BreezyReviews
Member Since: February 5, 2016Reviews
life & food omega 3 supreme
Pros: + High levels of Omega 3s, EPA, & DHA + Suggested use of 2 softgels daily (not 3 as with other brands) + FDA-registered facility + NSF & GMP certified facility + Manufactured in the USA + Fair Price ++ Does NOT induce unpleasant fish-flavored... +
Pros:
+ High levels of Omega 3s, EPA, & DHA
+ Suggested use of 2 softgels daily (not 3 as with other brands)
+ FDA-registered facility
+ NSF & GMP certified facility
+ Manufactured in the USA
+ Fair Price
++ Does NOT induce unpleasant fish-flavored burps!!
Cons:
- “Fishy” scent (but not flavored!)
Research shows that supplementing with Omega-3s found in fish oils are correlated with heart, circulatory, immune system, skin and hair, inflammation, and even cognitive benefits. For these reasons, I’ve been taking fish oil supplements for years.
This review will compare this Life & Food brand with 2 other brands that I have tried, Puritan’s Pride and Zenwise.
Omega-3 Content:
Puritan’s Pride- The fish oil product I was using from Puritan’s Pride (this brand does offer a multitude of different varieties however) contains 360mg of “combined” EPA + DHA.
Zenwise- Of the 3 brands compared, the Zenwise contains the highest amounts of EPA + DHA: 880mg EPA + 660mg DHA.
Life & Food- This brand comes in second for EPA+ DHA, with 644mg EPA + 336mg of DHA. However it also indicates 70mgs of “Other Omega-3s” totaling 1400mg of “Pure Fish Oil Concentrate,” 200mgs more than the 1200 mgs other the other 2 compared brands.
Serving Size, Physical Size, & Calories:
This Life & Food and the Zenwise products suggested use is to take 2 daily, whereas Puritan’s Pride and many other brands suggest 3 daily.
Another thing I love about this Life & Food brand is the tiny size of the softgels. I have included a picture for comparison of 2 Life & Food softgels next to one Zenwise softgel (same size as the Puritan Pride brand) and a nickel for reference. This brand is clearly much smaller than the other brand I have tried. Also, coming in a 7 calories per soft gel, this Life & Food brand product is 3 calories less than the 10 calories per softgel of the other brands (totaling 6 calories less than the Zenwise brand and 16 calories less than the Puritian’s Pride per serving.)
Cost:
Puritan’s Pride- Everyday price is $21.70 for 500 softgels, which is over a 166-day supply.
Zenwise- List price is $50.00, currently on sale for $19.95, for 120 softgels, at 2 per day, is a 60-day supply.
Life & Food- List price is $59.99, currently on sale on Amazon for $26.97, for 180 softgels, at 2 per day, is a 90-day supply.
Quality:
While all 3 products are made in the USA this Life & Food brand and the Zenwise products are both made in FDA-registered facilities that are NSF & GMP certified (I couldn’t find anything regarding FDA, NSF, or GMP on the Puritan’s Pride website). I also really like that this Life & Food brand is certified sustainable seafood.
Smell & Fish Burps:
The BIGGEST difference for me personally, is the fact that this Life & Food brand truly does not cause ANY “Fish Burps.” It is interesting, because out of the 3 brands, this Life & Food brand SMELLS the fishiest, but even after several weeks of taking this supplement, I have NEVER ONCE experienced the unpleasant fishy burps.
While the Zenwise brand claims, “…lemon flavored capsules that are specially designed for a pleasant, 'no burp' enteric consumption…” and do sort of smell faintly of a lemon-ish scent in the bottle, they are certainly NOT ‘no burp.’ Literally EVERY time I have taken even just one of the Zenwise fish oil supplements, I have experienced dreadful fish-flavored burps.
Overall, this brand has very high levels of Omega 3s, smallest softegel size I’ve yet to see in a similar product, lower calories and serving size, a very fair price, and NO FISH BURPS! I highly recommend this product to absolutely everyone.
