Natural Super Greens in my local supermarket (Tesco I think).

The brand looked a little wacky with the design on the bottle, a bit of a departure from the approach seen with popular greens supplements.

So, I decided to buy it to give this one a try – the cost was really good too!

Although from the outside many products seem to have similar ingredients and formulations, they can be marketed so differently, but Synergy greens appear to be aimed at your average person. Someone like me, who is just too busy with everyday life to think about fixing their nutritional intake and eating a broad range of foods.

I got back home to Malaysia and popped open Synergy Naturals Super Greens and mixed with water to see how good this greens powder tasted. Is this is a contender for my daily greens powder?

Synergy Super Greens First Impressions

When I first came across Synergy Natural and I was interested in their online tag-line “The Original Supergreens Company”. I’m not exactly sure how they can claim this and so, intrigued as I was, I looked a little more closely.

What I immediately like about the company from the off is their commitment to reaching a broad range of customers with their pricing. They aim to be affordable while at the same time not compromising on their ingredient quality. Therefore their Synergy Natural Super Green powder is priced at the lower end of the scale of products available on the market.

There is also a range of single-ingredient powders (Spirulina, Chlorella, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass), should you feel that you are a ‘fan’ of a specific ingredient and wish to add this to your diet.

Other UK Greens powders I have reviewed you may be interested in:

• Lean Greens review
• Vegatox Super Greens review
• Lyma Life review

Background on Synergy Natural

As I’ve already mentioned Synergy Natural have a value-driven approach to their formulation of super green and other wholefoods supplements. They also aim to be “about humanity and morality; care and compassion; being good and fair. Our organization strives to do the right thing.”

Wow. I like a company that makes this kind of statement. So how did they come about and how are they claiming to be the first and original super greens company?

From the ‘about us’ section of their site, I discover that the Synergy Spirulina brand was established in 1993, and they also tell us where their Spirulina, Chlorella, Barley, and Wheat Grass is grown. They tell us some more about their values and how, as a company, they aim to treat their growers, employees, and customers. But other than that I wasn’t really able to ascertain much.

No real story about the founders. No real history of their products.

That’s a bit disappointing.

But never-mind. It needn’t really affect what I can find out about their products. As you’ll find out below they are aiming to help customers by contributing towards achieving their 5-a-day in an affordable way.

I like a company that offers what they believe into those who are perhaps more cost-conscious, so I look into the detail of their Synergy Natural Super Green powder.

Synergy Natural Super Greens Ingredients

A ‘synergistic blend of Nature’s most nutrient dense green superfoods’ Synergy Natural Super Greens contains Spirulina, Chlorella, Barley Grass and Wheat Grass.

For me this is a positive.

Just a small number of ingredients should mean that I’m going to know exactly how much I’m getting, right?

Wait, but this isn’t an amount, this is a percentage per serving.

Oh dear, I’m disappointed again.

So essentially, although they tell us what is in each serving, they don’t tell us how much (as an amount). A recommended portion is 1-2 heaped teaspoons (so 5-10 grams) but as they haven’t broken the ingredients down in weight I really don’t know how much of each ingredient I get in a portion.

How Does Synergy Natural Super Greens Taste?

Because Synergy Natural greens include stevia, the formulation should still taste like the ingredients but with a slightly sweeter taste for palatability. I’ve taken a look at some reviews to see what people think of it.

A reviewer (on the Synergy Natural site) says it is a ‘light taste’ although they do say that they mix with a smoothie. I am not sure what “light taste” really means though!

One thing to take into account is whether reviewers are already used to the taste of super greens supplements and blends. To a first-time user, the taste can often be unpleasant, so it’s recommended that this product (and others) are added to juice or a smoothie.

Side Effects

There may be some side effects to taking this product for the first time as your digestion may not be used for the ingredients.

Does Synergy Natural Super Greens Actually Work?

From weight-loss to improved energy, the customer reviews seem to be crediting this product with a wide variety of effects that I’m not sure can be really verified. As with all supplements, the other factors would have to be taken into account – other dietary efforts, other lifestyle amendments.

But here are a few endorsements for Synergy Natural Super Greens and the perceived improvements people have seen since taking it:

I am in love with the new product… I feel confident my children and I are now not missing out on any nutrients or minerals in our diets that our bodies need and I no longer waste my money on multi-vitamins that are poorly absorbed by the body anyway

I have had CFS and other health issues for years… I noticed the difference from day one. I just felt cleaner, lighter, less acidic, less toxic, and my energy levels and health improved a little more each day. I have put my friends on it and they notice the difference too and wouldn't be without it. We all say if we have overdone it with food, or stress or have a headache, or are just run down in general, we grab an extra heaped spoon of Synergy Natural's greens and we are fine again

Synergy Natural Super Greens Customer Reviews

The product pages of the Synergy Natural site contains short reviews of each product and there is also a more in-depth Testimonials area. You can see a short excerpt from this area above.

On Amazon, there are about 90 reviews (at the time of writing this review). 71 are positive reviews, with 63 percent giving 5 stars.

A 5-star reviewer says;

Incredible stuff. Wait for 4 days for the energy to kick in then. All of you a sudden you will feel incredible.

Whereas a one-star reviewer says;

I am sure it is very healthy, but it tastes really bad, a waste of money I am afraid as I cannot stand the taste

Another goes into detail with;

I read very closely the ingredients and was happy with the listing, however, I really don't know what is actually in it cause it tastes so artificially sweetened like they've used a synthetic sweeter, I know it says stevia, but it really does not taste natural at all!!! In addition instead of feeling you full of energy, I feel LOW from using it, like the same effect I have when I have eaten refined sugar but worse. I am really unhappy with it and disappointed as I was really looking forward to it.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

I wasn’t able to find any money-back guarantee on the site.

Where to Buy Synergy Natural Super Greens?

You can buy the full range of products (including Super Greens) at the Synergy Natural site. Synergy Natural also carries a range of individual powders (such as Spirulina and Chlorella).

Amazon sellers also stock a range of the products.

Is It Worth the Price?

The Synergy Natural site carries a 100g tub of powder for $18.85 (AUD). You can also buy a kilo (1000g) for $124.95 (AUD). They also have 200g and 500g tubs. This is a relatively low-cost product, compared to others available.

Amazon retailers have it at a similar price, and it’s a good-value product for what it is if you are looking for a basic greens powder.

Although this is a more affordable product than many, the jury is out on whether the ingredients are in a potent enough form to really provide value for money. The fact that I really can’t tell how much I’m getting of each ingredient in a serving means this doesn’t stack up against other products (which may actually be more expensive).

Other producers may also use a proprietary blend, but include a whole variety of other ingredients alongside, and at a higher end of the price spectrum you might feel that more ingredients mean more value for money.

Just as an aside, with Synergy Natural you can also buy the Super Greens in tablet form, although reviewers seem to agree that you need to take a lot of tablets to see any health benefits. Check out my information on why super green capsules may not be a good idea.

The Bottom Line

The basic principle of Super Greens is that you can get a quick fix to any dietary gaps you may have, leading to a one-a-day portion of nutrition at your fingertips.

This is a pretty easy sell in my opinion. But if you have specific ingredients you would like to be included (spirulina, for example), then it stands to reason that you’d want to know what was in each serving of such a product.

The Synergy Natural Super Greens is a good product. It gives a serving of the basic four super green ingredients in this one blend. But I’m finding it hard to set it apart from the competition.

It’s a good-value product from the perspective of the basic price, but it doesn’t give me the powerful serving I want. Other products like Nested Naturals have a huge amount of ingredients in their tub, and although I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, you may think that you’re therefore getting better value for money from a big tub with loads going on inside.

When it comes to supplements we should keep in mind it’s not the number of ingredients that matter, but the quantities that count. This is why I like green powder alternative SuperGreen TONIK – this is a supplement I developed as I was wanted to take a daily green that had the minimum effective dosage in each daily serving.

I’ve looked at the reviews and what they say about their own product. I think it would be a good, basic-level product to take if you wanted to include greens in your diet. But with the proportions in the blend, I can’t say that I’m getting all of the big-hitters I want to get into my diet.

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

If you read a lot about supplements for wellness (which I do) you will sooner or later come across products that contain polyphenols (plant-derived substances containing abundant micronutrients) which are supposed to be great for your health and improved wellness.

I’m taking a look at some products by Dr. Stephen R Gundry (Gundry MD) in this review. The brand is best known for its Vital Reds and their Gundry MD Primal Plants ‘Essential Superfoods Blend’ which contains, first and foremost, plant polyphenols.

Other products by Gundry MD have been developed to support overall digestive health, with a view to improving general health and wellbeing.

I was about to buy Primal Plants but thought I would do an in-depth review first to see if it's worth the high price point. So, here are my thoughts on this slightly different super green supplement.

What is Gundry MD Primal Plants?

The website contains a wealth of information about Dr. Gundry MD and his products and also contains a blog that gives general information about specific ingredients or symptoms you may want to counteract with supplements.

I am specifically interested in Dr. Gundry Superfood blends (Vital Reds and Gundry MD Primal Plants), two products that have been developed with the purpose of helping people support their digestive and overall health with the addition of plant polyphenols to the daily diet.

Studies have been conducted to establish whether polyphenols are beneficial to human health, and it appears that as part of a balanced diet they may help with some antioxidant processes in the body. Dr. Gundry is especially interested in how they may help to improve the quality of the skin, and digestive processes, and improve energy.

