Update 8/13/20. Thrive W (also called “Thrive For Women”) is a supplement touted to have multiple benefits ranging from weight loss to supporting muscle growth. Judging from all the emails I’ve been getting lately, Le-Vel supplements have been generating a lot of interest on the internet. This review will be specifically about “Thrive W” (not to be confused with Thrive M, the men's supplement). In this review, you'll learn about the research ingredients and side potential side effects. Does it really work? Let's see.
Other Thrive Reviews
Thrive W Benefits
According to the description of the product, Thrive W is touted to help with these areas:
- Weight management
- Cognitive performance
- Joint support
- Inflammation support
- Lean muscle support
- Digestive and immune support
It’s also said to contain an “anti-aging and antioxidant blend” of ingredients as well. There are a lot of ingredients in Thrive For Women. During this review, I’ll try to isolate which ingredients might be responsible for each of these claims.
Thrive W Research
The Le-Vel website states this about Thrive W: “From years of experience, science, and perfecting, THRIVE W is the only premium lifestyle capsule of its kind.” The words science and perfecting got my attention because it gave me the impression that years of research went into the creation and perfection of this supplement. But, when I searched online for:
- Thrive W research
- Le-Vel research
No clinical research could be located.
Searching clinical databases for:
- Thrive supplements
- Le-Vel supplements
- Thrive W
revealed no clinical studies either. Likewise, I saw no such clinical trials on the Le-vel website either.
If Thrive W has clinical evidence to support its effectiveness, that research could not be located.
But what about its ingredients?
Let’s now look at the Thrive W ingredients next.
Thrive W Ingredients List
According to the label, 1 capsule contains the following ingredients and it’s recommended to take 1-2 capsules per day on an empty stomach or between meals:
| Amount per serving | Percent daily value | |
| Vitamin A | 1500 IU | 30% |
| Vitamin B1 | 1.4 mg | 100% |
| Vitamin B2 | 1.7 mg | 100% |
| Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) | 12 mg | 60% |
| Vitamin B5 | 10 mg | 100% |
| Vitamin B6 | 2 mg | 100% |
| Folic acid | 800 mcg | 200% |
| Vitamin B12 | 100 mcg | 1667% |
| Vitamin D3 | 200 IU | 50% |
| Chromium (chromium AAC) | 200 mcg | 167% |
| Selenium (selenium AAC) | 90 mcg | 125% |
| Vanadium (vanadium AAC) | 25 mcg | N/A |
Thrive W Proprietary Blend
Each 1 capsule also has 257 mg of a proprietary blend containing the following ingredients:
| B. lactis | L. acidophilus | L. casei | L. helviticus |
| L. salvarius | L. plantarum | L. rhamnosus | Guarana |
| Green tea | Glucosamine | White willow extract | Glutamine |
| Green coffee bean | PEA | Kelp | Irvinga extract |
| BCAA blend | Theobromine | Ginger extract | Synephrine |
| Aspartic acid | L serine | Grape seed extract | Co Q10 |
| White tea extract |
Read this table from left to right. This will tell you which ingredients are present the most and least. For example, since B. lactis is listed first, it makes up most of the proprietary blend, while white tea extract makes up the last since it's listed last.
Other ingredients
The product also contains Stearic acid, silica, and gelatin. These other ingredients play no role in the effects or benefits of this supplement.
Thrive W Ingredients Review
Now let’s review each of the ingredients. There is not an overabundance of most of the vitamins or minerals in the product. I don't feel they add the benefits of the product and so I won’t discuss them, except to mention a few briefly.
Niacinamide
This is a form of the B vitamin, niacin. Niacinamide is different than niacin in that it won’t cause face flushing some report with niacin. This may be one of the ingredients behind the claim of “joint support.” There have been some studies on niacinamide noting it may help osteoarthritis pain. But, those studies generally use about 3 grams a day to achieve this effect. This is more than is in Thrive W (which has just 12 milligrams).
Among the ingredients, you may have noticed chromium, selenium, and vanadium are listed as:
- Chromium AAC
- Selenium AAC
- Vanadium AAC
The “AAC” refers to “amino acid chelate.” Basically, this means the minerals have been bonded to amino acids to improve their absorption. Whether or not this makes a significant difference is debatable. See the review of chromium weight loss research for more insights.
Proprietary Blend Ingredients
There are 25 ingredients in the proprietary blend. Each 1 capsule contains 527 mg total of all the 25 ingredients listed.
| B. lactis | L. acidophilus | L. casei | L. helviticus |
| L. salvarius | L. plantarum | L. rhamnosus | Guarana |
| Green tea | Glucosamine | White willow extract | Glutamine |
| Green coffee bean | PEA | Kelp | Irvinga extract |
| BCAA blend | Theobromine | Ginger extract | Synephrine |
| Aspartic acid | L serine | Grape seed extract | Co Q10 |
| White tea extract |
Supplement companies don't have to tell us how much of each ingredient is in proprietary blends. That said, remember the ingredients listed first are the most abundant, while ingredients toward the end of the list are the least abundant. For example, from the table above, the supplement has the most B. lactis (because it's listed first) and the least white tea extract (because it's listed last).
