The last review I wrote of the Vega One Optimizer has received a positive response, so I’m writing up a review of another superfood powder I have in my cabinets: Dr. Schulze’s Superfood Plus.
This is my detailed run through.
Let’s go over this product in detail.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with the company that makes this product. I write these reviews to provide insight and clarity. In general I think all of the products I review provide remarkable health benefits, and if I point out a particular feature of a product it’s not to villify or idolize a particular company, but allow curious consumers to make the best choices. If I state an opinion I make it clear that it’s just that, and your experience may differ.
When talking about this superfood powder it’s best to discuss what it’s meant to be. Many greens formulas attempt to contain all sorts of ingredients in one bottle while others put more of a focus on providing a smaller number of foods but with higher quality. This describes the Dr. Schultze mix.
What’s Awesome About Dr. Schulze’s Superfood
- The ingredients are fantastic! Every one is high quality and super nutritious. Every single one. Sometimes when I look at the list of ingredients of a superfood powder I’ll research one of the ingredients only to find that there’s very little research on its health effects….but this is not the case with Superfood Plus.
- The price is unbeatable. As of 07/18/2012 the price for a 14oz bottle is $38.00. On a per ounce basis this makes the Superfood Plus the most affordable superfood powder out there. You could say it’s “Superfood……for the people.” Given the price differences of other superfood powders it’s clear that it’s made by somebody who cares about making people healthy first and profits second, as he could easily charge much more for the product.
- High concentration of vitamins and minerals. Greens powders typically have varying amounts of vitamin and mineral concentrations due to the large variety of ingredients contained in them. However due to the high amounts of quality ingredients and minimal manufacturing processes used by Dr. Schulze his superfoods formula has a high concentration of vitamins and minerals from real foods. I’ve written previously about the drawbacks of synthetic nutrients, so the importance of this detail is not lost on me. What I like best about the nutrient profile is the copious amounts of vitamin B12 in the mixture, which is important for vegans and vegetarians.
- High Quality Manufacturing Process. Going from a food to a powder can destroy some of the nutrients in a mixture, so small details in how a product is made can be very important with regards to how nutritious it is. Dr Schultz owns his own facility where he uses minimally invasive techniques to turn the green foods into his mixture. He doesn’t heat treat the ingredients, which is important for nutrient preservation. (These details were brought to my attention by Leanna from the comments…..thank you).
About The Company: Dr. Schulze is a well known herbologist and outspoken supporter of the powers of natural healing. He owns the StarWest Botanical Pharmacy and has been helping different patients treat various diseases through improvements in their lifestyle.
As far as I know, he’s been doing this type of work from the 1970’s (perhaps more), and has created a large following for himself through his writing, clinical practice, and public speaking.
So he talks the talk and walks the walk. If you’re looking for a good description of him and his life story, I’d recommend you read his blog.
Ingredients
If you can’t read the label above, the list of ingredients in Dr. Schulze’s Superfood Plus looks like this:
- Spirulina
- Blue-green Algae
- Chlorella
- Barley Grass
- Alfalfa Grass
- Dulse
- Acerola Cherry
- Rose Hips
- Palm Fruit
- Lemon Peel
- Orange Peel
- Beet Root
- Spinach Leaf
The ingredients that go from spirulina – acerola cherry are all fantastic. So are beet root and spinach leaf. Concerning the ingredients, here are some important points to consider:
- The first three listed are spirulina, blue-green algae, and chlorella, all of which are freshwater sea algae. They’re remarkably healthy, and I don’t know of another superfood powder that has them as their primary ingredients.
- Every ingredient is organic and wildcrafted, which is a big plus for people who are concerned about pesticides and industrial farming techniques
- Some people dislike the use of fibrous ingredients in their greens powders such as lecithin or flaxseed. If that’s the case, then there’s a lot to like about the Superfood Plus since it doesn’t have them.
Overall, the ingredients used in the mixture are excellent. It’s unusual (and healthy!) for a formula to rely so much on aquatic organisms.
I’ve written previously about the health benefits of dulse and acerola, and many of the other ingredients are some my favorites that I wrote about in my superfood powder buying guide.
To get a mixture with similar quality of ingredients you’ll probably have to pay a lot more money.
For example VitaMineral Green and Pure Synergy are other powders that also don’t have any fibrous ingredients but also contain digestive enzymes, probiotics (for Health Force), and have 38 and 60 different ingredients, respectively.
However, if you go to their websites you’ll find that 30 day supplies cost $59.99 and $54.95 respectively. They’re worth every penny, but neither is quite as “recession friendly” as the Dr. Schulze mix.
Price/Value
As I stated before, the Superfood Plus rules them all when it comes to delivering value. The jar is big, and $38 is a great price for a mix that’s comprised entirely of very high quality ingredients. No qualms there.
