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Animal Greens Review

Animal Greens Review

$49.99

Category: Greens Powder
Ingredients: Alfalfa, Astragalus, Barley Grass, Beetroot, Chlorella, Kale, Maca, spirulina, Wheatgrass

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Animal Greens is Limited by it's Capsule Format.

Animal Greens is a new greens product made by Universal Nutrition as part of their Animal Pak range. It is made with a novel formula based around what they call "optimally calibrated, well researched natural compounds", which includes veggies, phytonutrients, antioxidants, prebiotics, and digestive enzymes.

Universal Nutrition say these active ingredients let it improve your digestion, gut and immune system functions, and overall health. Unfortunately, our review of the greens based Animal Pak clearly shows it is not capable of replicating the benefits you get from eating phytonutrients, antioxidants, and veggies.

The Animal Greens ingredients are split into an Animal Greens Food Blend, Animal Phytonutrient & Antioxidant Complex, and Prebiotic And Digestion Blend. The dosage of each is then spilt into capsules, rather than a drink mix powder like a traditional greens supplement.

While some of the ingredients, like spirulina, chlorella, and ginkgo biloba are proven to be of use in a well balanced veggie supplement, the product needs to contain a hearty amount of each to do so, which is simply not the case here.

They are then also surrounded by countless ingredients that have little to no evidence they will be beneficial to the human body in any way.

Being sold as a pill pack, rather than a powder, and with every dose of the capsules coming in its own packaging does make it slightly more convenient than a greens powder, while the decent price tag will make it appealing to some. And whilst it is better than most attempts a capsule greens, the problem is the format itself, capsules just don't have enough room in them for how large greens formulas need to be. Most greens formulas would take 12-20 capsules to get into the effective dose range for most ingredients and Animal Greens is no exception.

This is why, for best results, we highly recommend that you avoid buying Animal Greens and instead stick with a powder if you're looking for super greens.


Animal Greens Ingredients

Animal Greens Food Blend 

Wheat Grass Leaf - 1,000 MG 

Wheat grass is full of nutrients like antioxidant compounds, minerals, and vitamins, but has very few calories. This has led to claims that it can reduce cholesterol, inflammation, the risk of heart disease, and oxidative stress and damage, treat arthritis symptoms, and help you lose weight. 

Unfortunately, as none of these claims have ever been conclusively proven, it is just as likely that its inclusion in Animal Greens will do you no good at all (1). 

Spirulina Whole Plant - 1,000 MG 

Spirulina is a type of blue green algae rich in protein, antioxidants, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. It helps you lose weight, boost your body composition, metabolic rate, and heart health, combat free radicals and oxidative stress and damage, and reduce inflammation, blood pressure, and blood sugar. 

The problem is, at least 2,000 mg is required each day to do you any good, so the 1,000 mg present in Animal Greens is highly unlikely to have any effect on keeping you fit or healthy at all (2). 

Chlorella Whole Plant - 500 MG 

Chlorella is a type of chlorophyte green algae full of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. It lifts energy levels without causing blood sugar spikes, reduces your cholesterol and blood sugar levels, detoxifies the liver, combats free radicals, diseases, and illnesses, and boosts your overall health and well being. 

However, as you should be using a minimum of 1,000 mg each day to produce any of these benefits, the 500 mg present in a serving of Animal Greens is again unlikely to do you any good (3). 

Alfalfa Herb - 500 MG 

Alfalfa is a flowering grass in the legume family that is rich in pinitol, a powerful antioxidant which research has proven can improve the health and functions of your kidneys, liver, and digestive system, while keeping the rest of your organs healthy and reducing inflammation throughout your body. 

The issue is, the beneficial effects of alfalfa have only ever been proven to be produced when you eat large amounts of the fresh plant (4). This means the small amount of alfalfa extract found in Animal Greens is highly unlikely to do you any good at all. 

Kale Leaf - 250 MG 

Kale is one of the most widely consumed leafy green vegetables on earth, and it is rich in minerals, phytochemicals, and vitamins. It can produce a wide range of health benefits when consumed, the most noteworthy of which is its ability to reduce your cholesterol level and risk of heart disease. 

Unfortunately, it will only do this if you consume at least 5 grams of kale per day (5). As Animal Greens contains just a fraction of this in every serving, its presence is all but guaranteed to be of no use at all. 

