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Trusted Reviews, News,Super green supplements are becoming increasingly popular as we all try to hit our target of “five-a-day”. It is easy to see why as, according to advertising, super greens combine the nutrients in fruit, vegetables and other plant-based ingredients into one supermassive hit of health that you can drink in one serving!
Super greens are supposed to increase vitality, energy, weight loss, and even anti-ageing. In addition, they seem to be an easy and convenient way to improve your nutritional intake and boost your health without any hassle. But are they really all they’re cracked up to be?
Let’s find out all about super greens and whether this type of supplement is something we should all be taking.
Super greens are a relatively new type of supplement on the market. Usually in powered form, you simply add a couple of spoonfuls to water (or any type of beverage) and drink. The idea is that you are ingesting higher quantities of vegetables than you normally would in your diet, leading to improved health and vitality, and supporting your general wellbeing.
As the name suggests, super greens contain a blend of plant-based ingredients, usually with green veg like kale, spinach or broccoli as the main features. You may also see fruit extracts, such as acai and other berries, included in the mix. These types of foods are often referred to as superfoods because they are high in antioxidants and have so many health benefits.
Many super greens have an absolutely huge number of components – we have seen super green supplements with more than 70 ingredients contained in the powder. Some super greens contain a probiotic element or digestive enzymes that are said to improve gastric health. Natural ingredients such as wheatgrass, spirulina or chlorella are also common additions.
Sometimes super greens are advertised for specific purposes such as digestive health, weight loss, or detox. More commonly it is left for the customer to decide, as the touted benefits can be a little vague.
The important thing to remember about super greens is that no matter how expensive they are or what they contain, they are no replacement for a healthy diet.
You can’t obtain the same benefits from a powdered supplement as you can obtain from a mixed diet that includes plenty of green vegetables, fruit, and mixed nutrition. Supplement like these do not deliver the fibre of natural food and lack natural nutrients.
There’s no real harm to super greens, but we would certainly recommend you try to increase your consumption of real fruits and vegetables instead of relying on powdered greens.
Super greens may give your system a boost, as they contain a blend of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and can help reinforce the immune system, making you less likely to catch every cold that is doing the rounds. They may also improve general energy levels and feelings of vitality. In addition, super greens can be a support for weight loss, especially if you are following a calorie restricted diet.
But super greens are not all the same. The quality of the various super green supplements can vary and they do not always contain the same ingredients. And although the idea is that these supplements are usually based on green vegetables and fruit extracts, some super greens contain additional ingredients that are supposed to work in various other ways.
For example, many contain enzymes to improve digestion. Others claim to contain detox ingredients for weight loss. Some do not provide much in the way of ingredients information, so it is not really clear what exactly they are supposed to do.
The bottom line is that super greens should generally improve health and wellbeing. This can work, but it can also be hard to prove. In our opinion, some super green supplements will help to perk you up, but with so many different supplements on the market you cannot really generalise.
As with all supplements, it is important that a super greens product contains safe ingredients in known quantities and is on sale from a reputable manufacturer – so always check the ingredients list before you buy. A super greens supplement can support your health, but it is not a replacement for a healthy diet.
Most super greens are not advertised as a method for weight loss. If you were to buy a super greens supplement and expect your weight to fall off simply by taking it, you would be disappointed.
However, improved health can lead to weight loss for most people. We all want to get fitter and healthier, and weight loss is an important part of achieving this.
Super greens alone will not help you lose weight, but a good quality one can support your diet – delivering antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Ensuring that you are topped up on vital nutrients will help you through a calorie controlled diet, but it is not going to affect hunger pangs or directly influence weight loss.
Some super greens claim to help your body “detox” – in other words, the supplement contains diuretics and laxatives in order to make you go to the toilet more often. Although losing water weight can make you look temporarily thinner, it does nothing about helping you lose fat. Super greens products that contain these sort of ingredients can also dehydrate you, so make sure that you drink plenty of water to avoid this.
The biggest positive we can find with super greens is that they are usually high in antioxidants, which can have a metabolism-boosting effect to help get you moving in the right direction.
