In this article, we’re going to take a look at and compare two of the most popular greens powder supplements on the market. This comprehensive Beyond Greens vs Athletic Greens comparison will break down the ingredients, price, value, and more to determine which greens powder is better. Let’s dive in!
What is the difference between Beyond Greens and Athletic Greens?
The difference between Beyond Greens and Athletic Greens is most notable when it comes to the amount of superfoods per serving. Athletic Greens is fairly potent, providing about 10,000 milligrams worth of superfoods in every serving. That’s a pretty average mark the greens powder industry when it comes to superfood blend potency.
On the flipped side, Live Conscious Beyond Greens provides an abysmal 2,700 milligrams worth of superfoods per serving. This is easily the weakest greens powder I have ever evaluated, which is saying a lot since I’ve been doing this for 20 years. Anyways, the primary difference between these two greens powder supplements is that Athletic Greens is about three times as potent.
However, Athletic Greens is still not our top recommended greens supplement. In fact, our top ranked best greens powder is a whopping 50% more potent than Athletic Greens. If you want to learn more about the top options, click here: BEST GREEN DRINK POWDERS.
Beyond Greens vs Athletic Greens comparison
Comparison | Beyond Greens | Athletic Greens | Winner |
Superfoods Per Serving | 2,700 milligrams | 10,000 milligrams | Athletic Greens |
Pricing | $39.99 | $99 | Beyond Greens |
Flavor | 5/10 | 6/10 | Athletic Greens |
Probiotics | 300 million CFU | 7.2 billion CFU | Athletic Greens |
Protein | 2 grams | 2 grams | Tie |
Digestive Enzymes | 10 milligrams | 154 milligrams | Athletic Greens |
Overall Winner | Rating: 2.8/5 | Rating: 3.9/5 | Athletic Greens |
1. Beyond Greens vs Athletic Greens pricing
At $99 for a one month supply, Athletic Greens costs just over twice as much as Beyond Greens. This may make Athletic Greens seem incredibly expensive, but let’s not forget about the nutrition facts. Athletic Greens is three times as potent, so is its price justified?
Athletic Greens certainly should cost more due to how many more nutrients it contains, but we still don’t believe the $99 price point is justified. Our top ranked greens powder is 50% more potent and actually less expensive…let that sink in. You get 50% more superfoods, and you actually get to save money.
On the other hand, Live Conscious Beyond Greens is a super cheap greens powder because there’s just not much in it. You get what you pay for, and with this supplement, you’re really not paying for much. It’s just super weak compared to its competitors. As a Nutrition Coach, I feel obligated to tell you to stay away from this greens powder at all costs. I don’t like to use the word “scam,” but that word may be applicable here.
Bottom Line: Both price points are absurd, and neither supplement provides enough nutrients to justify the price.
2. Flavor
Greens powders are not known for their taste, as you can probably imagine. Neither of these products taste great, but the Athletic Greens taste has better flavor simply because they add more natural and artificial flavors to it to improve the taste. Keep in mind that in order for them to improve the taste, they had to add in a bunch of ingredients that raise the fat, sugar, and sodium content, which is not good.
Live Conscious Beyond Greens doesn’t taste very good because they didn’t add enough flavoring to mask the taste of the greens in my opinion. The consistency is also pretty bad. It’s just very powdery and doesn’t have much flavor to it at all…I really don’t have anything positive to say about this greens powder, and I’d actually strongly recommend avoiding both.
3. Probiotics
In case you didn’t notice in the table above, Athletic Greens has way more probiotics in it than Beyond Greens does. I mean, it’s just not even close. There’s not much else to say here. Athletic Greens provides 7.2 billion CFU worth of probiotics per serving, which is really just a pretty average amount when compared to some of the top notch greens powders in the space.
On the flipped side, you only get 300 million CFU worth of probiotics in every serving of Beyond Greens, which is a negligible amount. Again, not much else to say here as the numbers speak for themselves. The greens powders we are comparing here are essentially a run of the mill, completely average superfood powder (AG) versus an absolutely embarrassing, terrible one (BG).
I can’t stress enough how important probiotics are when it comes to your immune system, digestive health, gut health, and improving your gut microbiome. Probiotics have an incredibly powerful effect on your gut health, and when your gut is functioning efficiently, so is the rest of your body. Your gut is a lot more important than you might think…
Did you know that your gut holds 90% of your serotonin? Therefore, your gut health actually has a direct impact on your cognitive function and brain health. That’s part of the reason why it is so important for greens powders to contain a sufficient dosage of probiotics, and neither one of the greens powders in question provides a high enough dosage, which is very unfortunate.
