AG1 Review 2025: A Nutritionist’s Take

Jordan Hill, MCD, RD, CSSD is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She works with athletes of all ages, those struggling with disordered eating, and the general population looking to improve overall health and wellness.

As a registered dietitian, my clients frequently ask me to suggest simple ways to improve their nutrient intake. For many people, a busy schedule can sometimes get in the way of achieving a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Greens powders first attracted my attention due to their potential to provide key vitamins and minerals that may be lacking in a typical diet. Previously called Athletic Greens, AG1 is among the best known, as it was one of the first greens powders to achieve mainstream popularity. Many athletes and social media influencers have partnered with Athletic Greens to promote the dietary supplement, which features powdered leafy greens, superfoods, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and a high micronutrient content.

I wanted to find out whether this product delivers on its many health and nutrition claims, so I took a close look at AG1’s ingredients and potential benefits and tried it for myself. In this AG1 review, I’ll share everything I learned about the science behind AG1 (plus my own experience using it) to help you decide whether this greens powder lives up to the online hype.

AG1 Quick Facts

Price: $99 for a 30-day supply ($79 for a monthly subscription)
Best for: Athletes and individuals with large nutrient deficiencies
Nutrition Facts: One serving (12g) contains 50 calories, 6g of carbs, 2g of protein, and 2g of dietary fiber
Notable Ingredients: Fruit, vegetable, and mushroom powders plus leafy greens, prebiotics, probiotics, digestive enzymes, adaptogens, and added vitamins and minerals.
Taste: Vegetable-heavy, with “hints of vanilla and pineapple” and stevia for sweetness. Some customers liken the green flavor to matcha, while others find it grassy and bitter.
Claims to Support: Gut health, immune defense, focus and concentration, energy, healthy aging
Best AG1 Alternatives: More affordable options like Live it Up Super Greens and Primal Greens offer many of the same benefits as AG1 at a fraction of the price.

A Rundown of AG1

If you’ve ever searched online for “greens powders,” you’ve probably come across Athletic Greens, a vegan dietary supplement introduced in 2010. Although the company rebranded its supplement “AG1” in 2021, the athlete connection remains. Celebrity sportspeople like Allyson Felix and Lewis Hamilton promote AG1 as part of an active, healthy lifestyle.

According to the manufacturer, AG1 has been improved dozens of times based on developments in nutrition science, and the website lists several doctors and researchers involved in the formulation process. Although there are now similar products on the market, Athletic Greens appears to have a loyal following, despite being one of the most expensive green powders you can buy.

What I Liked

Contains leafy greens, mushrooms, and powdered fruits and vegetables
No added sugar or artificial sweeteners
Significant amount of diary-free probiotics (7.2 billion CFU)
Formula is based on scientific research and development
Meets or exceeds the recommended daily values for zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, and most B-complex vitamins
NSF Certified for Sport and tested for 280 banned substances

What I Disliked

Very expensive (even with a subscription, it’s $79 per month)
Not an all-natural product
Certain vitamins are included in excessive amounts
Strong “green” flavor that some find bitter and grassy
Sweetened with stevia, which leaves an artificial aftertaste
The proprietary formula makes it impossible to determine if ingredients are included in clinically significant quantities

Is AG1 Worth It?

In my line of work, I try to avoid making sweeping generalizations about nutrition. Everyone is unique, with specific health and wellness goals. Yet we all need to get a certain amount of nutrients, and the unfortunate fact is that the vast majority of Americans don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. A daily greens powder is a useful way to increase your intake of vital nutrients, though it's not a substitute for whole foods.

Based on my research and personal experience, AG1 is not a product that I would recommend to most of my clients. While it’s true that AG1 contains around 75 high-quality ingredients, the proprietary formula makes it impossible to determine the quantity of each one in a single serving (except for the 7.2 billion CFU of probiotics), thus calling into question their effectiveness and the high price tag.

Even after researching the product extensively, I can’t understand why it’s so expensive—especially since many other greens powders are just a fraction of the cost. I also found the grassy flavor, artificial stevia aftertaste, and chalky consistency difficult to tolerate unless I mixed it with a sweet fruit smoothie, which isn’t very practical.

Additionally, with so many ingredients to keep track of, I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending AG1 to any of my clients with health concerns or sensitivities. Some of the ingredients could negatively interact with prescription medications, including herbal extracts and adaptogens like ashwagandha and Rhodiola.

As the manufacturer’s name suggests, AG1 is probably best suited for athletes who closely monitor their nutrient intake and are accustomed to large doses of vitamins and minerals. As a nutritional supplement for high-performance athletes, AG1 excels with its strict quality control standards and rigorous testing regimen, ensuring that it is free from hundreds of substances banned by professional sports organizations.

