Athletic Greens Review (AG1): My Experience After 30-Days

Like 9 out of 10 Americans, I struggle with getting greens in my diet every day and so AG1 is marketed as a convenient way to help meet your nutrient needs, especially if you have a busy lifestyle or have difficulty getting all the nutrients they need from food alone.

AG1 is the first greens powder I ever drank. I tried it for 30 days and share my experience and thoughts on AG1 here. And, importantly, I reveal if AG1 is the best greens powder I have drank!

Did Athletic Greens make it into my best greens powders I recommend list?)

September 2021 UPDATE: Athletic Greens has recently rebranded and is now called ‘AG1'. It's the same formula only the branding has had a significant refresh – it looks great!.

My Experience with AG1 Athletic Greens

I have purchased and tried Athletic Greens on three occasions – each time when they have re-branded.

The first time buying from Amazon (UK) in 2018 when it came it was surprisingly in a tub with the old Athletic looking branding. Checking the official United States website at the time showed Athletic Greens in a dark blue pouch instead of tubs.

It turns out that the company had recently rebranded (July 2018) to use much better and cleaner-looking pouches to look more healthy lifestyle brands.

In September 2021 Athletic Greens rebranded again to AG1 and they replaced the ceramic tub with a metal canister to store the powder in the fridge.

It’s not easy buying supplements to send to Malaysia. So, the second time I purchased from the official USA website I had it shipped to me via a different company. This made it super expensive for me – I ended up paying $125 USD for one pouch that lasted just 30-days!

I was excited to try Athletic Greens, and immediately enjoyed the taste and experienced no side effects. After consuming for one month straight I didn't notice any massive changes to my well-being or necessarily in my energy levels.

This could be because I need to drink it for longer to notice many benefits.

Athletic Greens ingredients and benefits

There are 75 ingredients in Athletic Greens, they claim this gives you the antioxidant equivalent of 12 servings of vegetables in one scoop.

There are some great ingredients in the formula but I am a little skeptical of the huge number of ingredients listed in each serving.

At best there may be one or two ingredients with two low amounts to having little benefit.

With supplement formulas containing many ingredients having sufficient dosages of every ingredient is difficult. There isn't enough room in the formula to have everything in a 10/12 gram serving!

Although Athletic Greens is not organically certified it does contain some organic ingredients.

Let’s take a look at each of the proprietary blends:

[Ingredient profile correct as of September 2021 as new AG1 brand]

How Does AG1 Taste?

Drinking Athletic Greens is super easy because it tastes pretty good. Sipping a glass is pleasant without the grassy or chalky taste common with other green powder drinks.

I have even rated Athletic Greens the best tasting greens powder.

Any Side Effects?

I experienced no side effects with AG1 Athletic Greens powder in the morning drinking on an empty stomach.

This was to be expected as there isn’t anything in this powder that should cause a problem. I stuck to the recommended one serving of about 12g in a glass of 200ml of water per day.

Athletic Greens Health Benefits During and After 30-days?

Taking Athletic Greens is not going to give you superhuman strength overnight or even after a few weeks of taking it. So, understanding exactly how much healthier or vibrant you will be from taking Athletic Greens daily is hard to gauge.

Many of the ingredients in the formula will be difficult to consume in your average diet.

Taking a greens power is going to contain way more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than just a multi-vitamin.

As with ALL supplements, the effectiveness will come down to the nutritional breakdown of the formula.

This is where I was a little disappointed with Athletic Greens.

The use of proprietary blends in the AG1 formula means it's impossible to know precisely how much of each ingredient is present.

This is a big deal for me and should be for you too.

Ingredients don’t work just because they are present in a formula. They need to be in the right amounts, e.g. proper effective dosages.

I am confident in the vitamin and mineral content as this is clearly stated on the label (700% daily dosage of Vitamin C, 300% daily dosage of Vitamin E, etc).

Proprietary blends! Oh no!

Most of the ingredients in AG1 are in two main proprietary blends.

