AG1 vs Multivitamins

Discover the benefits and differences between AG1 and multivitamins. Unveil which one suits your health needs best. AG1 vs Multivitamins explored.

Green powders are all the rage lately, and honestly I can get on board. But not every green powder is worth the hype and in some cases, taking a multivitamin might be a better option.

AG1 is among those green powders that has skyrocketed in popularity, in part due to its strong social media presence. But is AG1 worth the hefty price tag or is it just a trend?

Let’s take a deeper look at the popular green powder, AG1, and how it compares to a traditional multivitamin supplement.

A Closer Look At AG1

AG1 was created by Athletic Greens in 2010. It is marketed as a foundational nutrition supplement for whole body health by combining multiple supplements like vitamins, probiotics, and whole food sources into each scoop.

Athletic Greens touts an in-house team of doctors, scientists, and researchers, alongside a Scientific and Medical Advisory Council, in making sure they are keeping AG1 at the forefront of health research.

According to the Athletic Greens website, AG1 contains 75 ingredients with Gold Standard third-party verification that includes testing for 950 different contaminants and impurities. It is  NSF Certified for Sport, free of GMOs, artificial sweeteners, gluten, dairy, eggs, and peanuts and is vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto, low-carb, and Halal-friendly.

AG1 is marketed as a comprehensive nutrition supplement that provides nutrients for optimal gut health, immune support, energy, focus, and recovery.

Comparing Costs

A 30-serving pouch of AG1 costs $99 unless you sign up for their monthly subscription plan which then reduces the cost to $79. That’s about $2.63 per serving.

The average cost of a multivitamin supplement ranges a lot lower. For example, the popular supplement brand Nature Made has a daily multivitamin that contains 130 tablets (130 servings) you can purchase for only $12.99. That’s less than $0.10 per serving. (Source)

However, other supplement brands such as Thorne can be found at a slightly higher price point. You can purchase 60-capsules of Thorne Basic Nutrients 2/Day multivitamin through their website for $38. That’s roughly $.63 per serving. (Source)

Multivitamin supplements that are at higher price points than this are typically tailored to specific populations or include extra additives. For example, Thorne Men’s Multi 50+ multivitamin can be purchased for $45 for a 30-day supply which is roughly $1.50 per serving.

Overall, the cost of AG1 is significantly higher than the average multivitamin supplement even when it includes extra add-ons for specific populations. However, AG1 is also a lot more comprehensive than most multivitamin supplements as it also contains superfoods, adaptogens, prebiotics, and probiotics.

Ingredient Concerns

AG1 claims to be a complete supplement that can be used in place of a daily multivitamin, however it appears to be missing some key vitamins and minerals including iron and vitamin D.

Vitamin D is an essential fat-soluble vitamin that helps to promote the absorption of calcium to promote bone health among many other vital roles. Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health issue and has been connected to several health concerns including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, and depression. (Source)(Source)

Iron is an essential mineral for growth, development, and red blood cell formation. Iron deficiency can be prevalent in older adults as well as pregnant women and those who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet. (Source)

These vitamins and minerals are typically included in multivitamin supplements to provide a well-rounded nutrient profile to fill in any gaps in an individual’s diet. While AG1 contains other additives, it is lacking in these key nutrients.

Additionally, AG1 uses proprietary blends in their green powder which doesn’t provide dose transparency of their ingredients list but they do provide a full breakdown of the vitamin and mineral content in each serving.

While the ingredients list on AG1 looks wholesome, it is lacking research for safety and efficacy and is not appropriate for some populations including pregnant and breastfeeding women and those with certain health conditions or who are taking certain prescription medications.

You can see the full list of AG1 ingredients in our full review.

Pros vs Cons

There are several pros and cons to taking an AG1. If you are considering whether or not it’s worth it or if a multivitamin may do you better, take a look at some of the pros and cons below.

Pros

Provides A Hearty Dose Of Nutrients

AG1 contains a good source of many essential nutrients and antioxidants from their wide range of ingredients. In fact one serving provides 100% or more of the percent daily value (%DV) for all of the B vitamins and vitamin C and E. It also contains a good source of many essential minerals.