Background on Gundry MD

Dr. Steven Gundry (Gundry MD founder) has but one aim: “to dramatically improve human health, happiness, and longevity through my unique vision of diet and nutrition”.

What I particularly like about this statement is just how broad it is.

Not only does this medically-trained professional want to improve health, but he also wants to improve happiness too, and drastically! But all cynical thoughts aside, he seems well-qualified to do so, being an experienced heart surgeon (for over 30 years).

Throughout Dr. Gundry’s career, he claims to have witnessed patients transforming their lives and their health through improved nutrition and diet.

This is precisely the sort of testimonial I can get on board with. Real, proven lifestyle changes lead to health benefits.

But how does this lead to a change of career into nutritional research and product development?

The good Doctor has a deep interest in gut microbes. He wants to get microscopic with your gut. Believing that this is the basis of many health issues, he has dedicated his research to this area of the body and how what we eat can affect our entire body.

Many of the products available on the Gundry MD site are digestion-related, aimed at improving the entire digestive process and therefore improving overall health, wellness, and energy levels.

As the founder of the Center of Restorative Medicine, Dr. Gundry now focuses his research on how to help patients avoid the kind of surgeries he was performing. It’s a strong story, I like it, and it made me want to know a little more about the products he promotes.

It's worth mentioning that Gundry MD has also written a few books on the subject, most recently the The Plant Paradox that looks at the hidden dangers in plants.

You can check out all his books on Amazon here.

But we're looking at his supplement, so let's continue with my Gundry MD Primal Plants review.

Gundry MD Primal Plants Ingredients

The 25-ingredient formula “combines polyphenol-rich green superfoods with cutting-edge digestive & metabolic support blends. Primal Plants are formulated to help promote better digestion, increase energy levels, and give you more youthful, healthier skin…from the inside out!”

So let’s take a look at the ingredients and see if this is a product we can get behind.

There’s a lot to get your head around here, I particularly like that the blends are divided up so you can see which ingredients have been included to support each area of health.

However, once again I have found a product that is not being transparent about the amount of each individual ingredient contained in this product. The specific weights of each blend are included, but that doesn’t tell me how much – for example – kale I’m taking.

There is also caffeine in this product, which is slightly unusual for a superfood blend. Gundry MD uses Green Tea Leaf extract which has a small amount of caffeine, but some caffeine is nevertheless more than none, and I would expect that many customers would rather not take caffeine in a product such as this.

This being said, they are at least transparent in saying that it is included for the polyphenol content, along with supporting energy levels and weight loss.

Related: Recommended greens powders for weight loss

How Does Gundry MD Primal Plants taste?

I would need to turn to the independent reviews on sites such as Amazon to establish this as – although they describe the taste on the Gundry MD site as a “delicious all-natural green apple flavor” – this is of course subjective!

I am personally not a fan of green apple if it is too sour, but also wouldn’t want super greens to blend to taste too sweet. Often there is a little sweetener added to most products in this area in order to make it palatable to most tastes.

So turning to the reviews, how have customers described the taste?

One reviewer, despite giving the product 4 stars, says they are ‘not a fan of the green apple taste’. Others opt to mix the powder with other flavors, such as into a smoothie or fruit juice.

Side Effects

As with most dietary supplements you are encouraged to look at all the ingredients on the label to ensure you are not allergic to anything included in the blend.

Furthermore taking a digestive-support supplement for the first time may actually result in some digestive discomfort, although this may feel that there is actually something ‘working’ – so this could be seen as a benefit rather than a side effect.

I would personally like to know more about this – especially as Dr. Gundry is so interested in digestive health.

Does Gundry MD Primal Plants Actually Work?

A reviewer on the amazon page says ‘Excellent product – it has reduced my breakouts by 90%, and I feel better.’ and gives the product 5-stars.

The problem with looking to reviews for results is that everything about taking a new product leaves you wide open to the power of a placebo. I would like to believe that taking a supplement can improve your health, just one easy dose of something can add to your energy levels or help with chronic symptoms, but

I’m dubious about a product that has a small portion size (at 4.4g this definitely puts it at the lower end of portion sizes) and is not transparent about the quantity of each ingredient included in the blend. The Dr. Gundry Primal Plants Superfood Blend promises a lot, but I’m unsure of exactly how it delivers.

I’m a little wary of claims about boosting metabolism and whether or not specific ingredients or products can actually do this. I also am a little disappointed at the lack of actual research to support the claims due to the founders’ medical background.

Gundry MD Primal Plants Customer Reviews

On the Amazon page, I found 76 reviews, of which 49% were 5-star. 20% were 1-star, with some of these being due to taste.

One particularly astute customer says

I am currently reading The plant paradox where Dr. Gundry advocates eating organic vegetables and avoiding pesticides and GMOs. So I blindly ordered this product assuming that it would follow his own guidelines. Well, none of the greens are organic, in fact, none of the ingredients that I could see are organic. I also called the company and was informed that it contains GMOs. I am returning.

Others complain about the price and taste.

To give some balance, customers also credit the product with improving energy levels, aiding in improvements in chronic conditions, and overall digestive health benefits (this I’m especially interested in).

However, and this is a big one for me, I didn’t find much in the way of independent reviews, feedback, or testimonials on their own site. This is disappointing as I’d expect to find a company with such good credentials being more honest and open on their own site.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

There is a money-back guarantee if products are returned within 90 days. The site claims that there will be ‘no questions, no hassle’, and I suppose you would have to try this out to see if that’s the case!

Where to Buy Gundry MD Primal Plants?

You can buy the products direct from their own site (and benefit from a $5 discount per jar on multiple purchase – see below) and you can also buy from sites such as Amazon.

Is It Worth the Price?

I have to say, it would be an immediate no from me if it’s just down to price. The Gundry MD site carries this product at a hefty $99 USD for 1 jar (30 days supply) and you only get a $5 discount per jar for buying three (at $284.97 total).

This is a huge amount of money for a three-month supply of any superfood supplement.

The price of Primal Plants is inline with the likes of AG1 Greens or Supergreen Tonik which to me look like a better all round supplements.

Primal Plants Verdict

To recap, I really like the fact that Dr. Gundry Superfood products have been developed by a medic with over 30 years experience in the field of healthcare. I especially like the story on the website as it shows why his vision is all about improving health and lifestyle choices.

The Vital Reds are a very popular product with a proven following, so I would expect some of the other Gundry products to be building popularity.

I was disappointed to find little in the way of feedback on their own website.

I was a little disappointed that the ingredients are not all organic, specifically due to the founder being so vocal about organic foods.

It’s very expensive for what you get, I don’t think I would pay $99 for a tub.

But the bottom line is, once again, the use of a proprietary blend. I really want to know what I’m taking in my superfoods blend because I really want to know if it works! I can’t say for certain that the inclusion of specific plant polyphenols in these concentrations is going to make any difference whatsoever.

So, even though the good doctor looks the real deal, my concern over the ingredient amounts and cost of Primal Plants I will continue my search.

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

At first glance the brand 8Greens (8G) seems to have stolen the lead from all competitors – they have write-ups in Forbes, Good Morning America, People, Huffington Post, and Vogue.

They have testimonials from models, musicians, and actors. Just, wow! As green superfoods go, 8 Greens is certainly the product favored by celebrities (Gwyneth Paltrow!!!), so I just have to know more.

Let’s have a look at their story, and their products, and specifically focus on the road to production of the 8Green effervescent tablet.

I tried over 40 brands: check out my round-up of best super greens powders!).

What is 8 Greens?

Founder and developer Dawn Russell is certainly well-positioned.

She is married to an English aristocrat and is a ‘working mother who understands that life is busy and wonderful, but also stressful’. This gives her the benefit of having access to those in the upper end of society but also being accessible to the everyday folk she will rely on to buy her products.

She has friends and acquaintances in the fashion and skincare industries (Donna Karan, contacts at Estee Lauder and Sisley). It appears she developed the effervescent superfood tablets to help people (specifically Americans) to achieve optimal health through taking green powders in the easiest way possible.

She is also endorsed by supermodels.

I think this intriguing story needs a little more research so I take a look below at both the company, 8Greens (shortened to 8G), their products (often just referred to as 8G, or 8Greens), and some of the reviews (from real people, not models!).

8 Greens Background

We learn (through the press articles and their own background story on the site) that founder Dawn Russell formed the company when she was diagnosed with stage III lymphatic cancer at age 25.

This prompted a look at alternative medicine (in the US this is called both complementary and integrative medicine) and discovered an approach to health (‘solutions… the immense value of smart nutrition’) which she credits with improving her own health.

She then traveled the world to find out how to source specific ingredients in order to create a supplement that could be taken daily in the easy form, which would provide some of those health benefits.

In short, this green juice alternative blend was developed, which makes an easy-to-take tablet that dissolves in water containing the ‘most important greens’ that Russell considers to be lacking in most Americans’ diets.

Russell has also formed the Dawn Russell Foundation and has worked with Donna Karan in forming the Urban Zen health initiative. Both work with schools and hospitals to support alternative health and nutrition initiatives.

Furthermore, the website promotes the 8Green cookbook which has family-friendly recipes from celebrity friends and hotels. This strengthens the brand and adds ‘lifestyle’ weight to what is essentially an easy-to-take daily supplement.

This is certainly an impressive company with a deep and personal interest in health. So let’s get down to the bottom line about their main product.