One simple example, the Reishi Mushroom powder in the “Digestive Enzyme & Super Mushroom Complex” is certainly going to in my opinion too low.

Why?

Well, the blend of six ingredients is only 154mg and according to Examine, Reishi needs to be consumed in quantities of 1.5g to 1.9g depending on the portion of the extract is used.

Another example is, that it’s unclear from the label if the organic Chlorella is of the “cracked cell” variety.

The cracked cell-wall version of Chlorella is more bioavailable, and the reason it's the preferred choice.

This is why I like taking supplements that fully show their formula on their label, you get to know this information. This was the main motivating factors behind me developing my own greens powder, Supergreen Tonik alternative and this one from Huel.

The last word on gut health, having both probiotics and prebiotics present may not be as effective as suggested. This is because combining probiotics within a greens powder can make them inert and therefore of little use.

So, if you’re keen on digestive health you may be best off buying a separate prebiotic/probiotic supplement.

Athletic Greens Reviews

I took a quick look online at reviews of Athletic Greens, this included their official website and Amazon.

As you would imagine the official site has glowing reviews, everyone rates the supplement a 4 or 5 stars.

Common statements like “great product”, “pricey but worth it”, “drink Athletic Greens every morning”, “amazing flavor” etc etc.

“pricey but worth it”….. “amazing flavor”

Checking Amazon feedback could be a little less biased shows an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars from 822 reports when I wrote my review. (AG1 is not available on Amazon).

I took a quick look at the one-star ratings to see what negatives come up.

Most of these consumer reviews reported “gastric problems”, “didn’t notice any difference”, “Ingredients are not worth 4x what similar products cost.” and “arrived with a hole in the bag”.

It tastes like forest droppings and vanilla whey procreated with some lawn clippings thrown in 😉

Interestingly a few customers reported they taste as having a “Very artificial flavor” and “tastes absolutely horrible and the aftertaste is even worse”.

The funniest one being “It tastes like forest droppings and vanilla whey procreated with some lawn clippings thrown in” – just goes to show that taste is very personal!

Money Back Guarantee / Returns Policy

There is a 60-day money-back guarantee but I found the information lacking on the site that outlines the conditions for this.

Reaching out to their support team they explained I could return my Athletic Greens within 60-days either opened or unopened.

That said, I see a number of customers seeing unopened AG1 pouches online and so ensure why this is the case.

Where to Buy AG1?

The most obvious choice is from the official website.

They used to be available on Amazon but they appear to have stopped selling on there now (as of September 2021).

You can buy a one-off or monthly subscription to AG1 Athletic Greens or go for their handy travel-sized pouches.

Out of the Super Greens I have tried so far, Athletic Greens is on the high-price end.

Is Athletic Greens worth the price?

Super greens at super high prices!

This is one of the most expensive greens powders around.

At $99 , daily servings cost $3.30, with the subscription serving slightly better at $2.63 per day (excluding shipping).

You should also consider that shipping will also be added to the overall cost of one-off or subscription options, pushing the daily price to over $3.

These greens are not for those on a budget.

If the price is a factor, you may wish to check out Athletic Greens vs other green powders.

Athletic Greens Verdict

I am a fan of Athletic Greens, the company focus on ingredients and not on overhyped marketing.

The greens powder is easy to mix and tastes great, but I have some reservations.

The formula uses proprietary blends which means we don’t get to see how each ingredient is dosed. Without a fully transparent label and ingredient list, we don’t get to see if the correct dosages are within the formula.

With the focus on so many ingredients in the formula, there will certainly be sacrifices in some ingredient amounts. Ultimately this means some ingredients will be less effective.

To pay out nearly $100 for a monthly supplement, I want to know exactly what you’re consuming. I need to be 100% confident the ingredients are clinically dosaged.

So, even though I am a fan of the taste of Athletic Greens (AG1) powder, it's not a greens that I would regularly use and this was the reason why I started my search for the most effective greens powder.

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

Since I first drank a super greens smoothie in my local café; I’ve been trying to figure out, tastier, and more interesting ways of getting my five a day.

So, really what are super greens powder supplements?

