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 for building muscle? What’s used as the flavoring additive(s) and are they unhealthy? What was our Product Tester's experience trying Seeq? And is Seeq better-formulated or worse than other popular protein brands?

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 compare Seeq's formulation to other popular protein powder brands in terms of formulation quality.

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:

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 Tested Seeq

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.

Seeq vs. Popular Protein Powders

Here's how Seeq compares to other popular protein powder brands in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:

Costco

Costco's Kirkland Signature brand has a popular flavored whey protein powder.

Like Seeq, it's flavored with artificial sweeteners and "natural flavors." However, Kirkland Signature Whey Protein contains the sweetener acesulfame potassium which is clinically shown to increase E. Coli levels in the gut.

Winner: Seeq

Isopure

Contains an artificial sweetener, artificial food dye and dietary phosphates, all of which we consider unhealthy (as we documented in our Isopure review article).

Winner: Seeq

Ghost

Contains artificial flavor, artificial sweeteners and refined sugar.

Winner: Seeq

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.

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)

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.

While we're unimpressed by Seeq's formulation, we still consider it to be healthier than some other popular protein powder brands like Kirkland Signature, Isopure and Ghost.

Our Product Tester tried Seeq and strongly disliked the taste.