In fact, to give you an idea of the cost-effectiveness of the mixture here’s the cost per ounce of similar products**:
Dr. Schulze: $2.71
VitaMineral Green: $3.39
Green Vibrance: $3.93
Macro Greens: $4.29
Amazing Grass: $3.29
So as you can see, it’s pretty darn affordable.
Taste
When I tried the Superfood Plus I put it in smoothies, juices, and even cooked it with a few foods and did not notice it at all. At times a little bit of the yeast flavor came through, but I didn’t find this troublesome.
For most people I would recommend taking a superfood powder mixed with some other juice or food. It makes them easier to digest and if you’re not one who takes well to raw foods it’ll increase the chances of you taking one on a daily basis.
I eat them with water regularly, but some people might need to work up to that point.
To my tongue you can also detect some of the spirulina and chlorella. People have different opinions about the taste of these two ingredients, but I’m never one to skimp on green superfoods.
The particle size of the mix is fairly large, and compared to other mixtures like Macro Greens, Greens Plus, or Vitamineral Green the texture is fairly coarse. If you’re mixing it in water you may find that it makes the mixture harder to stir/mix. If you use the Superfood mix in smoothies or other dishes it won’t be noticeable.
Should You Buy It?
The best selling points of this superfood are its use of expensive, high quality ingredients and awesome price. For this reason the Dr. Schulze’s Superfood is a great buy!
Like most other superfood powders its best used with juices and other healthy drinks that can add a little bit of sweetness. I know taste is in the eye of the beholder, but if you’re new to one of these drinks and are thinking to yourself “what if I don’t like the taste?” then this will ensure you can take it and enjoy it and benefit from its nutrients.
If you’re a seasoned green drink veteran then I’d say you have nothing to worry about. You know what spirulina and wheatgrass taste like.
Overall I liked this product, and I especially like the Herbdoc himself. He’s carried himself with a lot of integrity over the years and has won a lot of people over with his charisma and consistent message.
So if you’re thinking about trying out the Superfood Plus…..I say go for it!
Where To Buy
As far as I know the Superfood Plus isn’t distributed to other online retailers and can only be purchased on the company website.
You can buy a 30 day supply there for $38.00.
**To determine the price/oz I used the prices off the company websites. If grams were given and not ounces I converted grams to ounces at a 28.32 to 1 ratio.**
I want to know- where do the sources of his vitamins and minerals come from? Could you show the rest of the label?
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Yeah, I’ll update the post with a complete picture of the label.
The vitamins and minerals are added separately from the foods contained in the mixture, but they come from whole food sources, which is a definite plus.
I made the mistake before of assuming they came from synthetic sources, but this is not true.
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Have you tried the tablet version of superfood plus and is it as affective?
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Tom,
I’ve never tried it, and haven’t heard any reviews about it either.
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I tried the Dr. Schulze brand once and it almost made me gag. I agree that it’s terrible tasting. I’d like to try a greens powder, but not if I have to choke down a gag reflex.
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Shauna,
I’ve tried about 30 superfood powders in my day (at least) and Dr. Schulze’s has an unusually difficult taste/texture to digest. It’s very nutritious and affordable, but I think the heavy reliance on spirulina and chlorella combined with the yeast is what does the trick.
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What did you mix it with? I’ve mixed it with orange juice and found that it was tolerable.
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Chastity,
I primarily mixed it with water to get the most accurate feel for how it tastes and also mixed it with yogurt and some juice.
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The taste blends in very nicely if you take it with a thick soup, like a chunky vegetable or split pea soup. People in my office find it odd that I’m eating soup for breakfast with weird green sprinkles on top, but that’s okay! 🙂
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I take the superfood plus powder and blend it with organic apple juice, water and a banana….it’s very pallitable then!
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Yes it tastes bad. I suppose he could add sugar and artificial flavoring to please people right? Just kidding. But seriously, the question should be does it truely help your body to heal itself when needed? You could probably come up with a mix that tastes better but how would that truely compare as far as the good it does for your body, which is why you take it in the first place right?
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Cynthia,
You’re right that the ingredients are good, and it definitely does do good things for your body. Spirulina, chlorella, etc are all wonderful for you. I find that it more or less depends on your priorities.
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I think the best thing to do might be to not try to make it sweet. Keep it a savory, and use it as such. Our family’s favorite way to eat it is on top of heavily buttered (grassfed) popcorn, popped in coconut oil, with added sea salt. Work your way up to total greenness. Yum!!! I also tend to add it to things like soups and sauces and bisques where a little “something” is needed but you’re not sure what. I call it my middle note.
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That’s funny, I just happened upon your website to look for pricing for the Superfood product. You and several others don’t like the taste, but I love it. I take it by the spoonful! Can you tell me how you know the vitamins & minerals are synthetic? This concerns me most as I’m wanting a product without synthetics and without sugar and preservatives, etc.