Super greens and green powder supplements are marketed as energy-dense and a nutritious way of getting improving your health quickly.

So like most people, the thought of getting all my veg’s in less than a minute each day was very appealing.

What was most encouraging was not having to stress about the number of veg of fruit portions I have daily.

Really does anyone know what 5 a day really means?

Sure I know what 5 means and I know what Fruit and Veg mean – but 5 a day? 5 apples or 5 oranges is that 5 a day? 1 apple, 1 orange, 1 pear, 1 pea, 1 bean?

I of course know that 1 pea doesn’t count but is it 10 or 50? So many questions!

So a drink that ticked all the boxes, this was the silver bullet for me.

Deep down, we all know greens are good for us, even my Granddad who was a two bacon sandwiches a day man knew this. But I first took notice when Tim Ferriss endorsed Athletic Greens on his blog.

So “Super Keen” for ways of making “Green Powder Supplements” my daily staple had me searching everywhere for “super greens” that were perfect for me?

I would, therefore, implore you to join me on my super green journey.

Super Safe or a Super Scam – Here lies what I believe is the truth about greens powder supplements from my research.

Super Green Powders & Capsules, a health food fad or the healthy option?

It’s difficult to ignore the health market nowadays in 2016 and the UK alone it was worth a staggering £1.2 billion.

Appearing on the market in the mid-2000s, Super Greens were marketed as Vitamins on steroids. More accurately it’s probably better to say that Vitamins are so 1990s and that Super Greens are the new breed of health supplements!

And even just a few years ago, you would need to visit a specialist store to buy super greens.

But green powder supplements are still nowhere near as popular as other supplements, such as diet pills.

They’re here to stay and are the vitamin supplements of the 21st century.

Green Powder Drinks for Lazy Juicers?

If you juice, you have to buy fresh veggies, wash and prepare them, chop them, juice, and then clean up after yourself, a good twenty minutes out of your day.

Whilst this is certainly the most effective way to get your daily greens, the novelty soon wears off. Now compare the fuss and the time it takes to make a fresh juice against pouring two scoops into a glass of water, you can see the appeal of buying in a powdered form.

Of course, if you’re fanatical about ensuring you get the most nutritious veggie juice every morning, then you may have the motivation to juice, but remember this is only true if you buy the freshest produce.

It wasn’t for me, I tried juicing but gave up after one month. I hated the prep work, the cleanup, the angry wife, the kids demanding their own drink. The convenience of the powder was just too difficult to ignore.

From now on it’s a powdered green supplement for me.

However, it’s not just ease of use, it’s also the practicality when I travel, it’s easy to take a green powder supplement with me, have you ever tried taking your juicer with you?

Why use Super Greens?

Whilst the daily recommended portion size of fruit and vegetables is in question. The link between eating fruit and vegetables for promoting a healthy longer life is well established.

If you’re eating lots of vegetables, fruit and have a mixed diet – do you really need to drink a daily Super Greens Juice?

Well, most probably not! But the fact is most of us simply don’t eat enough fruit and veg on a daily basis.

Sure every Wednesday we may eat more veg, but healthy eating once a week, is “Not Healthy Eating”
Do you? I know I didn’t!

The US Government recommend that adults eat about 3 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit per day. Source: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/MyPlate

In a report by the NHS (US BASED) in 2017, only one in four adults ate 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

10 per day! You can bet that the stats for 10 per day are even more shocking.

Deep down, we all know that if you’re not eating enough daily veggies the risk of deeply unpleasant long-term disease is considerably higher.

So why are we not eating enough fruit and veg?

For many reasons, in the good old bad days, meat was expensive and fresh veg were easy to find. Most streets had a “Fruit and Veg” shop and then the world changed. Supermarkets, Fast Food, Fast everything else, better pay, and a restaurant on every corner arrived.

The pressure of modern life means that for many of us, life can be hectic, so ensuring you’re consuming 5 plus portions of fruit and veg on the go can be very challenging.

For me, it was certainly habit mixed with poor choices, with eating out is the biggest problem.

