Update 9/1/20. The Thrive shake mix, also called Premium Lifestyle Mix is part of the Le-Vel line of supplements and said to be the “first and only ultra-premium mix ever developed” and is designed to support lean muscle, weight management, and fitness. This review will focus on the Thrive Shake Mix ingredients and research on those ingredients to give you an idea if its right for you. If you have a question, leave a comment below. Also, see the reviews of Thrive W and the Thrive Patch for more insights.
Thrive Shake Mix Research
An information sheet I have for the product states that the Thrive shake mix is the “first and only ultra-premium mix ever developed.” Sounds impressive but are there were any clinical studies on the supplement? Searching medical databases for:
- Thrive Research
- Le-Vel Research
did not reveal any clinical Research on the Thrive Premium Lifestyle shake mix.
To better understand the shake, it's necessary to look at its ingredients. Let's do that next.
Thrive Shake Nutrition Facts
Each serving of the Thrive shake is 35 grams (about 1 oz) and has the following nutrition information. The percent daily values in the 3rd column of the table are based on eating 2000 calories per day.
| Amount per serving | Percent Daily Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 110 | |
| Total Fat | 2 grams | 3% DV |
| Total Carbs | 9 grams | 3% DV |
| Dietary Fiber | 5 grams | 20% DV |
| Sugars | 2 grams | N/A |
| Protein | 15 grams | 30% DV |
| Vitamin A (beta carotene) | 2500 IU | 50% DV |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 24 milligrams | 40% DV |
| Vitamin D (cholecalceferol) | 200 IU | 50% DV |
| Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopheryl acetate) | 10.5 IU | 35% DV |
| Thiamine (thiamin hydrochloride) | 75 milligrams | 50% DV |
| Riboflavin | 85 micrograms | 50% DV |
| Vitamin B6 | 1 milligram | 50% DV |
| Folate (folic acid) | 200 micrograms | 50% DV |
| Biotin | 135 micrograms | 45% DV |
| Pantothenic Acid | 4 milligrams | 40% DV |
| Calcium (tricalcium phosphate) | 400 milligrams | 40% DV |
| Iodine | 60 micrograms | 40% DV |
| Magnesium | 100 micrograms | 25% DV |
| Zinc (zinc methionine) | 6.75 milligrams | 45% DV |
| Selenium (selenium chelate) | 14 micrograms | 20% DV |
| Copper (copper chelate) | 1 milligram | 50% DV |
| Manganese (manganse chelate) | 600 micrograms | 30% DV |
| Chromium (chromium polynicotinate) | 60 micrograms | 50% DV |
| Molybdenum (sodium chelate) | 38 micrograms | 50% DV |
Looking over these ingredients, the things that stand out to me are the 5g of fiber and the 15 grams of protein. My guess is the fiber in the shake is a combination of oat fiber and bran (see the tables below) although it's possible that the maltodextrin and xanthan gum provide some fiber too.
Thrive Shake Protein
Each pack of the Thrive shake has 15 grams of protein. The protein comes from a combination of:
- Soy protein
- Pea protein (click to read review)
- Whey protein concentrate
Here's a quality protein powder I like
The ingredients are listed in order as they occur in the “other ingredients” table below. This tells us that there is more soy than whey since soy is listed before whey in the table. I mention this only in case it matters to anyone.
There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in the Thrive shake mix but I don't think most people are lacking in these.
One interesting thing observed in the Nutrition Fact label concerned the last ingredient, Molybdenum. In the Nutrition Facts label above, in parenthesis, they say molybdenum comes from “sodium chelate.” I wonder if this might be a typo? I say this because I don't understand how sodium chelate is a source of molybdenum?
The word “chelate” means to attach one thing to another to increase its absorption. For example, in the table above, we see the mineral manganese is present as “manganese chelate.” We see the same thing with copper (copper chelate) and selenium (selenium chelate). With Molybdenum we don't see molybdenum chelate, but rather sodium chelate.
Thrive Shake Proprietary Blend Ingredients
The table below lists the ingredients in the Proprietary Blend of Thrive shake mix. We are not told how much of each ingredient is present, but they do tell us that this proprietary blend adds up to a total of 1595 milligrams. That's about 1.6 grams. Putting things in perspective, 1 oz equals 28 grams.
Read the table from left to right and this will tell you which ingredients are present the most and least. For example, since garcinia fruit extract is listed first, it makes up most of the proprietary blend.
| Garcinia fruit extract | Oat fiber | Natural caffeine from black tea |
| Lactobacilius acidophlius | Rice bran | Amalase 5000 |
| Bromelian 600GDU | Cardomon seed extract | Cellulase 1000 |
| Ginger root | Lipase 1000 | Papain 6000 |
| Protease 1000 | Protease 5000 | Cinnamon bark extract |
Let's now go over some of the ingredients on this list.
Garcinia Fruit Extract
While they don't tell us what extract of garcinia fruit is present in the Thrive shake, I think this is a reference to Garcinia Cambogia. I say this because there have been studies of Garcinia Cambogia and weight loss. Some of these studies show it works while others show it doesn't work. When I reviewed the research on garcinia Cambogia, I noticed that many studies used between 500 mg and 2 grams per day.