Whilst super greens can be a good addition to a fitness and weight loss plan, we must stress that they are not a replacement for a healthy diet or exercise plan and will not have a direct effect on fat loss.
A good quality super greens powder will contain a blend of antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals for boosting your health and your immune system. Many people take super greens and report that they generally feel more alert and energised as a result.
Although super greens cannot replace a healthy diet, they can provide a boost to your general health. We can’t always eat as spotlessly as we would like and most people miss out on vital nutrients from time to time, so a super greens supplement can be a top up on those days when we don’t eat properly. In addition, super greens sometimes contain probiotic ingredients – healthy bacteria that are essential for digestive health. Although, whether or not there is an effective amount in the mixture will vary from product to product.
You don’t need to buy a super greens supplement in order to stay healthy. They are often very expensive and the benefits are essentially unproven, whereas increasing fruit and vegetable intake and exercising more has proven medical benefits. So taking a good quality super greens supplement (in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle that includes exercise) can keep you fit and healthy, but it’s not a necessity.
Greens products are always advertised as being good for health, but not all super greens are the same and they do not all contain the same ingredients. They are not always manufactured to the same quality either.
Although the green components, such as the powdered fruit, vegetables and grasses, are safe for everyone, other ingredients can be of concern.
Many super greens contain spirulina, an algae harvested from salt water. Although this is a complete protein with numerous benefits, there are health concerns about using it. Spirulina is often harvested from polluted areas, so it can be contaminated by heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic. It is therefore essential that you know the origins of the spirulina before you buy, but at the time of writing there is no organised quality control to monitor this ingredient.
It’s also worth pointing out that some people who are allergic to seafood are also allergic to spirulina, so it could cause a negative reaction in those circumstances.
Another questionable ingredient in super greens is chlorella. Like spirulina, this is also derived from algae, but this time from fresh water. Chlorella seems to improve the immune system and gastrointestinal issues but, again, it is impossible to assess purity levels. Common side effects to chlorella include allergic reaction, triggering of asthma attacks, and interactions with prescription drugs.
Many super greens also contain probiotics. These are “good bacteria” which can help the digestive system. Although they are not all the same (there are thousands of different strains), the probiotics included in green products are usually safe for most people. However, if you have a weakened immune system you do run a risk by introducing unfamiliar bacteria into your body.
Powdered greens are not as good as real vegetables. After all, you can live very healthily and cheaply on real vegetables, whereas a diet of a tablespoonful of green powder a day is not going to have the same nutritional benefits or do anything for your hunger pangs. It would cost a lot more as well. Powdered greens are generally expensive; you could buy plenty of fresh natural food for the price of the average super greens supplement.
You should not replace real vegetables with powdered greens, even though it might seem a convenient way to get your five a day. A greens product should, at best, be a fallback for the days you haven’t managed to get your full amount of fruits and vegetables.
Although powdered greens do contain antioxidants and vitamins, they lack fibre, carbs, and all the other nutritional goodies present in natural food. Using powdered greens to prop up an unhealthy veg-free diet is not going to work.
However, powdered greens can help boost health and immunity. You just need to think of it in the same way as a multi-vitamin or any other health supplement, not as a miraculous food replacement.
The main plus from powdered greens is that they generally contain supersized servings of antioxidants from a wide variety of extracts that you are unlikely to obtain by diet alone. So when added to a balanced diet they can be good for a health boost.
Our advice is to consider a super greens powder as just one of your five a day so that you don’t miss out on fibre and the varied phytonutrients present in natural vegetables.
Super greens can contain a range of ingredients, but green vegetables are always part of the formula – hence the name. The idea is that if you don’t want to eat your greens you can obtain them in supplement form, although we wouldn’t recommend you cut real fruits and vegetables from your diet.
Spinach, broccoli, and kale are particularly common. These super vegetables are all high in phytonutrients and have numerous health benefits.
Broccoli, for example, is high in vitamin C, antioxidants, potassium and folic acid. Spinach and kale have similarly impressive nutritional profiles, and all three are considered to be superfoods. But one of the major benefits of green veg is that it is high in fibre, which you will not get in powdered form.