Probiotics Ingredients
Thrive W contains the following probiotic bacteria:
- B. lactis (the B stands for bacillus)
- L. acidophilus (the L stands for lactobacillus )
- L. caseri
- L. helviticus
- L. salvarius
- L. plantarum
- L. rhamnosus
In this list, the letters (“B” and “L”) represent the genus of the bacteria and the name (lactis, for example) represents the species of the bacteria used.
Different strains of bacteria might have different effects. One strain might do something great while another strain might do nothing at all. Without knowing the strain, it's not possible to know their exact function although it's possible they might be present for:
- Immune support
- Digestive support
- Weight management (maybe)
Probiotics are often added to supplements as a way to alter the microbiome – those bacteria that live inside of us. We now know gut bacteria can have big effects on our health. There are good bacteria and bad bacteria.
One question, however, is which bacteria are good and which are bad. There are a lot of bacteria in Thrive W but it's a lot less than the thousands of types that are inside of you.
When it comes to gut health, diversity is good. The more different types of bacteria we have inside of us, the better. Two ways that seem to alter gut bacteria is eating more fiber and exercise.
Here are 5 things that are bad for your gut health:
Thrive Premium Lifestyle Mix also contains probiotics. See that review for more info.
Guarana
This is a plant that contains caffeine. Is Le-Vel using the whole plant or an extract of the plant? They don’t tell us. If it’s an extract, then my guess is caffeine might be the extract used. If I am right, I can’t say how much caffeine is in the supplement. Can any Thrive promoters shed light on this?
See the Thrive Shake review for more insights on that supplement.
Green Tea
Green tea contains some caffeine (unless it's decaffeinated) so it’s possible this ingredient might also contribute to the stimulant effects of Thrive W. Green tea also has lots of antioxidants and so this may part of the “antioxidant blend” in the supplement too.
Green tea has been in several weight loss supplements I've reviewed previously but I don't believe it helps people lose weight. As proof, this study, found green tea supplements did not help people lose weight or raise their metabolism even after using it for 3 months.
As an aside, I personally wish companies would remove green tea from supplements. Drink the tea but leave the green tea supplements alone until we know more about their safety.
See the Supplements & Liver failure review.
Glucosamine
Since glucosamine is often used to help reduce arthritis pain, this likely is one of the ingredients responsible for the “Joint support” benefit in the product.
As mentioned in the review of glucosamine, there are 3 different types in supplements:
- Glucosamine sulfate
- Glucosamine HCL
- NAG (N-acetyl-glucosamine)
What type of glucosamine does Thrive W contain?
They don’t tell us.
The label only says “glucosamine.” I believe the strongest evidence is for glucosamine sulfate. Most studies showing it helps arthritis use 1500 mg per day. Remember, all the ingredients in 1 capsule of Thrive W only add up to just 527 mg.
Could the glucosamine combine with the other ingredients in the product to help arthritis pain? It's possible.
White Willow Bark
White willow bark contains an aspirin-like compound called salicylic acid. Some OTC pain relievers contain a combination of aspirin and caffeine. If people notice having less pain after using Thrive For Women, I think white willow bark might play a role in this.
Glutamine
This is an amino acid and is likely one of the ingredients behind the claim of “lean muscle support.” The body can make glutamine and this is why it’s also called a non-essential amino acid. That said, under stressful conditions or disease, we may not make enough. It’s for this reason glutamine is sometimes called a “conditionally essential amino acid.”
In other words, under some conditions, we need more than what we can make naturally. Because exercise is a stress, some feel glutamine can help support muscle growth, although not all research shows it works.
I covered some of the research on glutamine in a previous post so see that for more information.
While they don’t tell us how much glutamine is in Thrive W, I don’t think it's much, because all the ingredients only amount to 572 mg in 1 capsule.
Taking 2 capsules a day, would likely provide less than 1 gram of glutamine. That is less than many studies have used.
Green Coffee Bean
This supplement, also called Chlorogenic acid, is popular in weight loss supplements. I’ve written an entire in-depth review on the weight loss research of green coffee extract so see that too.
I feel green coffee bean needs better research. I believe this because one of the best studies on this compound was retracted after the authors admitted they could not verify the data used in the study.
This greatly reduces the believably of the hype surrounding this stuff. Green coffee extract is listed #13 in the ingredients list, so it doesn’t have much of it.
Green coffee bean is also in the Thrive Patch so see that review too.
Also, see the review of bogus weight-loss supplements.
PEA
The letters PEA are short for Phenylethylamine (Fee-nil-ethyl-A-mean), a type of amino acid. This ingredient might be linked to the “cognitive performance” claim made for Thirve W. Some interesting research suggests PEA might increase dopamine levels. This means it may be able to alter mood. It might help depression too. Exercise appears to naturally raise PEA levels.
