About Garden of Life
Garden of Life is a natural food supplement company that produces various products such as probiotics, vitamins, superfoods and prenatal supplements based on whole foods.
Have you ever felt that you don’t have enough fruit and vegetables in your diet? Garden of Life products are aimed at adults and children who want to supplement their diet with wholefood ingredients for added health benefits.
With a large following of 194,000 followers on Instagram, Garden of Life’s products contain a healthy blend of vitamins, minerals and proteins from natural vegetables and fruits, as well as fermented whole grains and probiotics. Another fantastic fact is that they are made without added preservatives or sugar.
This Garden of Life review takes an in-depth look at the ingredients, uses, benefits and potential drawbacks, customer reviews, promotions and any other details you need before making a purchase decision.
Overview of Garden of Life
Garden of Life was founded in 2000 by Jordan Rubin after being inspired by his recovery from a chronic illness. At the age of 19, Rubin suffered from severe Crohn’s disease and went through several rounds of treatment without success. His condition had deteriorated to the point where he lost 80 pounds and was confined to a wheelchair.
When Jordan Rubin began eating a whole food, natural diet, he saw drastic improvements and his health was almost completely restored. He made it his mission to promote ‘Exceptional Health’ through real, high quality whole foods without synthetic additives.
Garden of Life is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and sources its ingredients from around the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Iceland, Singapore and other countries. The company places great emphasis on traceability, so you can trace the source of each ingredient, ensuring its high quality.
Garden of Life’s logo is an old-fashioned looking image of fruit and vegetables and a farmer with a hat, emphasising the company’s commitment to natural sources. Unique, if I may say so myself.
All products are produced in accordance with current good manufacturing practices and are third-party audited. Garden of Life is a certified B-Corp, which is very hard to achieve, and is the first dietary supplement company to be certified carbon-free by the Carbonfund.org Foundation.
In 2017, Garden of Life was acquired by Nestle, and although they claim to follow their mission and not compromise on the quality of their products, only time will tell the outcome of this acquisition.
Let’s take a look at some of Garden of Life’s product highlights:
Highlights
- Manufactured under cGMP and third party tested
- Manufactured by Garden of Life, a certified B corporation
- Uses wholefood ingredients
- No added sugar
- All products are scientifically backed
- Some ingredients are organic
Garden of Life Protein Raw Organic Fit Vanilla Powder Review
The uniqueness of Garden of Life Protein Raw Organic Fit Vanilla Powder is plant-based, organic, raw, non-GMO and certified vegan and gluten-free.
People often wonder what protein vegans eat, and this blend is proof of that question, as their protein blend is made up of 17 different plant-based ingredients.
This product is not just a protein powder, but also contains three other proprietary blends: a weight loss and stress management blend, a probiotics and enzymes blend, and a superfoods blend.
Who would have thought that a protein powder could also help with digestion, stress management and immunity?
This low-sugar and blood sugar balancing protein powder comes in a variety of flavours, but we will focus on the vanilla flavour in this Garden of Life review. Each canister of 10 servings is currently on sale for $39. from $49.
According to the list of ingredients, the protein blend made from certified organic and raw ingredients contains pea protein and brown rice protein as well as other seeds such as organic linseed, chia seeds and amaranth sprouts. The protein content includes 8 of the nine essential amino acids.
In addition to the protein blend, it also contains a weight loss and stress management blend with raw organic Svetol, a decaffeinated green coffee bean extract to speed up metabolism and Ashwagandha to help with stress.
The superfood blend contains antioxidant ingredients such as baobab fruit and alfalfa sprouts. Finally, the enzyme and probiotic blend contains two different strains of Lactobacillus and 13 different enzyme mixtures.
As for the inactive ingredients, it is sweetened with stevia and erythritol extracts and contains vanilla flavouring.
Nutritional value
Each scoop contains 170 calories, 2 g fat, 28 g protein and 10 g carbohydrate. Each scoop contains less than 1g of total sugars.
Each scoop also contains several vitamins and minerals thanks to nutrient-rich superfoods and raw plant-based ingredients.
What are the benefits of these raw, organic plant-based ingredients over other protein powders? Below I will highlight some of the benefits in this Garden of Life review.
Benefits
One of the benefits of this powder is that it is made from organic ingredients, which minimises the amount of pesticides and chemicals in the ingredients.