8 Greens Ingredients

8 Greens are clear that they use just eight of the ‘most important’ (most powerful? most health-improving?) greens: spinach, wheatgrass, kale, blue-green algae, spirulina, aloe vera, chlorella, barley grass.

I agree. These are big-hitters in terms of ingredients to include in a Greens blend or supplement, ones that you would most definitely expect to find if you were taking a blend daily. So, how much am I getting of each?

Oh, you guessed it. They don’t tell you.

So, I go back to look at the web pages.

In all the blurb and marketing, they tell you the compelling reasons to take 8Greens, such as: ‘there is as much Vitamin B5 as 15 cups of broccoli’ (who needs 15 cups of broccoli?) and ‘as much Vitamin C as 6 oranges’.

This is all well and good, but what I REALLY don’t understand is why they can’t be clear on how much of each of the big-hitters goes into one serving (one tablet of effervescent powders).

We already know that many of these ingredients have proven health benefits, but the suggested daily dose is somewhere between 1-8g, and with a tablet being about 1g, there just cannot be enough of these powerful ingredients contained in each 8Greens tablet.

It is also marketed as being free from sugars (only 10 calories per serving) and free from gluten, dairy, and preservatives.

8 Greens Taste

Looking at the reviews I can already tell there is the usual mix of positive and negative responses to questions of taste – and this of course all comes down to personal taste!

Some dislike the taste of artificial sweeteners, some anticipate this as it masks the flavor of the greens.

‘They are absolutely delicious’ writes one reviewer.

‘Doesn’t taste too bad but you can really taste the saccharin aftertaste’ writes another.

One of the celebrity endorsers says that the taste of kale is a good thing as you know it’s the real thing.

Side Effects

Some reviewers report not being able to take the tablets because it is sweetened with artificial sweetener and this is found to exacerbate conditions such as IBS. Amongst the Greens side effects, this is far and away from the most often reported.

I would advise anyone looking to take any supplement to look carefully at the ingredients and to avoid if you know it is likely to have an undesired response.

8 Greens Actually Work?

If you have read any of my other reviews you will know by now that I’m not a fan of the proprietary blend. I don’t feel it’s honest to not be transparent about ingredients, and furthermore, it makes it hard to say how effective your product can be.

If I just go off testimonials and reviews I can see that people who take the product experience anything from improved energy to a diminishing of poor health conditions (apart from IBS – which is to do with the inclusion of sorbitol).

Related: How long for greens powders to work?

8 Greens Reviews

On the website, there are testimonials from actors, musicians, models, and executives of skincare brands.

You name a type of celebrity, the brand seems to have caught them in their net of marketing and they are on board. But I want to know what the real punters think.

Looking at Amazon there are 243 reviews, 68% of which give 5 stars. 8% give 1 star.

A sample of the reviews is as follows:

Ah, me. I was so hoping to be able to take these once per day. It has, unexpected by me, sorbitol in it in lieu of sugar. Sorbitol wreaks havoc on people with bowel/stomach issues. It doesn't taste bad at all and I would have loved to take the tablet, but I can't risk it. I have IBS.” – 1 star

As the same as most people, I don’t eat enough vegetables. A friend of mine got recommended 8Greens from a nurse while she was in the hospital for her surgery. I read about it and wanted to give it a try. I’m on my 2nd bottle and like the product. It seems to act as a body cleanser also. Since it has B12, I take mine in the morning after breakfast. It gives me energy throughout the day. This product is worth every penny. – 5 stars

Great concept but unfortunately contains an artificial sweetener sucralose. – 1 star

I’ve avoided quoting any of the reviews from their own site as they all look like 5-star reviews at first glance!

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

Buried deep in the FAQ section I discover that you are entitled to your money back if you return goods within 30 days of purchase.

This is only if you buy directly through the 8Greens website.

Where to Buy 8 Greens?

You can buy directly from Official website, Amazon.com and from various retail outlets such as Sephora.

8 Greens Price: Is It Worth It?

I don’t think so. As an effervescent tablet, you are already compromising the amount of each ingredient in order to include a ‘fizzing’ and dissolvable element.

I don’t believe that the product is potent enough, nor are the portion sizes large enough to justify the cost, but for some, the convenience (and telling themselves they are getting the benefits quoted on the site) will be enough.

The website has a subscription arrangement where you can have 1 carton delivered every 2 months (6 tubes – 60 tablets) for $75 USD (saving you $9 and with free shipping).

This is still an expensive product, and as I have already stated it is a small serving.

8 Greens Verdict

‘Five years of testing, five scientists, four manufacturers, and 264 prototypes later, 8Greens has arrived’. The website and marketing give the impression of a very strong recognizable brand image.

The write-ups and press are enviable, the founder is well-connected. 8 Greens relies on its ease of use and the testimonials speak to this. There may well be science behind the product and there was certainly a long road to product testing, but somehow, despite all the noise, I’m not exactly convinced.

I really want to like 8Greens.

The effervescent tablet is a proven easy-to-take formula, and it would be great if this really worked.

But for me, it all comes down to the integrity of the product in terms of the transparency of ingredients. When a manufacturer claims to be so strong on the story and the research of their product and yet doesn’t tell me what (in exactly what measures) goes into their blend, I’m just not that happy.

So for me, 8 Greens goes a long way, but not quite hitting the mark as the perfect superfood blend product for me. I just don't think it delivers the necessary punch and is more of a fizz than a wow!

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

I’ve been looking into powdered greens blends for a while now and am yet to find the brand and blend which most appeals to me. The majority of products on the market seem, to me, to be relatively expensive or disappointingly low on information around ingredients.

So I was surprised to come across MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens, which (at the outset at least) seem to be a good value for the money.

There are quite a few ingredients in this green powder supplement, a trend you see in many products trying to cover all the bases. The question is will there be sufficient amounts here to have much if any effect?

So, let's jump in and see if MacroLife Macro Greens is a contender for my daily greens.

I tried over 40 brands: check out my round-up of best super greens powders!)

Macro Greens First Impressions

Taking a look at the MacroLife Naturals website I can immediately see the appeal of these products. The marketing is slick, the back-story is compelling and the founder has an established health and fitness background.

Looking at the testimonials (which this company calls ‘success stories’) I can see that people identify with the brand and many credits their product with either great gains in their health and wellbeing or weight loss. I give further detail in the ‘reviews’ section below.

Talking of testimonials – with all this research this is something I now expect companies to be transparent and upfront with. I don’t think it’s particularly honest to only include ‘success stories’ but I can see that from a marketing perspective it gives a compelling personal angle to the sale of this type of product.

Below I’ll take a closer look at Macro Greens to see how it stacks up.

Other greens brands I have reviewed you may be interested in:

• Nova Forme Cytogreens review
• Genuine Health Greens review
• MIJA Superstar superfood review

Background on MacroLife Naturals

Before I embark on my Macro Greens review, let’s take a look at the company as a whole. Founded by ‘fitness guru’, entrepreneur, and nutritional expert Sylvia Ortiz, and backed by Dr. Edward Wagner, MacroLife Naturals have become renowned for their ‘Miracle Reds’ and ‘Macro Greens’ formulas.

You may have heard of Ortiz – she pioneered the ‘Rebound’ exercise phenomenon (workouts designed around the small trampoline now seen in every gym), so she already had a name for herself in health and wellbeing.

Unsurprisingly the duo branched into wellness products and so MacroLife Naturals came into being.

Claiming that the formulation of Macro Greens helped to bring her own son back to good health (having been overweight, depressed, and suffering from health issues), the company claims to now produce one of the most popular greens blends on the market.

Macro Greens Superfood Ingredients

A serving is around 1 tablespoon (9.4g) and the thirty-eight superfoods ingredients are categorized on the label under a number of proprietary blends, but I am very pleased to see that the Superfood blend is quantified into each specific ingredient.

THIS ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS!

The Nutrient-rich Super Food Blend (1735mg) contains Organic barley grass juice powder (1250mg), organic spirulina powder (300mg), Chlorella (cracked cell) (100mg), spinach leaf powder (83mg), Policosinol (2mg); let me say it again, this is a revelation to find so much transparency on the label!

• The Non-Dairy Probiotic Cultures claims to contain 18 billion probiotic bacteria from five different strains of bacteria;
• Antioxidant proprietary blend (1430mg) containing acerola, milk thistle, green tea extract, grape seed, ginkgo biloba;
• Adaptogenic and Metabolic Herbs blend (2808mg) contains horsetail, licorice, ginger, parsley, astragalus and echinacea;
• Fibers (1225mg) such as apple pectin;
• Harmonizing and Support Herbs (proprietary blend – 1475mg) containing aloe vera leaf powder, beetroot powder and watercress leaf powder;
• Digestive enzymes (proprietary blend – 200mg)

One of the claims of this particular product is that one glass contains five servings of fruits and vegetables – this isn’t unusual for a greens/vegetable powder to claim, but I do find it somewhat misleading.

There is obviously a multitude of other ingredients in this blend, not just fruits and vegetables, and as such the veggies servings must be diluted somewhat. Can a greens blend be all things? Rich in protein, fiber, probiotics, superfoods, the list is seemingly endless!

How Does Macro Greens Superfood Taste?

They say it themselves on the tin – they’re voted the ‘best tasting greens’ so how does the taste of Macro Greens superfood stack up?

I’ve taken a look at what people say about the taste of MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens.

