In this Lean Greens review, I will be looking at the ingredients and claims made by the manufacturer, to see if it’s the right greens powder for you.
Greens powders are a good way to supplement some nutrient gaps you may have due to a poor diet or simply life getting in the way of your healthy lifestyle. They’re not direct replacements to actual whole foods, but they do help the body get those much-needed nutrients until you manage to get the real sources.
Among the popular greens powders is Lean Greens – Super Greens Powder, a greens powder that promises to be an easy to drink source of multiple vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more. They claim their product to not only be nutrient dense, but also be deliciously smooth and improves digestion efficiency and health.
Is Lean Greens Super Greens a greens powder you should try? How does it stack against the bigger, more popular super greens brands? Read my review to find out.
Lean Greens at a glance
- Concentrated powders
- Reputable company
- Plenty of nutrients to go around
- Simple and efficient formula
- Slightly pricey compared to others
- The bundles aren’t as good for value compared to other brands
What is Lean Greens Super Greens Powder?
Lean Greens is a super greens powder that is more akin to a raw multi-vitamin drink the body easily absorbs. It’s also neutral in taste, making it easy to mix with your preferred beverages. The company behind Lean Greens also says it’s a perfect drink to have if you struggle finding time to include vegetables in your diet or lifestyle.
Lean Greens Ingredients
Lean Greens Super Greens’ formula is made up of 8 key ingredients. On top of the 8 key ingredients, we also have a separate blend for digestive enzymes which are always welcome in any greens powders.
Let’s check out what’s inside Lean Greens Super Greens.
Spinach Powder
We all liked to skip spinach when we were kids, but as it turns out our parents were right. Spinach powder is a good source of antioxidants, fibre, protein, and minerals. This makes spinach powder an ideal food ingredient in any supplement that aims to have high nutrient value.
“Spinach fine powder is a good source of protein, fibre, antioxidant, and minerals, making it a suitable ingredient to be used in the formulation of foods with high nutritional or biological values.”
Wheat Grass
The early 2000s saw a trend in single-ingredient digestive aids, and wheat grass was at the top of its game. It can help the body eliminate toxins, optimize digestion and metabolism, lower cholesterol, boost the immune system, and give us sustainable energy.
“Wheatgrass contains minerals, phytochemicals, active enzymes, and vitamins that can be easily absorbed. The consumption of wheatgrass juice can give better health benefits.”
Barley Grass
Barley grass is a good source of amino acids which help the body repair muscles, bone marrow, and blood vessels. It’s also a good source of vitamin C.
“Regular consumption of whole grain barley and its hydroalcoholic extract reduces the risk of chronic diseases (diabetes, cancer, obesity, cardiovascular disease, etc.), based on phytochemicals including β-glucan, phenolic acids, flavonoids, lignans, tocols, phytosterols, and folate.”
Alfalfa
Alfalfa has been cited for its cholesterol lowering properties, blood sugar management, and high levels of vitamin C and K, as well as minerals folate, magnesium, and copper.
Chlorella
This is a type of algae that’s considered a superfood. It’s a source of many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
“Chlorella products contain numerous nutrients and vitamins, including D and B12, that are absent in plant-derived food sources. Chlorella contains larger amounts of folate and iron than other plant-derived foods. Chlorella supplementation to mammals, including humans, has been reported to exhibit various pharmacological activities, including immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antihyperlipidemic activities.”
Carrot Powder
Imagine all the goodness of your average carrot packed into a concentrated powder form. This is exactly what carrot powder is. It contains high levels of beta carotene, as well as vitamins A, C, E, K, and B complex. It also has iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.
Spirulina
Spirulina is considered a superfood much like chlorella. It has powerful antioxidants, a known anti-inflammatory ingredient, and can help improve cardiovascular health. It’s also popularly added in many health drinks and juices to greatly boost the drink’s nutrient content.
Broccoli
Broccoli is always going to be one of the healthiest foods in the world. Fibre, vitamins, minerals, and powerful antioxidants, it’s why many say broccoli is at the top of the vegetable tier list.
Digestive Enzyme Blend
Digestive enzymes allow our gut to digest, metabolize, and absorb nutrients better. You can say digestive enzymes help improve the formula’s overall bioavailability.
“As reviewed in this paper, enzyme supplementation therapy may play an important role in several digestive and malabsorption disorders, such as EPI and lactose intolerance.”
Lean Greens Supplement facts
In the list of ingredients you can see it isn’t as well-populated compared to other greens powders like SuperGreen Tonik, but what Lean Greens lacks in quantity, they make up in decent doses with clear label transparency.
