| How will Vital Greens help me? |
|
Vital Greens works as a:
Detoxifier/cleanser - detoxifying and gently cleansing your colon, liver and working on every single cell in the body. The unique combination of nutrients will help your body progressively eliminate waste which builds up on the bowel walls, cleansing the liver which is the body’s main filter organ and emulsify fat helping to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
Energiser/alkaliser - Vital Greens contains many superfoods to help give you more energy, feel more vibrant and less sluggish and stressed. Alkalinity is promoted which results in feeling more balanced and alive!
Well-being promoter - Vital Greens contains potent antioxidants, adaptogenic herbs boosting stamina, endurance and the immune system. Powerful phyto-nutrients building health from the very basics of the cell. There are no less than 7 pro-biotics in Greens as opposed to only 3 in yoghurt.
Mental acuity sharpener - Vital Greens contains Lecithin, Rosemary and Co-Enzyme Q10 which may help increase mental acuity, focus and concentration.
|
| What is not in Vital Greens? |
Vital Greens contains no dairy, no wheat, no gluten, no corn, no animal products, no artificial colours or flavours, no preservatives, MSG or synthetic chemicals, no lactose, sucrose, dextrose, no egg, no cholesterol, no yeast, or added salt. We only use certified organic ingredients where relevant.
|
| What is in Vital Greens? |
| Vital Greens contains over 76, all natural, ingredients. For a full list please refer to the Ingredients page. |
| How long will it last? |
| After opening, refrigerate the product and use within 90 days. |
| Are there any potential problems with drug interactions? |
| If you are taking any regular prescribed medication it is always advisable to check with your health care professional first. |
| Do I need to take any extra vitamins at all? |
Vital Greens was designed to provide you with all your daily nutrition needs without having to take multivitamin pills, antioxidants, protein powders, laxatives etc. If you choose to take extra vitamins or other nutrients please check with a health care professional first.
|
| Isn't Vital Greens expensive? |
If you took all the superfoods, antioxidants, herbal extracts, protein, vitamins and minerals etc in Vital Greens and purchased them individually it would cost over $290 per month or $9.66 per day! A month’s supply of Vital Greens costs NZ$76.46. That works out at NZ$2.55 per day. No other supplement is needed to provide a complete nutrition programme. Most people spend more on a cup of coffee and a cake and just how healthy is that?
|
| Why is Vital Greens in powder form? |
| To help you absorb as much of the nutrient as possible. Tablets and capsules are generally nowhere near as good an agent for introducing nutrients into the body. Apart from the work the stomach and the digestive tract has to do in breaking down the tablet or capsule heat is another problem with food based supplements like this. The amount of heat generated in pressing a tablet or capsule denatures the enzymes and pro-biotics in the formula which makes the ingredients even harder to absorb. Most of a tablet or capsule ends up as expensive urine! |
| I never have time for breakfast! Isn’t it supposed to be the most important meal of the day? |
You’re right there! It can make or break your day’s moods, energy and concentration levels. Most people are rushed, especially in the morning. It’s difficult to prepare a protein-rich breakfast without cooking let alone find the time to eat it! Vital Greens provides all your whole day’s requirements in a great tasting, appetite-satisfying form that takes less than a minute to prepare and drink. A real solution to an age-old problem!
|
| I am finding a pale powdery residue in my glass so all is not dissolving. Should it dissolve in water or just be suspended? |
To get it to the stage where it's a fine powder and totally soluble would degrade a few of the more sensitive nutrients so we've done the best we can while keeping the integrity. Hope it's not too chewy for you!
|
| Just how long after taking on an empty stomach can I eat? |
About 20 minutes - half an hour and include a bit of fat (eg butter or milk) to help the fat soluble nutrients absorb.