* I am committed to providing completely honest and unbiased reviews, regardless of how I obtained the product. I was fortunate enough to receive this product no cost in exchange for my honest review. This and all of my reviews contain only my personal, sincere opinions, experiences, and Internet research results. Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful (or not), or have any questions. I welcome and appreciate feedback regarding my reviews. Thank you for reading! *
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Arvazallia Premium Argan Oil Hair Treatment
** This review is for the Arvazallia Advanced Color Care Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner Set for Color Treated Hair with Argan Oil and Macadamia Oil By Arvazallia - Shampoo, Conditioner, and Deep Conditioner Hair Mask Offered by Lyfe and Style... +
** This review is for the Arvazallia Advanced Color Care Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner Set for Color Treated Hair with Argan Oil and Macadamia Oil By Arvazallia - Shampoo, Conditioner, and Deep Conditioner Hair Mask Offered by Lyfe and Style Goods**
I really like this Arvazallia set. The large, high quality package it came it is so nice, I almost felt guilty opening it and using it for myself, instead of giving it as a gift. The gift box has a nice magnetic clasp (I felt guilty for throwing the box away!) and housed 3 full-sized products inside: a 11.6 oz bottle of shampoo, a 11.6 oz bottle of conditioner, and a 8.45 oz hair mask jar. All three products arrived securely in protective plastic.
I love that all 3 products are sulfate and paraben free. I make of point of only using sulfate free shampoos, and sometimes lack of sulfates makes the shampoo also lack suds. This was not the case with this Arvazallia product. The shampoo foamed very nicely! With just one application, my hair felt very clean. No need to rinse and repeat!
The product indicates “3-step system” but if you read about the products on their website, it is recommended to alternate between the conditioner and the hair mask, so only 2 products are actually needed each washing. (While this may lead to running out of shampoo sooner than conditioners for some, for me it is perfect because I always end up using more conditioner products than shampoo.)
I haven’t been using this product long enough (about 1 week) to determine if it truly prolongs the life of my color treated hair, but I will be sure to update this post if I find any differences with prolonged use. I can say that this hair system did make my hair very soft. The only negative I can say is that it didn’t tame my frizz as much as I would like, but it wasn’t unmanageable (I have dry hair).
The last detail I would like to mention is the smell. I have grown accustom to very good smelling hair products, and these products unfortunately did not live up to my exceptional scent expectations. In no way does this product smell badly, but just not incredible. My hair smelled clean, but not pleasantly scented.
The scent and/or frizz result is definitely not worthy of dropping a star, just worth mentioning.
* I am committed to providing completely honest and unbiased reviews, regardless of how I obtained the product. I was fortunate enough to receive this product at no cost in exchange for my honest review. This and all of my reviews contain only my personal, sincere opinions and experiences. I take pride in the quality and helpfulness of my reviews and I appreciate feedback. Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful (or not), or have any questions. Thank you for reading! *
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Meow Mix Cat Food
I bought this cat food because of the wonderful low price and I enjoy they catchy jingle from the commercials. My cats did eat this food, but after reading the ingredients I completely regret purchasing it and feel just awful for feeding it to my... +
I bought this cat food because of the wonderful low price and I enjoy they catchy jingle from the commercials. My cats did eat this food, but after reading the ingredients I completely regret purchasing it and feel just awful for feeding it to my cats. The first three ingredients are (which indicates the most prevalent ingredients) are chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, and ground yellow corn. How disgusting is that?! The main ingredient is a corn filler. Basically, corn is just a filler and causes pets to actually eat more to feel full, poop out more (more for us to clean in the litter box), and retain less nutrients. Most inexpensive low-quality foods have lots of these fillers and cheap ingredients with little to no nutritional value. The only meat in Meow Mix at all is a by-product, its not even a real meat! By-products are the stuff leftover once all the actual meat is harvested. We're talking beaks, chicken feet, eyeballs, even chicken poop! I would not recommend this product to