I was lucky my wife is super healthy, we always get our veggies when she cooks, but left to my own cooking devices, I’m more a Roti Canai man (see picture – it's tastier than it looks!), whilst delicious it’s hardly low in fat.

Living in Malaysia where eating out is a national pastime, the food is amazing but good tasty food often comes with a hefty price.

Fried food and curries are tasty but hardly top of the healthy eating guide.

Should Super Greens be a replacement for a healthy?

We all know the answer to this is NO.

Super Greens vs Multivitamins

Multi-vitamins had the monopoly as the “GO TO” supplement when feeling run down or sick.

Whilst you can get all your micronutrients with a household multivitamin, there are now healthier ways to get your micronutrients.

Unlike multi-vitamins, Super Greens contain more than your typical trace vitamins and minerals.

So what do Greens Supplements offer over Multi-vitamins?

All greens powders should contain beneficial phytonutrients and antioxidants, which are often found in plant-based foods, these are essential for keeping you alive and healthy.

Often there is an abundant supply of other superfoods too.

Spirulina, Gogi Berries, to name but a few, not only contain a good range of vitamins and minerals but contain carbs, proteins, and fats that are essential for healthy living.

I have been taking a multi-vitamin for months now as a health insurance top-up.

However, I would rather consume a Greens drink in the morning that’s packed with vitamins as I am not keen on popping lots of pills every day.

What do Super Greens Powders really taste like?

Reading through some of the verified Super Greens reviews online and one topic regularly comes up – that is the issue of taste.

It’s a fact that many of the top-selling greens supplements are shocking in terms of taste.

Some of them really do taste truly awful – imagine finely chopped grass with water!

This can be one of the main reasons consumers go back to juicing or give up entirely with Super Greens.

Even with using great sounding flavors like Apple Pie, Berry, and Chocolate (erm why? don’t get this one), they can’t mask the poor taste of the supplement.

For some people, it may take some getting used to, especially if you’re a first-time user.

Green powder drinks taste very different from other powdered supplements like whey protein and pre or post-workout.

I want a good greens product that tastes palatable on its own.

This way I know when I am away from home I don’t need to worry about taking any other supplement, just to mask the taste.

If I choose to mix with a smoothie or protein supplement, then it should taste great.

Super Food Health Terminology Explained

What do all those fancy looking icons really mean?

When I first checked out these supplements I soon saw a number of “health” badges and wasn’t immediately sure what they all meant, more importantly, the significance of these.

Some are obvious, such as “organic”, others aren’t so and I outlined them below.

Is ORAC relevant?

When the Super Food craze hit the supplement market much was made of the so called ORAC rating.

What is the ORAC rating I hear you say?

Well ORAC is short for Oxygen Radiance Absorption Capacity and was created by USDA scientists in an effort to quantify the antioxidant capacity of foods.

This rating gave food substances an antioxidant scale you could rate one over another.

It was commonplace, it still is now to a lesser extent, to find the latest Super Fruit supplement quoting their ORAC rating to enhance their supposed effectiveness.

As you can imagine when the marketing gurus found this, you started to see massive ORAC claims in the media.

This has changed now as the ORAC rating has fallen out of favor.

The number one reason is due to its misuse.

ORAC values are routinely misused by food and dietary supplement manufacturing companies to promote their products and by consumers to guide their food and dietary supplement choices.The USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory

Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jonny-bowden/orac-_b_1594115.html

So if you see a Super Green, or any other supplement actually, quoting ORAC figures we would disregard it. In fact, maybe even be dubious about the product you’re seeing this on too!

Does Science Support the Greens Powder Supplement Claims?

Here is the thing, the elephant in the room for the supplement industry.

Many of the claims made by brands use pseudo-science or fake science.

To fully understand what’s going on behind the supplement label it’s important to cut through the marketing hype.

The bottom line is your Super Greens supplement will only be as good as the quality ingredients and amounts contained inside.

Scientific studies are often quoted alongside supplement claims that cannot be taken at face value.

Why?

