GREENS POWDERS (NUTRITION)
Updated: 4 days ago
Greens powders are an easy way to get extra nutrition and energy on the days it's hard to eat enough vegetables. A lot of people with Lyme and MCAS are sensitive to green powders, but many tolerate them well. I've tolerated them for most of the past 13 years, but there have been years when I had to be very careful because of oxalates or histamine issues. This post compares some of the top greens powders on Fullscript, grouped by what may suit sensitive people best.
Short on time or energy? A quick-view graphic with the key points is at the bottom of this post.
Sensitive to oxalates or histamine? Read these first:
OXALATES
HISTAMINE INTOLERANCE EDUCATION
Buy links are right under each product. Sign up here first for the Fullscript discount (25% off):
MY FAVORITE: GREENS FIRST
If you see any kind of natural doctor or chiropractor, you may have seen Greens First in their office over the years. I first learned about it from my Lyme-literate doctor, and it's the one I've used the most. It's a full-spectrum formula with greens, fruits, probiotics, enzymes and sunflower lecithin. It has a lot of ingredients, so it may not suit the most sensitive. Formulas can change, so check the label for anything you avoid.
Our family's favorite flavors: I like the green and berry, and my daughter likes the chocolate. It was the only greens powder my kids would drink.
Buy here (Greens First PRO, Mint):
Buy here (Greens First PRO, Berry):
Buy here (Greens First PRO, Chocolate):
Buy here (Greens First PRO, Peach Mango):
Buy here (Greens First PRO Capsules):
WHAT TO WATCH FOR IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE
- Histamine: in a 2021 review of 10 low-histamine diets, fermented foods were the one thing every diet left out. Spinach and tomato contain histamine, and citrus, pineapple, papaya, strawberry and chocolate are often avoided too.
- Oxalates: leafy greens like spinach, tea, chocolate and nuts are high in oxalates. Our bodies also turn some vitamin C into oxalate, so watch drinks with a lot of added vitamin C.
- Probiotics: some people with histamine issues find a greens powder without added probiotics easier to start with. My PROBIOTICS FOR HISTAMINE ISSUES post (below) has more.
- Stevia: if stevia bothers you, Premier Greens, EssentiaGreens and Reds Unflavored, Green Vibrance, Garden of Life Perfect Food (original) and Easy Being Green don't use it.
SIMPLER FORMULAS (FEWER COMMON TRIGGERS)
These have short ingredient lists with no fermented ingredients, probiotics or adaptogens.
Premier Greens by Premier Research Labs
Seven greens with nothing added, not even flavor. A simple formula that leans more MCAS friendly (everyone is different). It has a small amount of spinach.
Buy here (Premier Greens powder):
Buy here (Premier Greens capsules):
Banyan Botanicals Everyday Greens
Tablets with grass juices, spirulina and dandelion. No spinach or beet.
Buy here:
Codeage Easy Veggies
Capsules with vegetables only. No algae, fruit or sweetener. It does have spinach.
Buy here:
Indigo Greens by Ortho Molecular
No fermented ingredients, probiotics, adaptogens or grasses. It's fruit-forward and has spinach, beet, orange and pineapple. The powder has stevia and the capsules don't.
Buy here (Indigo Greens powder):
Buy here (Indigo Greens capsules):
FEWER HIGH-OXALATE INGREDIENTS
I didn't find any greens powder tested as low-oxalate. These are based on the labels, which don't list spinach, beet or chocolate.
EssentiaGreens and Reds Unflavored by Designs for Health
An option shared for those watching oxalates. No sweetener, probiotics or adaptogens. It has wheat grass (the label says it contains wheat) and tomato.
Buy here:
Banyan Botanicals Everyday Greens (above) also fits here.
FULL-SPECTRUM GREENS
These have long ingredient lists, often with probiotics, enzymes or herbs. Great for many people, but harder to sort out if you react.
Greens First (my favorite, above)
Easy Being Green by Ora Organic
I've used this one. No stevia (it uses monk fruit), and the maker posts test results for each batch. It has ashwagandha and citrus. The label on Fullscript differs a little from the maker's site, so check the label on your tub.