4. Superfoods Per Serving (SFPS)
This is the most important part of the entire comparison and the most important part of evaluating any/all greens powders for that matter. There is an enormous difference between the two greens powders in question when it comes to this particular aspect. We’re talking about 10,000 milligrams per serving versus 2,700 milligrams per serving from Athletic Greens and Beyond Greens, respectively.
It doesn’t take a math whiz to figure out that Athletic Greens contains over three times the amount of superfoods in every serving. So, just like the situation with the probiotics comparison, this is just a no brainer. AG is the better of the two greens powders, but again, it’s still not one that we recommend very highly. 10,000 milligrams worth of superfoods per serving may sound impressive, but compare that to our top ranked green drink, and you’ll see it’s really not impressive at all.
The best greens powders provide around 15,000 milligrams worth of powdered fruits and vegetables that are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals (specifically B Vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin E), antioxidants, and detoxifying agents that ultimately can produce tremendous health benefits with regard to your gut health, immune system, weight loss, energy levels, liver health, blood pressure, and more.
It’s my opinion that 10,000 MG is not enough to produce these benefits. However, 15,000 MG is more than enough to produce serious health benefits speaking from personal experience. The green drink I use has truly changed my life. The immunity boost is perhaps the most noticeable benefit…I can’t remember the last time I got sick, even during the winter. My immune system has never been stronger.
5. Digestive Enzymes
Digestive Enzymes are a crucial part of any green powder formula because they allow your body to properly digest and absorb the superfoods. However, Beyond Greens unfortunately barely contains any at all, with only 10 milligrams per serving…this is nowhere near enough digestive enzymes to make a significant impact and frankly another very embracing nutritional statistic for what continues to be one of the worst greens powders I have ever reviewed.
Athletic Greens contains 154 milligrams worth of digestive enzymes per serving, which may sound like a lot, but it’s actually pretty unimpressive. Obviously, it’s better than Beyond Greens, but there are several other green powders that contain way higher amounts of digestive enzymes than Athletic Greens does. Here’s why these enzymes are key for your digestive health…
Greens powders come with a ton of nutrient dense whole superfoods and leafy greens (such as artichoke leaf extract, barley leaf, and more) in every serving, which can be hard for your body to digest. If you day doesn’t properly digest them, this can lead to poor nutrient absorption.
In other words, the nutrient dense whole foods can end up going to waste instead of being properly digested, absorbed, and utilized. Digestive enzymes ensure that this does NOT happen by breaking the nutrients down into tiny, easily digestible pieces.
6. Protein
The only part of the nutritional profile where both greens powders are massive fails is the protein content. They both have virtually no protein in them whatsoever. Athletic Greens and Beyond Greens both provide 2 grams of protein in every serving, which isn’t significant at all and certainly not enough to produce any noticeable health benefits.
To put into perspective how low this number is, our top ranked green drink supplement provides 12 milligrams of 100% vegan pea protein powder in every serving…now that’s impressive. High protein content is important for a lot of reasons, but it is especially important if you are interested in weight loss. Here’s why…
Protein makes your stomach feel full, which means a greens powder with a high protein content can serve as an effective meal replacement, thereby reducing your daily caloric intake. For example, I consume my green drink every morning instead of eating breakfast, which means I am consuming significantly less calories every day. This can help a lot when it comes to weight loss.
Additionally, high protein content means that the greens powder is also helping to repair and grow my muscles after my exercise routine, which can lead to an improvement in lean muscle mass. When you build lean muscle mass, you are effectively forcing fat out by replacing it with muscle, which can help contribute to weight loss.
Beyond Greens vs Athletic Greens ingredients comparison
In this section, we’re going to zoom in on the specific ingredients and compare the superfood profiles, both go which are non GMO and gluten free. We’ll take a look at what ingredients they have in common as well as which ingredients separate one from the other. Let’s go ahead and dig in…
Common ingredients
Reishi Mushroom
Reishi mushroom provides the user with a wide variety of benefits, but it is best known for the relaxing, stress relieving effect it can have on people. Many people take it as a stress management supplement, while others take it to help enhance cognitive function. While most of the health benefits are related to the brain, some studies also suggest it may help improve immune system function.
Beyond Greens provides 25 milligrams of Reishi per serving, whereas the dosage of in Athletic Greens is undisclosed. The dosage size of this ingredient is hidden within their proprietary blend. It’s unfortunate that we do not know the serving size because that means there is no way for us determine whether or not the supplement contains enough of the ingredient for it to produce any benefits.
Rhodiola Rosea Root
Rhodiola root is best known for its ability to improve cognitive function and brain health. It is widely accepted as a nootropic ingredient, which means it can boost cognition and mental performance. Beyond Greens contains 50 milligrams of this ingredient, while Athletic Greens again leaves the dosage amount undisclosed.