Also, the raw, sprouted ingredients keep most of the nutrients intact, which can otherwise be destroyed by heat. In addition, sprouting makes the nutrients more available to the body.
This blend is perfect for a vegan and gluten-free diet, especially as many of the protein products on the market are made from animal products.
One of the other benefits of this protein blend is the presence of 17 different plant-based ingredients, making the amino acid profile quite impressive and comparable to that of animal protein powders.
The presence of other superfoods, enzymes and probiotics also improves the digestibility of this protein powder while fulfilling the purpose of this protein powder, which is to build muscle, increase satiety and prevent cravings.
Needless to say, the presence of almost no sugar and the use of natural plant-based sweeteners makes this product more suitable for those on a sugar-free or low-sugar lifestyle.
How does it work?
The brand markets this protein powder for weight loss, claiming that it helps you ‘lose fat, satisfy hunger and cravings’. The combination of proteins can lead to muscle building, energy and satiety, while the added vitamins and minerals fill in the gaps in your diet by adding extra nutrients.
Decaffeinated green coffee bean extract[1] contains chlorogenic acid, which has antioxidant properties and can influence glucose and fat metabolism.
But are the weight loss claims true? I researched decaffeinated green coffee bean extract for weight loss and found inconsistent results[2] from several one-sided studies[2]. High quality and appropriate testing methods are needed to prove the long-term effects and safety of the extract.
Consumption & dosage
Mix one level scoop of the powder with 10 ounces of water or non-dairy milk.
Garden of Life Women’s Probiotic Review
Garden of Life Women’s Probiotic is a well-known and complete probiotic for women that optimises women’s immune, digestive and vaginal health.
In recent years, the importance of good bacteria in areas such as the skin, gut, mouth and vagina has been emphasised. We have more bacterial cells than human cells in our bodies!
Garden of Life Women’s Probiotic consists of 16 probiotic strains and prebiotic fibre, which acts as food for the probiotic strains.
This gluten-free, dairy-free, soya-free and non-GMO probiotic comes in bright pink packaging. Even better, it doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
This clean and unprocessed probiotic comes in a white plastic bottle and is currently on sale for $34, previously it was $43.
Ingredient Label
This probiotic for women contains 11 strains of Lactobacilli and five strains of Bifidobacterium, totalling 50 billion CFUs (Colony Forming Units), which is the number of bacteria present in each capsule.
In addition to probiotics, each capsule also contains prebiotic fibre from organic potatoes and organic acacia fibres. There is only one inactive ingredient, which is non-GMO plant cellulose.
Nutritional value
Each probiotic capsule contains only a few calories. Each capsule contains 40 billion lactocultures and 10 billion bifidocultures. Each capsule also contains 377 mg of prebiotic fibre blend.
Benefits
Although there are many benefits to taking this blend of probiotics and prebiotics, here are some of the most important:
Help with digestive issues such as gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhoea and constipation.
Improve mood[3].
Reducing inflammation, which lowers the risk of chronic diseases[4] such as cardiovascular disease.
As 70% of the immune system[5] lives in the gut, it stands to reason that improving gut bacteria can also have positive effects on the immune system.
Prebiotics increase the absorption of minerals[6] such as calcium and magnesium, giving us more energy.
According to this study[4], prebiotics also promote satiety and weight loss.
How does it work?
Probiotics are live bacteria that are ingested to improve the balance[7] between good and bad bacteria in the body in favour of the good ones. Once they have found their way into the large intestine, they can improve our immune response. This is because 70% of our immune system lives in our gut.
Studies have shown[8] that probiotics can reduce the severity of gastrointestinal discomfort by helping us digest food better. Probiotics also increase the absorption of vitamins and minerals[6] and give us more energy. They produce fatty acids, so-called short-chain fatty acids[9], which protect the intestinal wall and reduce inflammation.
What’s more, a variety of bacterial strains is much more efficient than a single strain, as this study[10] has shown. Fortunately, Dr.Formulated Women’s Probiotic has achieved this by combining 16 strains in its pill.
One of the most common vaginal bacteria is lactobacillus[11], and this probiotic contains 11 strains of lactobacilli. These strains adhere to the outermost wall of the vagina and secrete substances that prevent infectious bacterial strains from adhering to these walls. In this way, they also improve women’s vaginal health.
So, ladies, if you suffer from recurrent urinary tract infections or other infections, this probiotic could help you!