One reviewer claims it is:

tasty – it tastes a lot like a milder version of Athletic Greens, which is one of the best-tasting greens powders I’ve tried. It’s quite mild, and although it’s dairy-free it tastes both creamy and a little bit fruity, almost like a berry yogurt. It’s definitely one of the best tasting greens powders I’ve tried, but it’s mild enough that it can disappear into any smoothie.

Whereas another (on Amazon) only gives one star – ‘tastes terrible’.

As with most super greens blends, you would need to have an idea of what the expected taste would be, otherwise, you could try blending it with a smoothie or into a different recipe.

The MacroLife Naturals website does suggest that you don’t blend with citrus juice (as this will eliminate the effectiveness of healthy gut bacteria, apparently).

Side Effects

This product stands apart from some other super greens blends in that it contains digestive enzymes. These may assist in digestive health, along with the probiotic blend.

There has been plenty of research on the effectiveness of probiotics, and the results are in the eye of the beholder (so to speak), but it is likely that taking bacteria is mostly effective for treating specific digestive tract issues such as diarrhea.

One reviewer (‘success story’ from the MacroLife Naturals website) claims that her ‘elimination is regular’ due to this product.

The evidence behind taking a probiotics in super greens though is by no means conclusive though!

Does Macro Greens Superfood Actually Work?

Quoted on their website as ‘completely nutritious, builds health and cleanses the system’, this is of course difficult to quantify. I suppose it would depend on what you set out to achieve with the greens blend.

People seem to take these products for such a plethora of reasons, and find health benefits from all angles: from stronger hair and nails to better bowel health, weight loss, fewer migraines, increased energy, better sleep. The list is seemingly endless.

But this to me is the power of marketing. If you tell someone they will have perceived benefits if they replace something they are already eating or taking with your product, they are likely to look for results.

For me, the Macro Greens Superfoods blend seems to be a little low in the number of ingredients, so I doubt how effective the results of taking particular ingredients would be. Perhaps that means this isn’t the blend for me. However, I do have to state again how surprised I was to find transparent labeling in this area.

Take, for example, the Organic Barley Grass (1250mg) used in this superfoods blend. I struggled to find any information on this on my go-to science-based information site Examine. I do however find a wealth of information on drugs.com which recommends taking 15g per day for an effect on lowering cholesterol.

The next most-potent ingredient in the Macro Greens Superfoods blend is spirulina (300mg) which has a decent write up on Examine.com but again recommends between 1-8g intake per day for health benefits.

So, the fact is the two main ingredients in this supplement are well below the recommended serving amount to be effective.

Macro Greens Superfood Customer Reviews

As I have mentioned there are plenty of ‘success stories’ to read on the MacroLife Naturals About Us pages. I’ve also taken a look at the reviews on Amazon just to make sure I have a balanced view of the products – this is important as I don’t feel the MacroLife website is the most honest and impartial place to go and look for reviews.

There are 658 reviews of MacroLife Naturals Macro Greens Superfood 30 oz on Amazon at the time of writing, and 549 are positive reviews. A sample of these are below;

Excellent quality – very good value

The absolute best green drink I’ve ever had

Tried hard to work with the taste of this … can’t do full dose

Love most of the ingredients but this has a strong stevia flavor which I don’t care for

Just as an aside there is a live issue at the moment with products that may (or may not) contain lead. Many of the comments and reviews on Amazon are concerned with this, and an area of the MacroLife Naturals website deals with some of these concerns. I won’t go into it but you can read more here.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

I tried to find information on any money back or returns policy on the MacroLife Naturals website, but I had to do a little digging. Firstly there is no drop-down menu so I entered it into the search box and no results were found.

So I assume there is no such guarantee otherwise they would be promoting it! This is very poor and somewhat surprising when I haven't seen a daily green supplement that doesn't support their product by a guarantee – I am thinking of Yuri Energy Greens here and their 365-day guarantee!

Where to Buy Macro Greens Superfood?

Macro Greens are available on the MacroLife Naturals website and also at Amazon.com

If you buy through the MacroLife Naturals website and participate in the Club MacroLife frequent buyer scheme you benefit from a 30% discount plus free shipping.

Is It Worth the Price?

This is a relatively inexpensive product at $49.50 USD for 30 servings (10 oz) on the MacroLife Naturals website, with the added benefit that you can purchase a full 90-day supply ($114.95 USD for 30 oz).

It’s unlikely you would need to reorder very frequently and that to me is a bonus. There are also individual servings and a 6-servings (2 oz) tub available on the MacroLife Naturals site which I find appealing if you wanted to try without buying a full tub.

On Amazon the price is around $60 USD for the 30 oz tub.

I like the fact that you know (a little more about) what is inside the tin due to the ingredients listing, but having said that Macro Greens doesn’t include as much of the most potent ingredients as I would like to see in my super greens formulation.

The Bottom Line

As with many of the products available on the market the use of proprietary blends is a little disappointing, however, they have chosen to specify how much of each ingredient in the Superfoods blend is included, and this is a definite plus point.

Too many companies choose not to do this, and I find it frustrating and disappointing. In fact, I can’t believe that people part with their money so willingly to buy products that are unclear about their ingredients.

If you want to take a super greens powder every day the overall appeal of this product seems to be the taste, value for money, and the strength of claims and testimonials available on (the MacroLife Naturals) site.

I, however, will continue to search for a product that ticks more boxes for me, and I will update as I go.

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

I know that a lot of people (especially in the US) are fans of the brand Arbonne and – for these customers – the brand seems to tick a lot of boxes. They can even promote it to make some money on the side.

With the stiff competition amongst Greens products on the market, I wanted to look into Arbonne's brand and see if this supplement sets itself apart from the crowd.

Arbonne is a long-established company with a polished marketing approach, they appear to have the credentials to be making and selling a winning greens supplement.

So I’d like to take a closer look at some Arbonne super greens formulations, such as the Arbonne Greens Balance and Arbonne Detox.

What is Arbonne Greens Balance?

‘The power to transform your life and the lives of others’ is a fairly appealing prospect and I can already see how people become loyal to this powerful brand. I won’t go into the full story as I’m only partially interested in the history behind the brand rather than the entire movement, but suffice to say I’m not 100% in agreement with the business model.

I go into a little more detail below, and I’m reluctant to distract from the main subject here (which is, following my greens powder research, intended to be a Greens Balance product review), but to make another point which I also find difficult to stomach – the range of products available through Arbonne is HUGE.

From ‘Mind health’, to ‘Energy Fizz sticks’, Fiber boost, and protein products, one could get truly lost in the virtual aisles of Arbonne products available on their website. They sell individual vitamin and mineral supplements, fitness and lifestyle products, rehydration blends, and products aimed at post-workout refueling.

There’s a supplement or product here for literally any situation, anybody and anywhere.

Background on Arbonne

The family story on their website spans generations. There’s even a family snap on the opening page to reiterate this. Way back in 1965 we learn that the founder, Petter Mork – a Norwegian – was already forming his ideas for what Arbonne would become.

This is just one of the powerful and compelling aspects of the company. People love heritage.

Their vision initially was all-around skincare, and this is one of their main product streams, however, they soon branched into diet and nutrition products. This area, as we are fast discovering, is a hot sell to people concerned with improving their nutrient intake, and fast. Arbonne products promise a lot in this area, and there is a vast range of products available.

My main issue, in summary, is that the company is now based on a peer-selling (MLM – multi-level-marketing model) which I really don’t agree with. Their ‘healthy living inside and out’ program promotes to their customers the opportunity to become independent lifestyle consultants.

From a company perspective, with a little outlay, they get loyal customers and influencers in one. But I’ve done some research around this and am discovering that the scheme (often, and perhaps unfairly, in this case, labeled as pyramid-selling) ultimately benefits the company rather than the consultants.

As I said above, there has been plenty of research into companies that use this model to sell products, and I don’t want to revisit this research, but I instantly don’t want to like the products if they are coming from this stable.

Arbonne Greens Balance Ingredients

The Arbonne Essentials Greens Balance blend is part of the Arbonne Essentials range. The tub says it is ‘Featuring a Greens Balance with fruit and vegetable concentrates’. It is also upfront about being a dietary supplement.

Vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, and all-natural. The ‘Arbonne Advantage’ is to use ‘Plant-powered, nutrient-rich products that are cleaner for better results, following a strict ingredient policy that is always gluten-free, vegan, and without GMO ingredients’.

Well, this is all well and good but I can’t see how this stands out from the crowd. I’d rather they just told me how much of what is inside!

A scoop is 7.34g. The listing breaks the ingredients down into the following:

The remainder of the blend is made up of ‘Arbonne proprietary blend of yellows.. reds.. blues and Omega-3 seed blend’. These are largely concentrated fruit and veggie powders mentioned on the front of the tin.

So, once again, I have come across a company that is producing a super greens powder but that is not being transparent with customers about the amounts of each ingredient being used.

Let me just take Spirulina as an example of why I would like to see more ingredient information included in the packaging. Sources agree that roughly 1-8g daily of Spirulina can be beneficial to health, however, so little is being included in a 3800mg proprietary blend (which makes up a tiny percentage of a 7g serving).

Yes, spirulina is nutrient-dense, but why use so little?

If the same is true of each of the ingredients in the greens blend alone then how tiny percentage of these powerful greens ingredients are actually present in this product?

I would really like to see companies producing more transparent ingredients lists, or perhaps even using more of the tangibly potent ingredients within their blends.

How Does Arbonne Greens Balance Taste?

