The carnivore in me is not a great lover of vegetables. I know that we should aim for our 5 a day, but I rarely achieve that.
Now it’s not that I am unhealthy, but as I get older I am a bit more aware that my diet may be lacking. What I got away with in my youth may come back to haunt me.
Maybe it’s time to start looking at some of the many supplements that are available. But where to start? One name that has caught my attention is Primal Plants.
Sounds veggie based, maybe it’s what I need. Who else wants to know what’s in this supplement with an intriguing name.
What Is Primal Plants?
This is one of 22 health supplements sold by Grundy MD.
The company namesake, Dr Steven Grundy, studied at Yale, the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, and the University of Michigan.
He has patented nine cardiac surgery devices. He has many affiliations and fellowships, as well as serving as a clinical associate to the National Institutes of Health.
Dr Grundy states he founded Grundy MD with a view to:
Dramatically improve human health, happiness, and longevity through my unique vision of diet and nutrition.
Primal Plants has a 25-ingredient formula. It combines polyphenol-rich green superfoods with digestive & metabolic support blends. Primal Plants is formulated to:
Help promote better digestion, increase energy levels, and give you more youthful, healthier skin…from the inside out!
It is a quick dissolving powder with a green apple flavor. It is free from soy, sugar, lectin and artificial sweetener.
The provision of polyphenols from green superfoods in the product seems to be their main marketing tool. Many polyphenols are antioxidants.
Polyphenols are found naturally in our diet from fruits like grapes, apples, pears, cherries and berries. They can also be found in tea, coffee, red wine and chocolate.
Lets see if any of these claims stack up.
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Primal Plants Ingredients
This product has over 30 ingredients divided into four blends:
The Superfoods Green Blend contains 1000mg of various “superfoods” and includes spinach, kale, broccoli, mulberry, cinnamon bark, fennel seeds and Gymnema Sylvestre Leaf: The benefits of some of these are:
- It is thought that vegetable supplements may help your health but more studies are required.
- Gymnema Sylvestre leaf has been used in Indian Medicine to treat diabetes, weight loss and other conditions.
- Cinnamon may have many health benefits including lowering cholesterol and improving metabolism.
- Fennel seeds may help the cardiovascular system.
Some studies have shown that polyphenols are abundant in micronutrients. These can help with some degenerative diseases. It is not known which are the most efficient or how our body processes them.
The Metabolic Enhancing Blend contains 415mg comprised of turmeric, black pepper ginger root, white tea, green tea and bitter melon.
- Ginger have been shown to have many health benefits including lowering cholesterol and improving metabolism.
- Bitter melon may help with weight loss.
- Green and white tea have been shown to be beneficial to our health in many ways.
The Digestive Support Blend contains:
- Fructooligosaccharides – which are a natural sweetener that have health benefits.
- Bromelain – can relieve diarrhea and help various cardiovascular disorders.
- Modified Citrus Pectin – may have some health benefits but it is felt further research is required.
The Probiotic Blend contains 3 million cfu of the probiotics (good bacteria). bifidobacterium lactis, L. reuteri, bacillus coagulans and lactobacillus acidophilus.
Probiotics can be used to treat bowel problems. They may also help with eczema, vaginal yeast infections, lactose intolerance, and urinary tract infections.
The product also contains a number of vitamins and minerals, of these:
- Vitamin B may help many health functions in our bodies.
- Selenium occurs naturally in foods including eggs, fish, chicken and some fruits and vegetables. Selenium has many health benefits. However supplementing with selenium may have an adverse effect if your levels are already adequate or high.
- Chromium can help metabolize carbs.
How Does Primal Plants Work?
This product is made up of a mix of vegetable extracts accompanied by some probiotics and vitamins.
There are some ingredients that have been clinically shown to benefit our health. There is no evidence that this particular blend of supplement will deliver as promised.
Dr Grundy invites us to think of our bodies as like an apartment complex. He explains:
You’re the landlord, and these trillions of tiny bugs are your tenants. Some of those bugs are “good” tenants: managing your digestion, helping energy move throughout your body, and powering as much as 80 percent of your immune system function, to keep you from getting sick or infected. But your body is also home to “bad” tenants: lectins (plant-based proteins that harm proper cell function); pathogens (bugs that cause illness and infection); and gut yeasts (which harm healthy digestion and help make you overweight).
