Garden of Life Product Reviews

Garden of Life was founded in 2000 by Jordan Rubin. Rubin was inspired to create a high quality supplement brand to help others after dietary modification and supplementation dramatically improved his Crohn’s disease symptoms.

The company grew quickly and was acquired by Canadian-based company Atrium Innovations in 2009. In 2017, Garden of Life was purchased by Nestlé Health Science, which ruffled some feathers in the health world. Nestlé is the largest publicly held food company in the world and currently owns over 2,000 brands.

Many Garden of Life customers were concerned that the quality of Garden of Life supplements would decline after the Nestlé takeover, but it seems that Garden of Life has stayed true to its original practices.

The company remains committed to producing high quality supplements, many of which are third-party certified. The brand has also maintained its B Corporation status, a private certification that measures a company’s environmental and social impact.

In order to be B Corporation certified, a company must meet strict standards for transparency and accountability on factors, such as employee benefits and charitable donations.

The company also takes steps to reduce its environmental impact, such as offsetting its carbon emissions. In fact, it’s the first supplement company to be certified carbon neutral.

What does Garden of Life offer?

Garden of Life offers a variety of nutrition products, including:

• vitamin and mineral supplements
• herbal blends
• probiotics
• protein powders
• collagen products
• greens powders
• coconut oil
• fiber supplements
• protein bars

Many of its supplements are designed to meet the needs of specific populations, such as:

• children
• pregnant people
• athletes
• older adults

It caters to people who have dietary restrictions and offer products that are:

• vegan
• paleo
• keto
• gluten-free
• vegetarian products

Many of its sports-specific products, such as their protein powders and pre-workout supplements, are NSF Certified for Sport, which is an independent third-party testing certificate verifying that products don’t contain any of more than 270 substances currently banned by major athletic organizations, as well as Informed Choice.

Informed Choice is a dietary supplement testing program that regularly tests supplements for prohibited substances.

What’s more, many of Garden of Life’s products are certified organic, including many of its:

• protein bars
• protein powders
• some of its dietary supplements

In order to give an honest and extensive review of Garden of Life products, we took a deep dive into Garden of Life products, their brand reputation, and how they compare with competitors.

When researching Garden of Life products, we assessed their:

• ingredient choices
• nutrient forms
• sourcing
• third-party certifications

We also considered:

• pricing
• environmental impact
• customer satisfaction

One of the benefits of Garden of Life products is that, unlike many other supplement companies, their products are available in many brick-and-mortar stores, such as grocery stores like Whole Foods as well as supplement and drug stores like GNC and Walgreens.

You can also purchase Garden of Life products directly from the Garden of Life website or through websites like Amazon, Thrive Market, and PureFormulas.

Because Garden of Life offers so many products, prices vary. For example, most of their multivitamin supplements cost between $30 and $50, but specialty vitamins, like liquid formulations, are pricier.

Protein powders generally fall in the $40 to $60 range.

Although Garden of Life products are more expensive than many drugstore brands like Nature Made and Centrum, their prices reflect the quality of the products, including nutrient forms and ingredient choices.

Garden of Life products frequently go on sale, so customers can save money by using discount codes or in-store coupons.

Garden of Life supplements, such as multivitamins and individual micronutrient products, come in many forms:

• capsules
• powders
• liquids
• gel caps

It’s important to read supplement labels for dosing advice and how to take the supplement for best results.

Garden of Life powdered supplements like protein powders, greens powders, and pre-workouts can easily be mixed into drinks like water or juice. Protein powders can be used to make protein shakes and smoothies.

The company also offers protein bars and products like coconut oil and chia seeds, which can be used for cooking, baking, and food preparation.

Overall, Garden of Life has a stellar reputation. The company takes quality seriously and boasts a number of third-party certifications including NSF Certified for Sport and certified USDA organic.

It has also achieved B Corporation status, and current employees report that Garden of Life creates a good working environment and treats their employees well.

There was some concern over the 2017 Nestlé acquisition, but it doesn’t seem that the buyout led to any significant changes in product quality.

Garden of Life offers a generous return policy. Any customer who’s unsatisfied with a Garden of Life product can return the item within 60 days of purchase.

Keep in mind that the customer is responsible for the shipping fee back to the Garden of Life warehouse. Also, this return policy only applies to products purchased on the Garden of Life website.

Garden of Life is unable to accept items purchased through other distributors as returns, but you might be able to make returns directly to the merchant of purchase.

Here are a few notable features that set Garden of Life apart from other supplement companies.

Traceability

Garden of Life takes pride in being as transparent as possible with their customers. The company has an entire website page dedicated to their traceability practices that outline their numerous certifications and the steps they take to ensure customers that they’re buying clean and safe products.

For example, many products are USDA certified organic and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, both of which require that every product ingredient must be traced back to its origin, such as organic farms and sustainably sourced seafood.

Carbon neutral

Garden of Life is the first supplement company to be certified carbon neutral, on both a brand and product level, by Carbonfund.org Foundation. In order to be certified carbon neutral, a company must release zero carbon emissions by offsetting the amount of carbon it release.

Garden of Life does this by choosing carbon-neutral shipping methods, eliminating plastics from its packaging, and creating sustainable products. The company buys “carbon credits” from a renewable hydroelectric energy project in India to offset their remaining carbon emissions.

Whole food-based ingredients

Unlike many other supplement companies, Garden of Life doesn’t use synthetic forms of nutrients. The nutrients in its popular mykind Organics and Vitamin Code supplements are sourced from certified organic foods like:

• fruits
• vegetables
• herbs

The supplements are also free from:

• synthetic fillers and binders
• artificial flavors
• sweeteners
• colors

Garden of Life has a loyal customer following thanks to their dedication to producing high quality, effective products. Here are a few of their most popular items.

Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily 30 Billion CFU

Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily 30 Billion CFU contains 14 probiotic strains, including:

• Bifidobacterium lactis
• Lactobacillus rhamnosus
• Lactobacillus casei

CFU stands for colony-forming units and represents the number of viable bacteria per dose.

Probiotics are live organisms that are vulnerable to fluctuations in temperature as well as storage time. The NIH recommends that customers choose probiotic supplements that include CFU at the end of a product’s shelf life and not at the time of manufacture (1).

Garden of Life stands by the CFU through the end of the product’s best use date when products are stored in the refrigerator (which ensures that the supplement provides a therapeutic dose of live microorganisms).

This high quality probiotic supplement is certified gluten-free by NSF, and is also free from dairy and soy.

Garden of Life Sport-Certified Grass-Fed Whey Protein

Garden of Life offers a variety of both plant and animal-based protein powders. The Sport-Certified Grass-Fed Whey Protein is made with whey protein isolate and milk protein. It’s available in vanilla and chocolate flavors. The whey is sourced from cows raised on pasture in Ireland.

These protein powders contain zero added sugar and are sweetened with stevia and erythritol. Each serving provides 120 calories and 24 grams of protein.

Sport Grass-Fed Whey Protein powders are NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Choice certified, so it is a popular product among athletes.

Garden of Life mykind Organics Women’s Multi

mykind Organics supplements are:

• USDA certified organic
• Non-GMO Project verified
• vegan certified

mykind Organics supplements are NSF certified gluten-free and made with nutrients derived from organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

mykind Organics Women’s Multi contains vitamins and minerals important for women’s health, such as:

• B12
• iron
• iodine
• zinc
• vitamin D

Just keep in mind that this supplement is missing magnesium, a mineral involved in stress regulation that tends to be low in many people’s diets (2).

Garden of Life also offers mykind:

• men’s supplements
• prenatal products
• children’s multivitamins
• and more

Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Men

Vitamin Code products by Garden of Life are made with ingredients derived from whole foods and contain enzymes and live probiotics to support healthy digestion.

Vitamin Code 50 & Wiser Men contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support men’s health over the age of 50, which are lacking in many men’s diets (3), such as:

• B12
• vitamin C
• vitamin D
• zinc

The formula is specifically designed to promote prostate, brain, and heart health, and is free from iron and copper (nutrients that males need in smaller amounts than females).

The Vitamin Code line is gluten and dairy-free and contains no fillers or binders.

Garden of Life takes supplement quality and safety seriously. The Garden of Life website states that their products go through extensive third-party testing and that third-party certifications, such as USDA certified organic, ensure its products are meeting strict safety standards.

Additionally, Garden of Life products are manufactured by cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) third-party audited facilities and are tested by a third-party independent testing agency.

Garden of Life’s Sport products are certified by third-party testing organizations like NSF and Informed Choice, which are independent organizations that test supplement products for banned substances and contaminants.

Here’s how Garden of Life stacks up against other popular supplement companies in terms of product offerings, price, certifications, and third-party testing.

Customer reviews for Garden of Life are mostly positive. The company has close to 3,000 reviews on Trustpilot (a third-party rating platform) with an average score of 4.4, which is considered “excellent.”

Customers seem to appreciate Garden of Life’s dedication to transparency. Many reviews mention that taking Garden of Life supplements has improved its health. A number of reviews also mention that Garden of Life has excellent customer service and that customers were pleased with how they were treated by company employees.

Garden of Life representatives respond to both positive and negative reviews and are quick to assist unsatisfied customers.

Garden of Life products also has mostly positive reviews on Amazon. For example, its Raw Organic Meal protein supplement has over 31,500 ratings, 68% of which are 5 stars. The company’s Dr. Formulated Once Daily Women’s Probiotics has over 46,000 reviews, 80% of which are 5 stars.

Most Amazon customer reviews say that Garden of Life products are effective and of high quality. Lower scoring reviews note that some of the protein powders don’t taste good and that some Garden of Life supplements are too expensive.

Is Garden Life vitamins a good brand?

Yes. Overall, Garden of Life is a high quality supplement brand. Garden of Life offers a variety of products, from protein powder to multivitamins, that contain effective ingredients derived from whole foods. Their products are third-party tested and many Garden of Life products, such as their sport supplements, are certified by third-party organizations like NSF.

Is Garden of Life a trusted supplement company?

Yes, Garden of Life is trusted by customers and healthcare professionals alike. Garden of Life is a brand that’s often recommended by dietitians and physicians.

Are Garden of Life vitamins made in China?

Short answer, no, their vitamins are not manufactured in China.

The company does source ingredients from Canada, China, Germany, and the United States among other countries. Garden of Life also sells products to partners in China, but everything is manufactured here in the United States.

Which Garden of Life product is best?

Garden of Life offers hundreds of different products, so customers have a variety of options to choose from. Depending on their nutritional needs, customers can buy supplements specifically designed for:

• men
• women
• children
• athletes
• pregnant people
• older adults

Where can you purchase Garden of Life products?

You can purchase Garden of Life products both in-store and online.

Garden of Life supplements are sold in stores, such as Whole Foods and GNC, and are available through Amazon, PureFormulas, and many other websites. If you buy products directly from the Garden of Life Website, you’ll be able to return products you’re not satisfied with within 60 days of purchase.