Tom Brady of the New England Patriots is the winningest quarterback of all time in the N.F.L. He’s also the oldest QB playing in the league today, and after twenty seasons, he’s still not ready to retire. As a result, Tom’s training regimen and his diet get a great deal of attention. What’s his secret, a mostly organic, plant-based diet.
Plant-based is all the rage today. It started with protein powders and has now spread to Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat. Today some of the biggest food manufacturers in the country are in the space, Hormel, ConAgra, and Tyson Foods, to name just a few. Why the popularity? Harvard Medical School tells us that healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, which is mostly plant-based, have demonstrated significant health benefits and reduction of chronic disease.
So, whether you’re trying to lose a few pounds, clean up your diet, or staving off retirement from your favorite activities, getting more fruits and veggies every day makes sense. One of the most convenient ways to add more plant-based foods to your diet is in supplement form, either a smoothie or shake, or a capsule such as the product we’ll be reviewing in this article, Texas SuperFood Complete.
Texas SuperFoods is a relatively young company, incorporated in 2015 by its owners N.P.N. Group, Inc. N.P.N. is a registered corporation in the state of Utah, while Texas SuperFoods is headquartered in Carrollton, Texas. We think a company named Texas SuperFoods should be headquartered in Texas. There is surprisingly little information available about the company, its ownership, or its operations.
N.P.N. or Texas SuperFood makes three superfood products, SuperFood Essentials, SuperFood Original, and the subject of this review, Texas SuperFood Complete. We’ll discuss what a Superfood is and the product’s features and benefits. We’ll investigate to determine if the product is meeting its marketing claims. We’ll inform you where you can find the product, review the cost-value relationship, and always provide you our rating in terms of effectiveness and value.
What is A Superfood?
Superfood is a marketing term used to describe foods that are exceptionally nutrient-dense and believed to provide certain health benefits. Note we said marketing, not a scientific term. Google superfoods, and you see questions such as what are the seven superfoods, or the ten, or twelve, or sixteen superfoods. Obviously, there is still some ambiguity around the term.
What Is Texas SuperFood?
Texas SuperFood is a whole food nutritional supplement, in powder or vegetarian capsule form containing twenty-four different organic fruits and vegetables, probiotics, and digestive enzymes. The product is gluten, soy, and dairy-free and is manufactured in a certified GMP facility in the U.S. Note: in the FAQ Section of the site the company claims there are fifty-five fruits and vegetables in the product, although only twenty-four appear on the ingredient panel.
Note, although the label states Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, Probiotics, and Digestive Enzymes, we found no added vitamins and minerals on the ingredient panel, and the Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes are in a separate container. Fruits and vegetables naturally contain vitamins and minerals, so we do not consider this a false statement; however, it is a bit misleading.
Texas SuperFood Key Ingredients
Texas SuperFood Complete is available in powder or capsule form. The formulas are the same, with the only difference being the capsule itself. One serving of the powder is six grams, and each capsule contains one gram, with six capsules being the recommended daily dosage. Beyond that, it’s impossible to determine the exact concentration of ingredients as they are listed as a proprietary blend.
Below is each ingredient identified on the Complete ingredient panel:
- Acai berry
- Baobab
- Beet
- Black seed
- Broccoli
- Broccoli Sprouts
- Camu Camu
- Chlorella
- Elderberry
- Ginger root
- Goji berry
- Goldenberry
- Grape Seed
- Hawthorne Berry
- Holy Basil
- Lucuma
- Maca
- Monk Fruit
- Noni
- Pomegranate
- Spirulina
- Sweet Potato
- Turmeric
- White Mulberry
The organic fruits and vegetables in the blend provide vitamins and minerals, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals. The product also contains grasses and algae (Chlorella), which have vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, and are rich in antioxidants.
The Enzyme blend, we are told contains Amylase, Protease, Bromelain, Lipase, and other digestive enzymes. We were unable to find an ingredient panel for this blend.
Texas SuperFood Recommended Dosage
The company recommends a single scoop (6 grams) of the powder with the separate Probiotic and Enzyme blend mixed in eight to ten ounces of water. If using the capsule alternative, take six capsules with the Probiotic and Enzyme blend daily. For best absorption, the company suggests small doses multiple times a day.
Benefits Of Texas SuperFood
In addition to meeting your daily needs for fruits and vegetables, SuperFood Complete promises improved energy, mental focus, sleep support, and better overall health and wellness.
How Does Texas SuperFood Work?
Increasing your daily intake of fruits and vegetables is beneficial, and as Harvard Medical tells us, it has demonstrated significant health benefits and a reduction of chronic disease. Texas SuperFood provides ample plant-based ingredients, but we evidenced no elevated energy levels or improved mental focus when using the product. Our sleep patterns were not affected, and since we already practice an excellent diet, we didn’t see evidence of better overall health and wellness.
When you couple the lack of significant benefits with the cost of this product, we recommend you try a less expensive alternative. There are established brands in the market, think Garden of Life, Amazing Grass, and Orgain that offer a thirty-day supply for about half the price.
Side Effects of Texas SuperFood
The company does not report any adverse reactions; however, too many superfoods can create stomach issues until you become accustomed to the supplement. Things such as an upset stomach, bloating, nausea, and changes in bowel movements are common side effects. Diarrhea is the issue reported most frequently.
Where To Buy Texas Superfood Complete
The company website lists the subscription price for capsules as $59.95 for a single bottle with reduced pricing for a double bundle ($55.15 each) or a family bundle ($50.96 each). There is also an auto-ship program available, which gets you a 15% discount and free shipping. For a one-time-only purchase, the price is $64.95.
The powder is priced at $5.00 cheaper than capsules. The subscription price is $54.95, and a one-time-only price is $59.95.
On Amazon.com, the products are both priced at $83.45 per bottle.
Superfood Alternatives
Texas Superfoods isn’t the only superfood on the market, in fact there are a lot! Let’s take a look at some superfood alternatives so you know your options.
BoKU Superfood
BoKU Superfood is certified organic, vegan, kosher, and gluten-free. We rate this superfood highly at a 3.8 due in large part to its efficacy. You can get a 9.4-ounce container of BoKU for $60.99 or set up a subscription and pay $51.84 per container.
Green Vibrance
Another superfood alternative comes from Green Vibrance. This is a plant-based superfood packed with 70 ingredients. Green Vibrance will cost you $56.
Invigor8
Last, but not least, Invigor8 is another superfood alternative. Invigor8 is a daily meal replacement shake that is packed full of superfood ingredients. You can get a 645 g canister of Invigor8 for $60.
Texas Superfood: Is It Worth The Money?
We had a very difficult time navigating the Texas SuperFood website, understanding their pricing policies, and who pays shipping costs under different purchasing scenarios. Their thirty-day money-back guarantee seemed a very short window. Last, they use the always difficult to decipher proprietary blend, compounded by the fact that their product includes a separate Probiotic and Enzyme Blend. The ingredient panel for this blend is nowhere to be found.
We recommend you start slowly with this product and titrate up your dosage if you decided to try Texas SuperFood Complete. Our best advice is to start with a more popularly priced product.