|
| I have seen on your bottles that it suggest taking vital greens with a non-acidic juice. Can you please tell me why this is? |
We advise people to avoid acidic juices when taking 'Vital Greens' as they rule out the benefit of a ph neutral-alkaline formula such as 'Vital Greens'. The Acid/Alkaline Balance is a topic not generally covered well in nutrition.
|
| What does alkaliser mean? |
Alkaliser means that the product reduces and neutralises acids in the body. Alkaline is the opposite of Acid and some ingredients in Vital Greens such as Chlorophyl, Alfalfa, Barley Grass and Wheat grass are Alkalising agents to the digestive system. When you are Green inside you are clean inside!
|
| What is the best way to compare products in this class (super-foods with pro-biotics)? |
|
You could look at the comprehensiveness of the formula as a whole and whether there are inappropriate ingredients for a product designed to be taken daily such as echinacea (which should only be used as an immune stimulant short term).
We also include extra vitamins and minerals where we find the presence of the these in forms such as spirulina and wheatgrass etc are not sufficient optimal daily levels.
|
| Is it ok to have Vital Greens with cow's milk? |
There is no problem with having Vital Greens with cow's milk however we would prefer you have it with soy, almond or hazelnut milk which are available from health food stores. If you do not have a problem with lactose then cow's milk is fine. You could add berries or banana, which will make a delicious smoothie.
|
| Is the Vital Green formula OK to give to dogs? We use your product religiously and have thought about giving small amounts to our 12 month old staffie. |
It's only in the last 5-10 years or so that we have realised that animals may need good nutrition as well as humans ! and looking at the types of processed food that some people feed their animals I would suggest that giving your Staffie Vital Greens is absolutely fine and what a lucky dog ! We have many customers who give their animals Vital Greens, some give it to Greyhounds some give it to their birds. The dose for your staffie may be a little less than for humans depending on the size of the dog but perhaps base it on 12gms for an average human that weighs about 70kg.
|
| How much Papain is in Vital Greens? |
| Papain is a enzyme working on protein digestion, naturally occurring in papaya and varies in weight. It’s impossible to quantify due to the natural variation in food. |
| The Vital Greens dosage of B group vitamins is considerably less than the multi-vitamin tablets i have been taking in the past. My doctor recommend I takes these as I am always low in B group vitamins and suffer from anxiety and depression. Would I still need to take a multi-vitamin or would Vital Greens be enough? |
|
The amounts of the individual B vitamins are just a list of what’s actually added to the formula. There’s an additional amount in all the food based nutrients as well that have to be taken into account. Being food based these amounts vary according to season and soil type etc but there’s always quite a bit extra from the nutrients such as spirulina etc.
My advice would be to either maintain taking a Vitamin B complex as you’ve had a history of anxiety and depression (a good formula is from Eagle Pharmaceuticals called ‘Tressos-B’ which you can get from pharmacies and health food stores that employ a qualified naturopath. We actually share their raw materials so I know they are good quality. Also try to focus on high vitamin B foods and see how you feel in a month after starting ‘Vital Greens’ (with your mood, energy levels etc which would be an indication of how your B vitamin supplies are going). Remember, things like alcohol, shift work and other individual lifestyle factors impact on your need for the B vitamin complex.
Now as far as all this has to do with ‘Vital Greens’, the bottom line is the product is not intended, nor should be used, as a therapeutic good in itself. We recommend the use of the Vital Greens as a dietary supplement in the context of prevention, which will deliver essential daily nutrients, that are optimally absorbed in the powder form.
|
| Can you please tell me if I will get beta-sitosterol by taking Vital Greens? |
There are a few sources of beta sitosterol in 'Vital Greens' including the second highest food source in existance - Rice bran at 750mg/100gm. The highest is Maize Oil at 900mg/100gm so it's not far off. Other sources in 'Vital Greens' include: Apple and algae (spirulina, chlorella). Remember 'Vital Greens' is a food supplement for health maintenance not a therapeutic as such so if you looking for beta-sitosterol to act therapeutically you may need a specific source for this purpose. Please check with your health care professional.