May Support Gut Health

AG1 contains 7.2 billion colony-forming units (CFU) of Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium Bifidum probiotic strains along with prebiotics such as inulin that may provide digestive support. The inclusion of probiotic and prebiotic sources in AG1 is one of the things that sets it apart from other supplements including multivitamins.

Suitable For Several Types Of Diet

AG1 is free of GMOs, artificial sweeteners, gluten, dairy, eggs, and peanuts and is vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto, low-carb, and Halal-friendly. This makes it a versatile supplement for a large variety of different diets which can be hard to come by for many supplements.

NSF Certified For Sport

AG1 is NSF Certified for Sport which means that it has been extensively tested and evaluated for banned substances in many competitive sports.

Cons

It’s Expensive

One of the biggest cons to AG1 has to be the price. At $99 for a 1 month serving, or $79 if you subscribe to monthly orders, the price is higher than the vast majority of available multivitamin supplements on the market. In fact, it is also considered in the higher price range for similar green powder products.

Does Not Replace Fruit And Vegetable Intake

While AG1 has an impressive ingredients list and very enticing advertising, their green powder does not replace fruit and vegetable intake from whole foods.

While it claims to include antioxidants from the ingredients listed on their supplement label, there is not enough available research to determine if powdered forms of fruits and vegetables provide similar health benefits to consuming whole food forms.

While this doesn’t make AG1 bad, it does send a message to the consumer that taking a greens powder like AG1 can be an easy way to get in your fruits and veggies and this may be misconstrued as an alternative option to consuming them whole.

Does Not Contain All Essential Nutrients

As mentioned earlier, AG1 is lacking in some important nutrients that should be considered, especially if they are claiming their product could take the place of a daily multivitamin. AG1 does not contain either iron or vitamin D which are considered essential nutrients, both of which deficiencies are of concern for several populations.

Contains Proprietary Blends

AG1 contains proprietary blends, which are specific preparations of ingredients in supplements that were formulated for a specific purpose. For example, AG1 contains an alkaline nutrient-dense raw superfood complex as one of their proprietary blends.

While these show you the ingredients in their blend, they do not disclose the doses. This means you cannot guarantee you are even getting adequate amounts of these nutrients to elicit any benefit.

Lacks Adequate Research

Lastly, there is simply not enough available research on supplements like AG1 with combination ingredient lists. While individual ingredients may show positive benefits, such as certain probiotic strains, it’s difficult to determine how these ingredients may interact with each other.

AG1 Alternatives

If you like the idea of AG1 but want to find a better alternative that checks more of the boxes, consider trusted brands that offer more ingredient transparency, such as Human Tonik Supergreen Tonik powder.

Supergreen Tonik combines 30 organic vegetables, superfoods, adaptogens, and nutrients that are all scientifically dosed to enhance energy, immunity, mental clarity, and overall health. Best of all, they openly list all ingredient dosages to provide transparency you can trust.

Supergreen Tonik also contains 100% of the %DV for vitamin D and 61% for iron, making them a step above in green powders that may work well as an alternative to multivitamin supplements. It’s important to note that not all green powders will work as a multivitamin alternative and the supplement labels should always be compared when looking for an option that can cover all your nutrient needs.

Bottom Line

AG1 is a popular green powder supplement that’s presence has exploded on social media. While Athletic Greens claims their product can take the place of a general multivitamin supplement, it is lacking in some important nutrients.

When it comes down to Athletic Greens AG1 vs multivitamins, your standard multivitamin supplement takes the lead with a full nutrient profile to fill in nutrition gaps at a cost that is more inclusive to most consumers. However, in the same contest of AG1 vs multivitamins, AG1 does provide additional coverage when it comes to extras that support our health, such as probiotics and prebiotics. 

While AG1 has many pros and cons for their product, there are other alternatives that may be more worth the cost than AG1, including Human Tonik Supergreen Tonik powder. Despite AG1s fancy ingredient list, they do not offer full transparency of the doses of each provided in their proprietary blends.

If you’re going to choose a green powder to use as an alternative to multivitamin supplements, make sure you are getting one that gives you everything you need, including peace of mind. Don’t settle for an expensive green powder like AG1 simply because of its social media presence.