Many super greens contain various grasses, such as wheat grass, barley and oats. These all have proven medical benefits and are safe and healthy.
Although the super green name sounds as if it should be made of only green vegetables, other ingredients are common. Many contain fruit extracts – berries are particularly high in antioxidants. Some super fruits, like acai berry, are almost impossible to obtain through diet, so getting them in powder form can be beneficial.
Some super greens contain spirulina and chlorella – two types of algae that are high in protein and nutrients. There may be other natural ingredients too, such as turmeric, tea and ginseng.
As you can see, super greens can vary. If it was just a case of drinking green veg, it would be easier and cheaper to blend them up as a smoothie. In some ways this would be better for health because you would know exactly what you were taking.
Greens products can contain a wide range of natural nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and various other specialist ingredients, so they usually offer more than a simple vitamin supplement or a single-purpose health product would do.
Most greens products will not do any harm and can have some health benefits too. If you are on a calorie-controlled diet, or are trying to reduce carbs, a greens powder can help support your general health while dieting.
That said, you don’t need to take greens products to stay healthy. A healthy and balanced diet that contains plenty of green vegetables and nutritious plant-based food is certainly better for health than the same ingredients in powdered form. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain fibre and nutrients that are lost in the processing into powdered form.
We can obtain everything we need for our body through diet. The problem is that this can be time consuming and it would be impossible to obtain everything that is contained in a super greens supplement by food alone.
Many super greens also have a probiotic element, which can help digestion, and with the usual wide vitamin and mineral profile in many supplements, a super greens supplement can give you your money’s worth.
Ultimately, it comes down to personal choice. If you believe in health supplements and fancy the benefits of several supplements rolled into one, a super greens product can look like good value. But it is important to choose the best one for you. A super greens powder is not a waste of money, but it does not replace a healthy diet or provide a convenient way to eat your vegetables.
The obvious difference between super greens and super reds is that super green powders make a green coloured health drink whereas super reds powders make a red drink. But there are more important distinctions than that.
In general, super reds look to improve heart health and energy, often containing ingredients like beetroot to improve nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is good for heart health because it helps widen and relax arteries, making blood flow easier. It can also help with exercise performance by improving endurance.
Other ingredients in super reds supplements include red-based foods like red berries, carrots, tomatoes, and grape extract. These are generally high in phytochemicals and antioxidants, and are different to the components of super greens.
Super reds and super greens can sometimes share similar ingredient profiles. Vitamins and minerals are usually included in both supplements; however, you are less likely to find probiotic ingredients and digestive enzymes in super reds products.
There is not really any difference in quality between super greens and super reds. Both are safe enough health supplements, they just have slightly different purposes. They can also be taken in combination.
One additional point about super reds is that people rarely feel they can be used in the place of a healthy balanced diet – a problem with some users of greens products.
Now we’ve seen what super greens (and super reds) are all about, let’s have a look at some specific products that are out there and if they are any good.
As you can probably gather by the informative name, Perfect Keto Greens Powder with MCTs is a super greens supplement designed to be used in combination with the keto diet. Most greens powders don’t go down this specific route, but Perfect Keto specializes in keto-focused products, so, naturally, it is marketed in this way to fit their niche.
According to the advertising, this supplement will supply the nutrients that are lacking from the keto diet, such as the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in the fruit and vegetables that are now off limits. Key to the supplement is the addition of MCT oils (medium-chain fatty acids) derived from coconut, which are beneficial for ketosis.
However, the supplement also contains a variety of weird extracts that we don’t usually eat and, according to customers and the ingredients information, side effects are likely to be an issue. There is not much information about ingredient quantities and the flavour has been described as acidic.
Perfect Keto Greens Powder is expensive as well. Each tub is sufficient for just 15 servings and costs $49.99 from the website, making it $98.98 for a month’s supply. There is no money-back guarantee, so you cannot get a refund if you try it and don’t see any results.
IdealGreens Superfood Blend is a typical greens product that contains a blend of vitamins, minerals, nutrients and antioxidants. It looks like a convenient way to catch up with your five a day, but it is no replacement for a healthy diet.
