Natural health supplements have become increasingly popular as a way to help people meet their nutritional needs. Since I’m always on the hunt for quality products to recommend to my clients, I took a look at KaraMD Pure Nature to see how these superfood capsules compare to super greens powders like my top pick from Live it Up.
After evaluating ingredients, nutrients, convenience, and price, I found that KaraMD’s capsules leave a lot to the imagination, while Live it Up Super Greens clearly defines its value.
Why a Dietitian Recommends Live it Up Over KaraMD Pure Nature
Here are the top six reasons I’d recommend Live it Up to my clients over KaraMD Pure Nature.
1. Live it Up has clear nutrient quantities
Nutritional supplements aren’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and aren't required to disclose their nutrient content. KaraMD Pure Nature includes fruits and vegetables that typically provide vitamins and minerals, but it doesn’t mention specific content or quantities on the product's Supplement Facts Panel. This makes it impossible to discern if the capsules provide real nutritional value.
Meanwhile, Live it Up lists 22 micronutrients and their exact amounts. These include a full daily serving of vitamin B12 as well as vitamins A, B2, and K, iron, zinc, magnesium, and more. This helps me confidently recommend Live it Up to my clients since I know it contains the essential vitamins and minerals to fill nutritional gaps and support its health benefit claims.
2. Live it Up supports gut health
A healthy gut is key to whole-body health, so I always look for gut-friendly supplements. KaraMD Pure Nature claims to aid with improved digestion, but it doesn't include any probiotics or digestive enzymes. Its Supplement Facts panel doesn't even mention dietary fiber, which is essential for bowel health.
One of my favorite things about Live it Up is its robust digestive enzyme complex with 5 billion CFU of probiotics and three digestive enzymes to positively impact gut health. Along with 3 grams of fiber, these ingredients provide fuel, introduce healthy bacteria to your gut microbiome, aid in nutrient absorption, and help possible bloating.
3. Live it Up is allergen-friendly
Live it Up doesn’t contain many common allergens, such as dairy, nuts, soy, and gluten. The product undergoes thorough third-party testing to ensure that it’s free from any contaminants that would be harmful to allergen-sensitive individuals or anyone else.
KaraMD Pure Nature is also vegan-friendly and gluten-free. However, the label says the product is produced in a facility that may also process ingredients containing milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. While these ingredients may not be present in the product itself, this can make it a potentially unsafe choice for those with food allergies or sensitivities.
4. Live it Up tastes great and is easy-to-drink
Taste and convenience are important in greens supplements, which have a reputation for earthy flavors and gritty particles. Live it Up easily dissolves in water or your favorite juices and smoothies with no grainy texture. It's available in a lightly minty Original flavor and a lightly tart Wild Berry flavor, both of which are naturally sweetened with monk fruit extract.
Pure Nature comes in capsule form, which seems even easier to consume at first. However, one serving requires four capsules, which some verified reviewers cite as being large and hard to swallow. Additionally, many reviewers note an unpleasant smell and a bad taste that comes through the capsule coating and lingers after swallowing.
5. Live it Up contains no sugars, additives, or preservatives
The Live it Up formula is completely free from sugar or artificial flavors and sweeteners, deriving its taste entirely from natural ingredients. Super Greens has no unnecessary fillers, additives, or preservatives, and all of its nutrient content comes from what occurs naturally in the greens used.
Meanwhile, Pure Nature contains one gram of sugar in every serving. It also contains maltodextrin, a highly processed additive sometimes used as a preservative, artificial sweetener, or easily digestible calorie source. I was also disappointed to see silicon dioxide, an anti-caking agent, on the ingredient list. I’d prefer that both of these fillers were replaced with more superfoods.
6. Live it Up can help sustain natural energy
Live it Up provides vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and your full daily value of vitamin B12. These specific B vitamins, along with iron, magnesium, and zinc, are essential nutrients for metabolizing energy and keeping you physically and mentally energized.
Pure Nature claims to provide natural energy, and some of its ingredients typically contain these nutrients. Without knowing nutrient quantities, however, it's unclear how much of an impact Pure Nature will have on energy. Additionally, the presence of maltodextrin could mean that it was added as an artificial calorie source.
KaraMD Pure Nature Overview
KaraMD takes its name from the medical doctor who founded the company. Its Pure Nature supplement consists of four capsules taken once a day.
Ingredients include a blend of 20 natural fruits, vegetables, and greens that the website describes as having been chosen to deliver "essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants" that may be missing from your regular diet. However, while several of the ingredients can be considered superfoods, the exact types and quantity of nutrients in each serving are not clear.
Pure Nature Nutrition Facts
KaraMD Pure Nature has sparse information about vitamin and mineral content on its Supplement Facts panel .
- Calories: 10
- Carbohydrates: 1g (<1%DV)
- Sugar: 1g
Pure Nature Ingredients
KaraMD claims that Pure Nature is a blend of 100% natural fruits, vegetables, and greens. The supplement also includes several additives.