Astragalus Root - 250 MG 

Astragalus is a root extract and anti inflammatory supplement that has been proven to boost the health and functions of the liver, heart, and immune system, increase testosterone production, and reduce your ldl cholesterol levels. 

In order to enjoy these benefits, you must consume a minimum of 30 mg of astragalus per day (6). That makes this a rare instance where Animal Greens actually contains a suitable dose of a proven ingredient. 

Animal Phytonutrient & Antioxidant Complex 

Beet Root - 250 MG 

Beet root powder is a very popular diet supplement ingredient as it is full of vitamin c, folate, nitrate, potassium, and a potent antioxidant called betacyanin. 

This lets it lower inflammation, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, keep your eyes, heart and immune system healthy, improve your stamina and energy levels, protect your blood, liver, and other organs from damage, and prevent and treat certain chronic illnesses (7). 

The problem is, you must consume at least 500 mg of beets each day for it to be of any use. With Animal Greens containing just half of this at 250 mg per serving, it simply is not going to be strong enough to do you any real good. 

Citrus Peel Bioflavonoids - 200 MG 

Citrus peel bioflavonoids include things like hesperidin, naringin, and quercetin, and they are said to fight free radicals and inflammation, regulate your blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, and improve fat metabolism and weight loss. 

However, there is little to no evidence that they actually do any of these things, so their presence in Animal Greens is not guaranteed to be of any use at all (8). 

Goji Berry - 100 MG 

Goji berries are full of antioxidant compounds, fibre, iron, vitamin a, and vitamin c. This enables them to help people lose weight, and enjoy better physical performance and fatty acid metabolism, and a more effective immune system (9). 

The issue is, as it has been proven that the heat used to make goji berry extracts damages the nutrients the berries contain, it is not able to deliver any benefits when taken in a supplement like Animal Greens. 

Maca Root Extract - 50 MG 

Maca extract can improve your mood, energy levels, exercise performance, sexual functions and desire, and testosterone levels, and reduce anxiety, depression, hormone imbalances, and weight gain (10). 

Unfortunately, you need to take a minimum of 1,500 mg of maca per day to see any of these effects. As Animal Greens contains a miniscule dose of 50 mg per serving, it is guaranteed to be of no use at all. 

Grape Seed Extract - 50 MG 

Grape seed extract contains catechins and a substance called resveratrol that both have anti inflammatory properties. 

It can boost your blood flow, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, weight loss, insulin and glucose sensitivity, hormonal balance, and nerve, joint, heart, and gut health, and prevent or treat arthritis, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease (11). 

The problem is, 800 mg per day is required to do any of this. This means the 50 mg in each serving of Animal Greens is all but guaranteed to do nothing at all. 

Pine Bark Extract - 50 MG 

Pine bark extract boasts antioxidant compounds, phytonutrients, polyphenols, and vitamins. It can treat inflammation, ADHD, and Alzheimer's disease, support your heart, skin, joints, bones, blood, focus, and mental functions, prevent age related mental decline and erectile dysfunction, and give you energy (12). 

However, with 75 mg of pine bark extract being the optimal dose and Animal Greens containing 50 mg per serving, it will not produce optimal effects here, if it does anything at all. 

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf - 50 MG 

Ginkgo biloba has antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties that boost heart, eye, and brain functions, blood flow, memory recall, mental clarity, concentration, and mental performance, and prevent oxidative stress and damage and neurotoxic effects (13). 

The issue is, at least 120 mg per day is required to produce these effects, so the 50 mg in Animal Greens is highly unlikely to do anything at all. 

Spectra - 100 MG 

Spectra is a patented antioxidant blend that contains coffee arabica extract, green tea leaf extract, broccoli sprout, onion extract, apple extract, quercetin, tomato, broccoli, camu camu, maltodextrin, acerola extract, acai, turmeric, garlic, basil, oregano, cinnamon, carrot, elderberry, mangosteen, black currant extract, blueberry extract, sweet cherry, raspberry, spinach, chokeberry, kale, blackberry, bilberry extract, Brussels sprout, and sunflower lecithin. 

This may appear to contain many whole food fruits, vegetables, and greens that are proven to be of use and commonly used greens supplement ingredients. Unfortunately, not only do they decrease quantity and quality of the ingredients to fit so many in, but they also use many that are not proven to work (14). 

