Vega Product Review
Note to our readership: There have been numerous comments on this post indicating illness after consuming this product. We did not experience this issue, and it seems that the problem does not affect everyone. However, in good conscience, we cannot recommend these products with so many of you commenting that you are having problems. The Vega corp has commented below. If you have gotten ill after trying the Vega product, please contact Victoria[at]sequelnaturals[dot]com. They are working to identify the problem.
Recently we had the opportunity to try some of the Vega line of products.
Specifically, we tried the Whole Food Health Optimizer, the Whole Food Smoothie Infusion, and the Antioxidant EFA (essential fatty acid) Oil Blend.
The Whole Food Smoothie Infusion is a high quality protein powder that also provides fiber and Omega 3 EFAs. I added it to my morning shake, in place of the protein powder I usually use. It had a pleasant taste and the added benefit of the fiber and EFAs which I wasn't getting in the hemp powder I've been using. So, as soon as I finish my stash, this is my new protein powder.
The Whole Food Smoothie Infusion is a great product to take on the road with you. All you need to do is add water and you have a vegan meal replacement. Personally, I thought they were a bit on the sweet side, but Jane loved them. She especially liked the chai flavor blended with ice to make a nice summer concoction. You can also add the smoothie infusion to the fruit based smoothie of your choice. They also provide you with a few recipes.
The Antioxidant EFA Oil blend makes a good salad dressing. We found it to have a slightly nutty taste which is a nice change from the extra virgin olive oil Jane usually uses.
Overall, we feel these are high quality products that are a welcome addition to our pantry.
Related Information:
This has been good for me to read. I bought the Berry Vega product for the first time a few months ago. I slowly went through an entire container and I was really happy. I bought a second container and I got sick with the first serving. I got stomach pains and diarrhea for a couple of days. I didn’t try it again for a week or so, but when I did, same result. I waited another couple of weeks, and now same results. I think the person who commented on the product decay seems to be on to something. That resonates with my experience since I had no issues with the first container. Thankfully I bought it from Amazon and I was able to send it back to them.
I’ve been taking half a serving of Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer on and off for the past few years and fortunately haven’t experienced any kind of illness so far. As for those people that have gotten horribly sick from it, the symptoms of severe nausea, headache, fever, vomiting, cramping sounds like a classic case of vitamin A (retinol) poisoning. The only other possible cause I can think of is the probiotics included in this product. They may not be compatible or suitable for everyone since each person is different and has a unique makeup/balance of intestinal flora just as our body chemistry is different. Perhaps if this delicate balance is tampered with it wreaks havoc so to speak and results in the above related symptoms. Could it be that for some users this negative effect occurs immediately while in others it takes some time? Who knows, it’s anybody’s guess. We won’t know the exact cause of this serious problem unless and until the people at Sequel Naturals conducts a proper and thorough investigation. Not to alarm anyone, but for all we know, the chlorella could be contaminated by radioactive waste due to the recent fallout at Fukushima nuclear power plant back in March and this is what is making everyone so violently ill. It is grown and sourced from an outdoor pond in Japan, after all. I hope this is not the case because if in fact it is, it means the product would most likely be discontinued and that would really suck.
Anyway, just some food for thought (no pun intended).
Okay, after re-reading my previous post I’d like to say that I was way off in thinking that these symptoms of illness may be related to nuclear fallout or radiation poisoning. I mistakenly overlooked those posts made prior to March of this year, before the devastating tsunami in Japan; so clearly it’s not a case of radioactive waste contamination in the chlorella.
Dave: It sounds to me like you’ve experienced a certain form of vitamin A toxicity known as “chronic hypervitaminosis A”. Google this term to read more about it. Those people who got sick almost immediately after their first dose of Vega probably experienced acute vitamin A toxicity or acute hypervitaminosis A. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to overdose on this vitamin, especially if your diet is rich in carotenoids (beta-carotene is converted into Vitamin A) or you have very low levels of vitamin D in your body. Both is even worse. The fact that Vega contains Vitamin D2 does not help at all since it is known to interfere with Vitamin D3 which is the superior and preferred form of Vitamin D. Too much Vitamin D2 can actually contribute to a deficiency of Vitamin D3. I’m not sure if the 400IU of vitamin D2 per serving that’s found in Vega is problematic but it certainly doesn’t help matters. Personally, I’d like to see it completely removed from the formula because I think it does more harm than good. The latest research and lab testing indicates that most people in North America are severely deficient in vitamin D. Therefore, we need to get a lot more vitamin D3 from sunshine, eggs, salmon, cod liver oil, and supplementation during the winter/spring. Most people need anywhere from 2000-5000 IU per day. THIS IS THE OPTIMAL AMOUNT. The current RDA of 400 IU is simply not enough. Not only does an adequate and sufficient intake of Vitamin D3 significantly improve your general health, it will also help prevent Vitamin A toxicity. Vitamin K2 is also extremely important and beneficial for your health. I take both in supplement form.
One more thing I forgot to mention is that everyone needs to carefully monitor their total daily vitamin A intake from both food and supplements. It would be wise to avoid any foods or supplements that contain preformed vitamin A while using Vega. This also includes fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products. Cod liver oil is best avoided unless it has an acceptable ratio of vitamin A to D (2:1 but no more than 5:1) and only a small amount is used. Regardless, it’s always a good idea to supplement with extra vitamin D to avoid vitamin A toxicity/poisoning.