Green supplements are invading the health supplement market in a raging stampede. With so many brands lining the shelves, and every brand making large sweeping claims of wondrous miracles, it’s no wonder that consumers are confused.
It’s getting hard to pick out the best green powder suited to your needs.
That is why it’s ever so important to do your research and buy the best green powder for you. That’s what we are here for. To give you a 100% clear-cut review. We will be equipping you with all the information you need to know about Greens First, one of the most notable yet affordable brands on the market.
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Manufactured by Ceautamed Worldwide, the original Greens First powder was created by Dr. Donald L. Hayes. Marketed to be an all-in-one and easy to use product, Greens First is filled to the brim with healthy goodness. A very long list of dark greens is accompanied by a range of brightly colored fruits that gives you the minerals and vitamins you need.
Claiming to be a polynutrient and antioxidant supplement, each serving is supposed to give you more than 15 servings of fruits and vegetables along with 49 superfoods. Each ingredient is carefully chosen in specific amounts to achieve a healthy pH balance between the acidic and alkaline elements of the food.
This well-established brand has developed a whole series of products. Besides the traditional green powders and protein powders, Greens First has also come up with various products such as Acid Neutralizers PRO and Female MenoSolve Menopause powder. There is certainly diversity in their products and they also distribute to healthcare professionals including chiropractors or physical therapy specialists.
But we should probably start off with the simplest and the original; Greens First. Also available in berry and chocolate flavors, and even in capsule form (Greens First PRO), let’s take a look at what Greens First can offer you.
Perhaps one of the most prominent benefits of Greens First is how they manufacture their green powder. The fruits and vegetables are juiced first, and it is then spray dried at low temperatures. This preserves the nutritional integrity of the plants and allows most of the important nutrients and enzymes to remain intact.
Vegetarian and vegan-friendly, non-GMO certified with no artificial flavorings and zero preservatives, Greens First claims to use 100% natural ingredients for their blend.
Some of you might be wondering why the gluten-free label can’t be found anywhere on its packaging, especially since it doesn’t contain any wheat. In fact, Greens First is technically gluten-free, conforming to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirement of less than 20ppm gluten. There is indeed a small amount of gluten in their blend, but it’s very low, it’s pretty much undetectable.
However, in the name of full transparency, Greens First has decided to remove the “gluten-free” label from their packaging. But the OG Greens First is still safe for people who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
If you still have concerns and you’re looking for products that contain zero gluten, consider the Greens First Berry or the Greens First Capsules Pro. Similarly, both do offer the fruits and vegetables needed to supplement your daily nutrients.
You may also be interested in: Our Recommended Greens Powder
Greens First boasts a host of benefits, including reducing inflammation, promoting healthy blood sugar levels and relieving aching joints and promoting bone health.
All these might be typical benefits of every green powder on the market.
But one of the main benefits that Greens First boasts is its ability to alkalize and balance your body’s pH-balance. What exactly does that mean?
Foods have different levels of pH, and a highly acidic diet can have negative health consequences. Acid-producing food includes protein, sugar and most importantly, processed food. With every MacDonald meal, or even a pack of chips, the acidity in your urine increases, which can cause uric acid stone, a type of kidney stone, to form. According to Healthline, too much acidity has been linked to an increase in bone and muscle deterioration, cancer, liver problems, and heart disease.
And that is why Greens First’s founder Dr. Hayes places much emphasis on achieving pH balance in your body. Ingesting more alkaline food substances, mainly fruits and vegetables is certainly much more beneficial.
Greens First can make many claims, but its effectiveness can only be proved by its ingredients. So let’s take a closer look!
Greens First has organized its ingredient list into six major categories, each carefully labeled with overall weight. Once again, it’s another proprietary blend, which shouldn’t come as a surprise by now; some brands really like to keep their recipes a secret. Not the best for transparency, but what can we do…
Greens – 2500mg per serving
Ingredients: Barley Grass, Chlorella, Spirulina
These greens make a great base for the green powders. Chlorella and spirulina are blue-green algae widely known for their health benefits. Chlorella is a great source of carotenoids, while spirulina is not only high in chlorophyll, it also provides minerals such as iron and zinc. Instead of wheatgrass, barley grass is used to reduce the level of gluten.
Vegetables – 1500mg per serving
Ingredients: Carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, parsley, kale
Greens First has included the most nutrient-dense vegetables on in their blend. We’re glad to see carrots on the top of the list. Not only are they packed with Vitamin A, but they also contain an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which has been linked to helping prevent cancer. Spinach is also an excellent source of Vitamin A and Vitamin K, and its antioxidant properties can reduce the risk of chronic disease.
Fibers – 1950mg per serving
Ingredients: Oat beta-glucan, apple fiber pectin, brown rice bran
With almost 2 grams of fiber, it’s certainly a significant amount. Fruits and vegetables in powder forms often remove the fiber; however, fiber is what makes us feel full. Greens First keeps you satiated for a longer period of time, great for people who are weight-conscious.
OxiSure Blend – 300mg per serving
Ingredients: Carrot, green tea extract, blueberry, plum, grape seed, cranberry, raspberry, pine bark, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, kale, brussels sprout
This blend is apparently so special, its name has been trademarked for marketing. But it seems like another marketing ploy to attract more customers. What does the OxiSure Blend really do? We’re not too sure ourselves, but the ingredients do contain many superfoods that boost the nutrients and antioxidants in every scoop. Blueberries, for example, are low in calories and high in nutrients including Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and manganese. These small little berries are also full of antioxidants.
