Seeq Review: Is Fruit-Flavored Protein Unhealthy?

Seeq Review: Is Fruit-Flavored Protein Unhealthy?


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Seeq is a unique protein powder brand because it’s fruit-flavored. The company describes their product line as “The Juicy Side,” and sells five different flavors.

But what type of protein is in Seeq, and does this shake provide an effective dose? What’s used as the flavoring additive(s) and are they unhealthy? What was our Product Tester's honest experience trying Seeq? And which retailer sells this brand for the best price?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Seeq to give our take on whether or not this supplement is effective for muscle-building, and whether or not it's healthy.

We’ll also share our Product Tester's experience using Seeq for a month, and provide a cost comparison to show which retailer sells Seeq for the best price.

Key takeaways:

  • Contains effective protein dose for muscle-building
  • Contains inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy
  • We do not currently recommend Seeq

Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Seeq Blue Razz Freeze are shown below:

Seeq Blue Razz Freeze ingredients list

Whey protein isolate is the most important active ingredient, and Seeq provides 22 grams (g) of protein per serving. 

We consider this to be an effective dose for building muscle, given that a 2013 clinical trial established 20 g post-workout as the effective dose threshold.

There is no mention as to whether the protein is sourced from conventionally-raised or grass-fed animals. 

As we discussed in our review of High Impact Protein, animal products sourced from grass-fed animals are clinically shown to be more nutritionally rich.

There are a number of inactive ingredients in Seeq that we consider unhealthy.

Natural flavors is a broad categorical descriptor that fails to specify the flavoring chemicals used.

A 2013 medical review suggests that some flavoring additives and their metabolites may be toxic.

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that was shown in a clinical trial published in the Nutrition Journal to have negative effects on insulin metabolism.

Citric acid is a preservative and flavoring agent that’s commonly derived from fungus, and can cause whole-body inflammation in some people as documented by a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal.

Polysorbate 80 is an emulsifier shown in animal studies to impair gut barrier function.

Overall, we consider Seeq likely to be effective for building muscle, given the research-backed protein dose.

We do not currently recommend this protein powder due to the inactive ingredients highlighted above.

We Tried Seeq Ourselves

Seeq UGC

One of our product testers named Hannah Westerman tried the Mango Pineapple flavor of Seeq for a month. Here's her experience:

I found the packaging easy to open, though the seal on top of the container was a bit tricky to open.

The taste was sweet but very artificial. While the flavor is tasty, it’s clear that it’s made with chemicals. I had to add extra water to make it taste less like juice.

It made my teeth feel gritty and it gave me a headache a few times. I believe the chemicals affect me. 

I felt a bit of energy which I think improved my workout performance. It was nice to get so much protein just by drinking a glass of water, rather than making a shake or mixing it with food/yogurt/etc.

If you like juice and you want to find easy ways to get more protein, this could be a good product for you.

Overall, I'd rate this product 5/10 and I don't plan to purchase it again.

How to Use Protein Powder to Build Muscle

A YouTube creator and fitness influencer named Jeff Nippard has a video with over 6 million views on how to use protein powder to build muscle:

Our Clean Protein Picks

MBG Whey Protein Isolate+ is our top overall protein powder.

Whey protein is a "complete" protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Anthony's Organic Hemp Protein is our top vegan protein pick.

It's extremely nutrient-dense, providing 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron and 8% of the DV of potassium.

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

Customers Rate Seeq

Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion.

Seeq has been reviewed over 700 times on Amazon, with an average customer review rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

The top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Jenna J.” who gives the product a 4/5 star rating and likes the taste:

“I have a SEEQ drink every evening. It gets blended up with ice and makes for an awesome slushie treat. So far, I’ve tried the blue raspberry, watermelon, and now the mango pineapple”

The top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Nadley D” who gives the product a 1/5 star rating and claims to have experienced side effects:

“I was very excited about this product because regular protein shakes are hard for me to drink and thought this was a great solution but it caused severe stomach upset. After a couple weeks on the product I noticed it had sucralose in it which is terrible for the body for many reasons.”

Seeq has an average review rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 on Facebook.

The brand currently has an average review rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Google.

Where to Get the Best Price

Seeq is currently only sold on the brand’s website and Amazon. Here’s a price breakdown for a one-time purchase at the time of publishing this article:

Brand website: $44.99 (plus $7.99 shipping, link)

Amazon: $49.99 (free shipping, link)

Seeq is currently 6% cheaper on Amazon than at the brand’s website when factoring in shipping fees.

The $2 price-per-serving of Seeq, even on Amazon, is unreasonably high in our opinion given the product’s formulation. This is a protein powder with no mention of sourcing from pastured animals (which generally commands premium prices) and with no active ingredients beyond protein.

Seeq Pros and Cons

Here are the pros and cons of Seeq in our opinion:

Pros:

  • Effective protein dose
  • Should support muscle development
  • Mostly positive online customer reviews

Cons:

  • Contains natural flavors
  • Contains sucralose
  • Contains polysorbate 80
  • Contains citric acid
  • No clarification on whey sourcing
  • Doesn’t appear clinically tested
  • Questions over potential ingredient discrepancies
  • Expensive (per-serving)
Stay up-to-date on our research reviews

Conclusion

Overall, we do not recommend Seeq and consider this to be one of the worst powdered protein products that we’ve reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.

The brand does use an effective protein dose that should support muscle growth, but also uses a number of questionable inactive ingredients like flavoring additives and citric acid.

Most of the online customer reviews of Seeq that we came across while researching this article were favorable.

For consumers interested in trying Seeq, Amazon currently has the best price when factoring in shipping fees.