PEA is also a stimulant which, according to WebMD.com “looks” like amphetamines.
Kelp
My hunch is kelp is in Thrive W because it contains iodine, a mineral needed to make thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone raises metabolism. This is why kelp is sometimes found in weight loss supplements.
Other weight loss supplements I’ve looked at which contained iodine include:
See those other reviews for additional information.
Irvingia Extract
This is also called African Mango. As mentioned in my review of African Mango, there are some human studies on this compound. As far as I can tell, the best evidence appears to stem from the use of an extract called “IGOB131.” What extract of Irvingia is in Thrive W? I don't know.
Even if it contains the IGOB131 extract, how much does it have? They don’t tell us that either, but it is # 16 in the ingredients list, so my guess is not much.
See the MBS 360 review for another African Mango-containing supplement.
BCAA Blend
The letters BCAA stands for Branch Chain Amino Acid. There are 3 of these amino acids:
- Leucine
- Isoleucine
- Valine
Thrive W contains a “BCAA Blend.” My guess is the blend is a mixture of all three amino acids. BCAA's also popular in muscle building supplements so I believe they are linked to the “lean muscle support” claim. Regardless, given how far down in the ingredients list they are, I believe you’d probably get more BCAAs in a can of tuna fish than in Thrive W.
Theobromine
Theobromine is one of the compounds in the cacao plant which is where we get chocolate from. Theobromine is a stimulant and a diuretic (makes you pee more). For more on this ingredient, see my reviews of:
Ginger Extract
Since they don’t tell us what extract of ginger they are using, it’s hard to figure out what it’s supposed to do in the product. Maybe it's supposed to be anti-inflammatory? Does anybody know?
Synephrine
This is a stimulant. In supplements, it goes by several names including bitter orange and citrus Aurantium. In my review of the weight loss supplement called PhenTabz, it was called octopamine. Because it chemically “looks” like ephedra, it may be found in supplements claiming to be “ephedra-free.” Some of the supplements containing synephrine I’ve looked at previously include:
Synephrine can raise heart rate and blood pressure and has been associated with some serious side effects including heart attacks in even healthy people. As such, I’m not a fan of it in supplements.
For what it's worth, I don’t think there is much synephrine in Thrive W because it's pretty far down in the ingredients list. That's good. What's bad is its presence.
Aspartic Acid and Serine
These are non-essential amino acids. We make both aspartic acid and serine every day. What role do they play in Thrive W, I can’t say.
Grape Seed Extract
The scientific name for grape seed is Vitis vinifera. While they don’t tell us what extract of grape they are using, my guess this ingredient is for “inflammation support” given that grape product (like grape juice and grape seed oil) might reduce inflammation in the blood vessels.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10, also called CoQ10 or Ubiquinone is found in just about every cell of the body. It helps our cells make energy, and as we age, we make less of it. There are many studies on CoQ10 which hint it might have multiple effects in the body such as helping lower cholesterol levels, migraine headaches, and blood pressure among other things.
While all this is nice, does the product have enough CoQ10 to be therapeutically helpful? I don't know. Most studies generally use at least 100 mg. Remember the entire proprietary blend in Thrive W only has 527 mg. There are 25 ingredients in the proprietary blend and of those, CoQ10 is listed 24th.
White Tea Extract
Even though they call it white tea, this stuff is similar to green tea in its anti-oxidant power. While that's good, I have to ask what extract of white tea are they using? They don’t tell us.
White tea does have some caffeine so could this be the extract? While tea is the last ingredient listed in the proprietary blend so if it is, I don’t think there is much present.
Stimulant Ingredients
Here they are the stimulant ingredients:
- Guarana
- Green tea
- PEA
- Theobromine
- Synephrine
- White tea (maybe)
Ingredients are listed in order as they appear in the proprietary blend to give an idea of which might be present the most and least.
Where To Buy Thrive W
Thrive supplements cannot be purchased at Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, Target, Rite Aid, Costco, Sams Club GNC, Vitamin Shoppe or other stores like that. Rather, they can only be purchased directly from Thrive promoters. You can also go to the Le-Vel.com website and purchase them too although you'll be asked to provide the name of the promoter who referred you.
I liked this as it means the company is not in competition with those who sell their supplements.
How Much Caffeine?
Those sensitive to caffeine may wonder how much caffeine is in this supplement. They don't really tell us. In the comments section below, you will see a Thrive Brand distributor state Thrive W has 40 mg of caffeine while Thrive M has 50 mg.
She also said that Thrive Lifestyle Mix has 25 mg and that the Thrive Patch does not have any caffeine. While this is nice, I'd like to see a document that states this. Remember, several ingredients in this product contain caffeine. Also, caffeine is not the only stimulant in the Thrive W.
