Reasons Why I Decided Not to Use Athletic Greens
A while back, I did an Instagram Q&A about products that Influencers promote. I asked people what products they felt were overly hyped and what products were worth the money. Think: Stanley Cups, Jewelry Brands, Online Boutiques, Magic Spoon Cereal… and one of the most divisive responses, Athletic Greens.
Full disclosure, as a blogger and social media creator, I’ve gotten emails from the Athletic Greens affiliate program. So, I decided to do a little research of my own and decide whether or not I wanted to support the brand & potentially figure out what all the hype was about.
In the end, I decided not to buy the AG1 product or collaborate with the brand on any level. So this post will dive into why I personally don’t use Athletic Greens & decided not to promote the brand for affiliate earnings.
Why I Don’t Use Athletic Greens
I’ve seen a lot of people post about their love the athletic greens. It’s marketed as an easy way to boost your intake of vitamins, minerals & plant compounds. And while a lot of people love the product and it may be helpful for some people, it’s not necessarily worth the price or safe for everyone to use.
I’m not trying to say everyone who likes it is wrong. Or that people who endorse it haven’t had great experiences. This isn’t a “everyone else is wrong” post. It’s just digging a little deeper into why I decided it wasn’t the right product for me. This isn’t a “I hate this brand, buy another one” post either. I’m not promoting anything.
Just like any diet supplement, I feel like it’s important to do your due diligence. Just because a blogger or health and wellness creator promotes something, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s universally loved or meant for everyone.
First of all, it’s not cheap. At almost $100 per package, you’re making an investment. So is it worth the money?
The goal of AG1 is to help fill nutritional gaps in your diet. It’s a powder that has 75 vitamins, minerals, probiotics, whole food sourced plant compounds & adaptogens. Off the bat, this sounds great. But I’m always slightly skeptical of any “miracle cure”.
Most of the reviews I see claim that if you use the greens powder daily, you’ll have improved energy levels, immune health, gut health, healthy aging, hormonal balance & neural health.
Here are a few pros I found:
- It’s an easy, convenient way to get a concentrated amount of nutrients
- It contains probiotics
- Great for various diets
- Suitable for various food allergies
A few cons out the gate:
- Not a ton of research confirming it’s effectiveness
- Similarly, not a lot of research confirming safety
- Value
- No vitamin D
- No iron
- Lack of ingredient clarity, how much of every ingredient is used? It’s impossible to know whether a specific ingredient has a large enough amount to be effective
- Some people experience diarrhea, bloating & stomach issues
- Can’t take if pregnant or breast feeding (doesn’t apply to me, but raises other questions)
- Can’t take if on certain prescriptions or if you have certain medical conditions (which is kind of ambiguous)
I’m not trying to say there aren’t potential benefits – because a single serving of athletic greens does have a lot of vitamin C, E & B. So I kind of look at it like a multi vitamin that’s an easy way to get a decent amount of nutrients.
One of the main reasons people get an energy boost from AG1 is because of the amount of vitamin B it supplements. But it’s also not impossible to get that increased energy from another vitamin B supplement – it’s not exclusive to the formula.
Personally, I was interested to learn more about the prebiotics & probiotics. Because I do believe they can improve gut health. However, I have had adverse reactions to certain prebiotics. Inulin for example, can make me feel really bloated. And certain pollen allergies may have allergic reactions to inulin from chicory root. So I am cautious with my consumption.
I personally feel like there’s a bit of misleading advertising. AG1 is marketed as having the same antioxidant content as 12 servings of fruits and vegetables. Which makes it seem like it’s a replacement to whole fruits and vegetables. But it’s not necessarily an even “trade” or swap.
Yes, it provides nutrients. But I didn’t see enough evidence to show that it had the same benefits as eating Whole Foods.
One of the main reasons I try to eat fruits and vegetables is for giver – which you don’t get the same benefits from in powder form. From my research, it’s recommended I get 22-34 grams of fiber every day. And one serving of AG1 only has 2 grams. So it’s not like getting that scoop of greens is going to have the same “dollar for dollar” or ratio of benefits.
Another issue I found is the lack of iron & vitamin D. Which are two supplements I take daily. So taking AG1 wouldn’t replace that.
A huge huge huge issue that popped up for me in my research was how it can interact with prescriptions. Something I kind of forget about looking into a lot of the time. While there isn’t a ton of research – there is a chance it can interact with things like hormonal birth control, immunosuppressants & antidepressants.
The only way to really know whether or not it’s safe is to talk to a doctor – but initially, I didn’t feel comfortable taking something that may interfere with a prescription I take.
I also have a preexisting autoimmune condition (which is a story for another day) – but AG1 has alfalfa in it, which is offen noted as an ingredient to avoid. Alfalfa contains an amino acid that can increase actually increase inflammation in people with certain autoimmune disorders.
While the brand doesn’t make any crazy claims, I think something that kind of throws me off is the heavy amount of influencer marketing behinds it. Crazy, right? I’m an “influencer”, why am I being so skeptical and neurotic?
Athletic Greens has a great affiliate program, meaning if you’re an influencer or creator promoting the product via an affiliate link, you can make a lot of money. Which I’m not complaining about. But I do think it’s important to consider… whether or not someone would be more inclined to promote a product they can make more money off of. Would “blogger X” be more likely to promote athletic greens, which they can make 30% commission on a sale of a minimum $100 aka $30 a sale (general math guys, not exact). Or would they promote a similar product that does the exact same thing that they don’t make money off of or make a fraction of the commission?
Realistically, I understand why someone would want to make the money. Some people genuinely promote products, while others are in it for the profit. That’s just how marketing works. Just because someone says they like something doesn’t mean it’s true. And just because someone makes claims about a product, doesn’t mean they’re necessarily qualified to do so.
This post isn’t me trying to bash people for taking Athletic Greens, liking it, or even telling people not to take it. I just thought it could be helpful to share my perspective. Do I think it’s safe? Generally, yes. I think the majority of the population will be just fine taking it.
Do I think it’s worth the money? Meh. The way I kind of break it down for my own value – even if I bought it and took it every day, I would still need to buy other vitamins and spend money on actual fruits and vegetables. I personally have access to a pretty balanced diet. I know that’s not the case for everyone. Putting my personal pre-existing conditions and concerns aside, I just feel like I would rather take a multi vitamin, maybe a few additional vitamins when needed and get my greens the old fashioned way .
Yes the product is convenient, but it’s also expensive. It’s not like taking a scoop of it means you don’t need to eat vegetables that day.
My recommendation: Do your own research before making any decisions. Don’t just read paid reviews. Personally, I end up scrolling through google & reading varying reports and opinions. I also head over to Reddit. While you have to take everything you read on the internet with a grain of salt (including my opinions), I find that Reddit can have a decent amount of unfiltered opinions and debates!