By Grant Smith, Advanced Manual Therapies
My Personal Experience
From childhood asthma to Division I swimming
I was born with asthma and spent a lot of my first three years in and out of hospitals. After multiple rounds of steroids, my mother started asking the question many parents eventually ask: there has to be a better way to support a child’s health.
That search led her to Juice Plus+. After seeing the transformation in my own health, she went on to work with the company and eventually became a National Marketing Director. I grew out of the asthma, went on to swim Division I in college, and have had no lung issues or signs of asthma to this day.
This is my personal story, not a promise of results. But it is why I take whole food nutrition seriously and why I am comfortable introducing Juice Plus+ to clients who want a simple way to improve the nutritional foundation they build from.
What Juice Plus+ is trying to do
Juice Plus+ is designed to help people add concentrated plant-based nutrition from fruits, vegetables, berries, and other plant foods into a daily routine. The company describes its core capsule products as whole food based, plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, made without GMO ingredients, and certified for quality and safety by NSF (Juice Plus+ Capsules).
I also talk about nutrition because recovery is not only mechanical. Whether the goal is pain reduction, performance, tissue healing, post-treatment soreness, or simply feeling better day to day, the body adapts inside a biological environment shaped by inflammation, oxidative stress, sleep, movement, and nutrition. Better inputs create a better environment for the work we do in the clinic to actually stick.
The goal is not to replace a great diet. The goal is to help close the gap when real life gets in the way of eating a wide range of produce consistently. That distinction matters because my first recommendation is still food, movement, sleep, sunlight, hydration, and daily habits. Juice Plus+ fits best when it supports those habits instead of replacing them.
The Research
Research that connects nutrition to inflammation, oxidative stress, and recovery
Juice Plus+ is not a replacement for food, sleep, training, or clinical care. The reason I pay attention to it is that several human studies have looked at the finished fruit, vegetable, and berry product, not just isolated ingredients.
For the AMT population, the most relevant research is not about vague “wellness.” It is about the biological environment that affects recovery: oxidative stress, systemic inflammation, blood flow, immune resilience, and gene-expression pathways connected to repair and metabolic health.
Like all nutrition research, this should be read with context. Several Juice Plus+ studies were company-funded or company-supported, many study populations were specific, and biomarker changes do not mean the product treats disease. I see it as a practical whole-food nutrition foundation that may help support the terrain the body is trying to recover in.
What some of the studies have shown
Inflammation and metabolic stress
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Nutrients, overweight adults over 40 took Juice Plus+ fruit, vegetable, and berry capsules or placebo for 8 weeks. The Juice Plus+ group showed a reduction in TNF-alpha and increases in beta-carotene and total carotenoids, with a high-CRP subgroup also showing gene-expression changes involving NF-kB and AMPK-related pathways. This is relevant clinically because chronic low-grade inflammation can make recovery feel slower and less predictable, even when the mechanical treatment plan is sound (Williams et al., 2017).
Oxidative stress and microcirculation
In an 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in obese premenopausal women, a fruit, vegetable, and berry juice powder concentrate combined with walking exercise reduced several oxidation markers, including oxidized LDL, total lipid oxidation status, and carbonyl proteins. The same study reported improved skin microcirculation measures and lower TNF-alpha compared with placebo, which fits AMT’s interest in tissue oxygenation, circulation, and recovery capacity (Lamprecht et al., British Journal of Nutrition).
Exercise-related oxidative load
In trained men and women, a randomized double-blind trial in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise compared vitamin C plus vitamin E, a fruit and vegetable juice powder concentrate, and placebo during repeated 30-minute runs at 80% VO2 max. After 2 weeks, the fruit and vegetable group attenuated the post-exercise rise in protein carbonyls, a marker of oxidative protein damage, although it did not improve every oxidative-stress marker measured. That nuance matters: the best claim is support for a healthier oxidative-stress response, not a promise of faster recovery for every person (Bloomer et al., 2006).
Cellular signaling and aging biology
Newer Juice Plus+ research is also looking beyond single nutrients toward longer-term markers of inflammaging, immune function, redox balance, mitochondrial DNA copy number, cognitive function, and quality of life. A 24-month randomized controlled clinical trial protocol in adults ages 55 to 80 is designed to test Juice Plus+ fruit, vegetable, and berry capsules, the plant-based Omega Blend, both products together, or control, with outcomes that include TNF-alpha, hsCRP, oxidized LDL, malondialdehyde, carbonyl proteins, upper-respiratory symptoms, and mitochondrial DNA copy number. This is not outcome proof yet, but it shows the research direction is moving toward the same systems we care about clinically: inflammation, redox biology, immune resilience, and age-related recovery capacity (Tsiountsioura et al., 2023).
The Label Difference
Nutrition Facts, not Supplement Facts
One of the first things I point out to clients is the back of the Juice Plus+ product: it says Nutrition Facts, not Supplement Facts. That is a meaningful distinction. The FDA’s dietary supplement labeling guidance explains that dietary supplements use a Supplement Facts panel, while conventional foods use a Nutrition Facts panel, with different rules for what must and may be listed (FDA Dietary Supplement Labeling Guide).