This greens product is part of a vast range of supplements from IdealShape – a company that had a lawsuit filed against them in 2013 for failing to disclose lead in supplements. Not an encouraging thing to hear from a supposed health brand.
IdealGreens contains a range of natural ingredients including spinach, broccoli, and kale, plus herbal extracts such as ashwaganda. There is also added chlorella and spirulina – two types of algae that are considered complete proteins. There is very little ingredient information because all 18 ingredients, including an enzyme blend, come under a proprietary blend, so it is impossible to know the strength of any of the individual components.
There is no independent customer feedback, but there are some complaints about the flavour of the product left on the official website.
On the plus side, each tub contains 30 servings and is not badly priced at $20.99. There is also a money-back guarantee which is valid for 30 days.
You can read our in depth review into IdealGreens Superfood Blend here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/idealgreens-superfood-blend/
The thing that makes It Works! Greens different to most super greens products is it comes in a choice of flavours, including chocolate and berry. It still contains the usual powdered fruits, vegetables, medicinal roots, algae, and other natural ingredients.
It Works! is a multi-level marketing company based in the USA, but it operates worldwide. Their supplements are sold via a network of ordinary people acting as distributors, rather than conventional stockists.
There is quite a long list of ingredients – over 70, in fact. Although none of the ingredient quantities are provided. Matcha green tea, chlorella, fruit and vegetable extracts are all in there, as well as herbal ingredients such as Siberian ginseng, turmeric and astralagus root. Another worry is that many of these components are unproven and may cause side effects.
Basically, there is no clinical evidence that this supplement will improve your health and, with the wide range of ingredients, it is more likely to cause side effects than any positive benefits.
It Works! Greens is expensive too. You are encouraged to become a “loyal customer” and enrol into an auto-ship program, where the company sends you fresh supplies each month and bills your bank account automatically. We never recommend you sign up for auto-shipping. The loyal customer price is $35.00 compared to the one-off purchase price of $55.00. However, the price often changes and will vary depending upon your distributor. There is no money-back guarantee on offer either.
You can read our in depth review into It Works! Greens here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/it-works-greens/
Energize Greens by Holistic Labs is another one that has a lengthy ingredients list, with 35 – including things like acerola berry and wheat sprout powder. It also contains soy lecithin, an ingredient usually derived from GM modified soy. It is touted for health but this supplement is of questionable quality.
The individual serving sizes of all the ingredients are actually provided, which is good news, but with so many different components it is hard to know what exactly it will do, and there is no clinical evidence that this cocktail of ingredients will improve your health.
Energize Greens is pretty expensive too. One month’s supply costs $67.00, plus shipping. You are also encouraged to sign up to auto-shipping for a discount, but (as always) it seems likely that the agreement will be difficult to cancel.
On the product website there are numerous customer testimonials that make some unbelievable claims. There is a money-back guarantee advertised but, with the lack of background information, it seems unlikely you will be able to claim a refund.
You can read our in depth review into Energize Greens here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/energize-greens/
The main difference between Patriot Power Greens and other similar products is that it is aimed at the over 50s and claims to reveal the health secrets that “Big Pharma” don’t want you to know.
It makes quite a few other claims too, such as it improves digestion, sex drive, weight loss, skin, blood sugar levels and mental energy.
The ingredients are based on greens and sea vegetables like spirulina, plus digestive enzymes and probiotics. Overall, there are 40 fruits and vegetables, 10 probiotics and 6 digestive enzymes in a single serving.
Patriot Power Greens is fairly expensive. A single tub costs $49.95, plus $8.95 shipping and handling charges to the USA. Each tub is enough for one month’s supply (30 servings). There is also auto-shipping available – where you are sent fresh supplies each month and billed automatically – but we do not recommend this.
Some people have struggled to cancel auto-shipping and although a guaranteed is advertised Patriot do not seem to honour it. Many customers have complained about the flavour too.
You can read our in depth review into Patriot Power Greens here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/patriot-power-greens/
With 71 advertised whole food ingredients, Athletic Greens must hold the record for the most ingredients crammed into a super greens powder. Not so impressive (if that many ingredients should even be considered a good thing) is that this supplement is associated with a free-trial scam. There is very little background to the company, such as an address or contact details.