Suffice to say, it’s our job to increase the number of good bacteria in our gut and provide them with food. Once we’ve done that, we can pass the torch to these bacteria to provide us with these tremendous benefits.
Intake & Dosage
Women should take one capsule daily with a drink of their choice, with or without food. This supplement is not suitable for children.
Let’s shift gears, because this Garden of Life review is about another popular product, Doctor Formulated CBD.
Who Is Garden of Life For?
Garden of Life supplements are aimed at everyone: men, women and children. So if you want to improve your overall health through a holistic diet, then these supplements may be just the thing for you.
Garden of Life Side Effects
Although the side effects of the natural ingredients in these products are rare, we would like to draw your attention to some possible side effects in this Garden of Life review.
Initially, taking probiotics may cause temporary discomfort such as flatulence, bloating, etc. This should subside over time. However, this should subside over time.
The protein powder contains pea protein. If you are allergic to legumes such as peanuts, you should not consume this product, as the pea is also a legume.
The raw protein powder contains vitamin K, which is known for its blood-clotting properties. If you are taking blood thinners, this can be counterproductive. Talk to your doctor beforehand.
The raw protein powder also contains vitamin A. Too much vitamin A can cause liver damage, so be sure to talk to your doctor about your diet and supplement choices.
Side effects[17] of CBD include diarrhea, appetite changes or fatigue. However, CBD is generally well tolerated and is considered safe.
Garden of Life Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
The first place I looked for Garden of Life reviews is the brand’s official website, where there are 122 reviews for the Protein Raw Organic Fit Vanilla Powder. It received a 4.6 star rating.
One reviewer commented, “I have been using it for a few years and it has helped me with my weight loss. I always take the vanilla flavor and mix it with vanilla almond milk. It tastes great!”
The probiotic for women has 403 reviews with a 4.7/5 star rating. Another customer wrote enthusiastically about the product:
“I bought it even though I was quite skeptical about its effectiveness. This product has absolutely justified the hype! It has helped my wife get things moving! I will definitely buy it again and highly recommend it to anyone struggling with the problem themselves.”
The CBD product has 74 reviews with a 4.5/5 star rating. One satisfied buyer said: “I have tried several over-the-counter brands. This one has the best effect… Is it because it is solvent free? I use half the recommended amount and get twice as good results as with other brands. I’m so glad I can order it online.”
All in all, there are a lot of Garden of Life reviews to help potential buyers make their purchasing decision. However, the probiotic formula for women seems to be one of the most popular supplements.
Is Garden of Life Legit?
If you’re wondering about the legitimacy of these products, then sit back and relax, because we really trust this brand due to its numerous certifications.
Garden of Life stands for pure, whole-food based, traceable and sustainable ingredients.
The takeover by Nestle may be a little problematic. However, the brand has so far managed to maintain the quality of its ingredients.
Is Garden of Life Worth It?
The ingredients of Garden of Life are scientifically well proven. In combination with the overwhelmingly positive feedback from customers, we believe that the brand is worth it.
Garden of Life’s natural supplements are a great addition to your daily routine, but please talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement.
Garden of Life Promotions & Discounts
As already mentioned, there is currently a sale on the company’s official website for the products mentioned above. You can also sign up for the newsletter and receive a 10% discount on your first order.
Where to Buy Garden of Life
You can buy the supplement from their official website. You can also buy this product on Amazon, Vitacost, or iHerb.
You can also find this product in retail stores near you. Be sure to visit Garden of Life’s website to learn more about these locations.
FAQ
Is Garden of Life vegan?
Some products are certified vegan, such as the raw protein powder and the CBD oil. The probiotic for women is not.
Is Garden of Life gluten-free?
All of the above products are NSF certified gluten-free.
What is Garden of Life’s shipping policy?
Garden of Life only ships within the US, but offers free shipping on orders over $25. If you live in another country, there may be a Garden of Life website for your country, such as the Canadian website. Their online order store will be available shortly.
What is Garden of Life’s return policy?
Garden of Life offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you are not satisfied with the product, you can contact customer service to initiate the process.
How to contact Garden of Life
There are several ways to contact Garden of Life. If you have further questions about the product or the company after reading our review, you can call us:
- Phone (online orders): 1-800-365-7709 for online orders
- Phone (product questions): 1-866-465-0051 for questions about the product
- Online contact form: Here
Phone lines are staffed Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm ET and on Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.