AG1 might also be a good choice for individuals with vitamin deficiencies, as long as they recognize the potential for interactions with medications and consult their doctor before adding a new supplement to their routine.

What’s Better than AG1?

While AG1 has clear benefits for serious athletes, there are better (and less expensive) greens powders for the rest of us. Options like Live it Up Super Greens, Primal Greens, and Amazing Grass offer many of the same benefits at roughly $1 less per serving than AG1. I recommend choosing an all-natural product with a streamlined ingredient list that provides a healthy dose of vitamins and minerals derived from greens, fruits, and vegetables—without the unnecessary extras.

Health Targets

Athletic Greens makes numerous claims about the potential benefits of AG1, though the company is careful to state that everyone’s experience with the product will be unique. The main areas of health that AG1 targets are nutrient gaps, energy and focus, digestion, and immunity. For each of these areas, I compared the health claims made by Athletic Greens with the ingredients list, Supplement Facts, and cited research studies.

Fills Nutrient Gaps

One of the main reasons to take a green powder is to fill gaps in one's intake of essential nutrients. AG1 claims to be an all-in-one dietary supplement thanks to ingredients like beetroot powder, carrot root powder, papaya fruit powder, alfalfa, wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina, and shiitake mushrooms.

According to the Supplement Facts, AG1 contains significant amounts of micronutrients, including vitamins A, C, E, B6, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, and zinc. However, I noticed that certain key minerals are included in relatively small amounts. For example, a serving of AG1 contains 10% or less of the daily recommended values for magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium.

In the Scientific Research section of their website, Athletic Greens cites an in-house study involving a simulated model of the digestive tract to show that, as a powder, AG1 is more digestible than a multivitamin tablet and offers better bioavailability of magnesium, zinc, calcium, and potassium.

While this study appears to validate the efficacy of AG1 compared to a multivitamin, it does not discuss how AG1's bioavailability compares to whole fruits and vegetables. I also wondered why the study only discusses minerals (most of which are included in AG1 in relatively small amounts) and doesn’t mention vitamins.

Sustains Energy and Focus

Though the specific quantities are not specified, AG1 contains nutrient-dense ingredients like spirulina, chlorella, burdock root, and fruit and vegetable powders that offer a wide range of antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, and minerals crucial to maintaining the body’s energy levels. Research also suggests that the adaptogenic herbs and functional mushrooms in AG1 could help promote calm and a balanced stress response.

To support the claim that AG1 helps users sustain focus and normal energy levels throughout the day, Athletic Greens cites an observational study of 35 healthy adults between the ages of 25 and 48. After one month of regular use of AG1, 97% of the study participants felt they had more energy.

This is a promising statistic, yet I couldn’t help but question the small sample size and the objectivity of this self-reported survey. Nevertheless, it was encouraging that Athletic Greens confirmed that the study was conducted with “third-party clinical research centers to mitigate bias.”

Helps Digestion

The many purported digestive benefits of AG1 are another reason this supplement has gained mainstream popularity. With 7.2 billion CFU of dairy-free probiotics, the dietary enzyme bromelain, and prebiotics in the form of organic apple powder and inulin, AG1 contains numerous ingredients that could support a healthy gut. Many people take AG1 intending to ease bloating, constipation, and digestive discomfort.

In the same self-reported study of 35 healthy adults referenced above, 80% of the participants noticed less gas and bloating after taking AG1 daily for a month. To further underline AG1’s digestion-supporting properties, Athletic Greens cites a clinical trial of 30 healthy adults ages 21-49.

When compared to a placebo group, AG1 supplementation resulted in a “2.9x increase in healthy bacteria in the gut” (specifically Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum) among those who consumed AG1 daily for a month. Although I noticed that the study's lead authors work for Athletic Greens, this clinical trial was peer-reviewed and published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, supporting its credibility.

While AG1 appears to offer many digestive benefits, prospective users should note that the high vitamin content has the potential to cause digestive upset if your body is not accustomed to such large doses of micronutrients. Suddenly giving your body so many probiotics may also result in unpleasant digestive side effects, though these are likely temporary.

It’s also worth noting that while many users had positive experiences with AG1, numerous customer reviews state that AG1 had no noticeable effect on their perceived digestive comfort or bloating.

Supports Immunity

With so many vitamins and minerals in this blend, it would be reasonable to expect AG1 to support a healthy immune system. Athletic Greens cites antioxidant-rich ingredients like acerola cherries, cocoa bean extract, grape seed extract, and CoQ10 as helping to support the body’s natural defenses against oxidative stress. Bioflavonoids and other polyphenols round out the purported immune-boosting components of AG1.

Based on the Supplement Facts, it seems likely that the large amounts of vitamins C and E (467% DV and 553% DV, respectively) in AG1 could be useful for general immune support, as long as these vitamins have been included in a bioavailable form that the body can easily use.