I’m going to have to rely on reviews to answer this, but I actually found it quite difficult to find reviews of this product from the usual places. The Amazon store I visited didn’t have reviews of the exact product I’ve been looking at from Arbonne’s own website and I even did a little search on their own site for ‘Greens taste’ but with no results available.

I actually had to google Arbonne Greens taste in order to find a review. How strange.

One reviewer stated that it ‘added a bit of an earthy undertone [to my usual chocolate protein shake]’. Not unusual, greens tend to be a little earthy in their flavor.

I may be mistaken but I couldn’t see individual product reviews available on the product pages of the Arbonne site. This again seems to be a little lacking in honesty as I know that many companies find it beneficial to be open and transparent about customer feedback.

So, it remains to be seen whether a broad spectrum of customers find the taste to be agreeable or not.

The ingredients list does include cane sugar and stevia, so I assume that some of the vegetable flavors are potentially masked by this sweetness. This is common in greens powder blends and comes down to personal taste as to whether you will enjoy this flavor.

Side Effects

As with most nutritional and dietary supplements you have to be careful that you’re not allergic to any ingredients.

Similarly, it’s up to you to be aware that the first few times you consume greens powders you may suffer a small amount of digestional discomfort due to the content.

The Arbonne Greens Balance is clear that it is ‘Made in a facility that processes wheat, Crustacean shellfish, fish, soybeans, milk, and tree nuts’. It’s helpful to have this little reminder of just why you need to always check what goes into your food and drink, and also the environment in which it is being produced.

Does Arbonne Greens Balance Actually Work?

Again I can look at reviews to take a balanced view of the effectiveness of these powders.

My instinct is that due to the proprietary blends it would be hard to say how and why the blend would or could be as effective as others available on the market, but one reviewer claims;

I will NOT be giving up my Greens balance … I am feeling a lot healthier this year and my energy levels are fantastic, my immune system is awesome, my hormones are balanced, and my rheumatoid arthritis is not only under control, but I wake up to no pain or stiffness at all. Let's just say that what I'm doing is working really well.

The few reviewers that I have found tend to also have participated in the Arbonne Detox, a program that supplies bottled formulations for 7-days worth of detoxifying.

This is interesting, so I’ve taken a short look at this product too.

The Arbonne Detox is marketed as a parcel of products, named ‘30 days to healthy living’.

There’s a 20-page guide available on the website which guides you through the various products and daily behaviors. There are testimonials on the site that suggest how effective the detox is. Of course, it is the intention that you buy into the whole package by also buying products from the skincare range to enhance your healthy ‘outside’.

Arbonne Greens Balance Customer Reviews

Arbonne Green Balance reviews are, as I stated above, fairly hard to come by.

By contrast, one only needs to do a little searching around to find a plethora of complaints about Arbonne themselves as a business and their products.

This is to be expected with a huge multinational corporation, especially one that relies so heavily on brand loyalty and peer-influencing, and much of the complaining is around this aspect, rather than the specific products I am reviewing.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

Arbonne has a complicated system whereby you must obtain a return merchandise authorization number (through calling their customer support phone number), and I have no idea what happens next.

Not particularly transparent.

Where to Buy Arbonne Greens Balance?

Other than finding your own Arbonne Independent Consultant (or becoming one yourself!) you can find their products available on their official site and at Amazon.

Is It Worth the Price?

The tub of Arbonne Essentials Green balance retails on their own site (30 servings) for $52 USD. I am not 100% clear how large the tub is, but if you multiply the per-scoop serving size by 30 (daily servings) it works out as 220g.

This is a very expensive product whichever way you cut it.

The Bottom Line

So, rather than hark on about how much I dislike MLM selling and businesses based on this model, I’ll bring it back to the product. I just don’t think it’s for me, and here’s why:

Arbonne have used a proprietary blend, meaning I don’t know how much I’m getting of each ingredient. With this product being a part of their ‘Essentials’ range I really wanted it to be a potent blend of effective ingredients, but sadly it doesn’t appear to be the case.

With ingredients coming in such a small serving size I believe the product is definitely overpriced for what you’re getting. The tub is only 30 days’ supply and retails at $52 US. Too much money for me, for a product which cannot be considered to be ‘best of breed’.

Finally, you can tell I am not a fan of Arbonne Greens, for the reasons stated above. My search for the ideal greens powder blend continues or does it?

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

One of the elements of researching super greens that I particularly enjoy is looking at the stories behind the brand. Purely Inspired is a brand that has healthy living at its heart.

From the outset, you can tell that their main agenda is to promote their products as part of an achievable healthy lifestyle.

The main categories of products that they sell fall into ‘Protein and Nutritional’, ‘Weight loss and Dietary’, and ‘Superfoods’.

I am predominantly interested in the Superfoods category and so took a closer look at one of their products, Purely Inspired Organic Greens.

I tried over 40 brands: check out my best greens superfood brands!)

Purely Inspired Organic Greens First Impressions

‘Crafted for a healthy lifestyle’ is the main website tagline for Purely Inspired. As a brand, this gives the impression of an achievable total lifestyle make-over, which (if you’re like me and like the idea of increasing your nutritional intake in one easy, daily step) is a very appealing prospect.

Overall I really enjoyed browsing the website. There is plenty of information including a blog that contains articles on superfoods, nutrition, and a wealth of further information on organic foods.

The website is not only a shop-front but also carries plenty of value-adding content including testimonials from the brand and product Ambassadors, recipes, and inspirational (inevitably linking to Instagram) images.

The tin of Purely Inspired Organic Greens which is pictured on their website claims ‘America’s number 1 fastest-growing supplements brand’. So how can I not be intrigued to find out more?

Other Greens powders I have reviewed you may be interested in:

• Smashin Greens review
• Grown American Superfood review
• Alani Nu Super Greens review

Background on Purely Inspired

Purely Inspired is a brand that seems to encapsulate an entire lifestyle choice within its brand.

That being said I found it hard to establish much of a background or story, there is very little information on their pages relating to how the company came about, who is behind the brand or the company’s mission, vision, or values.

Saying that I am prepared to give the brand the benefit of the doubt. As I mentioned above they have made the claim that this is a fast-growing brand, and as such, I am convinced that through this powerful marketing strategy Purely Inspired are clearly playing to their strengths.

So with background information about the brand being thin on the ground, I instead opt to look at the specific products. In this Purely Inspired Organic Greens review, I’ll look at the ingredients of the super greens blend and try to establish whether this particular product looks to stand up against the stiff competition of other greens on the market.

The product (as it appears on the website) carries the full title Purely Inspired Organic Greens Plus superfoods and multivitamins, and this appears to me to be promising so much in one product.

Perhaps it is too good to be true? Let’s have a closer look.

Purely Inspired Organic Greens Ingredients

From the product images you can already see that the key features of this product are:

39 Superfoods, Source of Antioxidants C + E, 18 Vitamins and Minerals, Active probiotics.

This is all very appealing in terms of marketing the product, but I want to know more about the individual ingredients, especially those claiming to be Superfoods. So we need to look more closely at the actual ingredients label on the tin.

Firstly I’m pleased that they include a close-up of the ingredients listing on the website, which many competitor products do.

As with many Super greens powders on the market, the ingredients list is HUGE. I’m just going to break down some of the elements of the Organic Greens, Sprouts, and Grains blend, which makes up 8,755mg.

The following usual suspects appear, but with a difference:

• Organic Chlorella (as Chlorella vulgaris) (whole plant)
• Organic Barley Grass (as Hordeum vulgare) (aerial parts)
• Organic Wheatgrass (as Triticum aestivum) (aerial parts)
• Organic Spirulina (as Arthrospira platensis) (whole plant)

I first want to say how unusual and refreshing it is to see that Purely Inspired includes details of specific plant parts in their ingredients list. Inspired indeed! This sort of transparency is a big bonus in my view. Of course, chlorella and spirulina are algae, so I would expect the whole plant to be used, however, I am interested that the company has been so transparent in their labeling.

The fruit & veggie plus probiotic blend makes up 1,190mg and includes blueberry, broccoli, beets and sweet potato. The serving size (one scoop) is a huge and healthy 10g. This also provides 1g fiber, 1g protein.

As I’ve said I’m really impressed with this transparency around ingredients as usually I am left thinking ‘why don’t you just be honest about what’s going into these powders’?

I can understand that companies don’t want people to poach their ‘recipe’, but I’ve already established that this is possible (if you could be bothered to have a formulation broken down in a lab by the men – or women – in white coats).

But more to the point, if you are selling a product – an organic, whole-foods, superfood product at that – why would you not be honest to your customers about what they will be ingesting?

Purely Inspired is at least a little ahead of the pack in this aspect and I applaud that. BUT they are still using a proprietary blend that doesn't disclose all the ingredient amounts.

How Does Purely Inspired Organic Greens Taste?

This powder stands out from the competition as it is actually intended to be unflavored. I’m a little confused though as some reviewers claim there is an artificial sweetener included.

Some of the reviews on the site state that Purely Inspired Organic Greens has a ‘great flavor’, which is in contrast to some other products available on the market. Reviewers also commented that mixing it doesn’t present any problems.

the flavor is actually decent compared to some of the other superfood powders I have tried in the past

I have been mixing them in my smoothies and have not noticed any flavor difference

Some customers on Amazon, however, have a different view:

I made a mistake and ordered the wrong stuff. I can hardly get this down it is way too sweet it mixes well and has all the other ingredients that are good but the Stevia makes it taste way too sweet for me. I will not be ordering this again.’ – Amazon customer.