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Donna….
To each their own I guess! The mixture is heavy on spirulina, chlorella, and mixed in nutritional yeast, which I think is a combination that is just hard to swallow. Other reviews/outlets seem to agree. I think it tastes kind of fishy.
Although I suppose that if you do like the taste…..you’re in luck because everything else about it is rock solid. You get a lot for the money, and all the ingredients included are very good for you. There’s no fibrous meal or other low-density nutrients.
LOL, I wish I DID like the taste so I could enjoy it like you did.
As for the “synthetic part” I believe my choice of words might be in need of improvement. It’s fortified with nutrients, which are isolated from some source, which could come from whole foods or synthetic sources. In my opinion the difference is fairly small….sort of like the difference between a “natural” and “artificial” flavor.
But I should change the way it reads because a few people have asked me about it, and I don’t want to risk saying something inaccurate.
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Hi, I just wanted to add to this if I may. If you go to Dr Schulze web site at http://www.herbdoc.com he explains how he makes his superfood. Most companies don’t tell you that part. It’s all organic and dried naturally (not heat treated which decreases the nutrient value) and all plants (no synthetics). In todays world, with all the chemicals we eat and breathe, I am so thankful for his products. It’s nice to know I can still find the “food” my body needs.
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Thanks for adding this Leanna. I’ll go through it and make changes where appropriate. Please let me know if there’s anything else that needs attention. Have a great day!
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[…] purity then I’d stay away from Macro Greens.Save money by trying out Amazing Grass or Dr. Schulze, or take a step up and go with a premium mixture like VitaMineral Green or someting similar.But if […]
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[…] mixes tend to focus on only a few ingredients and try to make them as high quality as possible. Dr. Schulze would be a good example. Balanced mixtures have a more diverse set of ingredients, and often strive to have a decent […]
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http://www.nutritionleaders.com/Herbal/Dr.-Schulzes-Superfood-Plus
Seems to be the cheapest price I have found on this product.
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Thanks Alex. I’ll put this into the post so other people can see it.
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I take one large spoonful in the back of my mouth and gulp it down with water like I’m taking a pill. Or I’ll mix it in with a frozen bananna/strawberry smoothie.
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Smoothies are probably the most tried and true way to take superfood powders. LOL, taking it raw is impressive! Only the most devout superfood fanatics do that 🙂 I’m glad you like it and keep with it!
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[…] been more careful.A few months ago it was apparent there were some errors in the review and I re-wrote it about 2 weeks ago. I believe the write up of the powder is now very accurate and complimentary. If there are any […]
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Is is ok for pregnant woman to drink the superfood drink?
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Stella the Superfood Plus is only made from whole foods and should be very safe for anyone. However, if you have questions you should talk to your doctor first or go to herbdoc.com and talk to a customer support specialist.
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I just started taking Superfood Plus. …with juice and/or water and some cut up fruit. It still tastes horrible. And it makes me totally lethargic and sleepy afterwards. I take it in the late morning and by noon, I am ready for a nap. Thankfully, I am retired. What am I doing wrong?
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Saralee,
Probably nothing. Superfood powders work differently for different people.
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Saralee you are most likely ready for a nap after taking the Superfood plus because your body is full of toxins and is trying to clean out.
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I love Dr. Schulze stuff and his Superfoods. I was looking for a content (not price) comparison of his formula vs. Green Vibrance. And now I’m curious about Incredible Greens!
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Tim,
Thanks. One of our content goals is to compile a pretty extensive database of all the different superfood products (including Green Vibrance, Dr. Schulze, and Incredible Greens) to help people do more comparison shopping.
And in fact, if you look at the review for green vibrance that’s sort of the first seedling, but the eventual result will be more robust and comprehensive.
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As far as a comparison of their nutrients, Dr. Schulze and Green Vibrance are formulated with different goals in mind, IMO.
Both are organic and/or wildcrafted. Green Vibrance has an open formulation, whereas Dr. Schulze does not. Green Vibrance has a wider variety of ingredients, which is nice, but some of them are not quite as nutritionally robust as those found in Dr. Schulze’s. Dr. Schulze’s mix scores very well for only having extremely nutrient dense ingredients, and is priced very competitively.
So it depends if you want an all in one powder or something that sticks to the essentials, and whether or not you’re price sensitive.
Although in general I like both mixtures.
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I love Schulzey products! I was searching for a content (not price) comparison between his Superfoods and Green Vibrance. Do you know which is better? Now I’m curious about Incredible Greens!
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[…] lots of additional health benefits. The only other superfood powder I know of that does this is Dr. Schulze’s formulation. (Also a good product).The fact that it has no grasses almost makes me slow to classify it as a […]
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Hi there I have underactive thyroid not on any medication. My TSH level is 6.84. Does anyone know if DR Schulze’s superfood plus will help. Any advice appreciated. I would like to avoid medication thyroxine. I am a vegetarian any supplement advise appreciated.
