Ghost Greens Review: The Best Veggie Substitute?

Ghost Greens Review: The Best Veggie Substitute?


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Ghost Greens Review: The Best Veggie Substitute?

Ghost Greens is a powdered greens supplement sold by the popular Ghost Lifestyle brand (makers of Ghost Protein which we recently reviewed). The brand describes this supplement as having “maximum purity” and using “nutrient dense ingredients.”

But does Ghost Greens contain research-backed ingredients for improving health? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? What was our Product Tester's experience trying it for a month? And is Ghost Greens better or worse than other popular green powders like AG1?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Ghost Greens to give our take on whether or not it's healthy.

We'll also explain why the brand was sued, feature our Product Tester's honest experience trying Ghost Greens for a month, and compare the supplement to other popular green powders to pick our winners (and losers).

Key takeaways:

  • Contains some healthy active ingredients
  • Contains some ingredients we consider unnecessary
  • We do not currently recommend Ghost Greens

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Ghost Greens Original flavor are shown below:

Ghost Greens ingredients

The total fruit and vegetable dose of 6,640 milligrams (mg) is relatively high, which is a good thing. 

A medical review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine concluded that fruit and vegetable supplements can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

As we referenced in our review of Balance and Nature vitamins (another popular fruit and vegetable supplement), we haven’t come across any evidence that this type of supplement is necessary or beneficial in individuals who eat a diet including many fruits and vegetables.

Inulin is a prebiotic ingredient in this supplement, and while it's clinically shown to ehance gut health, it may be underdosed in Ghost Greens at 2,000 mg. 

A 2020 medical review on inulin supplementation for gut health analyzed clinical trial data, and the doses used in all of the trials ranged between 5,000 mg and 20,000 mg daily.

B. subtilis DE111 is a probiotic strain which was found to improve cholesterol levels and cardiovascular function in healthy adults in a clinical trial published in the Beneficial Microbes journal.

Amylase is one of a number of digestive enzymes included in Ghost Greens.

We have not come across any research studies suggesting that digestive enzymes are necessary or beneficial in healthy adults.

Natural flavor is an inactive ingredient.

A meta-study published in the Toxicological Research journal documented some toxicity concerns regarding flavoring agents, and we recommend that consumers avoid food products or supplements containing natural flavor.

Overall, we consider Ghost Greens likely to support overall health, particularly in individuals who do not consume many fruits and vegetables in their diet.

We do not currently recommend this supplement due to the inclusion of natural flavor and digestive enzymes.

We Tested Ghost Greens

One of our product testers named Joshua Martinez tried Ghost Greens for 30 days. Here's his experience:

This product was easy to use and similar to any other nutrition powder, just add to any liquid and shake!

I tried the Matcha Latte flavor and even though the initial taste was very similar to something you can purchase at a coffee shop, the after taste is definitely something to adjust to.

For being a dietary supplement, this flavor is tolerable enough to refill the stack with.

There are no advertised mental or physical effects from GHOST but I did feel more focused, probably from the B vitamins that come along with some of the fruits and vegetable ingredients.

I didn't experience any side effects.

I dislike brussels sprouts and kale, but those are both included in GHOST Greens. I’ll be buying this product and keeping it in my pantry until I find better ways to expand my cooking.

Overall, I'd rate Ghost Greens 8/10.

Why Was Ghost Sued?

In early 2022, a consumer in California brought a lawsuit against Ghost Greens for false advertising, according to Classaction.org.

The lawsuit alleges that Ghost Greens contains an undisclosed flavoring agent called malic acid which is typically manufactured in petrochemical plants “through a series of chemical reactions, some of which involve highly toxic chemical precursors and byproducts.”

It’s unclear what the current status of this lawsuit is; whether it’s been settled or is still ongoing.

This is a red flag about the brand in our opinion but until the lawsuit is settled, there is no proof that the claims are true.

This type of issue is why we recommend that consumers avoid flavored supplements generally.

Ghost Greens vs. Popular Green Powders

Here's how Ghost Greens compares to other popular green powders in terms of healthiness, in our opinion:

AG1

Contains a similar fruit and veggie powder dose, but contains one more inactive ingredient than Ghost Greens that we consider unhealthy.

Manufactured citric acid is clinically shown to cause inflammatory reactions in some individuals, and Ghost Greens is free of this additive.

Winner: Ghost Greens

Primal Greens

Primal Greens contains a synthetic vitamin and mineral additive blend, as well as an ingredient called "fungal amylase" that we were unable to find human safety data on.

Winner: Ghost Greens

L'Evate You

Steve Harvey's green powder supplement contains a total fruit & veggie dose more than 3x lower than that in Ghost Greens.

Winner: Ghost Greens

Our Clean Green Powder Picks

Starwest Botanicals Organic Green Powder is our top overall green powder pick.

All of its ingredients are organic and nutrient-dense, and it contains ingredients like wheat grass and moringa leaf that the average consumer probably doesn't get in their diet.

Pique Japanese Sencha Green Tea is our top superfood green powder pick. 

Green tea was documented in a medical review to support "anti-hypertensive effect, body weight control, antibacterial and antivirasic activity, solar ultraviolet protection, bone mineral density increase."

Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.

Ghost Greens Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • Original version is free of unhealthy flavoring additives
  • Relatively high greens dose
  • Contains a probiotic strain that optimizes cholesterol
  • Our Product Tester experienced enhanced focus
  • Healthier than competitors

Cons:

  • Doesn't appear clinically tested
  • Some versions contain natural flavor
  • Brand sued over alleged false advertising
  • May not be necessary in individuals with healthy diet
Stay up-to-date on our research reviews

Conclusion

Ghost Greens is a pretty well-formulated green powder supplement. It contains a wide variety of different fruits and vegetables, and a decent overall dose.

We believe that this supplement can improve the health of consumers that don’t get enough fruits and vegetables from their diet, but we don’t consider it necessary for consumers who eat a healthy, nutrient-dense diet.

This product is the subject of a lawsuit which alleges that the brand included an undisclosed, artificial flavoring agent.

We’re currently waiting to reserve judgment. Once the legal process is completed, if it’s found out that these claims are accurate, we will update this article and strongly recommend avoiding this product.

Our Product Tester tried Ghost Greens for a month and experienced enhanced focused and enjoyed the overall experience.

While we don't currently recommend Ghost Greens, we consider it to be a healthier option than AG1, Primal Greens and L'Evate You.