ReversalMax Blend – 100 mg per serving
Ingredients: Polygonum Cuspidatum, Acerola Cherry, Concord grape
Staring at this list of ingredients, they might sound totally unfamiliar. The name of the blend is simply another marketing tactic that certainly doesn’t give any hint to what purpose and function they serve. But these superfoods are actually great antioxidants. Polygonum cuspidatum, for example, is an Asian plant known as the Japanese knotweed. Rich in resveratrol, it’s known for its antioxidant properties. Acerola cherry also offers 65 times more Vitamin C than oranges.
Enzymes – 200mg per serving
Ingredients: Bromelain, papain, protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, lactase
To aid in digestive health, a diverse range of probiotics have also been added to the blend.
Probiotics – 200mg per serving
Ingredients: Lactobacillus acidophilus, bifidobacterium longum Lactobacillus Casei, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
With over 1,000 different microorganisms that make up your gut flora, it is important to provide a wide variety of enzymes and probiotics to enhance beneficial bacteria to assure a healthy gut flora. Studies have found that probiotics aids in digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, and irritable bowel syndrome.
Other ingredients include…
Milk thistle, which has been linked to treating liver and gallbladder problems, prevent cancer and even promote breast milk production.
Turmeric rhizome extract, commonly used as a spice, but has great medicinal properties. It is a great source of manganese, iron, potassium and Vitamin C. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric can also improve liver function and aid in digestion,
Now, we’ve talked enough about the positives. Because we want to give you an honest review, it’s time to get real and talk about the suspicious details of Greens First.
It’s another case of “proprietary blend”. We’re getting a little tired of companies who choose to use that loophole instead of being completely transparent. With each serving, you might have a gist of what you’re consuming, but you would have no idea of the exact amount of each ingredient you’ve consumed. Because it is not clearly stated, you would not know if the proportion of each ingredient is sufficient to fulfill your daily nutrient intake.
Furthermore, if you look closely at their nutritional label, you’ll realize that they have not included any micronutrient information. We are clueless as to whether Greens First does provide any vitamins and minerals. Of course, there is a load of healthy goodness in each serving, but there is no way to know exactly what and how much nutrients this supplement can provide. Which totally defeats the purpose of taking a greens supplement in the first place.
With only the standard label that reveals the amount of sugar, fiber, and carbohydrates, its effectiveness is called into question. All we can see is 15mg of sodium, which simply doesn’t reflect well on their brand.
Furthermore, Greens First claims each serving delivers 15 servings of fruits and vegetables. But we have our doubts since each serving size is only 9.4g, barely a tablespoon of powder. With a serving size that small, we’re unsure if the proportion of ingredients would even have an effect on your body.
Greens First might be filled to the brim with healthy goodness, but until we see a proper nutrition label, it’s hard to say if Greens First is truly effective.
Greens First doesn’t taste that bad. It does have a pleasant fruity flavor, with a hint of spearmint.
The company has even added stevia into their formula, to sweeten the blend. Not to worry, stevia is not an artificial sweetener or preservative. It is a sugar substitute that comes from a plant. Even more surprisingly, this natural ingredient does not add any calories.
But there are some consumers who still find it hard to drink a cup of Greens First. The grassy and earthy taste is too distinctive, and they find it rather unappetizing.
Take note, Greens First tastes a little more pungent than other green powders because of the way it was manufactured. The vegetables were juiced to form juice powders in order to preserve the nutrients in the whole foods. But juice powders have a stronger grassier taste than vegetable powders that have simply been dried and ground. Nothing healthy can ever taste that good, just push through that glass of green powder drink! It’s all for your health.
Price is a major factor when it comes to purchasing a product, so now it’s time to do some simple calculations.
Looking at the serving size, at about 9.4g per serving, it is indeed rather small compared to other brands. But the damage to your wallet isn’t that bad.
If you purchase the smaller container with only 30 servings, each serving will cost about US$1.50. If you do get the bigger container with 60 servings, you’ll be able to get some savings. Each serving will cost about US$1.33 each.
Greens First is certainly one of the most affordable brands on the market, it’s definitely worth considering! Simply head on to their website to purchase your tub. Unfortunately, they do not offer any package or subscription deals.
For healthcare professionals looking to offer this product to their patients, you can go through their main distributor Meyer Distributing Inc to get your supply.
It’s been a long and tedious discussion. Now it’s time to decide whether to purchase Greens First. Looking at the ingredients list, it certainly has covered all its bases.
But is the proportion of each ingredient sufficient to fulfill your daily nutrient intake?
With such a small serving size and a decent affordable price, it is doubtful. And the main contentious issue remains. Where is their nutritional information? Not only have they hidden the exact amounts of each ingredient under the guise of “proprietary blend”, but information about vitamins and minerals also are not available.
As a consumer, even though Greens First isn’t costly, the lack of transparency makes it hard to trust the quality and the effectiveness of the product. So instead we would recommend checking out SuperGreen TONIK or Athletic Greens – the best greens out there on the market.
Our Recommended Greens
Among the best in green superfood powders is SuperGreen TONIK.
Its amazing how this supplement combines organic greens, brain and immune nutrients, all in one easy, great tasting drink. Plus, you get all the vitamin and mineral you need each day.
Author Profile
- Hi, my name is Sandra! I am the main author and reviewer of Super Greens Expert. I am a keen juicer as I was want to get all my daily veggies. Having found super greens I now use one such supplement daily.