Chlorella
Chlorella is one of the most powerful superfoods known to man. It is loaded with antioxidants, has anti-inflammatory properties, and is believed to help lower cholesterol. This potent detoxifying superfood is a crucial part of any greens supplement formula, which is why it is a shame that the serving size is criminally small with regard to both of the green powder supplements in question.
Beyond Greens contains 500 milligrams of Chlorella per serving, which is below average, but perhaps good enough for it to produce some benefits. This is actually the most respectable part about the formula. Everything outside of this dosage is super weak. The dosage of Chlorella in Athletic Greens is again left undisclosed, which is unfortunate.
Chlorella naturally contains a ton of vitamins and minerals as well as other powerful antioxidants that can lead to tremendous benefits, which is why it is one of the most important greens ingredients. You’ll notice a higher functioning immune system as well as higher energy levels if you are getting a sufficient dosage of this ingredient.
Ingredients exclusive to Beyond Greens
Lion’s Mane Mushroom
Lions mane mushroom is not necessarily a superfood, which is why most superfood supplements don’t contain it. Most of the benefits that it is said to produce are actually largely unproven, but it’s mainly used as a brain enhancement supplement. Beyond Greens contains 25 milligrams of it per serving, which is not really enough to have any real effect.
Turkey Tail Mushroom
Turkey tail mushroom is another ingredient that really just doesn’t have much of a place in a superfood supplement. It’s not really considered to be a superfood, and I’m not sure what the purpose of including it in this formula really is. It’s possible it could produce some benefits, but not at the small dosage of 25 milligrams per serving that Beyond Greens provides.
Ingredients exclusive to Athletic Greens
Spirulina
Next to Chlorella, Spirulina is widely accepted as the most powerful superfood ingredient available. It’s loaded with antioxidants, polyphenols, and other nutrients that combine to produce a wide variety of benefits including reduced cholesterol and improved digestion. If you don’t see Spirulina on the ingredients label, run the other way!
The fact that Beyond Greens does not contain Spirulina is mind boggling, but at least Athletic Greens contains a rather large amount of it. They don’t disclose the exact amount, but it is listed as the most highly dosed ingredient in its respective blend. At the end of the day, neither of these superfood supplements contains enough of this powerful ingredient.
If you look at our top ranked best greens powder, you will notice that the ingredients label specifically says the supplement contains 2,000 milligrams of Spirulina…now that’s a sufficient dosage! In fact, Kylea (the makers of the product) is so aware of how important this ingredient is, that you don’t even have to look at the ingredients label to find the dosage. They put it right on the front of the bag so that you couldn’t miss it!
Wheat Grass
Wheat grass is packed with antioxidants and other organic nutrients that can help lead to lower cholesterol levels. Wheat grass can also help eliminate toxins and improve digestive function. This is another crucial ingredient that we love to see on superfood supplement ingredients labels, but since it’s part of a proprietary blend in Athletic Greens, we don’t know the dosage size.
When it comes to an ingredient this important, the serving size is a crucial thing to know, so it’s very unfortunate that the AG ingredients label does not disclose it. The health benefits cereal grasses like this one can produce for you are amazing with regard to your immune system, hormone function, blood pressure, blood sugar, digestive health, and more.
When consumed in sufficient amounts, cereal grasses have been shown to be some of the best nutrients you can take when it comes to improving your blood pressure. This is likely a result of the shockingly high amount of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids.
Barley
Barley is a very fibrous substance that can produce a lot of benefits with regard to digestion and your gastrointestinal system as a whole. This high fiber superfood is an excellent addition to the Athletic Greens formula, but again, the serving size is not disclosed, so we don’t know if there is enough of it in the formula to produce benefits.
It is an absolute necessity for greens formulas to contain Barley and other ingredients with high fiber content because these ingredients helps you feel full when you consume them. That makes the green drink a more effective meal replacement supplement and also makes it more likely for the supplement to help out when it comes to weight management as a result.
Which is better, Beyond Greens or Athletic Greens? Our Conclusion
Bottom Line: In case you couldn’t tell at this point in the article, we think that Athletic Greens is pretty obviously the better choice here, but again, we do NOT recommend either supplement. Beyond Greens just severely lacks potency and is missing way too many key superfood ingredients, whereas AG is just your average run of the mill green drink…nothing to write home about.
We do NOT recommend either one of these supplements and would strongly encourage you to have a look at our top ranked greens supplement, which is 50% more potent AND less expensive. If you’d like to learn more about the two supplements covered in this article, you can learn more about either one of these supplements by reading our full Beyond Greens review and our full Athletic Greens review.
I’m not just a supplement analyst. I’m an extremely qualified one! I am a Certified Nutrition Coach (CNC) and actually received my certification directly from the National Academy of Sports Medicine. I am also a Nutrition & Wellness Consultant, certified by the American Fitness Professionals Association (AFPA).