Side Effects

As with all nutritional supplements you must not take Purely Inspired products if you have a known allergy or sensitivity to any of the ingredients. That being said there may also be slight side effects when taking a greens supplement of any kind for the first time.

Does Purely Inspired Organic Greens Actually Work?

The real beauty – as we all know – of the super greens blend is that you can get all your daily nutrient needs fulfilled in one complete drink. However the problem for us reviewers is establishing whether each individual ingredient is really available in a high enough concentration to really be making a noticeable difference to your health.

We already know that people take nutritional supplements for many different reasons: for increased energy, to improve concentration, to improve the immune system, to enable better general well-being (such as better quality sleep). In this sense, it is very difficult to establish which products can really claim to be proven to be enabling any of the above improvements.

It does, however, stand to reason that if some of the more potent ingredients (those which are proven to be instrumental in improving the above aspects) are in a high enough concentration in a formulation, we might start to see improvements.

Purely Inspired Organic Greens Customer Reviews

At the time of writing there were 374 customer reviews on Amazon for Purely Inspired Organic Greens Powder. Although I wasn’t prepared to read them all, a quick skim seems to reveal that while positive, customers are disappointed with a variety of aspects from taste (‘funky’, ‘like cereal milk’, ‘too sweet’), to how the powders to mix.

Some customers found the price to be about right, whereas others complained that it was too expensive. Considering the price point it's unclear why anyone would regard these super greens as expensive though!

In the main, I would say that the reviews are fairly representative of individual consumers and their range of personal tastes and expectations.

The reviews on the Purely Inspired product pages are clearly more geared towards results and selling the product on the basis of achievable outcomes. With an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars, and 96% of reviewers recommending the product, the comments are hand-picked so we should be a bit wary of bias.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

Purely Inspired only have a 30-day money back guarantee, however products must be returned unopened / unused.

I always have a bit of a problem with this as you therefore cannot return on the grounds of not liking the taste, or if you find something wrong with the product once you open the can.

Where to Buy Purely Inspired Organic Greens?

As with most super greens powders, I usually turn to Amazon for both reviews and to buy a product, but you can also go directly to the Purely Inspired Organic Greens product page.

You can also check out all Purely Inspired supplements on Amazon here.

Is It Worth the Price?

This is a difficult element of this review for me. I feel slightly conflicted as I like the product, I think there’s a lot going on in the tub and therefore I do think it’s a quality product. BUT the serving size is big and therefore the 20-serving tub won’t last long.

The current price on Amazon is $18.44 USD, however, the price on the Purely Inspired website is $12.99 USD.

As I said above, I am a big fan of the big serving. I like the fact that Purely Inspired has been so transparent with the ingredients, their amounts, and also which parts of the plants are being used. I really feel that this transparency means you can have total faith in what you are taking.

The ingredients are organic so the product works out slightly more expensive than competitor brands. But this looks to be one of the most complete Organic super greens available, similar to Green Vibrance and Athletic greens.

This being said, the tub only provides 20 servings so you would have to buy quite a few tubs if you were set on taking this product daily.

The Bottom Line

With my quest to find a truly transparently-labeled Super Greens powder on the market which provides value for money and has a good reputation, I would say that Purely Inspired is getting there.

Their Organic Greens plus Superfoods and Multivitamins could well be considered to be doing nearly all of the things I need a Super Greens powder to deliver, but I would really like to see a more appealing price point or even a 3-tub deal to sweeten the sting of the outlay.

Purely Inspired greens is not for me and prefer other brands I have previously reviewed, so I will not be buying this supplement.

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

I remember thinking this was genius both in terms of meeting customer needs for an all-in-one supplement pack but also marketing-wise. Total Human indeed!

Onnit is an awesome company with the founder Aubrey Marcus truly walking the walk in terms of practicing what he preaches.

I first discovered this company when I gave their Nootropic supplement AlphaBrain a try some years ago. Whilst I didn’t necessarily notice much of a change then, I am keen to give Onnit supplements another try.

So, is Onnit Earth Grown Nutrients (EGN) the all-in-one daily greens supplement for me?

What is ONNIT EGN?

I am a massive fan of the brand Onnit, both in terms of their company and founder, but also for the supplements these guys produce.

The company makes quality supplements that are focused on performance and not just hype. They also look awesome!

Onnit Earth Grown Nutrients (EGN for short) looks great and is similar in design to all Onnit’s supplements. It’s available in two flavors; black cherry and lemon.

In fact, I would say their all-in-one greens power mix is one of the best-looking brands on the market (and I have checked out a lot of green powder supplements).

The company manufactures many different supplements and their Onnit Earth Grown Nutrients is one of their lesser-known products.

The order process wasn't too straightforward for me as I was ordering from outside the US, especially when having different shipping and billing addresses. I completed the process 4 times and gave up out of frustration, mainly because the first attempt does not allow the processing of my UK card. In the end, I had to use PayPal in order to process my order!

So, ordering internationally from the US to Malaysia was VERY expensive – $47 USD for FedEx and $60 USD for import!

Photo by Lifehacker Guy

I ordered 2 boxed of Onnit Gut Health, Onnit Krill Oil, Onnit Shroom Tech, and of course Onnit EGN.

Background on Onnit Supplements

Onnit was started in 2010 by Aubrey Marcus who used his background in marketing to develop a supplement company that focuses on performance.

Their flagship product is AlphaBRAIN (a nootropic supplement) and business partner Joe Rogan has helped to grow the company to be worth $28 million in 2018. Onnit supplements have become industry leaders in what they call Total Human Optimization.

The company now has a number of brand ambassadors from athletes, UFC fighters, footballers, and actors/producers.

Aubrey Marcus has written a book “Own the Day, Own your day” that’s available via Amazon.com. This is a great read if you’re interested in the reasoning behind the Onnit brand and supplements and also provides brilliant advice for optimizing your health and lifestyle.

Earth Grown Nutrients Ingredients

Onnit is keen to provide you with more than just the standard ingredients found in other supplements, including cutting-edge ingredients in their formulation that are not those you would usually find in other supplements. This is also true of the ingredients chosen for the super greens supplement.

Each serving size is 12.9g and so each 200g tub is enough for just 15 servings.

It’s interesting why they choose to include so few servings in each tub, possibly to reduce shipping charges or to make the product (which is at the higher end of the pricing range for greens) appear more affordable?

I counted 25 ingredients in total. These are divided between 5 proprietary blends.

This means, of course, that we don’t know the individual ingredient amounts.

The fancy-sounding blends include ingredients focused on helping detoxify the body, neutralize free radicals, and help support the immune system through improved gut health.

It’s interesting to note that one of the most popular super green ingredients is absent on the label – Spirulina. Instead, the formulation includes the likes of kale, barley, oat and wheatgrass, and more obscure ingredients such as Organic Schizandra, Dandelion Extract, and Camu Camu Extract.

Although there is no reason stated for hiding the amounts of the individual ingredients within each blend, we have to consider that each blend is a trademarked so can only assume this is to prevent other companies from copying the formulation.

In my opinion, this isn’t a good enough reason not to be transparent with your customers. Anyone looking to copy the blend can have the product analyzed to get the breakdown.

It’s worth pointing out that the trademark is for the name of the blend and NOT the ingredients and their amounts.

How Does Earth Grown Nutrients Taste?

Taking a look at customer feedback it seems that most people like the taste. Only one customer really disliked it enough to comment on Amazon (see below).

When I gave it a try though I really disliked the taste. Maybe this was because I chose the Lemon flavor, but I couldn't imagine drinking this each day – very disappointing.

Better tasting alternative? Check out how Onnit EGN compares against Supergreen Tonik

Side Effects

It’s unlikely you’re going to experience any long-lasting negative side effects from taking the Earth Grown Nutrients supplement. Possibly you may experience a very mild stomach upset if you’re susceptible to stomach complaints.

Most people taking this supplement seem to cope with the formulation without any ill effects.

There is, however, fish included in the form of cod, herring, and also some shellfish (shrimp and lobster) therefore if you have a shellfish allergy you should avoid this supplement.

Does Earth Grown Nutrients Work?

At the risk of repeating myself (apparently I do this – according to family and friends!) the use of a proprietary blend means we, as consumers, don’t know for sure the quantity of each ingredient inside the blend. We’re completely reliant on the company to ensure they actually include an effective amount of each ingredient.

This can mean taking a huge leap of faith, especially with an unknown brand (if you haven’t already tried – and liked – one of their products).

However, I have to say, this isn’t the case here with Onnit – they are a well-established company with a great reputation. As such I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume that they most likely will be providing sufficient quantities of ingredients in their formulation.

In terms of claims Onnit really doesn’t make any with their greens supplement. Essentially it’s a supplement aimed at providing greens and selected herbs that can help detoxify your body.

So Onnit Earth Grown Nutrients may well give you a “top-up” of your daily greens that you’re looking for.

Earth Grown Nutrients Customer Reviews

Customer feedback seems to be really positive for Onnit’s green supplement. The official website does show customer ratings and feedback which tends to be 4 or 5 stars.

Looking at customers who bought through Amazon there are 55% of customers rated it 5 stars and 28% 4 stars. Only 10% of customers rated it a 2 or 1 star.

Some of the customer feedback comments:

I had a really good amount of energy and good mood (and still do every time I take it) and for some reason, it seems to curb my appetite. I didn't know if it was a placebo effect so I told my husband about my purchase and he tried it the next day. He's hooked now too. Brittany.

