Update 3/12/20. Juice Plus is one of the most popular whole food supplements out there. It's been around many years. In the past, I have taken it and am familiar with it. I am not a Juice Plus distributor or associated with the company. In this review, I'll attempt to answer your questions. I'll also take a look at what's out there on Juice Plus side effects. If you have a question, post it below and I'll try to help you.
Does Juice Plus Have Side Effects?
For the vast majorly of people, Juice Plus is very safe. It's just-food. I've taken Juice Plus for over a year and did not notice any side effects. Most people also report no side effects either. That said, when you have a supplement that millions and millions of people take, from time to time, some may report side effects. Below is a list of those which have been reported in medical journals
In one report, a 51-year-old woman with endometrial cancer developed liver problems after starting Juice Plus. The liver problems got better 4 weeks after stopping the supplements. Did JP cause this? This is difficult to say since this was just a report of one person who had these symptoms. Also, the person did have cancer, and this may have played a role.
Here's a short list of things to think about when taking this supplement:
- start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you respond,
- taking it with food may help absorption and reduce any GI effects you may experience,
- if you take blood thinner medicine, talk to your doctor first. Juice Plus has vitamin K. Vitamin K plays a role in blood clotting. In theory, it may reduce how well blood thinners work.
- If you take any medications, talk to your doctor. There's a lack of research in drug interactions.
- Stop taking the supplement at least 2 weeks before surgery.
Does Juice Plus Sponsor Research?
Most of the research on the supplement is supported or sponsored by National Safety Associates (NSA), the company that makes this product. This is a legitimate company that's been around since 1993. It’s because of this that some people wonder if Juice Plus is a scam. Detractors say “they sponsor their own research.” To that, I say, “if they don't do it, who will?”
I appreciate it when a company puts in the time and effort to test its supplements. I can tell you most supplement companies do not do this.
The company has said they do not influence the outcomes of Juice Plus research. Some of the people who have done Juice Plus research have had ties to NSA. People might argue this opens up the possibility of bias on the part of the researchers. That said, I am not sure how strong this argument is because some of the studies seem to contradict each other. If there was a big conspiracy to hide the truth, then the research would be in more agreement.
Bottom line: I don't think the supplement is a scam. I'm OK with company-sponsored research as long as its quality. What I see in this case is quality research for the most part.
Is It FDA Approved?
No, it's not, and here's why. The food and drug association (FDA) does not approve dietary supplements. No supplement is FDA-approved. There is FDA regulation, however. FDA Approval and regulation are different. The regulation of dietary supplements is called DSHEA. You can learn more about DSHEA on my FAQ page.
Does Juice Plus Cure Disease
No study has ever shown the supplement has cured any disease. The company that makes JP does seem to be directing its research toward showing how it can reduce the risk of disease. As Ben Franklin once said, An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
Juice Plus vs. Vineyard Blend
The flagship JP supplement contains extracts of many different fruits and vegetables, while the Vineyard Blend has extracts from different berries and grapes.
Grapes and berries are healthy and contain healthy phytonutrients like resveratrol. That said, the majority of research is on the original Juice Plus – the stuff that's been around since 1993. Personally, I'd like to see more research on the Vineyard Blend.
I'd love to see a study comparing regular JP to the Vineyard Blend to see what their differences are.
The Juice Plus Enzymes
There do appear to be enzymes added to the supplement. I don't think the enzymes add anything to the benefits of the supplement. Enzymes are proteins. Just like other proteins, the enzymes would be destroyed in the stomach. For those with digestion problems, they may help. But for most people, I'm skeptical.
What About Weight Loss?
This is not a weight loss supplement. The supplement is not promoted to help people lose weight. I've taken this supplement for up to a year and did not notice any reduction in body weight. If the supplement gets you to start eating more fruits and vegetables, then I can see how it might help. But, that's because you'd be reducing calories more than anything else.
Is It The Same As Fruits And Vegetables?
They often call Juice Plus “the next best thing to fruits and vegetables,” but this is basically a marketing slogan. It's meant to drive home the message the supplement comes from real foods. To their credit, even the company website says it's not a substitute for eating real fruits and vegetables.