Nutrition Information
| Serving Size: 15 g Servings Per Container: 33 (approx.) | ||
| Ingredient | Per 15 g Serving | %NRV |
|---|---|---|
| Spinach Powder | 525 mg | * |
| Wheat Grass | 225 mg | * |
| Barley Grass | 225 mg | * |
| Alfalfa | 225 mg | * |
| Chlorella | 225 mg | * |
| Carrot Powder | 187 mg | * |
| Spirulina | 150 mg | * |
| Broccoli | 112 mg | * |
| * % Nutrient Reference Value (%NRV) not established | ||
Per 15g serving: 60 calories, Fats nil, Protein 2g, Carbohydrates 13g
Other Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Blueberry Juice Powder, Blackcurrant Extract, Digestive Enzyme Blend (Bromelain, Amylase, Protease, Lactase, Lipase Cellulose), Natural Sweetener (Steviol Glycosides), Siberian Ginseng, Green tea.
Allergen Information: Manufactured on equipment that processes products containing nuts, milk, shellfish, fish and soya.
How to Take Lean Greens
From the official website, this is the recommended way to take Lean Green:
Mix 1 slightly heaped scoop with approximately 250ml of ice cold water. Drink straight away. One serving daily. Do not exceed the recommended dose. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet.
Where to buy Lean Greens Powder
You can only buy Lean Greens Super Greens direct from the manufacturer’s website with the following options available:
- 1-Month Supply (1 Bottle): £44
- 1-Month Supply Starter Pack (with Shaker): £48
- 3-Month Supply: £129
- 4-Month Supply: £164
- 6-Month Supply: £249
Lean Greens – My Verdict
Lean Greens Super Greens powder may not look like much at first, but don’t let the simple label or the short formula fool you. Each serving of this amazing greens powder is more than enough to get you your fill of super vegetables each with their own set of amazing nutrients.
There is clear evidence of synergy within each ingredient, particularly how each of them can help fill the nutrient void the other one lacks. The icing on the cake is the digestive enzyme blend that makes the formula work even better.
The only drawbacks we see are the lack of premium ingredients and the rather short list of ingredients.
Premium ingredients can often help justify the premium price and more often than not, people are willing to shell extra if they can get their hands on something that looks “top of the line.”
The short list of ingredients may make Lean Greens look mediocre compared to the competition, especially since they all have upwards of 20+ ingredients.
Regardless of the drawbacks, I think the approach Lean Greens took shouldn’t discount the fact that it’s a great greens powder and can definitely duke it out with some of the most popular brands.
Lean Greens FAQs
Is Lean Greens safe to take?
According to their website, Lean Greens is safe to take due to the number of happy customers they have had since 2012.
“Yes. With 10’s of thousands happy customers and a trusted source of supplements since 2012. Lean Greens in 99.9% of cases is perfectly safe and should cause no side effects. It is just vegetables. However we don’t know your own personal health situation, so please check.”
Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor before trying this out. If you feel something that doesn’t feel right, stop taking immediately and seek professional help.
How quickly does Lean Greens work?
They said “Lean Greens contains a blend of raw ingredients that are designed to give you a wide range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals in just one 30 second drink. It’s a bit like giving yourself platefuls of fresh vegetables first thing in the morning.”
They didn’t say how fast it works, but I assume it works relatively quickly given the presence of digestive enzymes.
Who should not take Lean Greens?
The manufacturer did not specifically mention who shouldn’t take Lean Greens Super Greens, but I have to assume that these include pregnant women and those under 18 years of age. There should also be a consideration for people who are taking medications, in which case they should consult their doctors if this supplement won’t mess with whatever medicine they’re taking.
References:
- El-Sayed SM. Use of spinach powder as functional ingredient in the manufacture of UF-Soft cheese. Heliyon. 2020;6(1):e03278. Published 2020 Jan 21. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03278
- Bito T, Okumura E, Fujishima M, Watanabe F. Potential of Chlorella as a Dietary Supplement to Promote Human Health. Nutrients. 2020;12(9):2524. Published 2020 Aug 20. doi:10.3390/nu12092524
- Zeng Y, Pu X, Yang J, et al. Preventive and Therapeutic Role of Functional Ingredients of Barley Grass for Chronic Diseases in Human Beings. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2018;2018:3232080. Published 2018 Apr 4. doi:10.1155/2018/3232080
- Parit SB, Dawkar VV, Tanpure RS, Pai SR, Chougale AD. Nutritional Quality and Antioxidant Activity of Wheatgrass (Triticum aestivum) Unwrap by Proteome Profiling and DPPH and FRAP assays. J Food Sci. 2018;83(8):2127-2139. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.14224
- Ianiro G, Pecere S, Giorgio V, Gasbarrini A, Cammarota G. Digestive Enzyme Supplementation in Gastrointestinal Diseases. Curr Drug Metab. 2016;17(2):187-193. doi:10.2174/138920021702160114150137