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There is a post on CureZone.com about using Dr. Schulze’s Female Formula for thyroid issues.
http://curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=567721
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R,
Thanks. Will take a look at it.
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[…] By Jonathan Bechtel Leave a Commenthow to use diet to improve your thyroidFrom the comments in my review of Dr. Schulze’s Superfood: Hi there I have underactive thyroid not on any medication. My TSH level is 6.84. Does anyone know […]
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This is a nice basic product, but there are better products with more ingredients like Vita Mineral greens and Pure Synergy. You pay more but you get also more! But anyway, it is a nice product!
Mano Blezer, Orthomolecular druggist and Health Care Practitioner.
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Mano,
You’re right that the superfood plus is a “basic” type of this product and not an all-in-one formula. I’ve read Dr. Schultze’s thoughts on this and it’s not an accident. He prefers to keep his formula simple and ensure very high quality ingredients and low price point, I believe.
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Makes sense to me! Very nice basic product.
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And I love this green stuff! So healthy and so cleansing.
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Thank you for this information. I have put a frozen banana, strawberries with or without natural raw honey to make this superfood more palatable. Also, I would be interested if you know how it might compare to Barley Max from http://www.hacres.com
Would you happen to know anything about how these products compare to Mannatech products – glyconutrients?
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Ever try dr. Christopher’s vitalherbs?
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I have tried Dr Schulz Super Food powder and find it very nutritional. Either you like or don’t like the taste, but if you like pain, disease,discomfort which really FEEL bad, I would gladly swallow this “nasty” powder. I soon will be trying the Cryptomondales chlorella growth factor, its expensive but I’ve heard it is one of the best. Mr Bechtel, you may want to do a review on Wachters’ products especially the professional formula C that I feel is one of THE most nutrient dense green powders on the planet, it is a blend of 15 different seaweeds at a cost of $57 for 2 oz. I usually use as a base for any other green drink. IMHO the Wacters’ been around 80 years and their formula and Dr Schulzes is one of the most powerful blends I’ve used so far. Years ago I was exposed to DDT, radioactive waste and PCB and my immune system and skin suffered badly, the Wachters’ helped tremendously as it has probably the highest concentration of chlorophyll of any product on the planet! Just try it and see.
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Hi. I have RA and want to bombard my body with nutrition like Schultz’s Super Food Plus, or something as good or better. I have his “capsule” format. The bottle says take 1, three times per day. This seems really minimal. How many capsules would I need to take to equal what I might get through a nutrient I.V. session? I need to know what a true daily therapeutic mega dose would be?
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I love Dr. Schultz and have been buying and using his products for years. Something that’s been distressing and very unpleasant to think about in the last year or so is the fact that because of the Fukushima disaster , it’s a well-known and documented fact that the waters around Hawaii , where many of the raw ingredients for superfood are harvested , have been saturated with higher and higher levels of radiation , with more radiation pouring in the water every second of every day. Many people seem to have forgotten about Fukushima because mainstream media put it on the back burner , if you do a little digging you can see that it’s still a big mess over there with tons of radiation still pouring in the water 24/7 , causing our oceans to become more saturated with radiation and the plant and marine life becoming more dangerous to consume..
Does anyone know of any reports from Dr. Schultz or his team of any changes in the way that Raw materials such as seaweed and algae for the superfood are harvested ?
Worried in Alaska… 😦
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I think that it’s a good product, very good
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Hi, does anyone know is DR schulze’s superfood plus more beneficial than warrior greens ?
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i was wondering the label say folic acid that is a synthetic B9, real food B( reads folate whats up with that
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Good point. Folic acid is found in a lab, and supplementary folate in its true form doesn’t exist because it’s too unstable.
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i dont understand your comment on folate, folate is natural how can you say it doesnt exist or is unstable that doesnt make sense to me, folic acid is a petrochemical that i understand, folate is present in foods im confused
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Folic acid is only made in a lab, it doesn’t occur in nature. Dietary folate (which takes the form of 7,8 dihydro-folate) oxidizes very easily and degrades in the presence of oxygen.
So it’s very hard to manufacture 7,8 dihydrofolate, which is why synthetically made folate uses the form of folic acid instead.
So when I say “supplementary folate in its true form doesn’t exist” I mean there is no supplementary 7,8 dihyrdrofolate. There’s only supplementary folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, both of which are synthetic.
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[…] The other day someone made a comment on the Dr. Schulze article: […]
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Can you pls review Jon Barron’s Private Reserve Super Food? https://www.baselinenutritionals.com/products/all-products/private-reserve-superfood.php
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