The problem is that the ingredient amounts within supplements are typically lower than what’s needed to exert a similar effect quoted in some research papers.

This is why ANY supplement be it a Super Green, fat burner, or protein powder, that uses a Proprietary blend is bad news – You can NEVER tell if the ingredient quantity is ENOUGH.

The easiest way to demonstrate this is to look at one popular Super Green ingredient found in many brands – Spirulina.

Checking the science for Spirulina on Examine reveals you need between 1-8g per day for any noticeable benefit.

That’s a fairly hefty amount considering some of the Greens powder (not even looking at the capsule versions) I looked at had a serving size of 3-5g per day.

This is the fun bit.

Let’s check out three popular Super Greens on the market that actually reveal the quantity of Spirulina in their formula:

Clearly these Super Greens products despite promoting Spirulina they just don’t have enough!

Quickly looking at a Super Greens capsules product, Elite Super Greens. The Spirulina dose is pitiful at an incredibly low 90mg per capsule!

Just to even more fun let’s check out five of the Super Greens with proprietary blends (hidden ingredient quantities):

The simple fact is DON’T BE FOOLED by fancy-sounding pseudo-scientific blends – they are hiding the effectiveness of the supplement.

On a final note, as I discussed in our Super Greens Benefits above, some of the claims are tenuous whilst others are just plain wrong.

When to take Super Greens?

I was curious to find out whether there was an optimum time with which to take my Super Greens.

Most of the advice suggests in the morning as a great wake up drink. But can you take your greens powder any time of the day?

Well in most cases you’re probably okay taking any time.

The caveat is if you regularly workout, in this case, it’s best to avoid drinking your greens immediately before or after training.

In any case, you want to be loading up on other key nutrients around training, such as protein.

Most people seem to like taking it in the morning – I will most likely make this part of my early morning routine as well.

Can you Overdose on Super Greens?

If taking a glass of Super Greens is amazing for your body, then another one won’t hurt eh?

The thing with supplements is to study the label thoroughly.

I know being a guy we don’t like reading the manual, but it really does pay when considering supplements.

The more is better approach rarely applies. Over consumption could be led to unwanted side effects.

Unlike some nasty over the counter supplements, these are unlikely to be serious, especially if you overindulge a little.

Whilst easy to consume be mindful of the recommended serving amount – always read the label, don’t OD on the Greens!

Can Anyone Take Super Greens?

Most manufacturers recommend adults over the age of 18 not taking any prescription medication are fine to take Super Greens.

There is are some age-targeted Super Greens products for kids available.

Can you take Super Greens when pregnant?

Most super greens powders will advise you shouldn’t take when pregnant or breastfeeding.

The reasons typically relate to one or more ingredients can potentially having an adverse reaction.

In addition, manufacturers may wish to err on the side of caution and avoid any legal issues down the road.

Can kids take Super Green supplements?

In general no, as the supplements I looked at were all aimed at adults (over 18 years of age).

However, some of the bigger supplement brands do have kid super green supplements in their range. One, in particular, is Amazing Grass Kidz Superfood.

Whether you should be giving your kids a Super Green is another question. I have two kids and honestly, I would be reluctant to give this supplement to them.

Why?

I can see the irony here, but we (I really mean my wife) is great at ensuring our kids eat vegetables and fruit daily, we should all want to promote healthy eating habits with our children.

They also have a kid multivitamin too, additionally, they still enjoy drinking formula milk in the morning and night – so we are confident they get their daily intake requirements.

We (again I mean most likely me) on the other hand… erm.

How safe are Super Greens?

On the whole, greens supplements are safe.

Generally, they don’t rely on stimulants like diet pills or pre-workouts, etc.

They mostly contain fruits and vegetables, which technically you should eat daily, and so should be safe.

That said, as with any supplement the usual safety precautions apply. These are: Seeking medical advice if you’re taking any prescription medication and/or have a pre-existing health condition.

I am sure few people seek such advice in many cases but if you do have any medical conditions I really would suggest visiting your doctor.

Take along your chosen supplement and please double-check.
 