Although we know how many ingredients are included in Athletic Greens, we don’t know the actual quantities. Additionally, while some have health benefits, there are some potentially dangerous ingredients that may cause side effects.
There are numerous concerns about the company’s sales policy. Many people have mistakenly signed up to a free-trial offer only to find their bank accounts charged for the full amount of the supplement 15 days later. Even worse, this is as part of an auto-ship agreement that sends you fresh supplies each month and takes your money until you figure out a way to cancel it.
Athletic Greens is also very expensive. One packet of 30 sachets costs between $97 and $127. And just to rub salt in the wounds, there is no money-back guarantee.
You can read our in depth review into Athletic Greens here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/athletic-greens/
Amazing Grass Green Superfood aims to give you all your greens, plus nutritious fruit and veggies, in one glass. There is also spirulina and chlorella, plus probiotics and a digestive enzyme blend in the mix. Although this sounds a convenient way to get your greens, it is only the equivalent of one of your five a day.
There are 12 different Green Superfoods available in the range. Flavours include Original, Berry and Chocolate. There is also an antioxidant blend and an energy blend that contains caffeine. So Amazing Grass do at least offer some variety.
A single tub (15 servings) costs $21.99 if you buy from the website, but discounts are available on bulk orders. You are encouraged to sign up for auto-shipping for a 20% discount, but without information about how to cancel we would not advise it. There is no money-back guarantee either.
There are over 800 feedback comments on Amazon. Some report that side effects such as stomach pains and diarrhoea are common, but some people are positive and like the supplement.
You can read our in depth review into Amazing Grass Green Superfood here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/amazing-grass-green-superfood/
Jacked Factory Green Surge comes in mixed berry flavour and, according to the advertising, is keto-friendly and high in antioxidants. It also contains a probiotic formula to support gastric health.
The powder contains decent sized servings of fruit and vegetable powders (all advertised as organic), as well as the algae extracts spirulina and chlorella, plus a probiotic blend, a digestive enzyme blend, and stevia as a sweetener.
You can buy from the official Jacked Factory website or from Amazon for around $26.00 for one tub of 30 servings. This seems like a fair price, but if you were to take the maximum serving of 2 scoops a day it would only last 15 days, making Green Surge twice as expensive as it appears.
There is some customer feedback but, according to scam software, there is a high level of fakery going on. A money-back guarantee is advertised but we wouldn’t hold your breath on being able to claim it. That said, some customers report that customer service is helpful.
You can read our in depth review into Jacked Factory Green Surge here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/jacked-factory-green-surge/
One of the more expensive greens powders, Organifi Green Juice contains organic ingredients by way of two proprietary blends. The flavour is not specified, but the advertisers claim it will improve skin tone, detoxify your body, and improve mental clarity.
One of the proprietary blends is called the Alkalising blend. This includes matcha green tea, so it will contain caffeine. Other ingredients include spirulina, chlorella, and wheat grass. The Superfood blend contains beet, turmeric, and ashwaganda extract. All of the components are in unknown quantities and, although many have health benefits, side effects could be an issue for some people.
You can buy via the Organifi website or from Amazon. Prices vary depending on which buying option you choose, with prices starting at $57.95 from the official website. Be wary of the auto-billing subscription as, according to customers, this is not made clear and is hard to cancel. Some people report being out of pocket for hundreds of dollars.
There is a guarantee advertised but with so many complaints about dodgy customer service, it seems unlikely that you will be able to claim the promised refund.
You can read our in depth review into Organifi Green Juice here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/organifi-green-juice/
Detox Organics is a chocolate flavoured greens supplement that you add to water or milk. It is composed of organic super foods and the makers claim it is the equivalent of eating 10lbs of organic vegetables.
There are three proprietary blends of ingredients, so the precise quantities and the purposes are unknown. The detoxifying blend contains superfruits, and other components include organic grasses and chlorella. The supplement looks safe enough, although it is not a replacement for a healthy diet, as the advertising implies.