anyone, for any reason, ever. It is an absolutely awful cat food. I suppose you get what you pay for. I recommend to stay far away from Meow Mix, as it is simply a very low quality food. Even though the price is quite inexpensive, your cat will actually eat more than if you paid for a better quality food, because they will never feel full. Cats need to eat meat, and there just isn't real meat in this food. High-quality foods tend to be more nutritionally dense, meaning you will be feeding a much smaller amount for the same number of calories. If you do the math to figure out the cost for the number of calories you need to feed your pet, many premium foods are CHEAPER than the awful crap you're buying at the grocery store. When purchasing a cat (or dog) food, the most important thing to consider is the first 3 ingredients; just make sure those first three are decent ingredients that you would eat yourself- provided that you eat a typical (non vegetarian or other restricted) diet. Now that I know what to look for, I usually buy my pets all natural foods such as Blue Buffalo, Halo, Wellness or Natural Balance. All of those brands contain real, whole meats that I myself would eat, with no added fillers or corn. -
Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach Dog Food
**NOTE- this review is about the canned variety** As a general rule, I find that Purina brand tends to be on the lower end of medium quality pet food. Most purina products I have purchased for my fur babies haven't been the ideal formulations of... +
**NOTE- this review is about the canned variety**
As a general rule, I find that Purina brand tends to be on the lower end of medium quality pet food. Most purina products I have purchased for my fur babies haven't been the ideal formulations of ingredients that I would like to feed them (e.g., no corn, wheat, or soy, with a real meat - not by-product - preferably poultry or fish, as the first ingredient). That being said, for the most part, Purina foods aren't HORRIBLE like some other brands out there that fail ALL of the aforementioned pet food guidelines. That, and the fact that Purina tends to be MUCH more affordable than the high quality pet foods, comparatively. Thus, I tend to purchase Purina brands quite often, especially when funds are tight.
What lead me to this particular variety of Purina, the ProPlan Focus for sensitive skin & stomach, was actually the end result of extensive research. One of my pets, Romeo, has congestive heart failure, amung other heart related issues, and thus is on a restricted sodium diet. Prescription pet food diets are extremely expensive, and countless hours of searching lead me to this variety, at only .05% sodium content (which is MUCH lower than most brands coming in at well over .2% sodium content). Low sodium + low price = too good to be true, or so I thought. Before purchasing, I evaluated the ingredients, and they seemed to be pretty good. While water was the first ingredient, being a wet food, I was okay with that. With salmon, rice, and fish coming in as the next three ingredients, it kind of passed my next few tests. Loved that salmon was the main protein source. Rice, while I wasn't thrilled with a grain being the main protein source, still much better than say, corn, so again, I was okay with that. Fish coming in as the next ingredient I am iffy on. "Fish" seems more ambiguous than I would like, but its still a portion source and not a by-product, so again, okay with it. The only thing I didn't like, was the lack of vitamins and supplements, but I decided to purchase those separately as supplements, and give those to Romeo separately. In summation of this research, I purchased this 12 can pack.
The case arrived, and when I opened the first can, my first impression was "wow this is some stinky food!" But I am a human, and what the heck to I know about what dogs find appetizing. Well, Romeo must have agreed, because he did not like it, at all. This is coming from a dog who LOVES food, especially wet food. He typically licks his bowl for several minutes after he finishes eat ANY brand I have given him in the past (he is 15 years old by the way!) He has been protesting this food for several days, eating a few bites and then begging for food next to the full bowl of this Purina Pro Plan, and stealing food from the other pets in the house whenever he can get away with it. In addition to not liking this food at all, I find it ironic that this is labeled for sensitive skin and stomach, because he's been butt scooting and has even thrown-up a few times since I began feeding this to him. Granted, this could be to the stolen other foods he's been sneaking, but I usually catch him and stop him promptly. He's also been shaking a lot lately, and it is late may in Nevada, so its definitely not because of the weather. Again, I can't say for sure that the shaking is due to this food, but it did start right around the time of the switch.