That is why I do not frame Juice Plus+ as “just another supplement.” I think of it as concentrated whole food nutrition: fruits, vegetables, berries, omegas, fiber, protein, and plant compounds delivered in a way that is simple enough to use consistently.
Whole food nutrition foundation
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Berries
- Plant-based omegas
How this differs from typical supplements
I still use and recommend targeted supplements when there is a clear reason. Brands like Thorne can be excellent for specific needs, especially when you are trying to correct a measurable deficiency, use a precise dose, or choose sports-tested products. Thorne describes its NSF Certified for Sport line as dietary supplements and notes that the certification tests for the absence of more than 300 banned substances (Thorne NSF Certified for Sport).
Juice Plus+
Best thought of as a daily whole food nutrition foundation. It is less about targeting one isolated ingredient and more about consistently adding a broader spectrum of plant-based nutrition.
Targeted Supplements
Useful when you need a specific nutrient, dose, lab-guided intervention, or sport-tested formula. This is where companies such as Thorne often fit very well.
The simple way I explain it: Juice Plus+ is the foundation; targeted supplementation is the tool. You can use both, but they serve different purposes.
Juice Plus+ product overview
Here is the practical breakdown I would give a client who is new to the product line. Product details can change, so always review the current label and product page before purchasing.
Fruit, Vegetable, Berry & Omega Blend Capsules
This is the most comprehensive capsule option. Juice Plus+ describes it as fruit, vegetable, berry, and omega blends that include plant-based vitamins and omegas 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9. The omega sources include algae, pomegranate seed, raspberry seed, sea buckthorn berry, safflower seed, and tomato seed oils (Juice Plus+ Capsules).
Fruit, Vegetable & Berry Blend Capsules
This capsule trio focuses on concentrated nutrition from fruits, vegetables, and berries. The official product information highlights ingredients such as apple, cranberry, orange, broccoli, parsley, kale, Concord grape, pomegranate, bilberry, blueberry, and other plant foods (Juice Plus+ Fruit, Vegetable & Berry Capsules).
Fruit, Vegetable & Berry Blend Chewables
The chewables are designed for children and adults who do not want to swallow capsules. Juice Plus+ describes them as plant-based, vegan, whole food based, gluten-free, certified non-GMO, certified kosher, made without high-fructose corn syrup, and certified for quality and safety by NSF (Juice Plus+ Chewables).
Complete Shakes
Complete is the shake line. Juice Plus+ describes each serving as a plant-powered nutrition shake with 13 to 14 grams of protein, all 9 essential amino acids, 7 grams of fiber, and 9 essential vitamins and minerals when prepared as directed (Juice Plus+ Complete Shakes).
What NSF certification means here
NSF is an independent testing and certification organization. Juice Plus+ product pages state that the capsules, chewables, and Complete shakes are certified for quality and safety by NSF (Juice Plus+ Capsules, Juice Plus+ Chewables, Juice Plus+ Complete Shakes).
For athletes and active families, third-party certification matters because it adds another layer of trust around manufacturing quality and label integrity. It does not mean a product is a treatment for disease, and it does not replace individual clinical judgment.
Families
Healthy Starts: free Juice Plus+ for a young person
One program I think families should know about is Healthy Starts. With a qualifying adult Juice Plus+ subscription, Juice Plus+ states that a loved one ages 4 to 25 can receive free Juice Plus+ Fruit & Vegetable Blend capsules or chewables, with shipments every four months and a shipping charge per free shipment (Juice Plus+ Healthy Starts).
The current U.S. program language says the adult must be 18 or older, the young person must be between ages 4 and 25, children ages 4 to 12 receive a child’s order, and teenagers and young adults ages 13 to 25 receive an adult order every four months (Juice Plus+ Healthy Starts).
Juice Plus+ also asks families to share progress through optional surveys, which is part of the company’s long-running family wellness effort (Juice Plus+ Healthy Starts). I would describe these survey results as real-world family feedback, not the same thing as a randomized clinical trial.
What else is worth pointing out
- It is not either/or. I do not see Juice Plus+ and high-quality supplements as competitors. Juice Plus+ is a daily nutrition foundation; targeted supplements are more precise tools when labs, symptoms, medications, training demands, or goals call for them.
- Consistency matters. The best nutrition product is the one someone will actually take, and Juice Plus+ is simple enough for busy adults, kids, athletes, and families to use consistently.
- Finished-product research matters. Many products lean on research about single ingredients. Juice Plus+ has human studies on the actual product, which is one of the reasons I view it differently.
- Whole food still comes first. I would still rather see clients eat more plants, protein, and minimally processed foods. Juice Plus+ helps fill the gap; it does not replace the target.
Start Here
Want to try Juice Plus+?
If you are an AMT client and want to build a more consistent nutrition foundation, you can browse Juice Plus+ products through my partner link. If you have a medical condition, take medications, are pregnant, or are purchasing for a child, talk with your clinician before making nutrition changes.
Educational note: This page shares personal experience and general nutrition information. Juice Plus+ products are not presented here as a substitute for medical care, medication, a varied diet, or individualized nutrition guidance. No product can guarantee the same outcome someone else experienced.