Will I have side effects drinking Super Greens?

I have to say I didn’t experience any side effects from taking the products I tested, then again, having lived in SE Asia my stomach is pretty resilient – it wasn’t always like that mind!

A quick search online does reveal a few common super greens side effects.

Can you drink Super Greens on low carb diets?

If you’re on a low-carb diet, then you may have to be careful as to the Super Greens supplement you choose.

Some Super greens contain a relatively high amount of carbs per serving – depending on the ingredients and serving size they use.

So, what is too high of a carb content for Super green supplements?

This depends on the strictness of the low-carb diet you’re following.

If you’re following a Keto diet, then your daily carb intake is around 20 grams per day.

According to Diet Doctor, low carb veggies consist of Avocado, Broccoli, Spinach, Kale and Green Beans, etc.

An excellent article that looks into the number of carbs in all sorts of vegetables can be found on Diet Doctor. (This is an amazing website if you’re looking for information on Keto!)

With this in mind if you are on a Keto diet you may wish to avoid using these Super Greens:

However, there is another way of looking at this.

If you’re eating a low-carbohydrate diet or a small number of fruits and veggies, then a greens supplement can be a beneficial addition.

But to be sure your Super greens supplement is Keto friendly you may wish to look for one that has a lower carb content (3g or less).

Super Greens and Probiotics a great idea? Erm.. maybe not

Probiotics, are the good bacteria that live in your digestive tract and encourage your healthy bacteria to thrive.

Many, if not most, Greens Supplements include a “probiotic blend” as a way to boost gut health and your immune system. On the face of it, this seems like a no brainer?

Especially as my immune system is not that great having suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome some 20 years ago (see about me page).

Taking probiotics should be good to ensure my digestive health stays on track and my immune system could do with a boost in the right direction as well!

By combining Super Greens with Probiotics this means I get two effective supplements in one, right?

Digging a bit deeper into this I found some surprising revelations. The issue is that by combining probiotics with Super Greens can make them inert and therefore ineffective.
 
Why?

A major problem with probiotics is that the bacteria are very sensitive to the way they’re prepared and stored. If too hot or too cold the bacteria die – meaning they simply won’t work!

If that’s not bad enough, then the bacteria may also die in the stomach before even reaching their destination (small intestine). Source

Probiotics in many Greens supplements may just be clever marketing and window dressing!

It’s worth considering that Probiotics aren’t suitable for everyone and can cause side effects. They can cause unwanted symptoms such as allergic reactions, mild stomach upsets, gas, bloating, or diarrhea.

If you have low or immune-related issues or any serious medical complaints, then the advice is to avoid Probiotics, at the very least you should speak to your medical doctor (Source).

Lastly on the matter of Probiotics – the science is not conclusive and most of the health claims for probiotics are argued as being pure hype.

There is no evidence to suggest that people with normal gastrointestinal tracts can benefit from taking probiotics,” says Matthew Ciorba, a gastroenterologist at Washington University in St. Louis.

There could be a small benefit though, in some cases recent studies have shown that during and after a course of antibiotics they seem to decrease the chances of subsequently developing opportunistic infections.

Considering the above I see very little value in a Super Greens supplement just because it offers a “probiotics blend” in their formula.

I can’t completely dismiss them though, but the circumstances for use, would be highly specific, what other ingredients are included or have I been on a long term course of antibiotics?

That said, the inclusion of probiotics and the pushy marketing of them raise my guard.

Super Green Powders, Capsules or Bottled Juices?

If you’ve ditched the idea of juicing (like I have) then there are a couple of options for how to take your Super Greens.

The common forms are either, as a powder that you mix with water, or in capsules that you swallow with water. The last option is pre-made bottled juices that you would find in your local supermarket.

There are of course advantages and disadvantages of using these options, let’s take a look.

Pros and Cons of Super Green Powders

Reading through the reviews of many Super Green brands it’s clear, taste is a big factor.

Taste is a personal thing, so it’s understandable that what you find tasty, I may not. (this is from the guy who enjoyed dunking cheese on honey spread on toast).