Its been several days, and I am read to give in and buy him another brand. Take away here, it doesn't matter what ingredients are in the food, or how affordable it is, if the pet just won't eat it.
Pros:
Very affordable
Decent ingredients
Low sodium content
Cons:
Poor Palatability
Foul Smell
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Activene
For the past decade, I have been batteling chronic back pain, and more recently, I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my foot. I have tried physical therapy, chiropractic alignments, yoga, heat and ice therapies, trigger point injections... +
For the past decade, I have been batteling chronic back pain, and more recently, I have been diagnosed with arthritis in my foot. I have tried physical therapy, chiropractic alignments, yoga, heat and ice therapies, trigger point injections, epidermal injections, electrical stimulation, acupuncture, and an infinite amount of prescription and over the counter pills, creams, and patches. Through all of that, I much prefer to use creams, as they tend to have the least amount of side effects and provide instant relief. Several people, both those dealing with pain management and doctors, have told me to try Arnica, an active ingredient in this Activene product. Thus, when I was presented with fortunate opportunity to receive this Activene product at a discounted rate in exchange for my completely honest review, I jumped at the chance.
This Activene did provide me gives with some decent and quick relief. However, the biggest negative I have to report is the VERY strong, menthol scent. While most every topical pain-relieving product does have an unpleasant odor, this was by far the strongest out of the at least half a dozen or so products I have tried. Furthermore, this scent didn’t dissipate over time, as some of the other “vanishing scent” products I have tried. This scent stuck on my hands after application, even following 3 intensive hand-washing sessions, with 2 different soaps. Be really careful with accidently rubbing or touching your eyes after applying this product, even after thorough washing, as it stings quite a bit.
If you can get past the overpowering scent of this product, the pain relief is noticeable and beneficial, but unfortunately not long lasting. It relieved my arthritis foot pain for about 2 hours, and my back pain for about 25 minutes. Most other topical products don’t last much longer than this, so I would say this is on par.
In addition to the Arnica ingredient, I love that this product is aloe based, as it is soothing to the skin. This product glides on easily and absorbs quickly. It is somewhat greasy, but did not stain my clothes or anything else it came into contact with. I am also intrigued with the MSM ingredient, as this is usually an oral supplement used for its anti-informatory properties.
Another non-prescription product I can recommend is Tiger Balm. While Tiger Balm does not have MSM or Arnica, it works better and lasts longer (both in the jar and for pain relief in between applications) than any other topical ointment/gel/cream I have used thus far, Rx included.
Overall this Activene is a decent is a product, and may be worth trying for anyone with chronic pain or for temporary soreness or sprains- as long as they can tolerate the powerful, lingering, scent.
Pros:
+ Made in the USA
+ Contains Arnica, MSM, Aloe, and other pain relieving, anti-inflammatory, and skin soothing ingredients.
+ Non-Staining
+ Absorbed Quickly
+ Glides on Smoothly
Cons:
- Very Powerful, Stinging, Lingering, Unpleasant Scent
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Wag LifeTime Joint Care Supplement for Dogs
I have 3 senior dogs; Romeo & Juliet are 15-year-old Maltese, and Bella is an 11-year-old springer spaniel. While they all have aging bodies and some medical complications, Juliet in particular has been diagnosed with arthritis and hip dysplasia... +
I have 3 senior dogs; Romeo & Juliet are 15-year-old Maltese, and Bella is an 11-year-old springer spaniel. While they all have aging bodies and some medical complications, Juliet in particular has been diagnosed with arthritis and hip dysplasia. Julie appears to be in pain often, constantly limping and hiding, and her bones even make an audible clicking sound at times. Needless to say, we have tried a vast array of Hip & Joint supplements for my little Julie (see photo), with varied degrees of success.