Formula

With around 75 ingredients, AG1 is famous for having one of the longest ingredient lists of any green powder. The bulk of AG1 (7388 mg per serving) comes from what Athletic Greens describes as an “Alkaline, Nutrient-Dense Raw Superfood Complex.”

This includes fruit and vegetable powders (e.g., beetroot, carrot, pineapple, bilberry) and green superfoods like kelp, spinach leaf powder, organic spirulina, organic chlorella powder, organic wheat grass juice powder, organic barley leaf powder, and organic alfalfa powder. Licorice root powder, slippery elm bark powder, ginger rhizome powder, and cocoa bean polyphenol extract have also been included to increase nutrient density and supply phytonutrients and other plant compounds.

Another significant component of AG1 is described as “Nutrient Dense Extracts, Herbs & Antioxidants” (2732 mg per serving). This blend features ingredients like alkaline pea protein isolate, artichoke leaf extract, citrus bioflavonoids extract, milk thistle seed extract, Rhodiola root, and ashwagandha, which have been linked to aiding with antioxidant levels and supporting mental clarity, mood, and focus.

AG1’s digestion-supporting components, specifically 3.6 CFU of Lactobacillus acidophilus and 3.6 CFU of Bifidobacterium bifidum, have a dosage similar to daily probiotic supplements, indicating that this amount of beneficial bacteria could have a noticeable impact on gut health.

While I appreciated the detailed list of ingredients, the supplement label doesn’t state whether these ingredients are included in clinically significant quantities (except for probiotics).

For example, the “Digestive Enzyme & Super Mushroom Complex” provides recognized superfoods and functional mushrooms like astragalus root powder extract, burdock root powder, shiitake and reishi mushroom powder, and bromelain. However, this blend accounts for just 154 mg of the 12-gram serving size, leaving me with questions about its potency and effectiveness.

Pricing

As previously mentioned, AG1 was one of the first greens powders on the market and remains one of the most expensive. In the years since AG1 was introduced, many more affordable greens supplements have been developed, leaving customers to wonder whether AG1 is worth the price.

Unless you want to pay even more by ordering on Amazon, the only place to buy AG1 (which comes in 30-serving pouches) is via the Athletic Greens website. You can make a one-time purchase for $99 (plus a $9 shipping fee), or set up a subscription for $79 per month.

Subscriptions come with free shipping and a 90-day money-back guarantee and can be paused or canceled at any time. Subscribers also receive a “Welcome Kit” containing a canister, shaker, and five travel packs. Athletic Greens ships to customers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union.

For frequent travelers or those who constantly feel rushed for time, AG1 is available in travel packs, each holding a single serving. The travel packs are priced at $109 for a one-time order of 30 packs or $89 for a monthly subscription.

If multiple people in your household use AG1 (or you take two servings daily), a double subscription offers better value, at $149 per month for two 30-serving pouches or $169 for 60 travel packs per month. Setting up a double subscription will also earn you a year’s supply of Vitamin D3+K2 drops.

Taste and Texture

According to Athletic Greens, AG1 has a “subtly sweet flavor” that comes from “the natural essence of pineapple core and vanilla bean.” I appreciated the absence of sugar and artificial sweeteners, though I was disappointed that AG1 uses stevia. Although, high-purity steviol glycosides are considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are featured in many sugar-free products, stevia can be cloyingly sweet and leave a bitter aftertaste.

Overall, AG1 didn’t taste quite as unpleasant as I had expected after reading the customer reviews. I can’t say that I particularly enjoyed drinking it, though perhaps this isn’t surprising considering how many greens and mushrooms it contains. I could just about detect the pineapple and vanilla notes, though I thought it mostly tasted grassy, with a slight stevia aftertaste.

Athletic Greens recommends mixing a scoop of AG1 with 8-10 ounces of cool water and drinking the beverage on an empty stomach. Some reviewers mentioned that they had mixed AG1 with almond or oat milk. I also tried this, though the results were even less palatable than simply gulping it down with water.

Because of the sandy texture some customers mentioned, I found that the best way to take AG1 without having to taste it is to blend the powder into a fruit smoothie, though this may be too time-consuming for people looking for an easy way to take their greens on busy mornings. I also achieved a smoother texture by using a handheld milk frother.

AG1 Reviews

I found it fascinating to peruse the customer reviews on the Athletic Greens website because this product has divided opinions so dramatically. The numerous reviews I read gave contrasting verdicts about the supplement’s flavor, value for money, and effectiveness.

Some AG1 reviews were incredibly positive, with customers raving about the taste, texture, and potential health benefits like better energy levels, digestion, and post-workout recovery. For example, reviewer Austin C. commented, “I haven't been sick since I started taking AG1.”