|
| I am interested in buying your Vital greens supplement. I was just wondering, is the beta carotene synthetic or naturally derived? |
| Our Betacarotene is derived from the red algae named 'Dunaliella salina' which also has the total carotenoid complex such as alpha-carotene and minimum 1% lutein and zeaxanthin. |
| Are the bacteria in your formula still alive? |
| Yes, the pro-biotics are freeze-dried and are batch tested for activity. |
| Does your product contain any laxatives? |
| No there are no laxatives in the product as such. Flaxseed meal and rice bran are natural sources of fibre and act to gently stimulate peristalsis which work with the colon to maintain the health of the entire gastro-intestinal tract. |
| Can I take Vital Greens during pregnancy? |
There is no problem taking Vital Greens at any stage of pregnancy. In fact the nutrients in the formula form an ideal nutritional support and preparation for the many demands placed on a woman’s body at this time.
|
| Do you have any advice for taking vital greens when pregnant? |
As for pregnancy it's totally safe at any time. This was one of the criteria we had putting the product together originally which was safety and efficacy for all age groups, both genders etc over the age of two years. Having said that there are two herbal ingredients in the formula that are there for their liver detoxification and antioxidant effect – (rosemary and schizandra). These herbs at their normal therapeutic doses would normally be contra-indicated during pregnancy by herbalists. However at the very low levels they are in 'Vital Greens' ( approx 1/40-50th of their therapeutic dose) do not present a problem in any way and in the 9 years the formula has been out we have never had a single adverse complaint from a pregnant woman.
|
| I have checked your website regarding pregnancy and you have said that it is absolutely fine to take Vital Greens at any stage in the pregnancy, however my obstetrician has said not to take any supplements (including chinese herbs or energy supplements like ginseng, berocca etc). I am concerned because I have been taking Vital Greens for so long that I don't think I can function without it, in the past when I have gone without it for even a week, I immediately feel foggy in the head, ulcers break out in my mouth and generally I don't have energy. Could you please let me know what you think? |
|
Your obstetrician’s very cautious approach to supplements may stem from your particular pregnancy or maybe from a general belief. It may or may not come from their general knowledge of nutrition and herbs which can often be limited in their case.
It’s something that the individual has to decide and we would never recommend going against the advice of a health care practitioner of any type that has your individual details, case history etc. However I would ask her/him to give you a reason why supplements should be avoided and go from there. I would reiterate that there is absolutely nothing in the 'Vital Greens' formula that would be harmful at any stage of pregnancy in the amounts that are there.
De-toxing during pregnancy, as a few women try to do, is not a good idea (usually the body does a good job of it anyway as you might have noticed!). However the primary role of Vital Greens is to provide basic nutrients in a form the body can absorb easily for people at any stage of life (including pregnancy).
Our standard herbal references list the following herbs as contra-indications during pregnancy and lactation. However the thing that must be considered is that most references go by the standard recommended therapeutic dose with herbs. We do not use therapeutic dosages as 'Vital Greens' is designed as a daily, preventative food supplement not a therapeutic product in itself. We use these herbs to synergise in groups which is always much safer in a daily consumption context.
I'll list the herbs below to give you an idea of the difference here. 'Std' means standardised.
Herb Therapeutic Dose Vital Greens
Milk Thistle (Std) 1,050mg 80mg
Siberian Ginseng 6-12gm 80mg
Licorice 3-6gm 80mg
Gotu Kola (Std) 1,200mg 80mg
Grapeseed Ext. (Std) 120-400mg 80mg
Perhaps if your obstetrician looked over the formula on the label she/he would better understand the context it is intended for.