In our past experience, the majority of Hip & Joint supplements have 2 things in common: they contain the active ingredients Glucosamine HCI, MSM, Chondroitin, and Vitamin C, and they don’t do anything to increase Juliet’s quality of life. A few of the Hip & Joint supplement brands that exist on this list and in my Hip & Joint supplement graveyard include: NaturVet Naturals Joint Health 1, 2, and 3, NaturVet Naturals Aches & Discomfort, and PetNaturals Hip+Joint, to name a few (not even including all of the Hip & Joint treat brands we have tried). I find it fascinating that this Wag brand does not include any of those typical ingredients seen in the less-than beneficial brands sitting in my dog join supplement graveyard, (and its one of the only brands that we have tried that actually works!)
Two supplements I have tried in the past have far surpassed my expectations for a dog supplement and DRASTICALLY improved Juliet’s quality of life- one is ProThrive Senior by Animal Health Solutions, and the other is this Wag Lifetime Joint Care by Pet Research. This product not only changed my opinion and expectations of what a dog Joint supplement is capable of, but quite literally changed Juliet’s life. Taking this supplement, she acts like a puppy again! Immense amounts of energy, no more hiding, minimal limping, and most importantly, she appears to be happy. Furthermore, when my other two dogs consume this product, they too are more energetic and appear more youthful. One of the best qualities I've noticed about this product is the ability to word so effectively, so quickly! It doesn't seem to need as long as other brands to "build up" in their system to start working.
However, both of the aforementioned products are quite pricey, especially if your dog is larger than a Maltese. With this Wag costing $44.99 for 60 tablets (Though I stretch these out to last 120 days for Juliet- 1/2 of the recommended dose for her size but still quite effective) and ProThrive costing upwards of $50 for 12oz (170 supply for my 10lb Julie).
While we are still heavily in love with this brand, it is worth mentioning that Romeo & Juliet will not eat this tablet unless it is covered in peanut butter or hidden in cat food, and even then Juliet will occasionally spit it out (for the record, Julie is always pretty bratty with any supplement.) Bella, however, eats these as if they were treats (but also for the record, Bella is my girl who is notorious for eating practically anything and everything.)
Overall, we absolutley love this product, and highly recommend it.
Pros:
+ It actually WORKS
+ Provided all 3 dogs with youthful energy
+ Reduced audible clicking joints, and hiding and limping behaviors in arthritic dog
+ Easily broken in half by hand without crumbling or requiring pill cutter
+ Benefits seen after first use
+ Quality Company & Consumer Service
Cons:
- Pricey (but worth it!)
- Picky pups won't eat it plain (but they are brats ;) )
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ONE Organic Matcha
I have always been an avid green tea drinker, so when I first heard about Matcha and all of the health benefits, I HAD to try it. With the high price of nearly all of the varieties, I did A LOT of research prior to purchasing. Due to cost... +
I have always been an avid green tea drinker, so when I first heard about Matcha and all of the health benefits, I HAD to try it. With the high price of nearly all of the varieties, I did A LOT of research prior to purchasing. Due to cost effectiveness of the quantity (price per gram), higher reviews, and no added sugars, this brand was the first Matcha product I tried.
Overall, for my first Matcha experience, I liked this product. It does have a VERY bitter taste (as some other reviewers have mentioned), but couldn't beat the energy boost it gave me after drinking it, and the flavor is tolerable with added fruit or sweetener, so I feel that it was worth it. The biggest issue (other than the bitter taste) that I had with this product is the lack of information on the packaging. Not so great for a first time Matcha drinker.
Since my first experience with Matcha and the ONE brand, I have tried 6 other brands and done a huge amount of research on Matcha. The remainder of this review contains a summary of Matcha research results and a side-by-side comparison of the 7 Matcha powder brands I tried: Midori Spring; GreenHouse; Paleo Green; Jade Leaf; Matcha DNA; Legend Organic; and this ONE ORGANIC brand.
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MATCHA POWDER GRADES: Matcha powders are generally categorized by grade, either ceremonial or culinary/cooking.
