Reds

What this is. A red fruit and berry powder — the polyphenol counterpart to a greens drink. Taken daily for antioxidant intake.

2,000 mg of red fruit and plant powders per 4 g scoop, split across eleven ingredients in a proprietary blend. The blend total is the only figure the panel gives. The individual amounts are not disclosed.

What you are actually getting, per 1 scoop (4 g)

• Red Blend (proprietary blend) — 2000 mg total
• Beet Root — amount not disclosed
• Strawberry — amount not disclosed
• Hibiscus — amount not disclosed
• Raspberry — amount not disclosed
• Black Currant — amount not disclosed
• Acai — amount not disclosed
• Blueberry — amount not disclosed
• Cranberry — amount not disclosed
• Grape Seed — amount not disclosed
• African Mango — amount not disclosed
• Pomegranate — amount not disclosed

Eleven ingredients sharing 2,000 mg would be about 182 mg each if they were split evenly, and there is no reason to assume they are. Blends are normally ordered by weight, with the first ingredient doing most of the work and the last few present in token amounts. Beet root is listed first here. The panel does not disclose the split, so neither can we.

Two further gaps. Nothing in the blend is standardised: no nitrate figure for the beet root, no anthocyanin figure for any of the berries, no OPC figure for the grape seed, no extract ratios anywhere. And the scoop weighs 4 g while the blend is 2 g, so half the scoop is something the panel does not name. On a powder that usually means a carrier, a sweetener or a flavouring — but the label does not say, and we are not going to guess on its behalf.

Worth knowing before you buy

Two grams of dried fruit powder is a supplement, not a portion of fruit. A portion of fruit is measured in tens or hundreds of grams. A scoop of this is not a replacement for eating any of the eleven things on the list, and no amount of front-panel design changes that arithmetic.

The proprietary blend is the second thing to weigh. Beet root and hibiscus are the two ingredients here that people usually come looking for, and you cannot find out how much of either you are getting. The most that can honestly be said is that each is somewhere under 2,000 mg. If one specific ingredient on this list is what you want, buying that ingredient on its own gets you a printed number.

What it is: eleven recognisable fruit and plant powders in a scoop, at a low price, for someone who wants them in the routine. What it is not: a standardised extract, a nitrate supplement, or a substitute for fruit.

How to take it

One 4 g scoop stirred into water or a drink, once a day. Thirty scoops in the tub, so one a day is 30 days.

Other ingredients

The panel lists none, which sits oddly beside the 2 g gap between the blend weight and the scoop weight described above. It states no flavouring, no sweetener and no anti-caking agent, and it carries no allergen statement. This is a powder, so there is no capsule and no gelatin question — but the panel does not state that it is certified vegetarian or vegan either, and it does not say whether it is made on shared equipment. If you have allergies, read the physical label before you use it.

Cautions

Cranberry is documented as interacting with warfarin, and grape seed has been reported to affect clotting as well. If you take warfarin or an antiplatelet medicine such as clopidogrel or aspirin, or you have surgery coming up, mention this product to your doctor. Beet root and hibiscus are both studied for effects on blood pressure, so if you take blood pressure medication it is worth a conversation first. Beet root can turn urine or stools pink or red, which is harmless and alarming if nobody warns you. If you are allergic to any of the eleven foods listed above, do not take this. Keep out of the reach of children. Do not use if the safety seal is damaged or missing. Store in a cool, dry place. Do not exceed the recommended dose. If you are pregnant, nursing, under 18, taking prescription medication or living with a medical condition, speak to your doctor or pharmacist before starting this or any supplement.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.