Superfood vs. Greens+

Diet and Nutrition
1

I read this a while ago and wanted to hear the T-Nation side to this. Greens+ is significantly cheaper, but I have a ton of respect for Biotest, so I wanted I thought their biochem geniuses could probably marshal a pretty solid rebuttal.

Here is Berardi’s comment:

[quote]Hey All,

I’ve gotten a ton of emails about this article so I figured I’d pop over and respond.

  1. To begin with, before anyone thinks TC and I are going to war or anything like that, I’d like to remind everyone that TC and I like eachother. We’ve worked together for 8 years. We often agree on things. It’s just that this is one time we don’t. And, I don’t want to speak for TC. But I think that it’s ok by both of us that we don’t agree sometimes.

  2. Next, I believe that TC’s claim about acid/base status being a non-issue isn’t accurate according to the research. High grain and high protein diets have been shown to have a detrimental affect on cortisol and acid/base status. This has been measured in more than one study. The fact that a high intake of fruits and veggies (and/or greens+) carries with it an excellent PRAL score suggests that this high intake would be very beneficial in a high net acid diet. If you’re interested in reading more about this, check out the research studies cited in my article here…pay particular attention to the studies cited…even pull them up at your local library if you want to read them.

http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4602222

  1. In addition, TC’s notion that a small amount of licorice is testosterone-zapping is also contestable. Check out this article. In it you’ll see that it takes about 10g of licorice to reduce testosterone. Doses in greens+ are much, much smaller (100mg).

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_265-266/ai_n15688809/print

  1. I’m sure this debate could continue on without TC or I budging with respect to our recommendations so I’ll only note more more thing - perhaps the most important thing. DISCLOSURE ALERT. I occupy an unpaid spot on the research board of Genuine Health (the Canadian distributors of greens+). Again, it’s a volunteer position. And in this position, I’m asked to evaluate the research on their products both published and ongoing. To this end, I’ve been privy to all the research on the product. The research summaries for studies - both published and in the pipeline - are below:

www.johnberardi.com/research_summary.pdf

From this you’ll see some really interesting benefits directly associated with this product - independent of theoretical objections.

I’ll wrap it up here. I hope this helps clarify why I recommend greens products and why I like, in particular, greens+. I haven’t seen any other brands so well researched.

And remember, even though TC and I disagree on this one, this time, that doesn’t mean we’re going to meet in a dark alley in Indiana, or somewhere 1/2 way between Ontario and California, to throw down. Unless the winner takes home 100 bottles of Metabolic Drive. Then, you might see some fisticuffs.

:wink:

JB [/quote]

2

Not the acid/base nonsense again… the pain, the pain, the horrible pain.

Reading Dr Berardi’s article, he found that Greens+ increased the pH of urine by 0.14 units, with substantial error margin just barely reaching significance (p = 0.03.)

So if for some reason slightly increasing the pH of your urine is important to you, Greens+ may do that, from Berardi’s study.

He doesn’t claim – which is good, as it wouldn’t be true – that this means that alkalinity of the body increases. He does claim that the urinary pH increase “potentially” increases the alkalinity of the body but I believe there is zero evidence that blood pH varies. And if there were, he would have cited it as he’s a diligent and knowledgeable man.

Besides this, you wouldn’t want the alkalinity of your blood or the cells in your body to increase. It is controlled very tightly to an optimal value, no doubt because many biochemical processes are quite dependent on pH.

Furthermore, as I’ve explained in other posts, PRAL value is simply a result of amounts of certain electrolytes and minerals, rather than being any magic property. The actual amount of contributing electrolytes and minerals in Greens+ (as well as Superfood) is rather low and of course can be obtained in other ways. There is no magic to it.

3

Use Superfood and both both Greens+ and Berry Greens. I rotate them all.

They have different ingredients.

I ate today almonds and walnuts. Which is better? OMG!

Tomorrow I will eat blueberries. The next day, raspberries. Which is better? OMG!

4

wow! inneresting! JB hasn’t been writing here for eons now… wonder. anyway, i’d like to hear what TC has to say tho.

5

We dont have access to either in Norway, but I have heard Superfood tastes much better.

6

I can drink Superfood when I mix it with water. Greens + makes me want to puke.

Superfood wins!

7

I can’t wait to find out. I added Superfood onto my order Thurs for the first time.