Ceremonial Grade- This is the highest, most premium and pure quality of Matcha powder, and therefore is usually more expensive than Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha. This Matcha is intended for whisking with water and drinking straight - as done in a traditional Japanese Matcha tea ceremony- and NOT meant for blending or mixing with any other ingredients. Ceremonial grade Matcha should be a smooth textured, fine powder with a bright, vibrant, rich green color. The recommended serving size is typically ½tsp, or 2 grams.
Culinary/Cooking Grade – This Matcha is named for its purpose, cooking! Culinary/Cooking Matcha is great as an ingredient in recipes, and is NOT intended for straight drinking due to its characteristic bitter and potent flavor. Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha is not synonymous with low quality, and some brands can still be superior even with this classification. Higher quality Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha will still be fine in texture and green in color, though not quite as vivid as Ceremonial. Lower quality Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha will often appear tinted with brown or yellow coloring and the texture can be clumped or grainy. Culinary/Cooking grade Matcha is typically much less expensive than its ceremonial counterpart. The recommended serving size is also larger, usually 1-2tsp for mixing with a beverage, or 1-2tablespoons for baking/cooking.
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SUMMARY BREAKDOWN- The following is a summary breakdown of the 7 compared products:
Brand: PaleoCrazy Organic Matcha Japanese Tea (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R3QP30ASLKNC4R/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm)
Grade: Cooking (indicated as Cooking grade, yet provides directions for drinking it mixed with water straight).
Country of Origin: Japan
Certified: USDA Organic
Price Per Gram: $0.20 (Amazon Price)
Recommended Serving: 1tsp
Ingredients: (organic*) green tea* powder (Questionable ingredient list- What do the asterisks signify, and why is the term “Matcha” missing?)
Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities:
+ Excellent energy boosting results
+ Quality, professional packaging
+ Deep green color
+ Mild flavor (less bitter than some other brands)
- Nutrition facts not indicated
- Caffeine content not indicated
- Clumpy
*****
Brand: Midori Spring Organic Ceremonial Matcha - Gold Class - Premium Japanese Green Tea Matcha Powder (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R2L5XJR3SXK6MN/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00TSSDLGK)
Grade: Ceremonial
Country of Origin: Japanese
Certified: USDA Organic, Vegan, Kosher, GMO Free, Gluten Free
Price Per Gram: $0.90 (Amazon Price)
Recommended Serving: ½tsp
Ingredients: 100% Pure Organic Match Green Tea Powder
Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities:
+ Fantastic Energy Boosting Results
+ Quality Container and Packaging
+ Bright Green Color
- Bitter flavor
- Caffeine content not indicated
*****
Brand: Matcha DNA Certified Organic Matcha Green Tea (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R23OIQ4YG6Z5EF/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm)
Grade: Culinary
Country of Origin: China
Certified: USDA Organic, Good Manufacturing Practice, Vegan, Gluten Free
Price Per Gram: $0.09 (Amazon Price)
Recommended Serving:
Ingredients: 100% Organic Green Tea
Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities:
+ Sustainably Grown
+ Clearly indicated ORAC antioxidant value,
+ Great Energy Boosting Results
- Bitter flavor
- Nutrition facts & caffeine content not labeled
- Not clearly stated as ceremonial or culinary grade
*****
Brand: Jade Leaf - Organic Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R2IU6ABQUEUTPD/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm)
Grade: Culinary
Country of Origin: Japan
Certified: USDA Organic, Vegan, Gluten Free
Price Per Gram: $0.20 (Amazon Price)
Recommended Serving: ½tsp
Ingredients: 100% Organic Japanese Matcha (Stone Ground Green Tea Powder)
Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities:
+ Delicious bold flavor, not at all bitter
+ Quality packaging, functional & VERY informative