One difference is the JP supplement has practically no fiber. Fiber is very important for health. Also, research notes people who eat more fruits and vegetables get fewer diseases. If taking the supplement gets you to think about eating more fruits and vegetables, then that is a very good thing.
Since its inception, there have been many green foods and other supplements out there. Are they better or different? Here's a quick rundown of some of the popular competitors.
Does It Make You Poop?
The research does not show a change in bathroom frequency, but it's possible in some people this may occur. While the supplement has very little fiber, in theory, JP may alter gut health. By altering the microbiome, more frequent trips to the bathroom may occur. This is 
Does It Have Iron?
No. There is no iron added to the supplement. If its present, it's in very low amounts and due to naturally occurring mineral in the foods that make up the supplement.
Does It Contain Magnesium?
The magnesium present in the supplement comes from what is naturally found in foods. Generally, foods that contain fiber and/or are green will contain magnesium. The amount of magnesium will vary between bottles due to the supplement being a powder. Some bottles may have more or less magnesium than others.
Does It Contain Soy?
There is no soy in the flagship JP capsules or Orchard Blend. The protein powder, however (Juice Plus Complete) does contain soy. Each scoop of Complete has 13 grams of protein.
Does It Have Folic Acid?
Yes, it does. Folate – the natural form of the vitamin -is found in the supplement. The amount of folate will vary from bottle to bottle because the supplement is in powder. Juice Plus does not contain any synthetic folic acid. Folate is the natural form of this vitamin. Folic acid is the synthetic form.
Juice Plus vs. MonaVie
MonaVie is another popular food extract supplement. In my view, the biggest difference between Juice Plus and MonaVie is the research. Juice Plus has several human studies. There is less research on MonaVie. More than that, however, there seem to be no clinical studies comparing them to each other. For more insights, see:
Juice Plus vs. Juice Festive
Juice festive is another popular whole food supplement, often found at Cosco, Sames Club, etc. I'm not aware of any head-to-head comparisons between these two supplements.
See the review of Juice Festive for more information about that product.
Juice Plus vs. Texas SuperFood
Texas superfood is another whole food supplement people often ask about. Like Juice Festive, I'm not aware of any studies comparing these products to each other.
See the review of Texas SuperFood for more about that supplement.
Does Juice Plus Work?
To be honest, I like Juice Plus. It's just the extracts of several fruits and vegetables in powdered form. It doesn't have anything crazy in it, and there are various clinical studies showing it may have benefits. For me, it's the research that's most important. While it's not a substitute for eating a salad, my hope is if you take it, you'd eventually wonder what else you can do to improve your health. If this gets you to eat that salad, then it's a step in the right direction.
Can you take Juice Plus if you are on blood pressure medicine?
Joyce, for what its worth, I’m not aware of any blood pressure effect of Juice Plus.
My husband and I have been taking Juice Plus for almost a year, we both have HBP and high cholesterol. My last blood work showed everything was lower, and my Blood pressure is within normal range.
We take the orchard garden blend and also take 6 of the chew supplements each day. My grandchildren love them. I do think that the cost could be lower but if my blood work looks as good as it did 6 months ago, I will be reducing and hopefully discontinuing the statin prescriptions I am using.
How to you feel about USANA supplements?? It sees like good science to me…but I am no expert!
Sue, I know of them but have not yet looked at them so I dont really have an opinion yet
Hi Joe,
While doing research on JuicePlus, I came across your info. Thank you for your effort in this area. I’m trying to decide if I should begin the program. I consider myself relatively healthy–good weight, physically active, eat well. I do only have one kidney, however. So, when I saw the ‘see your doctor if you have kidney problems,’ I perked up.
I don’t have problems with my one kidney, and I certainly don’t want to cause damage to the only one I have. What say ye?
Ronda, Ive never heard of juice plus hurting kidneys. I often mention kidney problems because i never know who reads my reviews and i was trying to be as complete as possible in terms of who should speak to their doctor
Problems with the kidneys can lead to many different problems and be caused by many problems too. By mentioning kidneys i was hoping to highlight people who had kidney issues, but did not know they had other problems too. for example, in the US, the #1 cause of kidney failure is diabetes. kidney issues can also lead to high blood pressure problems too, which in turn can elevate the risk of strokes.