So, the main disadvantage of powders is the taste. Many brands counter this by offering a number of interesting flavors.

We have seen the usual Mint and Berry flavors to the more exotic Apple Pie variety.

Some brands stick with the natural flavor and encourage customers to mix with other drinks, such as smoothies – Not a good idea if you are on a Keto or Low Crab diet.

The last thing about green powders, these are available in tubs or pouches of varying sizes. The typical size is between 240-360g although some brands provide 500g+ package sizes.

Whether you prefer your super greens in tubs or pouches is a personal preference. It may be slightly easier to scoop out your greens from a tub but does mean it’s bulkier for transport if you’re on the go.

I am open to either a tub or pouch as it’s more about the serving size and ingredients for me.

Pros and Cons of Super Green Capsules

Swallowing capsules isn’t for everyone, but if you’re fine and never have a gag reflex, then why not take Super Green capsules I hear you cry?

Well the biggest disadvantage to capsules is the amount of ingredient you can consume at one time.

An average capsule contains 600mg of ingredient. Even if you took 3 capsules you’re only consuming a maximum of 1,800mg (1.8g).

This is a pitifully small amount compared to powders!

Most of the Super Green powders I researched had a serving size of 5g or more. Many provided 8-10g of nutrient-dense powder.

Taking a scoop of a green powder might be the equivalent to what is found in 30 to 50 capsules,”says Michael B. Wald, MD, Ph.D., ND, director of nutritional services at Integrated Medicine & Nutrition in Mount Kisco, N.Y.

Do you really want to be swallowing this many capsules to get a similar quantity of ingredients – I certainly don’t!

For me, capsules aren’t a viable delivery mechanism for taking sufficient daily super greens.

In the Super Greens powder vs capsules debate, I am definitely for powders!

Pros and Cons of Super Green Bottled Juices

A store purchased premixed green juices and smoothies can be convenient, but the ingredient profile is far inferior to powdered or even a capsule variety.

A fresh green juice may also not be that fresh. Depending on how long it’s been in the shop!

But the main concern is a large amount of sugar likely to be inside.

This coupled with the lack of sufficient nutrients means bottled green juice drinks are best avoided.

Are Super Green Supplements Regulated by FDA?

The short answer is no.

Like every over the counter supplement, they don’t need to be regulated or inspected by the FDA.

What does this mean?

Well, you shouldn’t just grab the first super greens supplement you see on the shelf or marketed online.

You need to do your research!

The supplement industry is a competitive multi-billion-dollar industry with every marketeer and manufacturer after your money. Like everything, there are good ones, even great ethical companies out there. But there are many that use inferior ingredients and exaggerated claims.

Again, you need to do your research.

Alternatively, you can read mine by letting me have your email address to send you more useful stuff.

Are all Super Greens effective?

Unfortunately, not.

Not all Super Greens are created equally, and some are much better than others.

The more I dug deep into researching Super Greens, the more I found out about a number of factors that influence their effectiveness.

From my research, I would say the number one issue is the ingredients used, and importantly the quantity in each serving.

When taking a supplement, I want to be 100% confident that what they say is in it I am consuming.

If it’s organic – it needs to be organic, simple right?

So, I advise carefully checking the supplement label. Know what you’re buying and consuming.

Why do I Avoid Super Greens with Proprietary Blends

Checking out supplement labels that contain 20-40 ingredients is not easy.

But you know what’s more tiresome?

When a supplement wraps a bunch of ingredients into a “Proprietary Blend” then you’re not getting the full picture.

When they do this, there is no way to know how much of each ingredient is inside – so how effective is it really?

What was interesting was by the end of my research, I had become pretty good at knowing even before seeing the label if the supplement contained a proprietary blend or not.

I have taken a picture of one such Super Greens proprietary blend below.

You typically get a fancy-sounding pseudo-scientific name for the blend, something like “immune support blend” or “Digestive enzyme complex”.

The bunch of impressive-sounding ingredients only contain the weight of that particular “blend” – NOT the individual ingredient amounts.

