Today’s review is going to cover one of the grandaddies of greens powders: Vitamineral Green.

My jar of Vitamineral Green

Overview

Vitamineral Green is one of the oldest formulations of this sort of product, and has accumulated an enthusiastic  following over the last three decades.

You could say that it’s set the standard for other green powders to follow.

The formula was originally created in 1990 by Dr. Jameth Sheridan, an inspiring raw/vegan/whole foods evangelist who’s acquired a large fan base through decades of bootstrapping and elbow grease.

The popularity of himself and his company is a great example of earned success.

He owns the company Healthforce, which has developed a fairly robust line of superfood supplements that includes berries powders, algaes, superfood cocktails, and much more.  The general public is largely ignorant of Dr. Sheridan’s company, but it’s considered one of the crown jewels of the holistic nutrition circuit.

Jameth Sheridan and Vitamineral Green have devoted followers

Vitamineral Green has a very well established reputation, and you could even describe their fanbase as cult-like. You hear stories about the amazing health benefits of Vitamineral Green in different places around the internet, and some of the most luminary raw food evangelists have been effusive in their praise of the formulation. Most notably Michael Adams of the Natural News.

So with all that said……..what’s the superfood powder really like?

How does it really compare to similar products?

In my own opinion the quality of VitaMineral Green is second to none.

This review is going to be a detailed breakdown of all major components of the Vitamineral Green product so the curious shopper will know exactly how to evaluate its different health aspects.

Let’s get started!

Ingredients

Vitamineral Green is a “robust” mixture by almost any standard. It attempts to cover every base, and its ingredients can be broken down into the following categories:

• land vegetables
• sea vegetables
• lake algaes
• probiotics
• digestive enzymes

In my green superfood buying guide I talked about the relative merits of these different food groups.

The complete list of ingredients looks like this:

Land vegetables:  Nettle Leaf, Alfalfa Grass Juice, Dandelion Leaf Juice,  Barley Grass Juice, Oat Grass Juice, Horsetail/Shavegrass, Parsley Leaf, American Basil, Holy Basil/Tulsi, Chickweed, Moringa Leaf, Barley Grass, Wheat Grass, Ginger Root, Yacon Leaf, Carob Pod, Shilajit, Amla Berry

Algaes: spirulina, chlorella

Seaweeds: kelp, nori, dulse, alaria, bladderwrack, laver

Enzymes: protease, amylase, lipase, cellulase, bromelain, papain, alpha-galactosidase

Probiotics: L. Bulgaricus, L. Plantarum, L. Paracasei, L. Rhamnosus, L. Salivarius, S. Thermophilus

Overall, this is an outstanding mixture. There are no inferior ingredients, and just about everyone has unique health qualities to it.  It’s also 100% raw and 100% vegan.

In terms of nutrient quality there’s really not a whole lot you can complain about. It only uses high quality ingredients and touches base on every component a greens powder can have.

The only thing you might be able to say about it is that it doesn’t have a few ingredients that similar mixtures have.  For example, the BoKu Superfood contains a patented blend of mushrooms that VitaMineral doesn’t have.

When I used my bottle for this review, I noticed I had less hunger and better energy on the days I took it, and that’s unusual for me because I’ve been taking superfood powders for a long time, and my body has internalized their health effects. I’m also in very good shape.

What’s more, I find that I can usually tell a difference within an hour after digesting it.  I feel lighter and more energetic.

So the guts of this product are for real.

Vitamineral Green tastes and mixes better than I thought it would.

Taste, Mixability, Texture

Vitamineral Green tastes better than you’d expect IMO.  Given the nutrient density of the mixture you’d expect something bitter and foul, but I actually enjoyed its flavor.  It’s very aromatic, and for a greens powder I found the taste mild and pleasing, but definitely distinct.

I would guess it’s because of the ginger and carob pod.  It has a scent and after taste that almost reminds me of cinnamon, but that’s not listed as an ingredient so I know it’s something else.

The mixture contains 5 different types of seaweed and in my opinion you can detect a hint of sea vegetables as well.

Vitamineral Green mixes pretty well. It’s very fine, almost like dust, and does not clump up when added to water or juice.  I was expecting a texture similar to that of Green Vibrance but was pleasantly surprised at how well it dissolves.

I can eat it raw and mix it with water without any problem at all.   The taste is fine.

For newbies I always recommend taking a greens powder with a juice, yogurt, or applesauce……something with a bit of sweetness just to make sure you can handle the flavor.  Over time most people get accustomed to the taste of greens powders, but I hate to see somebody miss out on the chance  to improve their health by not sticking with them.

Price and Value

The retail price for VitaMineral Green on its company website is $59.99.  To a newcomer this might seem like a lot of money, but there are some important details to take notice of when thinking about its price.

• The quality of ingredients.  There’s no filler to VitaMineral Green, and it costs more money to make better products. Period.
• The size of the jar is huge!  The $60 bottle is 17.5 ounces.  That’s more than twice as much as other competitors, so you get a lot of greens for your dollar.

Good health is worth it at every price.

Click this image to go to the Healthforce website.

Where To Buy

After perusing the internet, here are the prices for a 30 day supply of Vitamineral Green in the different corners of the internet:

Healthforce.com: $59.99

MyNatural Market: $51.95 (Best Price)

PureFormulas: $53.96

Amazon: $58.06

iHerb: $59.99

**These prices were updated on 07/20/2012

Conclusion

Like others, I really enjoy VitaMineral Green.

I’d wrap up this review with the most relevant take home points;

• It’s a very “robust” mixture with lots of goodies added into it
• The 30 day supply is more expensive than some other mixtures but very affordable when you judge it by its cost per ounce
•  I’m a greens powder veteran, and even I noticed a difference after taking it….can’t give a much higher recommendation than that.
• For a greens powder with its nutrient density the taste and texture of the mixture is really superb

So there you have it.

So in case you didn’t notice…..I’m a fan.

Great product, and a great company.