I dont think JP is bad if you only have 1 kidney but because I am not a doctor, I still think its a good idea to ask him/her first. I’m admittedly conservative about supplements but I think that is the best course of action.
I’m currently taking juice plus pills, and i haven’t read anything about vitamin k on the bottles. I’m taking the orchard, vinyard, and garden blend. I read that vitamin K prevents against blood clotting but your information states that it causes it.
Hi Catherine, vitamin K is one of the many things that takes part in the blood clotting process. vitamin k does not prevent blood clots but rather helps the blood to clot. this is a good thing because we need to have a way to stop bleeding if we cut our finger.
Sometimes doctors worry about vitamin k foods if people take blood thinner medications because the vitamin k might reduce the ability of the drugs to work properly.
here is something on web md about vitamin K that might help http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-983-vitamin+k.aspx?activeIngredientId=983&activeIngredientName=vitamin+k&source=1
I’ve never heard of juice plus vitamin k interfering with blood thinner medications but because these drugs are often fine tuned to work properly by your doctor, I thought it would be prudent to mention it in case nobody else did.
Hello Joe,
I began reading articles on your site earlier today. The in-depth coverage & research you have provided on such a wide array of Herbal Supplements, their Benefits, costs, etc….is impressive. I finally stumbled upon a product that I had used for about 10 years.
That product is Juice Plus and to the best of my knowledge they never conducted a large Radio or TV advertisement campaign. I discovered a Brochure while sitting in my PCP’s office and as I perused the pages it peaked my interest. I discussed Juice Plus with my Dr. during the visit & @ $29.95, it was less expensive than the Vitamins & Supplements it would be replacing.
I still had to take 2500 mg of Calcium plus 500-1000 mg vitamin D in an effort to combat the recent diagnosis of a strange Bone Disease. It was like Acute Osteoporosis mixed with a mild case of Pageants Disease. I was 42, but my Bones appeared to be those of a 74 year old man. I quote my Neurosurgeon, Dr. Sternburg, “Phil, your lower back, L2 — S3, Looks like 10 miles of bad road.”
It worked well for me. the Red, (I think is fruit is am,) for alertness, energy, etc.. The Green, (Vegetable, is pm) for rest, relaxing, sleep assistance, etc… I took the supplement until 2009, when my right leg was amputated. Due to the extended stay in the Hospital & then Nursing Home I missed a Delivery of a 90 day supply. It was returned to the Company and I have not even thought about renewing my association with them.
Since being released from the N.Home, I have had to have 3 1/2 cm more removed above my right knee, May ’10, Broke right hip in 3 places Dec ’10. Broke Left Leg in 7 places between knee & Ankle, April ’11, Screws backed out of plate and the plate & my left leg Broke again in Aug ’11, and I was Diagnosed with Stage IV Head & Neck Cancer in Sept. ’11 as well. Have undergone Chemo until Jan ’12 and Radiation from Jan – April ’12. Had follow up Pet-Scan and MRI done last week. waiting on Dr visits with Oncologists and Ear Nose & Throat Specialist later this week…
Phil, so sorry to hear about the troubles you have been going through. I will pray for you that all goes well this week with your doctor.
Hi Joe
I would like to say that I have been taking Juice Plus for 7 months and in that time my energy levels have increased dramatically my desire for healthy food has also multiplied.
I can not see what is happening inside of me but I do feel confident to say a lot of positive things as I have not been sick once in all the 7 months when others around me have.
I have noticed I have a lot more clarity and my memory is a lot sharper.
All in all I feel good and will continue taking until my body decides otherwise.
Have a gorgeously healthy day.
Tamsen, I think thats great how taking Juice Plus has gotten you to eat healthier!
My husband and I took Juice Plus for 10 years and it was well tolerated by both of us. Due to the expense we changed to Juice Festive (from Costco) and after 3 months suffered from gastritis. It really increased my acid reflux issue too. I notified the company and they said they had not heard of this before. We are both very healthy seniors and just want to say..”be careful” if you have a sensitive stomach or prior history.
Debbie, thats very interesting. A lot of people have asked me about Juice Festive.