The effectiveness of the ingredient for you is mainly DEPENDENT ON ITS QUANTITY.

It’s a simple leap to say if you don’t know the ingredient amount you don’t know if it ACTUALLY WORKS.

Armed with ingredient amounts you can find out if the science supports it.

Source: https://examine.com/

I really dislike proprietary blends and you should too!

The reason quoted by manufacturers is to “protect” their special formula.

This is pure BS.

There is no magic formula out there of a special combination of veggies that will give you Super Powers. Instead, this is a legal way to hide ingredient amounts.

The only legislation is for the first ingredient used in the blend to be the main one (FDA).

At best this practice is to try making the brand sound more exotic, the new big thing.

At worse it could be selling you a completely ineffective product.

In any case, having a proprietary blend in supplements is most likely misleading and ultimately you have no way of knowing what is inside.

I will be avoiding Super Greens using proprietary formulas.

Super Greens Marketing – Being Supplement Savvy

As with all supplements, greens are marketed by celebrity fitness coaches/authors or as part of a brand within a range of products in a bigger store.

Whilst I don’t believe that necessarily one is better over another. You do need to be aware of the marketing tactics used by particular products.

In my experience single product brands tend to be more heavily marketed using a more direct marketing approach.

What does this mean?

Be prepared for stronger claims and in some cases a bigger wallet.

That’s not to say they are a poor choice and to stick with bigger brands. It’s more to be aware of what is being said about the supplement.

End of the day do the claims made by the product stack up?

What to look out for when choosing a Super Greens Supplement?

I enjoyed delving into the popular super greens on the market, reading between the lines of the marketing messages, and fact-checking against proper research available online.

During my extensive research, I put together a little checklist to help me assess any supplements pedigree.

Which Super Greens Powder is the Best for Me?

After digesting all this information which Super Greens powder have I chosen?

Well, the answer is actually a few but not all the ones on my “would like to try” list.

Why is this?

There are actually a few really good Super Greens on the market and I wanted to compare them all.

Taste is really important if you’re going to drink Super greens powder daily. So I decided to not only look at the ingredients but to actually do the Super Greens taste test.

So below is the list of products I am trying at the moment (of course not all at the same time!).

To clarify I am not stating that this is a definitive list of greens I believe are good.

Some I am trying to buy but they aren’t making it easy. I won’t out them yet and it depends how I get on 😉

I’ll be writing up my experience with each one of these in the coming weeks.

I purchased all of these through the Amazon store and so I have added an Amazon link for the above if you’re interested in learning more about them.

My Final Thoughts on Super Greens

I have really enjoyed delving into the Greens supplement market.

Without a doubt, it’s a growing market and it’s not going away.

Consuming a daily Super Green won’t replace eating a healthy balanced diet, there are too many benefits to ignore.

The convenience of having a nutrient-dense drink first thing in the morning means I will get my veggie and micro-nutrient needs for the day.

I am sold!

Clearly, my takeaway is that I and well most likely you too, could benefit from taking a daily greens supplement.

That is as long as you choose wisely and pick a high-quality one. Taking a look at the products available it’s clear there is a range in quality.

There are many sub-par products out there – and that is being polite!

Well-known brands didn’t always score highly in my research. This means I won’t necessarily be going for a well-known brand.

Price varied significantly too.

Although the price is a factor, I try not to shop primarily on price as the more important measure is “value”.

If you’re paying only a few cents per serving, then are you really getting top quality super greens? Equally, why spend over $3 per serving when you don’t have too?

From my research a good greens powder is going to cost you between $0.54 and $3.23 per serving (per day).

To wrap up…

These days I believe Super Greens have broken through the stigma of being seen as a “hippie food”. Not that I really worry about such stereotypes.

If you’re looking for a convenient way to get your daily dose of super greens, then a supplement in powder form could be just the ticket.

I believe I found some worthy Super Greens supplements to give a try and will let you know the results.

Are you currently using a Super Greens supplement? I would really like to hear your feedback, please comment below.

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