He claims that to restore our body to optimum health and wellness, we need to take care of the “good” bugs. He claims that every product from Gundry MD is designed with this purpose in mind.
He calls this Holobiotics, your body and its “bugs” working together to give you optimum health.
Primal Plants Side Effects
There are no reported side effects. However some users have experienced a skin irritation and stomach upset.
As with anything new, check the ingredients and if you are not sure consult your physician.
Primal Plants Reviews & Complaints
It would seem the jury is still out on this product. The reviews are mixed.
Of 69 reviews on Amazon, 30 are positive and 32 negative.
There is a different picture painted on Highya.com where of 421 reviews 401 are positive.
The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an A rating. There are 32 customer complaints lodged. There are also 11 negative reviews and 6 positive reviews. These reviews and complaints are not necessarily about this particular product but reflect on the companies products and customer service as a whole.
There are some satisfied customers who have experienced an improvement in their overall health.
Steve Lewis writes:
I have tried many supplements over the years that people claimed made them feel great or gave them energy only to find they did nothing for me. But I look forward to drinking Primal Plants every morning because it DOES make me feel great. I can’t believe it. I love this stuff!
Meanwhile Gary Freemas is experiencing improvements with his digestive system, skin and is losing some weight.
He writes:
I ordered the Primal Plants because I have had issues with IBS. I am now finishing the 4th week on this product, and I have had NO problems or concerns with IBS. I am maintaining and losing some weight. And it seems that the dry flaky patches on my arms have begun to clear, and my skin seems to have more elasticity. In general, I am pleased with the Gundry product, and it has done what was said it would do. I will reorder when needed.
On the other side of the coin there are people that report that this product does not taste nice. They also state that it does not work as promised. It also seems that after sales telemarketing is not appreciated. Some people have also experienced stomach pain and bloating.
Enita Torres reports:
After 2 weeks of escalating stomach pain, bloating and abdominal tenderness, this is just not working for me. The instructions say to use it for a month before giving up but the pain is distracting and miserable. I experimented with this overpriced powder to find out if better gut bacteria led to better digestion. I think the stuff tastes vile but that wasn’t a problem as long as the result was improved digestion and comfort. However, it just made me feel worse.
People also find the product to be expensive.
Danette Christensen gave the product a fair trial to no avail. She writes:
I was very excited to get my Primal Plants and told everyone at work about it. Once I started, they kept asking how I was feeling and if I noticed any benefits, but I kept answering “not yet.” I knew there was a satisfaction guarantee, so I kept going even though it wasn’t helping me. Thinking that maybe I needed to give it more time, I finished all three containers. Not knowing I had to call before 90 days to take advantage of the satisfaction guarantee, I’m too late to get my refund (10 days past).
I was so hopeful that I would experience the benefits promised in the video, but did not see any positive results. Very expensive and very disappointed!
Customer service appear to be proactive in dealing with customer issues. They reached out to Danette and offered her a full refund.
Primal Plants: Packages, Prices & Where To Buy
Primal Plants can be bought on the Grundy MD website. They offer a discount for first time buyers and the cost would be:
The prices without discount are:
One jar has 5.2oz of product which is a 30 day supply.
Shipping and handling is free on all orders apart from the first time discount offer of one jar.
There is a cost of $4.95 for delivery of that item.
See below how the official site looks like.
Refunds & Returns
The company offers a 100 percent 90 day money back guarantee excluding shipping and handling costs.
Primal Plants Pros & Cons
Primal Plants Review: Final Verdict
There is evidence that some of the ingredients in this product may offer some benefit to your health. There is however no clinical study to prove that this supplement will deliver on its promises.
The price point is quite high, especially after the first time purchase offer.
Customer reviews are mixed, some love it , some don’t. There is also a suggestion that it may take a long term commitment for it to work.
Is Primal Plants for you?
I suppose it depends on whether you want to pay for the convenience of supplementing your diet, or making the local greengrocer your best friend.
We laid out the facts, will you buy Primal Plants? Comment below and tell us what you think!
Read next: Nested Naturals Super Greens Review: Does It Really Work?