Thrive W And Thrive DFT Patch: Better Together?
As I was told, thrive W is part of a lifestyle program that incorporates the use of a weight management patch called the “DFT Patch.
While it's possible both work best together to promote a greater effect, at this time, I'm unable to locate any clinical proof to substantiate this.
Thrive W vs. Thrive M
While this review is mostly about Thrive W, there is also a men's version, called Thrive M. How are they different? The table below shows how they compare to each other:
| Thrive W (1 capsule) | Thrive M (1 capsule) |
|---|---|
| Vitamin A 1500 IU (30%DV) | Vitamin A 1500 IU (30%DV) |
| Vitamin B1 1.4 mg (100% DV) | Vitamin B1 1.4 mg (100% DV) |
| Vitamin B2 1.7 mg (100% DV) | Vitamin B2 1.7 mg (100% DV) |
| Vitamin B3 12 mg (60% DV) | Vitamin B3 12 mg (60% DV) |
| Vitamin B5 2 mg (100% DV) | Vitamin B5 10 mg (100% DV) |
| Vitamin B6 2 mg (100% DV) | Vitamin B6 2 mg (100% DV) |
| Folic acid 800 mcg (200% DV) | Folic acid 800 mcg (200% DV) |
| Vitamin B12 100 mcg (1667% DV) | Vitamin B12 100 mcg (1667% DV) |
| Vitamin D3 200 IU (50% DV) | Vitamin D3 200 IU (50% DV) |
| Chromium 200 mcg (50% DV) | Chromium 200 mcg (50% DV) |
| Selenium 90 mcg (125% DV) | Selenium 90 mcg (125% DV) |
| Vanadium 25 mcg (N/A) | Vanadium 25 mcg (N/A) |
| Proprietary Blend 527 mg consisting of the following | Proprietary Blend 526 mg consisting of the following |
| B lactis | B lactis |
| L. acidophilus | L. acidophilus |
| L. casei | L. casei |
| L. helveticus | L. helveticus |
| L. salivarius | L. salivarius |
| L. plantarum | L. plantarum |
| L. rhamnosus | L. rhamnosus |
| Guarana caffeine | Guarana caffeine |
| Green tea caffeine | Green tea caffeine |
| Glucosamine | Glucosamine |
| White Willow extract | White Willow extract |
| Glutamine | Green coffee bean |
| Green Coffee Bean | PEA |
| PEA | Irvinga extract |
| Kelp | Theobromine |
| Irvingia Extract | Ginger extract |
| BCAA blend | Citrus Aurantium extract |
| Theobromine | Glutamine |
| Ginger extract | L arginine |
| Citrus Aurantium extract | Grape seed extract |
| Aspartic acid | BCAA blend |
| L Serine | CoQ10 |
| Grape seed extract | Kelp |
| CoQ10 | White tea extract |
| White tea extract |
In the table, “NA” means no daily value established. mg = milligrams and mcg = micrograms.
If you scroll down the ingredients, you see both Thrive W and Thrive M are pretty similar all the way down to the white willow ingredient. After that, the ingredients shift their positions a bit.
Thrive W contains the amino acids aspartic acid and serine. These are not present in Thrive M. Instead, thrive M contains the amino acid called arginine. It's speculation, but this might be because arginine helps produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide plays a role in erections.
See the Super Beets review for more on nitric oxide.
The amounts in the proprietary blends are a little different – 526mg in Thrive M and 527 mg in Thrive W. I dont think this is significant.
Who Makes Thrive Supplements?
Thrive supplements are a product of a company called Le-Vel LLC. Another name for the company is “Le-Vel Brands LLC.” The listed address for the company is 9201 Warren Pkwy #200, Frisco, TX 75035. If you Google this address, you can see it's the same address as a company called “Going Postal” which is a post-office-like facility. The “#200” in the address may be the Going Postal “PO Box” number.
This is the same address as was reported to the Better Business Bureau.
To contact Le-Vel, the BBB lists this phone number: 888-557-0005.
The BBB indicates the Le-Vel business was created in 2013. The company website (Le-Vel.com) was registered in 2012. Le-Vel is a “cloud-based” company. In other words, there doesn’t appear to be an actual/physical building called “Le-Vel” where the supplements are made.
Here is BBB file Le-Vel LLC. The company had an A+ rating when this review was updated. See the BBB file for ratings and more information.
SiteJabber, a consumer website also has several reviews on Le-Vel. Here is the SiteJabber file. Interestingly, while many of the reviews left there said the same thing – “life-changing” what are the odds of different people using the same words? The problem with testimonials is we have no way of verifying them.
Thrive W Side Effects
Does Thrive W have any side effects? Here are some thoughts I had based on the ingredients. This list is not complete:
- Stop taking Thrive W at least 2 weeks before surgery.
- Don't take Thrive W if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- If you take any medications such as those used to treat kidney or liver problems or high blood pressure or heart disease, show the ingredients to your doctor or pharmacist. In theory, some of the ingredients might interact with medications.