Buy here:
Green Vibrance by Vibrant Health
Every amount is on the label, with probiotics (25 billion when made) and no stevia. It has ginkgo and vitamin K, plus traces of milk and soy.
Buy here:
Raw Organic Perfect Food by Garden of Life
Organic grass and vegetable juices with probiotics and no sweetener. It has spinach, beet, tomato and pineapple.
Buy here:
FERMENTED GREENS (BE CAREFUL IF HISTAMINE-SENSITIVE)
These are on Fullscript, but fermented ingredients are a common histamine trigger: Dr. Mercola Organic Fermented Greens, Premier Fermented Greens, New Chapter All Flora, Progressive Labs Alkalizing Greens and Ancient Nutrition Organic SuperGreens.
SINGLE-INGREDIENT GREENS
One ingredient makes it much easier to test one thing at a time.
Moringa
Buy here (Organic India Moringa capsules):
Spirulina
A 2023 review notes that spirulina can carry toxins, such as microcystins, so it's worth choosing a brand that tests for purity.
SPIRULINA
Buy here (Dr. Mercola Organic Spirulina tablets):
Chlorella
CHLORELLA
Broccoli sprout (sulforaphane)
SulforaXym by Tomorrow's Nutrition, a single-source base idea (broccoli sprout based).
SULFORAPHANE
Buy here:
AG1 AND IM8
These two are very popular, and both are on Fullscript. Here's what I found when I compared them with greens powders.
- They're all-in-one drinks: greens plus a multivitamin, probiotics, herbs and more. AG1 Pro has over 80 ingredients and IM8 has about 90.
- Part of each formula is a blend that doesn't show how much of each ingredient you're getting.
- They cost about 2 to 3 times more per serving than most greens powders.
- With so many ingredients, it's harder to figure out what you're reacting to.
- AG1 Pro has 5 grams of creatine and stevia, and the label says it's for adults only.
- IM8 has berberine and 900 mg of vitamin C, and the original version has ginkgo.
- Both are NSF Certified for Sport (for IM8, the Pro version).
Buy here (AG1 Pro):
Buy here (IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials):
Buy here (IM8 Daily Ultimate Essentials Pro):
BEFORE YOU START
- Start with a small amount, and add only one new thing at a time.
- Read the label for anything you avoid. Formulas change.
- If you take a blood thinner like warfarin, ask your doctor first. Greens have vitamin K, and people on warfarin need to keep their vitamin K steady. Some formulas also have ginkgo.
- If you've had kidney stones, ask your doctor about oxalates and high-dose vitamin C.
- Some of these contain potassium (IM8 470 mg, AG1 Pro 250 mg, Green Vibrance 221 mg and Perfect Food 220 mg per serving). ALWAYS ask your doctor before adding potassium.
- If you're pregnant, nursing or giving these to a child, ask your doctor first, since many contain herbs like ashwagandha.
- Always ask your doctor before adding anything new.
MY EXPERIENCE
- I use greens to boost my nutrition and as an overall "feel better drink."
- My Lyme-literate doctor suggested Greens First for me, and for my daughter when she reached remission, to help her stay in remission.
- I've tolerated greens powders for most of the past 13 years. During the years I had to be very careful with oxalates or histamine, I used simpler options and eventually went back to Greens First.
- I've also tried AG1, IM8 and Easy Being Green.
RELATED POSTS
PROBIOTICS FOR HISTAMINE ISSUES
NUTRITION IDEAS
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES AND LYME
FOOD AND DIET RELATED - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
MAINTAIN REMISSION / PREVENT RELAPSE - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
SOURCES
Karr et al., Dietary Oxalates and Kidney Inflammation review, Integrative Medicine, 2024
Gogna et al., Spirulina benefits and safety review, J Am Nutr Assoc, 2023
Sanchez-Perez et al., Low-histamine diets review, Nutrients, 2021 (older source, still worth reading)
Bargagli et al., Dietary Oxalate and Kidney Outcomes, Nutrients, 2020 (older source, still worth reading)
NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Vitamin K Fact Sheet
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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