I’ll give it the full 5 stars because I use this product every day, and I am a fan of Onnit supplements. It’s a damn good company, their products are top-notch. I do not like this flavor as much as the other one though. Lemon mint tastes better, but they don’t have it and haven’t in a while for whatever reason. Kenny

No difference notice …. I am moving on from this product because it simply didn't feel anything different but what I truly didn't like was lack of clarity on what percentages are you taking it.. Amazon Customer.

It tastes so bad I can't use it. Cao.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

The “Keep-It” money-back guarantee applies for first-time purchases of any formula purchased for up to 90 days from the purchase date. This means the guarantee would only apply the first time you order a particular supplement, which is fine as you’re unlikely to reorder a product you’re not happy with it!

One point to note though, this ONLY applies to SINGLE tubs ordered, and any multiple tubs would not apply under the guarantee.

Part of the refund policy highlights that you should try the supplement for 30 days in order to see intended results and only after 30 days can you apply for a refund. Also upon returning the remainder container partial refunds may be granted in some cases.

So, this policy seems to suggest you may not receive 100% of your money back when applying through the money-back guarantee.

Where to Buy Earth Grown Nutrients?

The official website is the most obvious place to buy Earth Grown Nutrients although other online stores do also stock it. Most of them seemed out of stock when I checked them.

Onnit does have an official Amazon store too where it looks like all the supplements are available to order.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member looking to buy a few supplements at the same time then Amazon may be the best option although the cost is a few dollars more.

Is It Worth the Price?

Each tub contains only 15 servings so you will need to buy two tubs for one month’s supply. This means the cost is nearer to $60-70 USD per month depending on whether you buy it individually or have it shipped automatically.

While not at the high-end considering the costs of other products (such as Athletic Greens and Green Detox), having such a small tub does mean customers need to order a few times per month. There is a ‘subscribe and save’ option which means you can save 15% and have the tubs automatically sent every 2 weeks.

The Bottom Line

I am definitely a huge fan of Onnit supplements. They have great branding, the company has a great reputation and the supplements are really designed around delivering results.

While I am reasonably confident that the team at Onnit would be using sufficient ingredients in their blend it would be nice to see the actual ingredient amounts used. I really dislike the practice of using proprietary blends and I don’t believe this should be the standard that it is becoming.

The small number of servings per tub means you need to buy multiple tubs to see you through the month. I am unsure why the company has opted to take this approach as I would personally prefer to receive a full month’s supply in each tub.

To wrap up, the lack of transparent labeling aside, Onnit Earth Grown Nutrients looks to be a great product and could be the ideal choice for anyone looking to supplement their diet with daily greens. For me though, I really disliked the taste and thought the cost was on the high side.

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

These various dietary products are being sold to a market that is growing in terms not only of numbers but in their interest and knowledge in specific areas. One such area – as we know – is with the rise in popular greens powders (also known, and marketed, as super greens or greens blend), and a company that is working hard on building its following are IT Works!.

With a marketing tagline like this (Have you tried it? IT works!) who could fail to be completely intrigued?

I particularly wanted to know more about their “healthy” IT Works Greens Blend and It Works Greens on the Go, alongside the full range of It Works products.

So let’s dig a little more and see what we can find out about the company, their range of healthy products, and what people are saying.

What is IT Works Greens?

The range of nutritional supplements and other products seems impressive. Their online shop also carries clothing and other branded products, however, I’m more interested in the range of Greens powders that aim to detoxify and alkalize your body by supplying much-needed vitamins, minerals, and other herbs and vegetables.

From on-the-go sticks of the Greens blend (IT Works Greens on the Go blend – more on this below) to the more standard-sized tubs or canisters of greens; there is also a chewable probiotic blend available.

The It Works Greens Blend currently comes in Berry and Chocolate flavor and the packaging seems to promise three things: Alkalize, Balance, Detoxify. These are not unusual claims for greens blends, and most customers will be looking for ingredients within the blend which are proven to restore body pH and gain a nutrient boost.

Below I will break down the ingredients and go into more detail about the blends, but from the outset, I am already a little disappointed in terms of what I can find on the list of the main ingredients on their product pages of the website.

It Works Greens appear to be using a proprietary blend which means they are not telling us how much of each ingredient they are including (therefore I can’t possibly know what is in each individual serving). As I said, I’ll go into detail below, but this is one aspect that definitely sounds the alarm on this product.

Background on It Works!

It Works! are clear from the outset on their website that they are a multilevel marketing ‘employer’, and as such part of their pitch is encouraging their customers to become brand ambassadors (read: distributors) and to run a home business to sell their products.

I’m not going to go into a huge amount of detail about MLM in this review as I am more interested in their products, hence this being a review more specifically of It Works! Greens products, but I will use this opportunity to say that I’m disinclined to buy anything through businesses structured like this.

I don’t like the idea of loyal customers being encouraged to sell to friends and family and I think a company should be able to do this on the strength of their own marketing, values, and customer base.

The company has big claims on their website About us page, stating ‘It Works! is an industry-leading beauty and nutrition company that empowers people to live the life of their dreams’ (Mark B. Pentecost, Founder, and CEO).

Pentecost and his wife, Cindy, clearly have a mission to help (they are also the founders of the It Works! Gives Back Foundation), but I’m not sure that the business model is really something that resonates, personally, for me.

IT Works Greens Ingredients

As with all of my reviews, this It Works Greens blend review will delve a little into what’s available on the packaging to describe the contents.

Taking a look at the tub pictured on the website, it looks as though they have used a three-way blend to provide ingredients that claim to have an alkalizing, balancing, and detoxifying effect.

It Works have stated on the product pages of their website that the blend includes:

• Acidity-fighting magnesium and potassium blend
• 52 herbs and nutrient rich superfoods
• 34 fruits and veggies
• Matcha Green Tea

HOWEVER, if you want to find out the individual ingredients you either have to buy their product, click through on a tab which says ‘further product info’ and take a closer look at the packaging, or does as I do and google!

On another website I found the following:

They also do not state that their ingredients are organic, despite stating that their ingredients are Keto-friendly, non-GMO, soy-free, and Vegan.

As I have mentioned previously I really don’t like relying on having to google (or look at a review site) to find the ingredients list from the packaging to tell me more about the ingredients! Why not be upfront about what goes into your blend? I want to know from the outset what is going in any product I buy.

The suggested serving size is two scoops in an 8-oz glass of water or one sachet in a glass of water. I can tell that the sachet of On the Go Greens blend is 4g, but I struggled to find information on the scoop size.

How Does IT Works Greens Taste?

Reviews tell me that people are happy with the taste, however, it’s clear that the company have tried a variety of flavors before settling on the Chocolate and Berry varieties available on their site (there are reviews of an orange flavor blend).

It Works products also don’t have customer reviews directly on each product page, which I take to be negative. I’ve searched around and am assuming that overall the taste is similar to other Greens products.

One or two customers state that the flavor isn’t the best, however at the same time they admit that they find it to be working for them.

This stuff tastes so nasty but get tolerable after a week or so. The reason to continue using it is that it helps with mental energy and I am losing weight. – Amazon customer.

This is perfect in a morning green smoothie. Don't put more than a scoop or the sweet taste can be overwhelming. – Amazon customer.

Side Effects of IT Works Greens

As with all proprietary blends, it is really difficult to tell if you would get any ill effects from taking the It Works Greens. They are hardly transparent about the ingredients so it takes a bit of digging to find out if there are any particular ingredients that could cause you discomfort or side effects.

The serving sizes are also relatively small so it’s hard to say whether anyone ingredient would be large enough in portion size to cause any issues. The amount of fiber, for example, in each serving is only around 1g.

Obviously, you should not take this product if you have known allergies to any of the listed ingredients, and I can only assume that if you already have suffered ill effects from ingredients such as dandelion, plantain leaf, pea, or apple fiber, that you would probably be better off giving this product a miss.

Does IT Works Greens Actually Work?

The reviews online in the Amazon shop and on the It Works! website seems to be very positive, but once again I am going to refer to the serving size in my assumptions here. The serving recommended in the tubs is two scoops. The tubs come in 125g (Berry) and 180g (Chocolate), with a suggested 30 servings per tub, and the individual sachets are 4g each.

Therefore if we extrapolate down, the Greens Proprietary Blend (1080 mg) must only include a minute amount of each of the ingredients, as it is combined with the Whole Foods Proprietary Blend (1475 mg) to make a complete serving.

Taking what I would expect to be the most potent ingredients (algae has a proven beneficial effect on the body) the recommended amount of, for example, spirulina (on examine.com) is between 1-8g per day.

So we can see that through ‘padding’ out the ingredients with a fruit and vegetable blend, or legume proteins, the blend could be losing effectiveness through such small daily portion sizes.

IT Works Greens Customer Reviews

Some of the questions asked about the It Works Green blend products mention that the current blend is a vast improvement from previous blends which included Soy isolate and Soy protein products as ‘filler’ and to improve protein content.

However, the reviews online are fairly balanced and you take what you will from the individual comments:

This tastes good and I feel like I'm getting the greens I need. Amazon review

Awesome greens gives good energy. I would recommend it to my friends, which I have already. Amazon review.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

It Works have an It Works! promise – offering a 30-day returns policy, however since I didn’t want to read through a 17-page returns policy I’m not sure exactly what this entails. Presumably, as they state the products must be returned unused this is a bit of an issue.

It Works also encourages its ‘distributors’ and loyal customers to bulk buy products together, therefore presumably cutting down on the amount of returned products, once loyalty has been established.

