VitaHustle is a nutritional shake brand founded by celebrity Kevin Hart that's marketed as an all-in-one solution. The brand claims their product "supports gut health, immunity, focus & overall wellness."
But does VitaHustle contain ingredients proven to support health? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Will it cause side effects? And is VitaHustle better or worse than popular "all-in-one" shakes like Ka'Chava?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in VitaHustle to give our take on whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also discuss the risk of side effects, and compare it to other popular nutritional shakes like Ka'Chava, in terms of formulation quality, to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains some nutritious ingredients
- Contains ingredients we consider unhealthy
- We do not currently recommend VitaHustle ONE
Ingredient Analysis
VitaHustle contains a large number of ingredients, so we'll break our Ingredient Analysis into sections.
The vitamin and mineral blend is shown below:
Vitamin D is included in the vitamin D2 form (ergocalciferol), rather than the vitamin D3 form.
A medical review published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition argued that this compound “shouldn’t even be regarded as a nutrient suitable for supplementation” because it’s so poorly absorbed and is subject to rapid degradation.
Folic acid is included as the form of vitamin B9, and is clinically shown to be associated with greater cancer risk when supplemented.
The other active ingredients in this shake are shown below:
Pea protein is one of the forms of vegan protein used, and this shake provides 20 grams (g) of protein per serving, which is a dose that's clinically shown to support muscle building.
Organic maca is an ingredient we recommend avoiding.
As we discussed in our Shakeology ingredients article, maca is an indigestible fiber that can cause digestive discomfort when consumed raw.
We only recommend gelatinized maca.
It's a good thing that the fruit and vegetable ingredients are organic, but the total dose of 2 g is relatively low.
The inactive ingredients in the Chocolate flavor of VitaHustle ONE shake are shown below:
Natural flavors is the only ingredient here we recommend avoiding, because a medical review documented how this broad, categorical descriptor may include questionable synthetic compounds.
Overall, we consider VitaHustle to be relatively nutritious, but we don't currently recommend this brand due to the inclusion of vitamin D2, folic acid, raw maca and natural flavors.
Does VitaHustle Cause Side Effects?
VitaHustle doesn't appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it challenging to determine whether or not it causes side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on the brand's stated ingredients.
Raw maca can cause indigestion, as we documented in the Ingredient Analysis section above. This is the core ingredient of concern in regard to side effects.
There is no mention of side effects on the brand's website at the time of publishing this article.
We do not consider VitaHustle likely to cause side effects in healthy adults.
VitaHustle vs. Popular Nutrition Shakes
Here's how VitaHustle compares to other popular nutrition shake brands in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
Ka'Chava
Higher fiber dose than VitaHustle, and fiber intake is clinically associated with optimal weight outcomes.
Ka'Chava also contains raw maca, but this brand gets the (slight) edge due to the higher fiber dose, optimal vitamin D type, and lack of natural flavors (in the Chocolate version).
Winner: Ka'Chava
Happy Viking
Happy Viking is a meal replacement shake sold by famous tennis player Venus Williams.
As we documented in the above-linked review, this brand utilizes a sugar substitute which is clinically shown to be associated with increased risk of stroke.
We consider VitaHustle to be the safer and healthier choice.
Winner: VitaHustle
Huel
Significantly more "processed" ingredients than VitaHustle, and also contains an artificial sweetener.
VitaHustle is the healthier option.
Winner: VitaHustle
Our Clean Meal Replacement Picks
MBG Whey Protein Isolate+ is our top overall meal replacement pick.
This protein powder is derived entirely from grass-fed animals, and whey protein is clinically shown to increase satiation and fullness in overweight and obese individuals.
Anthony's Organic Hemp Protein is our top vegan meal replacement 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 we consider to be unhealthy.
VitaHustle Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Adequate protein dose for muscle-building
- Provides probiotics
- Fruits and vegetables are organic
- Relatively healthy inactive ingredient profile
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- Healthier than some competitors
Cons:
- Contains vitamin D2
- Contains folic acid
- Contains raw maca
- Contains natural flavors
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