I really enjoyed this website. Do you know how Juice Plus compares to the Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw Organic supplements? It claims to support healthy digestion, detoxification, a healthy immune system, healthy blood sugar levels and metabolism. The reason I ask is for the purpose of the digestion support. I would appreciate any insight. Thanks again.
Hi Tiffany, Garden of life may be a fine product but I have not seen any research on garden of life products so if they dont have any, for me, I’d say JP may be better in that respect.
As for healthy digestion issues, if you have any, Id rather you got checked out by a doctor before opting for any supplement. Digestion issues can be tricky. For most people I dont think “detoxification” is needed because the body is pretty good at that naturally. exercise is a fine way to detox. Also, the word detox and cleanse often refer to products that for me, are basically expensive laxatives. There is a LOT of evidence that exercise improves the immune system. Exercise also helps blood sugar levels.
In terms of digestion, detoxification, healthy immune system and blood sugar and metabolism there is a LOT more evidence that exercise – 30 minute a day – helps all of these more than garden of life – or juice plus.
I would like to know if Juice Plus has any side effects on the liver
Barbara, none that I’ve ever heard of. Have you had any?
After doing some research myself, I believe that Juice Festiv is just the juice of the fruits and vegetables that is dehydrated and put in a capsule. Juice Plus uses entire fruits and vegetables, not just the juice you get when juicing, and dehydrates that.
I just came across this website and appreciate the input you give…thank you 🙂
Sara, thanks for your feedback and you do make an interesting point about juice festive. That might also explain the name “juice” in juice festive.
my husband and i are using herbalife. we’ve lost some weight, but it’s going to be a long process to get healthier. i have found mixed reviews about herbalife and its products. can you shed some more light?
Hi Angie, Im aware of herbalife products. There are quite a few products as I remember. While I have not looked at them specifically here – yet-I know in the past they have had some problems with the FDA. I believe that had to do with ephedra being in some of their weight loss products (they dont anymore since ephedra is banned from weight loss supplements sold in the US). The FDA has sent warning letters in the past for various reasons. Here is one:
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/ucm210182.htm
I also found it interesting that one FDA scientist went to work for herbalife after he retired from the FDA http://eon.businesswire.com/news/eon/20100119007349/en/Herbalife
back in 2006 or 07 there were some cases of liver failure associated with herbalife use http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17692424 this seemed to be limited to Isreal (why I dont know. maybe there was a product that was only sold in Israel?).
Wikapedia also has a lot on herbalife also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalife
While I am glad you have lost some weight, I feel most of that is due to either stimulants in herbalife products or because you have reduced your calorie intake. Do you have a specific herbalife product you are interested in learning more about? maybe I can try to take a closer look at it in the future.
I am wondering if you have researched a product called “Naturol Juice Festiv?” I saw it at Sam’s Club for $20 which included the fruit and veggie capsule AND a 2 month supply. I am currently taking Juice Plus+…it is very costly at $49 per month…can I get the same results from this product at a MUCH more inexpensive price? I have researched the ingredients and they seem very comparable, your thoughts????
Thanks for your time!
Hi Dena, several people have asked me about Juice Festive. While I have not yet reviewed Juice Festiv, overall I feel pretty confident in the quality of Sam’s Club supplements in terms of they put in the product what they say the product has. That said, I am not sure if Sam’s Club has done any research on their product to show it has the same effects as Juice Plus.
Juice Festiv does have ingredients like Mangosteen, Noni and Açai which I dont think offer anything special over other fruits/veggies. They also say Juice festiv has “SelenoExcell”, which they say is “a clinically tested form of Selenium” – again, I dont think that matters either.
Have you noticed any differences in your cholesterol etc while taking Juice Plus? if yes, I’d say try Juice Festiv for a month and see if your cholesterol etc changes (better, the same or worse) from what it was while taking Juice Plus. If you do this, please do let me know. You can always try the Juice Festiv for a month and see if you feel any different. While I have no proof either way, if it’s quality made, I dont see any reason why it might not act similarly to Juice Plus.
Juice plus is $49 – did its price increase? I thought it was about $41. Still, $20 would be cheaper either way you looked at it.
I have now been taking it for four months. I can tell you I just turned 50 and our daughter who is eight. The results for me is more energy, all my grey hair went away and my bald spot went away. I have not been near as sick and skin has cleared up. Did lose about 25 pounds and healthy. Our daughter last year was sick about 9 times and this year only once. Still want to take it.