- In theory, glucosamine might raise blood sugar in diabetics.
Green tea-containing supplements have been linked to liver problems –including liver failure. While I think this a very rare occurrence and I don’t believe this product has a lot of green tea, If you have liver issues, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
Here are some of the concerns/complaints people expressed in the comments section below. I'll be honest, some of these left below by people who've taken Thrive supplements have me uneasy. Here are some excerpts of the side effects people reported in the comments section below:
- I took it only five days and I also have high blood pressure and I felt like I had a heavyweight on my chest.
- I EXPERIENCED a stiff neck then a sick headache and I passed out. I stopped Thrive. been off of it for a wk. I feel better but my skin I jumpy at times.
- So I’ve been taking Thrive W for over a year now. When I don't take it I notice a loss of energy.
- My mind was racing, yet I felt too bad to do anything! I felt so sick from the caffeine overload! I never want to feel this way again!
- One thing I noticed is that Thrive makes me thirsty. I can’t get enough water.
- I was given a sample of Thrive, during a period when I was mourning the death of my sister. I just could not seem to pull myself out of a depressed state of mind. Thrive helped me with that, and did an excellent job of doing so.
- had a lot of energy , clear-headed, and my back pain went away as well as my migraine I have nearly every day. I felt somewhat jacked up, however , but at the end of the day it wasn’t so intense and I slept like a baby . But … I had heart palpitations before going to sleep.
Take these for what they are. Looking over the testimonials, many people do say they have more energy. I believe that's a testament to the stimulants in this supplement. Read the comments below to see what everybody else is saying.
Is Thrive Safe?
Because everyone is different it's not possible to say across the board anything is 100% “safe.” We all have differences. That said, it's good to keep in mind several of the ingredients in Thrive W are stimulants. While there is no clinical proof either way, for those who sensitive to stimulants or who are not “healthy,” in theory, this might be an issue.
Just a few conditions where stimulants might be a problem include breastfeeding, heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney problems, liver problems, diabetes or stroke risk.
To be clear, there is no proof Thrive W is a problem for any of these conditions. Again, each person is different. As with all dietary supplements, to know for sure, show the ingredients to your doctor and/or pharmacist for more individualized information on this topic. This is always wise for those who have health problems.
How To Return Thrive W
If you purchased supplements via a promoter, they should be able to help with returning products. Here is what I could gather from the company website.
According to the Terms and Conditions page of Le-Vel.com, unopened supplements come with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee minus a 10% restocking fee.
In other words, the company keeps 10% of the money spent to pay the cost for restocking the items.
Before returning items, people have to first contact the “Le-Vel Online Support Ticket System from within your account.” In other words, it appears you can’t do this over the phone.
Be sure to include the original packing slip or a printed copy of your receipt.
For supplements that are opened or partially used or damaged, the company will refund only 50% of the cost of the products.
Send the package to be returned to this address:
Le-Vel Returns
1545 S 4800 W
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
The return address, corresponded to “Pro Star Logistics.” This is a company that helps other companies with order fulfillment, packing, and warehousing. Their website is ProStarLogistics.com for those who wish to learn more about them.
While I’m sure Le-Vel promoters can help people with all of this, I feel the return process is overly complicated. I was also not satisfied with the company keeping a “restocking fee” on returned supplements.
Does Thrive W Realy Work?
Without clinical studies, it’s difficult to make a decision. On the surface, it would appear Thrive W has ingredients to support its claims but are the levels of those ingredients the same as used in clinical trials? I do believe some who take Thrive W will feel more energized and that's probably because several of the ingredients are stimulants like caffeine. As for weight loss? I think the results will vary.
Here it is on Amazon
Joe, have you done any research or reviews of Skinny Fiber?
Den, yes I have. Here is my Skinny Fiber review
Great review ! I was so glad to see something like this on Thrive.
I have been taking Thrive for a few weeks now and don’t really feel any different with the exception of being MORE tired than before.
Could this be an adverse reaction to an ingredient ?
Punkin, my gut instinct is that the ingredients should not make you feel more tired. Are you sleeping ok? Have you ever had your thyroid function checked? your doctor can easily do this with a blood test.
Thank you for all the time you put in to this breakdown. I have been doing some research and this is by far the most exhaustive analysis I have seen. The reason I am researching is that I have a friend that was intensely into the thrive life. She was taking thrive W, the DFT, thrive mix and had started the black label.
At 38 she suffered a major stroke and I was just investigating to see if there could be a link. I saw the Co Q10 in the ingredients which I have read is a coagulant, but it seems the amount may be too small to have a real effect.
Shaun, so sorry to hear about your friend! I double checked CoQ10 for you. Its not a coagulant but it does have some blood thinning properties. Either way, I hope your friend is doing Ok.