This means Spectra is all but guaranteed to not add anything to the Universal Nutrition greens Animal Pak, which is why it is a red flag on every supplement it is included in. 

Lutein - 50 MCG 

Lutein is a carotenoid with antioxidant properties that supports the eyes, prevents visual acuity, eye strains, oxidative damage and stress, and inflammation, and improves mental processing speed. 

The problem is, 20 mg of lutein is the optimal daily dosage. This means Animal Greens again contains far too little and the lutein content is unlikely to do anything at all (15). 

Lycopene - 100 MCG 

Lycopene is a fruit extract known to have antioxidant properties and help keep the prostate functioning correctly (16). 

However, while no optimal dosage has been agreed upon, most studies accept that a minimum of 13 mg must be used each day. This means the miniscule amount in each Animal Pak will do nothing at all. 

Prebiotic And Digestion Blend 

Inulin - 500 MG 

Inulin is a type of soluble, prebiotic fiber that can enhance digestion, gut health and nutrient absorption, boost your energy levels and weight loss, lower inflammation, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, and help treat or prevent constipation (17). 

The issue is, you need to consume at least 10 grams of inulin a day to see these benefits. That means the 500 mg in each serving of Animal Greens is so low that it is guaranteed to not do anything at all. 

Ginger Root - 250 MG 

Ginger has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can prevent oxidative damage, support the joints, reduce cholesterol levels, improve immunity and digestion, and boost the bioavailability, absorption, and efficacy of all the other ingredients (18). 

Unfortunately, you need to consume at least 1 gram of ginger extract each day to see these benefits. This means each Animal Pak contains just a quarter of what is required and will not do you any good. 

Bromelain - 100 MG 

Bromelain is an enzyme found in pineapples that can relieve pain, inflammation, and heartburn, boost the heart and immune and digestive systems, and aid protein metabolism and nasal decongestion (19). 

The problem is, 200 mg is required each day to produce these effects. This means the 100 mg of bromelain in each Animal Pak is unlikely to do you any good at all. 

Papain - 100 MG, VegPeptase 2000 Acid Protease - 50 MG, Lipase - 10 MG 

Papain, protease, and lipase are all digestive enzymes that can have a very beneficial effect on your gut functions. 

However, with many of the most effective digestive enzymes missing and the 160 mg present being far below the 500 mg required each day, this is just another example of Universal Nutrition not using enough of a proven ingredient to actually allow it to do its job (20).

Animal Greens Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Ingredients, like spirulina, chlorella, and ginkgo biloba are proven to be of use
  • Tablets can be more convenient than powder
  • Each pill pack is very reasonably priced

Cons

  • Most of the proven ingredients are present in dosages that are too low
  • A number of the ingredients are not proven to do you any good
  • Customers have complained about a lack of efficacy and a poor taste and smell

Animal Greens Review Conclusion

Universal Nutrition market their Greens Pak as a well balanced veggie supplement that can replace the goodness you get from eating a nutrient dense meal. However, from a poor quantity of some ingredients to a lack of evidence on others, it simply fails on every level, which is why we highly suggest you avoid it. 

Instead, we recommend that you give Supergreen Tonik a try. A greens powder that uses only optimal doses of high quality, clinically proven, natural ingredients, it can benefit the human body in all of the ways that Universal Nutrition says their product can and them some, all while being enjoyable to use.


Criteria Rating
Taste N/A
Essential Nutrients 3/10
Health Benefits 5/10
Ingredient Quality 6/10
Customer Satisfaction 8/10
Value 6/10
Recommended 6/10

References

  1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26156538/ 
  2. https://centertrt.org/blog/12-remarkable-health-benefits-of-spirulina-a-comprehensive-guide.html 
  3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7551956/ 
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30000890/ 
  5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136577/ 
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4522129/ 
  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8565237/ 
  8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8868476/ 
  9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7022968/ 
  10. https://hlthmagazine.com
  11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7054588/ 
  12. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8094515/ 
  13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK541024/ 
  14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4256589/ 
  15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5715043/ 
  16. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2677959/ 
  17. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8039257/ 
  18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565886/ 
  19. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3529416/ 
  20. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4923703/