8

[quote]goryo13 wrote:
wow! inneresting! JB hasn’t been writing here for eons now… wonder. anyway, i’d like to hear what TC has to say tho.[/quote]

Berardi has advocated Greens+ since 2006 (possibly earlier), which was before Superfood was even out. Like the OP mentioned (in the quote), there’s no bad blood between Berardi and TC/Biotest… JB actually suggests a number of Biotest supplements (MD, Surge Recovery, Flameout) to his PN community.

If I remember correctly, Berardi hasn’t been writing here because he’s been too busy working with clients and running/maintaining his own website.

9

[quote]batch1 wrote:
I can drink Superfood when I mix it with water. Greens + makes me want to puke.

Superfood wins![/quote]

I think they both taste absolutely disgusting.

10

[quote]jo3 wrote:

[quote]batch1 wrote:
I can drink Superfood when I mix it with water. Greens + makes me want to puke.

Superfood wins![/quote]

I think they both taste absolutely disgusting.[/quote]

You’ve never mixed Superfood w/ greek yogurt then. It tastes fucking delicious.

Your problem is either

  1. Your not an inventive cook, and/or

  2. Your palate, like a lot of Americans, is totally fucked.

Chris has talked about this in his blog extensively. People who are used to eating junk/crappy carbs, sugar and the like, don’t have a very good ability to handle simple foods without crap in them, like vegetables and the like.

I know this because this used to be me. I used to be not even able to handle most simple vegetables

You’ll need to break your dietary habits for at least 3 weeks straight w/out cheating for your palate to change.

Now before you go whining and complaining and boasting about your “clean” diet, I know your full of it - I haven’t heard from a single person who eats healthy that doesn’t at least moderately like the taste of Superfood.

Fact.

11

Greens + Wild Berry Burst is much more tolerable than the regular greens + IMO. But i wouldnt say either really taste good.

12

since i live in INdiana…i vote for the indiana throwdown…i would give me something to do on the weekends besides come to the office

13

Greens+ is mostly algae, between Greens+ and Superfood, I would go with Superfood

take this with a grain of salt, Ive never actually used Superfood, but I have tried several greens products in my day.

14

I’ve heard bad things about grasses spirulina in the past… but they seem to come in all these green/Superfood products

15

Why do you say that spirulina seems “to come in all those green/Superfood products” when Superfood does not contain spirulina?

16

Or grasses.

17

[quote]Wise Guy wrote:

[quote]jo3 wrote:

[quote]batch1 wrote:
I can drink Superfood when I mix it with water. Greens + makes me want to puke.

Superfood wins![/quote]

I think they both taste absolutely disgusting.[/quote]

You’ve never mixed Superfood w/ greek yogurt then. It tastes fucking delicious.

Your problem is either

  1. Your not an inventive cook, and/or

  2. Your palate, like a lot of Americans, is totally fucked.

Chris has talked about this in his blog extensively. People who are used to eating junk/crappy carbs, sugar and the like, don’t have a very good ability to handle simple foods without crap in them, like vegetables and the like.

I know this because this used to be me. I used to be not even able to handle most simple vegetables

You’ll need to break your dietary habits for at least 3 weeks straight w/out cheating for your palate to change.

Now before you go whining and complaining and boasting about your “clean” diet, I know your full of it - I haven’t heard from a single person who eats healthy that doesn’t at least moderately like the taste of Superfood.

Fact. [/quote]

I just finished a 6-week PSMF eating nothing but grilled chicken breast, turkey breast, extra lean ground beef, tilapia, egg whites, fat-free cheese, fat-free cottage cheese, and MD. My vegetables consisted of massive amounts of broccoli, baby spinach, lettuce, bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pickles. I ate my salad with no dressing. Given my caloric restrictions, I had to be pretty fucking “inventive” using salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, ground ginger, soy sauce, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, basil, rosemary, parsley, onion powder, and Sriracha sauce. Now that I’m done, I continue to eat the same shit except I’ve added in bananas, apples, steel cut oats, low-fat milk, and Surge Recovery. If you ask 100 people if my diet was clean, I bet you’d get a resounding abso-fucking-lutely yes.

Now, before you make another comment that makes you look like a fucking idiot, remember that people come from different backgrounds, and no matter how healthy people eat, they’ll have different palates (unless you’re really that ignorant). Also, a single negative eating experience can cause someone to dislike that particular food, no matter how good it tastes to the healthy eating elite (ie. you).

Fact.