+ Clearly indicated nutrition facts, storage instructions & directions
- Minimal energy boost
*****
Brand: ONE ORGANIC Matcha Green Tea Powder (See, https://smile.amazon.com/review/R2IOXQYLRAGTS4/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm)
Grade: Culinary
Country of Origin: China
Certified: USDA Organic
Price Per Gram: $0.07 (Amazon Price at Time of Review)
Recommended Serving: 1tsp
Ingredients: 100% Organic Matcha
Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities:
+ Fantastic Energy Boost
- Bitter Taste
*****
Brand: Greenhouse Superfoods (See, http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W2ZGBNQ?ref_=cm_rdp_product)
Grade: Ceremonial
Country of Origin: Japanese
Certified: USDA Organic, Non- GMO, Vegan, Gluten Free
Price Per Gram: $0.71 (Amazon Price at Time of Review)
Recommended Serving: 1tsp
Ingredients: 100% Pure Organic Matcha (From Amazon Description- Not Indicated on Product Package)
Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities:
+ Fantastic Flavor
+ Admirable Company (Proceeds towards cancer cure research)
- Minimal Energy Boost
*****
Brand: Legend Organic Premium Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder (See, http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B014RDF7Z8keywords=legend matcha&qid=1445231795&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1)
Grade: Ceremonial
Country of Origin: Japanese
Certified: USDA Organic, Non- GMO, Vegan
Price Per Gram: $0.82 (Amazon Price at Time of Review)
Recommended Serving: ½tsp
Ingredients: Not Indicated
Additional Notable Pro/Con Qualities:
+ Rich Green Color
+ Mild, non-jittery, ‘clean’ energy boosting results
+ Smooth texture- blends/whisks well (not “clumpy”)
+ Manufacturer money back guarantee
- Nutrition Facts, Caffeine Content, & Ingredient List Not Indicated
- Lacking Brewing/Preparation Directions on Product (Though Indicated on Amazon Description)
- Bitter flavor
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PRICE PER GRAM: UNIT: The following is the Amazon price per gram (at time of review) of each of the 7 compared brands, separated the price comparisons by grade for more accurate comparisons, in order of least to most expensive:
Ceremonial Grade Brands:
• GreenHouse - $0.71
• Legend - $0.82
• Midori Spring - $0.90
Culinary/Cooking Grade Brands:
• ONE brand - $0.07
• Matcha DNA brand - $0.09
• Paleo Green- $0.20
• Jade Leaf brand - $0.20
OPINION: In this reviewer’s opinion, all of these Matcha powder brands are really. It really depends on personal preferences and values. Personally, price is an important consideration, as I tend to use more than the recommended serving size and consume quite a bit of Matcha Daily. While some brands have differing instructions, I personally use (and highly recommend) ceremonial grade Matcha for teas and lattes, and culinary grade Matcha for baking and smoothies.
RATING: I have rated all of these products four stars, as I have enjoyed them all, yet they all have specific, individual, notable cons. (Still hopeful to find that 5 star Matcha Brand!)
I have attached unfiltered photos indicated a side-by-side color comparison of the 7 Matcha powder brands that I have personally tried. I have also reviewed each of these products separately.
* I am committed to providing completely honest and unbiased reviews. This and all of my reviews contain only my personal, sincere opinions and experiences. I take pride in the quality and helpfulness of my reviews and I appreciate feedback. Please feel free to comment if you found this review helpful (or not), or have any questions. Thank you for reading! *
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MatchaDNA Certified Organic Matcha Tea 3 oz. Review
I love Matcha tea powders, and have found that different brands very greatly across many aspects. Therefore, when I was fortunate to receive this product at a discounted rate for the purposes of testing it and posting a completely honest and... +
I love Matcha tea powders, and have found that different brands very greatly across many aspects. Therefore, when I was fortunate to receive this product at a discounted rate for the purposes of testing it and posting a completely honest and unbiased review, and was very excited to try it and compare it.
