Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to CBD.
CBD gummies are extremely popular because they resemble candy but may have health benefits. Keoni CBD Gummies is a popular brand that claims “no other edible matches our quality or value.”
But are Keoni CBD Gummies actually higher-quality than most CBD gummy brands? How does the price compare to similar products? And do these gummies have any unhealthy additive ingredients?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in Keoni CBD Gummies to give our take on whether the supplement is likely to be effective and whether it contains any unhealthy additive ingredients.
We’ll also compare the test results and cost of this product to a leading competitor and explain if we recommend Keoni CBD Gummies or if we think they’re a waste of money.
Ingredient Review
Keoni CBD Gummies provide 25 milligrams (mg) of CBD per serving. This is an effective CBD dose according to a medical review of CBD published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine Research.
The above-linked study found that CBD may be effective for anxiety relief, but more research is needed.
Like many CBD gummies, this brand also contains a number of questionable additive ingredients.
These gummies contain 2 grams (g) of added sugar, and while this is a relatively low amount, added sugar intake is associated in medical research with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.
Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer, and as we documented in our Smilz CBD Gummies reviews article, this ingredient has been shown in a series of medical case reports to cause whole-body inflammation in a small subset of individuals.
Natural flavor is a broad term that fails to describe the specific flavoring agents used, and a medical review published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal documented some toxicity concerns related to natural flavoring compounds.
Overall, while there are several ingredients in Keoni CBD Gummies that we typically recommend avoiding, we do consider this formulation to be healthier than the average CBD gummy formulation which often contains more added sugar and highly questionable additives like artificial food dye and artificial flavoring agents.
Are Keoni’s Test Results Legit?
Keoni, like most CBD brands, has test results on their product page.
Our issue with Keoni’s test results is that they do not appear to be finished product test results, but rather a certificate of analysis (CoA).
CoAs are submitted to brands prior to manufacturing by the raw materials supplier or contract manufacturer. This is based on test results that the supplier completes, but if the brand does not undergo additional test results on the finished product, it’s impossible to confirm for certain that the product is as advertised.
There are cases when a supplier submits information in a CoA that’s simply inaccurate. This has actually happened to our brand once, and if we did not complete independent, finished product testing we would have sold a supplement with high levels of one heavy metal.
Put simply, we recommend that consumers choose CBD gummy brands that provide independent testing rather than only CoAs (though CoAs are better than nothing).
It also concerns us that the CoAs published by Keoni don’t even include contaminant testing; only label accuracy and potency testing. Contaminant testing is necessary to ensure that a supplement is free of harmful contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides and microbials. We do not recommend that consumers purchase any CBD gummies that fail to provide contaminant testing.
Overall we are unimpressed by the test results published by Keoni and consider the brand to be below the industry average in this regard.
Our Recommended CBD Gummy Brand
Lazarus Naturals CBD Gummies is our top-recommended CBD gummy pick.
We consider this brand’s formulation to be healthier than Keoni CBD Gummies because it’s free of citric acid. It does contain added sugar and flavoring agents, as do every CBD gummy brand we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health.
Lazarus Naturals publishes product test results on a Test Results resource page on the brand’s website. These test results appear to be finished product testing rather than a CoA, and are significantly more extensive than the testing provided by Keoni.
Lazarus’ test results prove the label accuracy and potency of the supplement, but also include contaminant testing proving that the supplement is free of contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides.
Keoni CBD Gummies cost $64.99 for a one-time purchase, while Lazarus Naturals cost $37.99 for the same CBD dose. This makes Lazarus Naturals nearly 50% cheaper.
Interested consumers can check out Lazarus Naturals CBD Gummies at this link to the product page at one of the brand’s official distributors.
Is CBD Oil a Better Choice?
We typically recommend CBD oil over CBD gummies for health reasons. Because gummies are formulated to taste like candy, they contain arguably unhealthy ingredients like added sugar and flavoring agents.
There are CBD oil brands that are entirely free of any questionable additive ingredients, and CBD oil is also typically cheaper per-serving than CBD gummies.
We would recommend that health-conscious and price-conscious consumers consider CBD oil over CBD gummies.