My husband had a hemiplejic migraine episode which symptoms are like stroke very scary. And he was on THRIVE for 3 weeks I am also researching to see if any relation on that. My husband is slowly back to normal after a week. His walking had improve but he lost sensations on his right side of his body and numbness on his face. We really thought it was an stroke. Doctor told us stop thrive and rest as much as he can
Joe, I cannot express how grateful I am for all the detail you put into this review for us! I will be following your page… you are a blessing!
As for Thrive, I started the 3 step process 2 months ago and have become a completely different person, I went from sloth to active adult nearly immediately.
I did stop using the vitamins and shake after the 1st 3 weeks due to the ingredient concerns and the want for health rather than weight loss… I am still using the patch as it has seemed to allow me to continue my work out routine nearly pain free with spinal stenosis.
I felt very jittery with the vitamins and actual gave those away after week 1, the shakes I loved and continued for 2 more weeks but was concerned with the fact that my promoter did not know ANY details and explained it was a once every other day shake…. so I went with a more nutrient alternative shake as it doesn’t contain the stimulants but more superfoods.
Hi Haley, I’ really glad you found my review helpful! I agree its best to focus on health rather than weight loss. Question, Would it be possible to send me pictures of the Thrive Patch ingredients list? Ive gotten so many questions about it that I’d like to review it. I’d like to see the ingredients and anything thing else that deals with what allows those ingredients to get through the skin. Just send me an email through my site and Ill reply back with my email.
If you or anyone else could do that for me, I’d really appreciate it 🙂
Haley, taking 1 vitamin instead of 2 would have helped any jittery feeling you had along with making sure you were drinking water & eating. It was most likely the B12 that caused the jittery feeling. I’ve been Thriving for almost 15 weeks along with several family members & absolutely love it!
Tami, While Thrive W contains vitamins, it isn’t a “vitamin pill.” I’m not aware of B12 causing jittery feelings. My best guess is the jittery feeling Hailey experienced was due to the synepherine and the other stimulants in the product. I listed the stimulants in my review.
Hi Everyone! I really enjoyed this review and how it was broken down. I have been using Thrive for almost 4 months now. After I had my daughter and after two surgeries, I was exhausted, and my fibro was so bad that I could hardly move off the couch. I have had fibromyalgia for almost 8 years now and each year it seems to get worse.
I am super Anti-MLM company, so when my sister in law approached me and asked me to try Thrive with her, I was really hesitant. Especially at 150.00 a month!!
But, the doctors had been pushing me for to try Lyrica and I was scared to death of the side effects list of that drug. I tried Cymbalta and I literally felt like a meth head. I didn’t sleep for 3 days!!
Thrive changed my life! I go to the gym every single day, I play and run with my kids, and I have my life back!! I was really hoping not to find any scary side effects of Thrive, but to be honest, after reviewing the side effects of the other drugs they wanted me on….I’ll take my chances with the few ingredients in Thrive that may or may not have adverse reactions to my health.
3 months before starting Thrive my blood pressure was high, my cholesterol levels (this test was actually done last year and I did nothing about it) were way over normal for a 30 year old woman, and I felt like complete crap.
I just saw my doctor last month and my blood pressure is back to normal, my cholesterol levels were perfect, and all of my blood work came back with a clean bill of health.
I do worry a little about all the stimulants in it….and the stories above of two people dying definitely have me concerned.
But, I am a photographer….in the last 3 months, 2 very amazing photos died of a brain aneurism….I could put down my camera and never shoot again because taking photos might cause me to have an aneurism.
I guess my point is, if I feel great, my medical check ups show improvements in my health, and my life is 90% better than it was 4 months ago….how is that any different than taking my chances on a prescription med that flat out gives you the possible side effects of the med, and yet people still dive right in in hopes to feel better?
Trust me…MLM companies are NOT my thing! I wish this company was not one of them….but I have never felt better since I had my first child 7 years ago, and I just can’t go back to feeling that way again. 🙁
Thank you for your research, Joe. I gave Thrive a try just this month after a persistent friend encouraged me to do so. I am extremely sensitive to several OTC medications, caffeine, energy drinks, etc. and was told to “take it slow”. I’m 45, ideal weight and health conscious — I was really just looking for the energy kick.
After nearly two weeks, I’ve still not worked my way up to the recommended 2 pills, shake and DFT. With just one pill and one shake, I most definitely notice a “stimulant feeling” that lasts throughout the day. This is not a “natural energy” feeling by any means.
I’m disturbed by the number of stimulants listed and ashamed of myself for not doing my research until now.
Lastly, I find Angela’s comment (of her 36 year old friend-promoter who suddenly passed away), very sad and disturbing. I know of a Thrive user, promoter, nutritionist and gym rat that suddenly passed in his sleep from cardiac arrest several months ago. May not be a connection but I don’t like the sounds of it.
SandiB, you are quite welcome. I am really sorry to hear about the person you described who died in his sleep.