Do you take the gummies or the capsules? I am trying to find out more information. I am taking the gummies and cant really tell a difference yet.
Hi Tabitha, I dont think Ive seen any research on the juice plus gummies (I hope people will let me know if there is any). That said, if the gummies have the same ingredients as regular juice plus Id guess the effects might be the same. The gummies might have a wee bit of sweater to make them taste good. Maybe one of the JP distributors here could answer this better?
According to Wikipedia:
“One placebo-controlled study conducted in 2002 found that Juice Plus Gummie candies did not significantly improve the antioxidant status of children, as indicated by negative results from 6 different antioxidant tests.[42] The authors explained this by saying it was possible that the supplement did not contain enough of the proper antioxidants to make a significant difference or that the antioxidants extracted in the fruit/vegetable extract were not bioavailable. The study was originally sponsored by NSA, but because the results were disappointing, NSA officials elected to remove the company’s name from the published article.[43]”
http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/yjada/article/S0002-8223(02)90352-4/abstract
hi, Joe I am trying to compare Juice Plus to the Melaleuca Vitality pack..esp. because of the phytosterols and Omega3? What is your opinion? Thanks.
Sherry, I just became aware of Melaleuca last weekend. I have not yet looked at it. What I can say off the cuff is that I know there is published research on Juice Plus. Is there any research on Melaleuca? I dont know if there is or isn’t at this point so if you know of any let me know. Id like to look at it. As I understand it Melaleuca has AM and PM vitamins. I am not yet convinced that we have to take different vitamins in the day and night.
Actually, Melaleucas vitamins received their patent a couple of months ago! Passed all 36 claims and no other vitamin manufacturer argued with their findings! There should be plenty of documented research on them for you to look at. They don’t have different vitamins in the am/pm packs; same vitamins in both packs, just separated into convenient packs to make taking them easier!
Alicia, Im not aware of them.
Hi, if it helps I was taking vitality for years (prenatal stuff from melaleuca while pregnant) but I never noticed a huge improvement in my well being. I have now been taking juice plus for a few months and have noticed a huge change in my energy levels, eating habits (I’ve even been able to kick my sugar addiction and go gluten/sugar free!) and thyroid function.
From what I understand, whole food supplements are better for our bodies than vitamin supplements created in a lab…at least that’s what Dr Sears educates on. I love melaleuca cleaning products etc and had been using their vitamins and “healthy” foods for a long time, until I learned more about foods and nutrition.
I swapped the Oil and Sugar filled melaleuca Attain shakes for whole food and protein juice plus shakes and am so much more satisfied! Anyway hope that helps 🙂
Joseph, when I went to that site it re-directed me to another site that had to do with some thing called “Real Water” that’s supposed to pH balanced. To be honest, I don’t believe in that stuff. What they never tell you is that our blood is always slightly on the alkaline side and any significant decrease or increase in pH levels would kill us.
I’m glad your son is home from Afghanistan and thank him for putting himself on the line for all of us. I say save your money on that fancy water.
Have you heard of or done research on a product called Sea Energy? I and my family have used it for many years.
In fact my son used it in Afghanistan when he was there with the Marine Corps. We use the Power Max Formula.
It’s distributed by Affinitylifestyles.com I would like to hear your thoughts on this product.
Hi Sharon, I dont think I’ve heard anything bad about Natures Way vitamins and if they have a supplement similar to Juice Plus, for less money give it a shot for a few months and see how you feel. I’ve never seen any published studies on Natures Way vitamins (they may be out there but I’ve never seen them). The research is something that Juice Plus has its favor.
Why don’t you do this. Get your blood work done now, before taking Natures Way and then get it done again in 2 months and see if anything has changed. That might at least give you some feedback on how Natures Way is working.
Can you take juice plus while taking methotrexate
Judith, I think the best thing to do is ask your doctor and pharmacist about taking juice plus while taking methotrexate. I really think that is the wisest thing you can do.
I take have taken Juice plus while on Methotrexate. Not a problem for me specifically.
I am thinking about changing to natures way because of expense. Can you give me a lot of reasons why I shouldn’t change?