First and foremost, I’d like to address 2 aspects that other reviewers have indicated: USDA Organic Authenticity, and Color. I attached a picture of USDA Organic symbol, clearly indicated on the back of the package, in the upper right hand. Perhaps an older version of this product did not include this icon, but as on August 2015, it can be seen that it is clearly USDA certified organic.
In regard to the color, I have attached an unfiltered photo comparison of 4 different Matcha powder brands colors that I have personally tried and reviewed. The top right photo is this Matcha DNA brand. As can be seen, while it is not brown, it is not a vibrate green as the ONE ORGANIC brand (upper left) or the GreenHouse brand (bottom right) but quite a bit ‘greener’ than the Jade Leaf Organics brand (bottom left). I’d like to thank the other reviewers for bringing this color difference to my attention, as I hadn’t previously attended to this aspect of Matcha powders.
In my experience and research, Matcha powders are usually classified into 3 sub-types of Matcha: Latte mix (mostly sugar), Chinese-culinary-for cooking and mixing with other ingredients, and Japanese-ceremonial- for drinking straight as a tea. While this product indicates that it is of Chinese origin, its does not specify if it is culinary or ceremonial. That being said, this brand does offer another variety indicated as ceremonial, which leads me to believe that this is culinary grade. The back of this bag says it can be made as a tea (ceremonial) or used in cooking (culinary). I followed the Matcha Tea preparation instructions on the back of this bag, and found that this was way too bitter for my taste, and not pleasant at all. This product also states, “sweeten to taste if desired.” I added one packet of raw stevia, and some whipped cream topping, which significantly increased the palatability of this product. I love the energy boosting power of this DNA brand, definitely on-par with the best of the brands I have tried thus far.
The other three Matcha powder products I tried were ONE ORGANIC brand (Chinese culinary), GreenHouse brand (Japanese ceremonial), and Jade Leaf Organics brand (Japanese culinary).
I really like the ONE ORGANIC brand because of the cost effectiveness of the quantity (price per oz), and the very noticeable "clean" energy boost it gave me. However, the ONE ORGANIC brand has VERY bitter taste, and did not have the serving size or directions indicated on the packaging.
I also liked the GreenHouse brand. The flavor of the GreenHouse Matcha is absolutely delicious, much more mild than the ONE brand, while still bold, not AT ALL bitter. However, I did not feel that wonderfully clean energy boost I get from the ONE brand as much. It also love that the GreenHouse brand seems to be a very good company based on the package labeling. It is indicated that they donate 5% of the proceeds to cancer cure research, and the package provides much more information about Match than the ONE brand. However, the cost per oz of the GreenHouse is simply too high to justify repurchasing at full price.
I was quite impressed with the Jade Leaf Organics brand packaging. That brand is the only of the 4 brands compared that has the caffeine content, and storage instructions clearly indicated. Before that product, I had no clue that Matcha powder should be kept in the fridge. The flavor and energy boost of the Jade Leaf brand was nearly an identical experience as with the GreenHouse brand: Fantastic flavor, not bitter at all, yet I didn't find this product to give me much of an energy boost.
In regards to the cost, the following is the current Amazon price per gram of each of the 4 compared brands:
Jade Leaf brand - $0.20
GreenHouse brand - $0.71
ONE brand - $0.07
Matcha DNA brand - $0.09
I do like this Matcha DNA brand product, and would compare it most closely to the ONE brand, as it too is cost effective, and provided an excellent energy boost, but unfortunately very bitter flavor, if left unsweetened. Overall, I would recommend this product to anyone who can tolerate the bitter flavor or willing to add sweetener.
Pros:
+ USDA Organic
+ Sustainably Grown
+ Naturally Gluten Free
+ Clearly indicated, serving size, ORAC antioxidant value, preparation directions, and ingredients
+ Great Value of Price Per Gram
+ Awesome Energy Boosting Results
Cons:
-Bitter flavor, if left unsweetened
-Nutrition facts and caffeine content not labeled
-Not clearly stated as ceremonial or culinary grade
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