Similarly, Amy W. said, “I've been feeling much more energetic since I started drinking AG1. My fingernails are stronger and healthier as well.”

On the other hand, some reviewers said that they had not noticed a difference in their overall health and wellness after weeks or even months of AG1 supplementation. For example, user Josh M. commented, “It’s good, but expensive, and I didn’t notice enough difference to justify the price.”

Quite a few reviewers said they take AG1 because they like the idea of boosting their nutrient intake with a single supplement. Philip L. wrote, “I don't always have time to prepare nutritious meals, so it's a comfort to know that AG1 is there to ensure my nutrition needs are met. It is also so much more convenient than the multiple pills I used to take.”

Bobbi E. commented, “I’m not sure since I don’t notice any significant changes, but just the thought of all the nutrients going into my system helps me feel better.”

Many reviewers couldn't get past AG1’s taste and texture, including Cynthia L., who said, “It tastes so bad I can’t even use it!.” The messiness and clumpiness of the powder were also frequently mentioned.

While some reviews described AG1 as “worth it” or a “good investment,” the more common theme was that it was overpriced, without obvious benefits. This was the view of Kristen S., who said, “My husband and I have been using this product consistently for about 45 days. So far, neither of us has noticed any particular benefit. We will keep using it for another month or two, but if there's still no noticeable benefit, we will cancel because this is a very expensive product.”

FAQs About AG1

In my role as a dietitian, I’m regularly quizzed by my clients about the effectiveness and side effects of green powders. Here are my answers to some of the most common questions I’ve been asked about Athletic Greens (AG1).

Is AG1 better than a multivitamin?

According to Athletic Greens, AG1 replaces the need to take a multivitamin as it has a high content of micronutrients like vitamins A, C, E, B5, B6, B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and biotin. Athletic Greens cites an in vitro study indicating that AG1 is more digestible than a multivitamin tablet and offers better bioavailability of certain minerals.

Yet, even if AG1 is at least as effective as a typical multivitamin, no supplement can take the place of a diet rich in whole fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain fiber, flavonoids, and phytonutrients.

Is Athletic Greens FDA-approved?

Athletics Greens (AG1) is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because it is a dietary supplement and not a medicine. The FDA "does not approve dietary supplements for safety and effectiveness or their labeling before they are sold to the public.” Thus, consumers should consider AG1 and other greens powders solely for their potential to support daily nutrition rather than treat any illness or health problem.

Why is AG1 so expensive?

Compared to most greens powders, AG1 is very expensive, at $2.64 per serving with a monthly subscription. Notably, there are other greens blends that offer nutrient-dense ingredients like spirulina, chlorella, alfalfa, barley grass, wheat grass, spinach, burdock root, digestive enzymes, and probiotics, yet are priced at less than $1.50 per serving. And while AG1 has a whopping 75 ingredients, many of these ingredients are likely to be extraneous for the average consumer.

What are the negative side effects of AG1?

It's relatively common to experience mild digestive side effects when starting a new supplement, especially one with as many ingredients as AG1. Some customer reviews mention bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach upset. For most AG1 users, these side effects are temporary and subside as the body adjusts to unfamiliar ingredients and high doses of vitamins and probiotics.

Prospective customers should note that AG1, like most greens powders, is not suitable for pregnant or nursing women or anyone under 18. Athletic Greens also encourages people to consult their doctor before beginning supplementation if they take any medications. I would also advise you to consult your doctor before taking AG1 if you have any significant health concerns.

Is Athletic Greens actually good for you?

Athletic Greens is a vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free product compatible with many diets and lifestyles. The ingredients in this green powder are generally very nutritious, especially the leafy greens and organic grasses. A serving of AG1 provides significant quantities of vitamins and minerals, though these micronutrients may not be as bioavailable as those in whole fruits and vegetables.

Is AG1 worth it?

As I mentioned above, the best diet plan for you should be personalized to your unique health concerns, schedule, and goals. AG1 is an excellent greens powder that may be a good fit for a number of individuals looking to fill large nutrient gaps or help with athletic performance and recovery. However, AG1 may not be worth it for everyone.

Because of its synthetic vitamins, stuffed ingredient list, and high cost (nearly $1 more per serving than other greens powders like Live it Up Super Greens or Bloom Greens), AG1 is not the supplement I’d recommend to most of my clients. Instead, I’d suggest a more approachable, all-natural greens powder that focuses on high-quality, organic ingredients, and a great taste at a manageable price.

Sources

Jordan Hill, MCD, RD, CSSD

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Jordan Hill, MCD, RD, CSSDis a Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. She works with athletes of all ages, those struggling with disordered eating, and the general population looking to improve overall health and wellness.