Where to Buy IT Works Greens?

Probably the best place online to buy these products is through their official website. Alternatively, you can find a distributor (or become one!).

An amazon store is also available and looking at the reviews here is often useful for choosing which products you would like to try.

Is It Worth the Price?

I’ve already said that I was disappointed in the lack of transparency about ingredients AND the serving size. While not the most expensive brand on the market, It Works Greens blend is neither the cheapest, the biggest serving nor can it (to my mind) therefore be the most effective.

I have to say I do like the idea of the on-the-go sticks and this would be the perfect way to take your greens with you when traveling, or just on your commute to work.

That being said the serving size of the individual It Works! Greens on the go blend are very small so I am already questioning the effectiveness of taking such a small daily dose.

Can you really get enough of your daily greens in a 4g serving?

The Bottom Line

I’m already very transparent about the things I like to see when reviewing Greens powders.

I like the company to have a mission or vision that chimes with my own, a personal story for example, and I want to see transparency in their ingredients list.

The individual ingredients in these products may well be proven to have nutritional benefits, but I remain unconvinced that the serving sizes and therefore potency of each ingredient would be enough to be truly beneficial to your health in the long term.

These two points are so crucial for me in determining whether I wish to take a supplement that I won't personally be taking IT Works Greens!.

There is no shortage of Super greens supplements on the market, and with such a choice a brand really needs to stand out. For me, IT Works Greens is not so much superfood but more like a super dud!

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review

As I have already discovered there is a huge choice of powdered green supplements, and my research has led me to sample and investigate a number of blends.

Kylea Total Living Greens Drink is a blend that claims a ‘nine-products-in-one whole-food super-food formula’. The blend also claims to contain the nutritional equivalent of 7-10 servings of raw fruit and vegetables.

Alongside these two heavy claims, they have also included a good portion of protein (11-12g per serving), which is great if you are looking to up your protein intake.

This seems to be a good product, so I wanted to delve a little deeper.

I tried over 40 brands: For the best greens powder go to this post!)

Total Living Drink Greens First Impressions

The packaging for Total Living Drink Greens looks striking, with its green logo on a black background it is certainly eye-catching. There is a huge amount of information on the pack and the website also seems to be really heavy on the information.

However (and this is something I always look for in a product), I immediately ask myself whether the company is transparent about the blend or whether they are using a proprietary blend.

Looking at the ingredients list I was a little disappointed. The suggested serving size is quite large (at 40g, about 5-10g bigger than competitors suggest) and about 11-12g of this is taken up with protein.

I was also disappointed to see that within the sub-blends, Kylea has not been very transparent with the exact amounts of each ingredient included.

Other green powders I have reviewed you may be interested in:

• Prebiotic Greens Review
• AMRAP Super Greens Reviews
• BioSchwartz Green Superfood review

Background on Kylea Health

When considering drinking super greens mixes for health there are a few different angles people usually look for: general health support, specific nutritional needs (such as more energy, higher servings of certain nutrients, brain or immuno-support, etc).

Kylea Health is about helping people ‘feel better’.

This is a general health claim and not one which I can really see much support for.

The website has a bold testimonials section in their About Us area (including a personal endorsement by Jerry Rose, President of the Total Living Network), however I honestly found it hard to find out anything other than generic health and wellbeing information.

I’d have really liked to see a much more honest background story with some personal history in order to feel more in touch with the Kylea brand.

The company also offers a few other complementary supplements that can help support immunity (max immunity), colon health (Colon & Intestinal cleanse), and a red berry version called Total Living Drink Berry.

Total Living Drink Greens Ingredients

The claims of the nutrient-dense blend which initially caught my eye needs further unpacking. There are a few suggestions that the formula has been changed, and I’m not sure how this new formula differs from the old.

I can only assume that the formula has been improved, but how – not sure.

I’m also not sure it’s possible to find out exactly what goes into the greens blend, as the only ingredients listed in their ‘natural vegetable and fruit formula’ are as follows:

This amounts to 15,330mg – a significant part of the serving size!

But they don’t disclose the precise amounts of each ingredient.

So if you are expecting to achieve your daily intake of, say, Chlorella, how are you to know that this includes enough? Also, if the serving size is 40g, this seems a very low amount of these key ingredients to be included in a Green blend.

Kylea is more transparent about their ‘all-natural herbal formula’ within the Kylea Greens blend which includes amounts per ingredient, so I wonder why it is that they haven’t wanted to be so transparent about the formulation of their fruit and vegetable blend.

How Does Total Living Drink Greens Taste?

The reviews on the amazon pages are a little more insightful than some brands when it comes to taste.

This not only has the better nutrition of the ones I've tried, but it also tastes much better. It definitely has a more pronounced fruity flavor. Fairly good energy and overall well being.

This green drink tastes really good and I have noticed a difference in the way I feel. It made my hair grow faster too!

As with most people taking Super Greens Drink powders, there is always personal taste to take into account, but I would say that on balance people seem to like the taste of the Kylea Total Living Drink Greens formula.

Side Effects

It’s a bit less clear whether there would – or could – be any side effects to taking this particular blend. Total Living Drink Greens is quite high in both protein (11-12g per serving) of mostly pea protein, which could cause digestive issues if you are prone to trouble in this area after taking protein drinks.

There is also a probiotic blend, which may or may not assist, again depending on whether your system is used to taking such a product.

Does Total Living Drink Greens Work?

As I’ve already mentioned there is quite a lot going on with the blend in Total Living Drink Greens.

The blend is proprietary, so it’s hard to say what the overall effect could be.

This is one of the biggest downsides to this premium greens product in that with the big-serving size (one of the biggest I have seen in the greens space), it's likely there are enough of some or a lot of the individual ingredients.

The proprietary formula there is a slight bit of doubt though.

There is a but though. I still believe the formula will be beneficial, especially if your diet is consistently poor and you're not getting the daily nutrients required. Then taking greens to drink like this one from Kylea Health could help be your nutritional insurance.

Total Living Drink Greens Customer Reviews

There are plenty of reviews on the Kylea site which seem to give a really balanced view.

A few customers seem to be a bit disappointed with increased prices, but nevertheless, customers are loyal and have been returning their custom.

I’ve been a long time fan of Kylea. For years I purchased several containers at once and had all my family taking it. Everyone keeps asking for it, but we had to consider other options because of the increase in price. We will probably come back.
I highly recommend it for so many good reasons, one it helps you grow beautiful hair and the best part is that even the color comes back. I can go on and on…Good product.

Some customers also report improvements in specific health concerns, such as joint pain:

I wrote a couple of weeks ago and just ordered the second packet. I feel general overall health with lots of energy. I also think this drink has helped with some stiffness and joint soreness. I stopped taking Advil at night. So far I give this an A+.

Some of the reviews on Amazon are a little more negative about the price point, but I suppose it is up to the purchaser to take a balanced view as to whether they are getting their money’s worth due to health effects or other perceived benefits from the product.

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

There is a returns policy that states customers can receive a refund on a product (one-time purchase only, and only on one product) if returned within 30 days. This seems fair and it looks as though some reviewers have been happy with the service.

Where to Buy Total Living Drink Greens?

You can buy Total Living Drink Greens online at the official website.

Is It Worth the Price?

A one-time purchase of the Total Living Drink Greens is $99 (US). There is a ‘subscribe and save’ price of $84.55, a 15% discount, where you can choose to have your next order delivered after 30,45, 60, or 90 days.

Initially paying almost $100 per monthly supply seems a lot of money, but they do include a lot of ingredients for your buck. The problem is it's not clear exactly how much you're really getting of each ingredient. This brings into question how much value you're really getting from Total Living Drink Greens.

As with all my reviews, it’s hard to say but with this one, I think probably not.

Kylea is a brand that claims to include a lot in its blend. So there are many ingredients. But what if you’re the sort of person who needs to know exactly what they are consuming?

The Bottom Line

As I am discovering there is a huge amount of choice in the market.

Super Greens are almost as varied in their blends and formulations as any other kind of pre-made powdered nutrient drink (protein drinks etc), however, it is really important to know what goes into something that you are drinking every day.

Why would you spend money on something that claims so much but really isn’t particularly transparent about what goes into it?

Competition is tough in the super greens supplement space, and to really stand out you need a product that stands out. I think Kylea Health have done a great job in providing a different formula from most and including a good protein portion. However, the very high price point and the fact there is no full disclosure labeling it doesn't quite make the cut for me.

Kylea Greens is a solid supplement with a dose of protein if you can afford it.

LifeHacker Guy Greens Recommendation

Some Call This An "Extreme" Step...

Most super greens supplements are disappointing.

I learned this the hard way. After creating this blog in 2018, I spent months buying and testing all the most popular brands.

I wasn’t happy with the results so I did something you might call "extreme"....

In 2019 I created my own brand that ticks every single box of what I look for in a super greens product:

• No hidden ingredient amounts - we have full disclosure labelling, so you know EXACTLY whats inside
• Ingredient amounts that make a difference - we include the minimum effective amounts supported by research, and most of the time, MORE
• Ingredients that help immunity, boost mental clarity and shake off brain fog - making for a much more productive and happy lifestyle

No more worrying about ineffective ingredients or too low dosages. I finally have a product I KNOW does the job it’s made to do.

I use it every day and, after years of battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), I now have my energy (and my life!) back.

The good news? I made my brand available to the public so you can see and feel the difference for yourself.

Read Review