Web MD says that folic acid more than 1000mcg daily is not safe. You can read this that it can cause cancer, and trigger a heart attack in high dosage.and more.
Also guarana has lots of warnings also. I became alarmed when My friend that was my promoter just up and died at the age of 36 for no reason at all. I’m not a nut, but I am a concerned individual who wants the whole truth.
Angela, first let me say I am so very sorry for the loss of your friend. To die at 36 is a shock. Do you know how your friend died? Was it a heart attack?
I looked again at the webmd article
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1017-folic%20acid.aspx?activeingredientid=1017&activeingredientname=folic%20acid
it does indeed say folic acid used at 800 micrograms to 1200 micrograms might increase the risk of heart attacks in people who have heart disease. They don’t provide a reference to where I can see this evidence. This is honestly the first Ive ever heard of this. Mostly folic acid gets a pass when it comes to supplements – except for maybe the cancer connection.
From the cancer-folic acid research I’ve seen, it looks like its folic acid (which is the synthetic form of the vitamin) that is a problem, rather than folate (the natural vitamin). this may be because we absorb folic acid much better than folate (the natural form of the vitamin). Whether this difference in the vitamins also plays a role in heart attack, I can’t say.
When I did a quick search, than web md, I didn’t see anyone else talking about folic acid increasing heart attack risk. I’m going to keep my eyes peeled for this now that you told me about it. I’d like to see the research. If you find anything more on this, please do let me know.
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the great review. Do you know what’s in the patches they promote in addition to the pills and shakes?
Thanks!
Ashley, you are welcome! Here is my review of the Thrive shake http://supplementclarity.com/thrive-shake-mix-review/
As for the patches, they are discussed in the comments here. I’d have to see proof that whatever is in them is transferred through the skin.
Hey Joe, thanks for your review! I really want to try this product, but the stimulants make me nervous! I will take the ingredients to Dr. and see what he has to say. Surely there is something similar to this without the stimulants?!? Looking forward to following you and this blog.
Lisa, glad you enjoyed my review and let me know what your doctor says. For what it’s worth, I have reviewed products that have clinical evidence that they work. Here is my review. The link goes to my personal page.
Have you done anything on it works body wraps? Or any other products by them?
Amy, I do have a couple of reviews on It Works products. use the search box and search for “It works” and they will show up. While I have not yet looked at the wraps, they are discussed in the commenents sections so read them too.
The question I have, are theses capsules time-released? There are a huge amount of vitamins in 1 cap, let alone 2. Does our body really absorb and use it? Some of them go above the max daily recommendation. Then, you drink a shake with more if the same, how much of this is being wasted?
Ann, Im not sure if they are time released or not. If it doesn’t say they are on the package, then my guess is they are not. I don’t think the vitamins have any weight loss effect.
Fantastic research and review. helped me a lot.
Cori, great, I’m so glad I was able to help you 🙂
What about for those people who are borderline, if not already, underweight or with low blood pressure, such as mine which runs around 86/55. I worry with weight loss and drop in blood pressure that this type of product would be safe for the smaller people. ??????
Jen if you dont need to lose weight then I dont think you need the product. Is there a reason you are thinking about it?
Some friends are promoters and have suggested it. I thought it would be worth looking into for energy and building lean muscle for my husband and I but as small as we both are didn’t want to do anything without researching some and finding if it was even something good for people like us to start. I’m thinking not but curious since promoters have been saying it would be good for us and none of them need to lose weight (unless they’re trying to be under weight and frail looking).
Jen, as for building muscle, I think the jury is out. Yes it has BCAAs but I’d like to know how much protein the product actually has. As for weight loss, its hard to say. While there is some evidence that altering the bacteria inside of us might help weight loss, I’m not sure if this product has the right types or even if taking the product would significantly alter our bacteria.
You guys are seriously spending too much time trying to find something wrong with Thrive. Try it and if you like it great, if not, move on. It’s vitamins and minerals. It’s unfortunate that people don’t spend even a fraction of this time dissecting the crap that’s in a Starbuck’s Frappe Mocha! Oh look, McNuggets are on sale! LOL!
Tami, with respect, there is more in Thrive W than vitamins and minerals.
Ok. Lol!
Tami-
I suggest you learn the extreme differences between the FDA and Dietary Supplements before you make any more comments. Best of luck to you- dietary supplement developers greatly appreciate individuals such as yourself.
I have been involved in the past with supplements due to my ex-wife’s condition. I can say without a doubt no one is “spending too much time trying to find something wrong”, it really is easy to find things to question.
Supplements, being an unregulated market, can and sometimes are scams (sadly).
I also notice that Thrive isn’t listed in the USP Dietary Supplement Verification Program, which is a voluntary program but does require more “proof”.
From what has been presented here, it seems the active ingredient may be caffeine, as many of the other items are either unproven (as to their actual benefit) or not of sufficient amount to actually be useful. The Probiotic aspect is one still under debate, it doesn’t really seem important or necessary unless you are on an anti-biotic regime, as it would be helpful to replace those removed by the antibiotics.