|
| Thanks for the sample of Vital Greens. I had it this morning, and really enjoyed it with my orange juice. My mother is worried about the kelp compound and my early pregnancy. According to the ingredients, the kelp compound is 10mg. Do you know, if I take it on a daily basis, if the kelp component is safe in early pregnancy? If it's not, is there a similar product you have, without the kelp ingredient? I am very interested, in the fact, I have been feeling so much more energetic, as the day has worn out, after just one satchet. |
I’d like to assure you that kelp at any level is not a problem with any stage of a pregnancy unless there’s a case of an over-active thyroid. Even in this case, 10mg of kelp would not impact on the thyroid as the normal therapeutic suggestion for kelp is between 2-4,000mg. The reason we have kelp in the formula is to boost the trace elements that kelp is so rich in and only microscopic doses are needed such as boron and molybdenum. Could I make a suggestion when you do have ‘Vital Greens’? Could you avoid using an acidic juice like orange? The reason why is that ‘Vital Greens’ is an alkaline boosting formula and having it in a acidic medium like orange juice, you lose that benefit. Alkaline juices include apple and pineapple. Many people use a blender with bananas, berries and some kind of milk to make a ‘smoothie’ or it’s fine in plain water as well first thing in the morning.
|
| I'm taking vital greens each day. I am pregnant and am wondering if the quantity of folic acid in vital greens is the RDI. This is an issue with pregnancy. |
We have a restriction imposed on us by the FSANZ (our Food Authority) limiting the Folate (Folic acid) in ‘Vital Greens’ to 350mcg/12g serve. However we estimate there is a further 60-80mcg per 12g serve in the food components as well. Because this varies in food due to seasons, soil conditions we can’t state this as fact on the label. We can only state the additions we can verify.
|
| I currently sell your product and have to ask what might seem an obvious question but, are there any implications for cancer patients who would like to take vital greens? I have been asked this by a potential customer and want to give them the best answer – I know it is most likely safe… can it be hard on the stomach etc if they having treatment? |
Many practitioners, including some oncologists, have prescribed ‘Vital Greens’ to patients due to the comprehensiveness of the formula and the relative ease of absorption due to the composition of the formula itself (e.g. the minerals are in their correct ratios) and the powder form suspended in liquid. This is the main reason why we created the formula in the first place. As naturopaths we were concerned than many of our patients (especially elderly ones) were not absorbing nutrients well and were often self-medicating inappropriately. There have been recent studies affirming that antioxidant supplement do not interfere with chemo- or radiation therapy but actually enhance the post-administration recovery rate.
|
| Can you take it whilst on chemo[therapy]? |
As a Naturopath I have always suggested that people take Vital Greens before and after chemo. Chemotherapy is a very aggressive treatment that can deplete your system of many nutrients and can make you feel quite sick so this is the time you really need some nutritional support. As to wether you take it during chemo is up to your oncologist, some doctors have no problem with taking supplements during chemo others will say no !! I have not seen evidence that suggests nutritional supplementation can negate the effects of chemo but I guess you should talk to your doctor about this.
|
| I’ve been using Vital Greens and recommending it to my naturopathic clients for some time now. I think it’s a great product, but as I am now specialising in treating people with cancer, I’ve become concerned about the presence of folic acid in Vital Greens. There is mounting evidence that supplemental folic acid can increase carcinogenesis in people with pre-cancerous conditions e.g. bowel polyps. Since the green ingredients in Vital Greens already supply naturally occurring folate (which does not appear to be associated with increased cancer risk – quite the opposite, in fact), I wonder why there is added folic acid in Vital Greens? |
Thanks for your e-mail and your support of ‘Vital Greens’. We did see this report and reduced our folic acid levels down to the current 350 mcg from 400mcg previously. We believe this amount would be no risk, even to cancer patients. However, the risk of relying on folate in the ingredients instead of folic acid (ours is naturally sourced not synthetic) could leave some people potentially deficient. Increasingly ‘Vital Greens’ is being used by the general population as a preventative nutritional formula and we feel we have a responsibility to ensure adequate folic acid levels, at least to prevent deficiency.
|