- Cruciferous greens, such as cabbage, cauliflower, and kale
- Cereal grasses, such as alfalfa powder, barley grass, and organic oat grass
- Other greens like parsley, cucumber, celery seed, and asparagus extract
- Fruit content, such as apple fiber, strawberry, blueberry, tomato extract, and raspberry juice
- Root vegetables, including beet, carrot, and ginger
- Other vegetables like garlic and red bell pepper
- Vegetable cellulose
- Fillers like maltodextrin and silicon dioxide, an anti-caking agent
Pure Nature Quality and Safety
KaraMD claims all its supplements are tested in a third-party lab, formulated in the USA, and manufactured in an FDA-registered facility. The ingredients used in Pure Nature are non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly.
However, the product is also produced in a facility that may process milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans, meaning it may not be the safest choice for those with allergies or food sensitivities.
Live it Up Super Greens Overview
Live it Up was inspired by founder Haim Nigri's home country of Brazil and its abundance of fresh, nutritious foods. Seeking to make those foods accessible to everyone, he launched the company in 2021 with the original Super Greens powder designed to target overall health, gut support, energy, and immunity.
Live it Up has since expanded its lineup to cover other health needs, and Super Greens powder is now available in another fresh flavor, Wild Berry. Super Greens' fresh taste and smooth texture help it stand out among the grainy textures and grassy flavors of its competitors in the greens powder market.
Live it Up Nutrition Facts
One scoop of Super Greens powder includes:
- Calories: 25
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 0g
- 22 vitamins and minerals
- 5 billion CFU probiotics
Live it Up Ingredients
The Live it Up Super Greens formula contains more than 20 superfoods. The organic vegetable content naturally provides various essential nutrients and dietary fiber. Some of the key ingredients include:
- Potent aquatic superfoods like blue-green algae, dulse, and kelp
- Nutrient-rich cereal grasses, including oat grass, wheatgrass, and barley grass
- Greens like spinach, parsley, broccoli, and kale
- Monk fruit extract for a naturally sweet flavor
- Nopal cactus, moringa leaf, burdock root, and more
There are also 74mg of digestive enzymes from papaya, pineapple, and vegetable pepsin, as well as 5 billion CFU of dairy-free probiotics to offer gut health support.
Live it Up Quality and Safety
Super Greens consists of non-GMO organic vegetables and superfoods. To help ensure the overall safety and quality of its products, Live it Up uses GMP-certified manufacturing facilities. Certification requires adherence to rigorous quality control standards set by the FDA and other regulatory bodies. Live it Up also uses third-party testing to ensure that their products are free from harmful contaminants and allergens.
KaraMD Pure Nature vs. Live it Up Potential Health Benefits
Many dietary supplements claim to provide specific health benefits. It’s important to examine ingredient lists and nutrient content to determine whether or not there’s any truth to back up those claims.
KaraMD Purported Benefits
KaraMD Pure Nature makes very few specific health claims, which is in line with the general lack of nutritional information available for the product. I addressed a few of the points used in its marketing below.
- Healthy Nutrition: Pure Nature lists several natural ingredients that offer nutritional value. However, the label lists no specific nutrient quantities, so it's difficult to determine the specific benefits the product has to offer.
- Natural Energy: Nutrient deficiency can lead to reduced energy, and Pure Nature contains nutrient-rich ingredients. However, because its nutrient content is unclear, I’m led to believe that it may be relying on the additive maltodextrin to back up its energy-boosting claims.
- Better Digestion: Ingredients like ginger may provide some digestive support, but the Pure Nature formula lacks any digestive enzymes or probiotics that would support overall gut health.
Live it Up Purported Benefits
Live it Up Super Greens makes several claims about the potential benefits for regular users, which it backs up by pointing to specific nutrients provided by its concentrated superfood blend.
- Overall Nutrition: The Super Greens formula includes an extensive list of real organic vegetables packed with essential vitamins and minerals that may be missing from a healthy diet.
- Balanced Energy: Super Greens may help maintain a healthy metabolism and support cognitive function thanks to the inclusion of B vitamins such as B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12 (109% DV), plus magnesium and iron (34% DV).
- Immune Function: Nutrients from ginger, spirulina, and whole-food leafy greens naturally provide vitamins A, B6, E, and Z, plus zinc and other minerals. All of these work together to help with immune support.
- Gut Health: Live it Up contains 3 grams of fiber, a digestive enzyme complex, and 5 billion CFU of dairy-free probiotics. These help with nutrient intake and relief from bloating discomfort, providing much stronger gut health support than KaraMD Pure Nature.