Are there any supplements you DO reccommend?
Hi Jody, Honestly, I really try to not “recommend” things. So many people do that. I prefer to tell you what I found and tell you about it and let you make your own choice. I can tell you that when it comes to weight loss supplements, the stuff that has the most evidence are those that have fiber. Here is a link to my personal site where I discuss things that have evidence along with other stuff that can help too.
The thrive reviews on amazon are skewed irregularly. A product with a 4.0 rating should have a positive skew with gradual taper towards two and one star, and a more dramatic drop off at the top, 5 stars. Thrive products are multi-modal in their distribution and what do you know, the peaks are at 5 star and 1 star!
So you have promoters and suckers, and then you have skeptics and people with legitimate issues. Don’t take vitamins and stimulants when in fact you need therapy.
If you feel you must take thrive for the stimulants and you don’t like any of the many many many coffee substitutes, and you have money to spend, by all means take it into a doctor who knows how to test for what your body needs nutritionally and see what he/she says.
Yummy, you make an interesting point about Amazon reviews. To add to what you said, I often look reviews that are made by those who have “verified purchase” next to the review as that can sometimes help people differentiate between those who are trying to artificially inflate how good something is from people who actually bought the product and are leaving a real/honest review.
Sorry Joe but your going to be slammed now by everyone who’s drank the Kool aid. I posted your site to a post that was trying to lure in unsuspecting people into this crap. People need to get educated & it will be nice for them to know about the ingredients & the fact that there is NO office, except a p.o. box type of address or any other way to contact except a fax #. Sorry!
Dakota, thanks for writing and I appreciate you passing my review on to others. People can say what they like. If they say it’s helped them, then great. If not that’s fine also. I can only provide the information I was able to discover and let people make their own decisions that they feel is right for them.
Fen-Phen was actually prescribed by doctors for quite a long time as a healthy way to lose weight until years of research caught up and found that it was doing more harm than good.
I took a ride on the Ephedrine boat too until that was banned which was approved by Cardiologists as safe…again, until the research caught up.
I’m going to skip this ride…because the research will eventually catch up with the non-existent data and any positive results will be clouded by the fact that it likely will be banned too.
Take away the cash incentives to promote and I see someone flushing their money down the toilet.
Pyramid schemes are the exchange of money with no goods involved. If you think about the typical, large company in America, their level of command is exactly like a pyramid. Ceo, VP, Board of Directors, Upper Management, Middle Management, Lower Management, and all of the worker bees at the bottom. It surprises me that an age of such rapidly increasing technology would resist such a genius business model. MLM literally cuts out all of the overhead, all of the middle men, and puts the money in the pockets of the ones who are doing all the work! I love the idea of working from home!
As for the product, I seem to like it so far. I’ve been taking it for 5 weeks and notice changes, some positive, some unusual. I can tell you this: I’ve been lifting weights, working out, and carefully watching what I ate since I was 16. A health food “fanatic”. As I hit my late 30’s, early 40’s, it became increasingly difficult to maintain my weight and muscle mass. It was frustrating. I’m 44 years old, and today, at work, my co-workers of 2 years were commenting on my firm butt and defined arms.
It seems like my body is able to absorb the Thrive nutrients much more effectively than any of the others I’ve tried over the years and feeding my muscles what they need to grow. I’m very excited about that! I don’t know if I’ve lost weight because I don’t own a scale. Muscle weighs more than fat anyway, so I don’t see the point in weighing myself! 🙂
Hi Renee, happy you are feeling good on Thrive W. Just to clarify a bit, muscle doesn’t weight more than fat. 1 pound of muscle weighs the same as 1 pound of fat – 1 pound. Its a common urban legend many believe. Muscle has a greater density and takes up less space than fat. That’s probably where the urban legend started from. 🙂
Wow, that’s good to know! There truly no excuse for gaining weight now. :-\
Thanks Joe!
Renee, anytime 🙂
That’s exactly where the legend comes from, it’s not that 1lb is different in any form, it’s that the space fat takes up compared to the space muscle takes differs, so someone, like me, who has lost 4 inches of fat and replaced it with muscle now will actually weigh slightly more but wear a smaller size… if you are working out and building muscle the scale is not going to accurately measure your success, body measurements will…. the scale is not always a woman’s friend
one person has told me that she had a rash from using the patches
There are a few verision of this product:
Forslean
Green Coffee Bean Extract
Garcinia Cambogia
CoQ10
White Willow Bark
Cosmoperine
Another with Green Tea Extract
. .message me for the product downloads
Rashes are not necessarily from the product. I have had to use a TENS device in the past and depending on the supplier of the electrodes I might get a rash, or red/angry area, under and around the electrode. Possibly the adhesive on the patches rather than the items in the patch.