The Thrive Patch also has Garcinia Cambogia.
While Le-vel doesn't tell us how much garcinia is in the shake, we do know that all the ingredients only add up to 1595 mg (about 1.6 grams). Garcinia makes up most of the proprietary blend, it's probably in the 1/2 to 2 grams range that many studies use, albeit on the low end.
See my review of garcinia Cambogia research for more insights. There is evidence it may be linked to liver failure in some people.
Probiotics In The Shake
The Thrive shake has Lactobacillus acidophilus. This is a common probiotic bacteria. If you eat yogurt, you may have seen it listed.
One thing they don't tell us is how many colony-forming units (CFU) the product contains. If you have any probiotic supplements, you might notice that companies often list how many CFU the product has. For example, you might see “1 billion CFU.” In probiotics, CFU is kind of like potency of the product.
I don't know the CFU number for the Thrive shake. If anyone does, let me know and I'll be glad to update this part of my review.
Another thing we don't know is what strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus the shake contains? Just saying”Lactobacillus acidophilus” does not tell us which particular strain of Lactobacillus acidophilus the product has. For example, does it have:
- Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14
- Lactobacillus acidophilus L-92
or others?
Different strains of bacteria can have different effects. For example, one strain might help diarrhea while another might help urinary tract infections. Currently, makers of foods and supplements don't have to tell us the strain of the probiotic bacteria they use.
Caffeine
I don't know how much caffeine is in Thrive Shake mix. They do tell us it contains “natural caffeine from black tea.” I don't know if natural caffeine is better/different than synthetic caffeine in regards to its effects on the body.
Natural caffeine is the 3rd ingredient listed (out of 15 ingredients) so it's presently more than most of the other ingredients. It makes up a good amount of the 1595 mg of total ingredients in the proprietary blend. How much caffeine is in the Thrive Shake? I'm not sure.
The Enzymes
The Thrive shake contains the following enzymes:
- Amylase 5000
- Bromelain 600GDU (GDU=gelatin dissolving units)
- Cellulase 1000
- Lipase 1000
- Papain 6000
- Protease 1000
- Protease 5000
Basically, these are enzymes that break down protein, fat, and carbohydrates. If you are healthy, then I don't think they add anything to the shake. Notice the numbers behind the enzymes. I think adding numbers behind the enzyme names makes the ingredients overly complicated for the average person. I would disregard the numbers.
Other Ingredients
Thrive shake mix also has these other ingredients also
| Maltodextrin | Soy protein | Pea protein |
| Whey protein concentrate | Cellulose | Sun flower oil |
| Natural flavors | Xanthan gum | Sucralose |
| Stevia |
Read the table from left to right. Ingredients are often listed from most to least.
Thrive Shake Sweeteners
The “other ingredients” table above, tells us that the sweeteners in the shake are provided by both sucralose (Splenda) and stevia, in that order. The table also tells us there are “natural flavors” present too, but companies don't have to tell us the names of natural flavors so I can't comment on those.
Is It Gluten-Free?
Yes, the Thrive shake mix is gluten-free. That's good for people with gluten intolerance and/or celiac disorder. According to the FDA, gluten-free now means products must contain less than 20 parts per million of gluten to be called “gluten-free.” See the FDA gluten-free rules for more information on this.
Does It Contain Soy?
Yes, the Thrive shake mix has both soy and milk.
Who Makes Thrive Shakes?
The company is called Le-Vel LLC. They are located at 9201 Warren Pkwy #200, Frisco, TX 75035. As I pointed out in my review of Thrive W, this address corresponds to a postal service called “Going Postal.”To contact the Thrive company, call 888-557-0005.
The Better Business Bureau gave Le-Vel LLC a rating of A+ when this review was updated. The Better Business Bureau has had complaints regarding refunds and the creation of accounts. See the BBB file for updates and more information.
SiteJabber, another consumer website gives Le-Vel a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. There were 298 reviews and of those, 126 gave the company 5 stars while 145 gave the company a 1-star rating. See the Sitejabber file for updates and more information.
Thrive Shake Mix Side Effects
I think in healthy people the Thrive shake is safe. Here are some things to consider. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you react
- The shake has caffeine. Using the product too close to bedtime might keep you up at night.
- Stop the shake -and all over supplements not prescribed by your doctor – at least 2 weeks before surgery.
- Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Speak to your doctor/pharmacist if you take any medications.
- If you have any liver issues, talk to your pharmacist regarding Garcinia Cambogia.
- See the garcinia Cambogia review for why.
Does The Thrive Shake Work?
The claims made for the Thrive shake mix are pretty vague, which makes answering the “does it work” question difficult to do, but I'll try. Since the shake has protein and fiber, it makes some sense that it would be able to “help support” lean muscle and perhaps maybe weight loss, just as other things protein shakes and fiber would. So, I would not be surprised if some people told me it helped them lose weight.
The bigger question though is does the Thrive shake do it better than other foods/supplements that also have protein and fiber? Without research, I don't think we can say either way.
Do You Have Any Questions?