Energy Renew is a dietary supplement used to naturally improve energy levels. It’s manufactured by a company called Gundry MD, and the brand claims that this supplement can “help your body ‘re-energize.’”
But does Energy Renew contain ingredients proven in medical studies to increase energy levels, or are these just marketing claims? Does the supplement contain any questionable additive ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of Energy Renew?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we review the ingredients in Gundry MD Energy Renew based on medical studies to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective.
We’ll also share real, unsponsored user reviews of this supplement and highlight several questionable additive ingredients.
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in Energy Renew are shown above.
D-ribose is the highest-dosed ingredient in Energy Renew, with a dose of 5,000 milligrams (mg). This ingredient is a sugar molecule produced by the body, and appears to be effective for energy when taken supplementally.
A medical review published in the Advances in Bioscience and Clinical Medicine journal found that d-ribose supplementation at a minimum dose of 5,000 mg can both “improve cellular processes” and replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in cells. This compound is the main source of energy in cells.
Acetyl-l-carnitine HCL appears to have favorable effects on metabolism and energy levels, and this compound was shown in a 2017 medical review to “improve energy status” but it does not specify at what dose. We can’t locate any clinical trials showing this compound to be effective at a 500 mg dose, which is the dose in Energy Renew.
WebMD describes the dosing range for adults as 1,500 to 3,000 mg daily.
The remaining active ingredients in this supplement like organic alma fruit powder and organic maqui berry powder are included in a “Polyphenol Blend” with a total dose of 300 mg. There are 13 ingredients in this blend, which equates to an average ingredient dose of only 23 mg per ingredient.
We consider this ingredient dose to be too low to have any useful health effects. To give a comparative example, one small strawberry has a dose of 7,000 mg according to the USDA. This means that the dose of one small strawberry is over 300x higher than the dose of strawberry likely in this blend.
While there are some potentially effective ingredients in Energy Renew, there are also two additive ingredients that health-conscious consumers may wish to avoid.
Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer that’s clinically shown to cause whole-body inflammation in a small subset of the population, as we documented in our MCT Wellness reviews article on another Gundry MD supplement containing this ingredient.
Natural flavor is a broad categorical descriptor that fails to define the specific flavoring agents used. While we consider this ingredient to be a healthier option than artificial flavor, some natural flavors and their metabolites were shown to have toxic effects in a medical review published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal.
Overall we believe that Energy Renew is likely to promote improvements in physical and mental energy due to the effective dose of d-ribose. But how do real users rate the supplement? We’ll analyze in the next section.
Real, Unsponsored Energy Renew Customer Reviews
Energy Renew is sold on Amazon, which is a more objective resource for customer reviews in our opinion than a brand’s website. The supplement has been reviewed over 1,800 times with an average review rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review of Energy Renew from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Judy” who claims the supplement is effective and tastes good:
“I love this stuff! I put it in my morning smoothie. I used a whole jar and wondered if it really helped (I thought it did but wasn’t positive). So I didn’t take it for about a month and I could tell that my energy levels that I had gotten used to having weren’t as high. I’ve started putting it in my morning smoothie again about a week ago ... I’m full of energy again. It’s the only thing I changed, so it has to be Energy Renew that is doing it. Besides, it tastes great.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Dave Canales” who claims it was ineffective:
“didn't do what it said it would do. no extra energy cost too much $60 plus tax horrible. please don't buy this product for this amount of money not worth it.”
A YouTube creator named Brian Smith had a favorable review of Energy Renew:
Will Energy Renew Cause Side Effects?
Energy Renew does not appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, so it’s impossible to say for certain whether or not the supplement is likely to cause side effects. However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
We do not consider Energy Renew likely to cause side effects in most consumers. Its active ingredients are safe, well-studied and non-toxic.
D-ribose may cause mild diarrhea, slight nausea and stomach discomfort based on the medical review cited in the ingredients section, but these are not common side effects. Similarly, citric acid may cause inflammatory reactions in a small percentage of the population as we previously referenced.
There is no mention of side effects on the product page on Gundry MD’s site.
Our Clean Energy Supplement Recommendations
Panax ginseng is clinically shown to reduce mental fatigue (source) and reduce physical fatigue (source). It’s one of the most popular herbal supplements in the world.
Illuminate Labs sells a Panax Ginseng extract supplement for only $15 on a subscription basis which is highly potent (minimum 8% ginsenosides) and is third-party tested to ensure label accuracy and purity. Interested consumers can check out Illuminate Labs Panax Ginseng Extract at this link to the product page on our website.
Bulletproof CoQ10 Energy is our top multi-ingredient energy supplement pick. A medical review published in the Frontiers in Pharmacology journal concluded that “CoQ10 is an effective and safe supplement for reducing fatigue symptoms,” and Bulletproof’s supplement contains an effective dose of 100 mg.
Bulletproof’s supplement is entirely free of questionable additives, and interested consumers can check it out at this link to the official product page on the brand’s website.
Both of these supplements combined cost less on a subscription basis ($46.96) than one order of Energy Renew ($74.95).
Pros and Cons of Energy Renew
Here are the pros and cons of Energy Renew by Gundry MD in our opinion:
Pros
- Main ingredient should be effective
- Likely effective overall
- No dangerous ingredients
Cons
- Expensive
- Many active ingredients may be underdosed
- Contains two questionable additive ingredients
- Mediocre online reviews