Cost Comparison
Cost is an important consideration whenever you add a health supplement to your regular diet, and KaraMD Pure Nature vs. Live it Up are pretty neck-and-neck on price.
| KaraMD Pure Nature Cost | Live it Up Super Greens Cost | |
| One-time purchase | $39.95 for 30 servings ($1.33 per serving) | $59.99 for 30 servings ($1.99 per serving) |
| Subscription savings | No subscription option | $39.99 for 30 servings ($1.33 per serving) |
| Shipping | Free for all purchases | Free for all purchases |
| Returns and exchanges | 90-day money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time buyers or if product is damaged or incorrect |
| Where to buy | KaraMD website, Amazon, select Walmarts | Live it Up Website |
Customer Satisfaction
It's often helpful to look at customer reviews when comparing natural health supplements. This is one area where these brands differ. Reviews for KaraMD Pure Nature are somewhat mixed. While some customers have noticed a change in their health, others frequently mention the smell and taste, the large size and dosage of the capsules, and the lack of noticeable health results.
SW said, "I am noticing a difference. I have more energy and just feel better in general. The downside is the taste."
Angela Rene said, "These pills are a lot, and taking four of them becomes painful," adding "These made no significant improvement."
Looking at the reviews for Live it Up Super Greens, the overall perception of the taste, convenience, results, and value for the money is much more positive.
Sandy M., a verified buyer on the Live it Up website said, "It tastes great, which makes it easy to include in my morning routine."
Nicole F., another verified buyer, said, "I have been drinking Live it Up for months after switching from a more expensive greens powder. I am feeling more energized, and my skin is glowing!"
Make Health Super Simple with Live it Up Super Greens
As a reminder, every individual has unique health needs and goals. I recommend Live it Up Super Greens to my clients as a nutritional supplement to support general health. Unlike KaraMD Pure Nature, Live it Up is clear about the nutrients its product contains, which include vitamins and minerals that may help with natural energy and a digestive enzyme blend that supports gut health.
Although KaraMD Pure Nature is relatively low in cost, I don’t believe it offers the same value and high-quality formula as Live it Up. Super Greens is further backed by third-party testing and GMP certification and tastes great without added fillers, sugars, or artificial ingredients. It blends into a smooth beverage that makes getting your daily greens easy and enjoyable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about KaraMD and Live it Up with some commonly asked questions.
What are the side effects of Live it Up Super Greens?
Live it Up Super Greens has the same potential side effects as many greens powders, including possible bloating, gas, or mild digestive upset. Keep in mind that your body may need up to two weeks to fully adjust to the Super Greens formula.
Super Greens is free of common allergens, so it's safe for people who are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, and vegan. However, rare allergic reactions may occur. If you have any concerns, talk to your healthcare professional.
Is Live it Up FDA-approved?
Dietary supplements like Live it Up are not strictly regulated by the FDA or any regulatory body, and the FDA does not have the authority to approve nutritional supplement products before they enter the market.
However, Live it Up is manufactured in a GMP-certified facility that meets rigorous quality standards. It is also tested by a third party to ensure it's free from contaminants and allergens that may be harmful to users.
How does Pure Nature compare to Balance of Nature?
Pure Nature and Balance of Nature are both capsule-based greens dietary supplements. KaraMD Pure Nature costs about $40 for 30 servings but does contain some artificial ingredients on top of natural greens. Balance of Nature comes in a fruits blend and vegetables blend that are free from artificial ingredients, with a price of $70 or more for 30 servings.
However, both capsule products are limited in the nutrients they offer. Instead, I’d recommend a greens powder like Live it Up Super Greens, which has 22 vitamins and minerals and costs only $1.33 per serving with a subscription.
Does Live it Up reduce bloating?
Live it Up Super Greens may help with bloating thanks to a formula that includes 5 billion CFU of dairy-free probiotics, which aid in the production of healthy gut bacteria. It also contains three vegetarian digestive enzymes, which are known to support the breakdown of food and bloating discomfort. These ingredients make it one of our top greens powders for bloating, though everyone’s gut needs are different, and results may vary.
Are Live it Up greens worth it?
To decide whether Live it Up Super Greens is worth it for you, consider your personal health and dietary goals. I recommend Live it Up Super Greens to my clients for four primary reasons: To aid with digestive health, immune system function, balanced energy levels, and general nutrition.
Live it Up offers better value than many competing greens powders, with a reasonable price and a comprehensive formula that includes digestive enzymes, probiotics, and organic vegetables.
References
- https://karamd.com/products/pure-nature
- https://health.clevelandclinic.org/crunchy-and-cruciferous-youll-love-this-special-family-of-veggies
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/could-a-vitamin-or-mineral-deficiency-be-behind-your-fatigue
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/ginger-benefits
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7019700/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/is-maltodextrin-bad-for-me
- https://www.bmj.com/content/361/bmj.k2179
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983
- https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/7-reasons-to-listen-to-your-gut
- https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/pick-right-probiotic
- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/14598-probiotics
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