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:
ADDITONAL INFORMATION
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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.
My husband and I have been taking Vega Complete Whole Food Health Optimizer for 6 months now and we feel great. I do have a slight stomach discomfort after drinking it but usually only lasts 10 minutes or so. It has been like this since the beginning and is not bad enough to stop me from taking it. We both work out and run on a regular basis and Vega gives us amazing energy and an overall feeling of well being. I really miss it on the days I opt to eat a different breakfast. My husband is a commercial airline pilot and has full physical examinations every six months and this past one was the best he’s ever had and he is sure it is because of the Vega. Although I am not crazy about the taste I will continue to plug my nose and drink it until I die!
I had taken the vega meal optimizer I think it is called a few months ago and never had any adverse side effects. However my boyfriend and I just bought a new tub of it and now when i take it within three hours I am vomiting uncontrollably with diahrrea, bad stomach cramps and get sweats. At first I thought i kept getting the stomach bug but realized it was the vega product. I am so disappointed because I feel it has so many beneficial nutrients. I am just very curious as to why it has this side effect for some while others like my boyfriend are perfectly fine. I cant believe this is detoxing because i have detoxed before when i switched to vegetarian. Now I am too nervous to try any other vega products because of what my body does. Any suggestions?
Another one here on the this-product-made-me-really-sick train. I emailed Victoria and have not received a response. I can’t believe is is months later and this is still an issue. How do they allow something like this into the market? Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen….
I bought the Vega Berry flavour mix on sale to try switching up my protein powder. I was fine the first day, the second day I was at work and I started having hot flashes and my face and ears went bright red enough that people commented on it during a meeting. I then went to another meeting but had to leave 2 minutes into it and run to the bathroom and vomited everything, had cramps and diarreah. I am not normally someone who throws up at all. I didn’t attirbute this to the protein however I had it again and felt extremely nauseous on the weekend and then once again vomited it all up. I stopped protein and started to feel better after a few days, bought my old type of protein however just the thought of having a protein drink brings back the feeling of vomiting so much that now when i have 3 sips of any kind of protein drink I am nauseous for the whole day. I definitley know the start of this was this Vega berry protein drink. I’ve used various protein products for many years and this is the first time I’ve ever had this reaction and it seems to have ruined me for any other protien supplement.
I had the same problem with this product. This past Monday I was at Whole Foods in Pasadena, California and bought a container of the complete whole food health optimizer, chocolate. I tried this tuesday morning after my morning run and was on the toilet most of the day. I had the shakes and felt clammy. I didn’t use it at all until about 15 minutes. Let’s see what happens. I’ll keep you updated.
Amanda Marie: As I mentioned previously, my theory as to why so many people are getting sick from Vega WFHO is because of vitamin A toxicity due to a deficiency of vitamin D (also known as the sunshine vitamin). It contains 5000 IU per serving which is enough to cause symptoms of illness such as nausea, vomiting, severe cramps, diarrhea, etc. You are most likely severely deficient in Vitamin D which helps prevent vitamin A toxicity. The reason you never got sick the first time you took Vega a few months ago is probably because you had enough vitamin D stored in your liver from getting plenty of sunshine during the summertime when the sun is strong enough to allow your body to produce and store a lot of vitamin D (exposing your skin to the sun produces vitamin D). But you got sick the second time around because your liver was depleted of vitamin D. If you plan to continue taking Vega WFHO (recently reformulated and renamed Vega One), you should first consider taking anywhere from 2000 to 4000 IU of vitamin D per day to replenish liver stores, especially during the winter and spring when the sun isn’t strong enough to produce vitamin D in your body. I’ve been taking 4000 IU per day for the past five months and never once got sick from Vega. I would strongly recommend Vitamin D liquid drops which is the most convenient method. If you’ve got any questions or concerns you can email me at enindo@yahoo.com. Good luck.
I too have been taking vega for a year and have been experiencing vomiting and diarrhea with this last container. I had thought I had norovirus all this time but now think its the vega. Wondering if they had some contaminated product? Just bought some new today so we sell see.
I just started taking Vega and so far no major side effects except that i’m feeling very bloated…
However I am extremely disappointed in their customer service off their Vega website.. they were not the most friendly when I tried to order products (should of been my first sign not to order via them), they just said go to the website and order which I did, but some of the stuff they sent me were “EXPIRED” – who does that that promotes health products? I’ve left msgs and sent them email and it’s been few days and still NOTHING… not even a peep from them.
Just from this bad customer service, I may be banning this product..
But Vega never ever had this problem before… I think it is only with the new VegaOne does this sort of problem exists? Do you guys find it even in the Sport System products too?
I am currently using Vega and VegaOne. I bought the new formula in a different flavor although I still had the old formula left. Never experienced any issues with old formula. I also did not experience any issues at first with new formula until now. Because I had the old one I was making larger size shakes for dinner and using the new formula for afternoon small shakes before working out. About a week ago I tried a full size shake (1 full scoop) for dinner and about an hour or two later I was extremely nauseous thinking a may get sick to my stomach but never did. The nausea continued next morning and throughout that day but got over it.
Yesterday I took a full scoop for breakfast on an empty stomach and exactly 2 hours later I was vomiting non-stop. It was only the shake, nothing from night before which had digested. I am very upset as I have been such a big fan of Vega until now. I hope something is figured out or they release some type of instructions to deal with eating this new formula.
I was using Vega One chocolate formula. I purchased it from Whole foods last week and it is now the fourth day on the product and I am experiencing severe explosive diarrhea. I have been going every half an hour. I am not planning on taking it this morning.
After reading these other posts it makes me wonder what is going on with this product. I have been a vegetarian for about a year and used to getting a lot of fiber and leafy greens in my diet so I doubt I would be experiencing any cleansing effects.
Also, I have used the Vega sport products (bars and protien powder) and never had a reaction like this