You can buy from a range of outlets and distributors as well as on Amazon. It is expensive, costing $69.00 for a tub of 30 servings, and you are encouraged to sign up to auto-shipping. There is no money-back guarantee offered with this supplement either.
You can read our in depth review into Detox Organics here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/detox-organics/
Gundry MD Primal Plants is an apple flavoured greens powder designed to boost general health and vitality. The company was founded by Dr Stephen Gundry, a medical doctor with over 30 years experience who is based in the USA.
It contains 25 active ingredients which are divided into proprietary blends for specific purposes, including metabolism boosting, digestive support, a probiotic blend, and a superfood blend crammed with antioxidants. The supplement also contains minerals and vitamins. The idea is that this will provide general health support like improved skin, energy levels, digestion, and weight loss.
This supplement is expensive, so the price will make it simply out of reach for most people. Buy from the Gundry website and it costs $99.00 for one month’s supply. You are encouraged to sign up to auto-shipping to obtain as much as a 60% discount.
You can also buy Gundry MD Primal Plants via Amazon for the same price, but if you buy from the Gundry website there is a 90-day money-back guarantee, so that looks like the better option.
You can read our in depth review into Gundry MD Primal Plants here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/gundry-md-primal-plants/
Another product from Dr. Gundry’s range, Vital Reds is a powdered supplement that contains a blend of ingredients to boost your metabolism and general health.
Instead of green-based components, Gundry MD Vital Reds contains 34 superfruit ingredients. Superfruits are high in antioxidants, which can improve health and increase the metabolism. There is also a digestive support blend with probiotics and digestive enzymes. The metabolism boosting blend contains various types of tea, plus other natural ingredients that may have a mild stimulant effect.
Like Gundry MD Primal Plants, this supplement is expensive. Buy from Gundry and it costs $69.95 for one month’s serving. You are encouraged to sign up to auto-shipping in order to make savings.
Some customer feedback is positive, although interestingly nobody has mentioned any weight loss. Most of the positive reviews relate to improved energy. There are also quite a few negative comments.
You can read our in depth review into Gundry MD Vital Reds here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/gundry-md-vital-reds/
Macro Life Naturals Miracle Reds is a vegan supplement that contains 19 fruits and berries in powdered form.
There is an antioxidant blend of fruit extracts, a probiotic blend, a metabolic and adaptogenic blend containing ginger and other herbal extracts, a fibre blend, and a harmonizing blend. There is no explanation why these blends are so named. For example, there is nothing in the metabolising blend that will have this effect.
Miracle Reds is expensive. Prices vary depending on the retailer and the size of the tub, but you can find a 6-serving trial pack for around $11.95 from the official website. This goes up to $99.95 for a tub containing 90 servings. There is no money-back guarantee on offer.
You can also buy it via Amazon and other third party retailers, so there is plenty of independent customer feedback. Opinion is mixed and, although there is some positive feedback, nobody has mentioned any real benefits.
You can read our in depth review into Macro Life Naturals Miracle Reds here: https://www.dietpillswatchdog.com/macro-life-naturals-miracle-reds/
Super greens are getting increasingly popular, especially as we are all becoming more health conscious. But this doesn’t necessarily make them worthwhile.
Pretty much every super greens product comes in powdered form that you add to water or juice. The benefits are often vague and undefined by the advertising, but may include anti-ageing, weight loss, improved skin, and vitality.
Typical ingredients include green vegetables and fruit, grasses, probiotics, digestive enzymes and more. There is often a range of vitamins and minerals as well. Some super green supplements promise to help you detox, others to support weight loss. In addition, similar looking supplements are often sold as super reds, but there is little difference between the two.
While super greens may provide a support to a healthy life style they are usually very expensive. The touted benefits can also be achieved at a better cost through a healthy diet.
Eating more fruit and vegetables enables the body to ingest a varied source of nutrients including antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, as well as providing vital fibre and other healthy substances that are not present in powdered form.
While a super greens supplement can provide some additional nutrients to top up your diet, you should never take a super greens as a convenient alternative. The advice to eat at least five fresh fruit and vegetables a day still stands, even if you do use a super greens supplement once a day.