18

[quote]jo3 wrote:

[quote]Wise Guy wrote:

[quote]jo3 wrote:

[quote]batch1 wrote:
I can drink Superfood when I mix it with water. Greens + makes me want to puke.

Superfood wins![/quote]

I think they both taste absolutely disgusting.[/quote]

You’ve never mixed Superfood w/ greek yogurt then. It tastes fucking delicious.

Your problem is either

  1. Your not an inventive cook, and/or

  2. Your palate, like a lot of Americans, is totally fucked.

Chris has talked about this in his blog extensively. People who are used to eating junk/crappy carbs, sugar and the like, don’t have a very good ability to handle simple foods without crap in them, like vegetables and the like.

I know this because this used to be me. I used to be not even able to handle most simple vegetables

You’ll need to break your dietary habits for at least 3 weeks straight w/out cheating for your palate to change.

Now before you go whining and complaining and boasting about your “clean” diet, I know your full of it - I haven’t heard from a single person who eats healthy that doesn’t at least moderately like the taste of Superfood.

Fact. [/quote]

I just finished a 6-week PSMF eating nothing but grilled chicken breast, turkey breast, extra lean ground beef, tilapia, egg whites, fat-free cheese, fat-free cottage cheese, and MD. My vegetables consisted of massive amounts of broccoli, baby spinach, lettuce, bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pickles. I ate my salad with no dressing. Given my caloric restrictions, I had to be pretty fucking “inventive” using salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, ground ginger, soy sauce, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, basil, rosemary, parsley, onion powder, and Sriracha sauce. Now that I’m done, I continue to eat the same shit except I’ve added in bananas, apples, steel cut oats, low-fat milk, and Surge Recovery. If you ask 100 people if my diet was clean, I bet you’d get a resounding abso-fucking-lutely yes.

Now, before you make another comment that makes you look like a fucking idiot, remember that people come from different backgrounds, and no matter how healthy people eat, they’ll have different palates (unless you’re really that ignorant). Also, a single negative eating experience can cause someone to dislike that particular food, no matter how good it tastes to the healthy eating elite (ie. you).

Fact.[/quote]

If I spent 6 weeks eating that boring ass diet you did, Superfood would taste like Heaven.

Fact.

19

CROWD GATHERS…

GUY PUSHES OTHER GUY…

CROWD CHANTS FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!..

20

[quote]jo3 wrote:

[quote]Wise Guy wrote:

[quote]jo3 wrote:

[quote]batch1 wrote:
I can drink Superfood when I mix it with water. Greens + makes me want to puke.

Superfood wins![/quote]

I think they both taste absolutely disgusting.[/quote]

You’ve never mixed Superfood w/ greek yogurt then. It tastes fucking delicious.

Your problem is either

  1. Your not an inventive cook, and/or

  2. Your palate, like a lot of Americans, is totally fucked.

Chris has talked about this in his blog extensively. People who are used to eating junk/crappy carbs, sugar and the like, don’t have a very good ability to handle simple foods without crap in them, like vegetables and the like.

I know this because this used to be me. I used to be not even able to handle most simple vegetables

You’ll need to break your dietary habits for at least 3 weeks straight w/out cheating for your palate to change.

Now before you go whining and complaining and boasting about your “clean” diet, I know your full of it - I haven’t heard from a single person who eats healthy that doesn’t at least moderately like the taste of Superfood.

Fact. [/quote]

I just finished a 6-week PSMF eating nothing but grilled chicken breast, turkey breast, extra lean ground beef, tilapia, egg whites, fat-free cheese, fat-free cottage cheese, and MD. My vegetables consisted of massive amounts of broccoli, baby spinach, lettuce, bell peppers, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, and pickles. I ate my salad with no dressing. Given my caloric restrictions, I had to be pretty fucking “inventive” using salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne, ground ginger, soy sauce, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, basil, rosemary, parsley, onion powder, and Sriracha sauce. Now that I’m done, I continue to eat the same shit except I’ve added in bananas, apples, steel cut oats, low-fat milk, and Surge Recovery. If you ask 100 people if my diet was clean, I bet you’d get a resounding abso-fucking-lutely yes.

Now, before you make another comment that makes you look like a fucking idiot, remember that people come from different backgrounds, and no matter how healthy people eat, they’ll have different palates (unless you’re really that ignorant). Also, a single negative eating experience can cause someone to dislike that particular food, no matter how good it tastes to the healthy eating elite (ie. you).

Fact.[/quote]

WELL FUCKING SAID!!!