About Youngevity
Youngevity is a multi-level marketing company founded in 1997 by Dr. Joel Wallach based on his nutritional philosophies. The company sells a wide variety of health and wellness products including dietary supplements, weight management shakes, mineral makeup, coffee, and more.
With over 20 years in business, Youngevity now has over 450,000 independent distributors and reported net revenue of $338 million in 2021. While the company utilizes a direct selling model that recruits "distributors" to market and sell products, I will focus this review specifically on analyzing Youngevity‘s supplement line rather than the MLM opportunity.
Youngevity‘s Supplement Philosophy
Dr. Wallach, Youngevity‘s founder and formulator of many products, believes that most people do not get adequate nutrition from diet alone. He advocates supplements as essential to fill nutritional gaps.
Youngevity aims to provide supplements with vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, amino acids, and other compounds to support longevity and optimal health. However, some critics argue Youngevity utilizes pseudo-science and makes unrealistic claims about what its products can do.
Analyzing Youngevity‘s Top Selling Supplements
I analyzed in detail Youngevity‘s three top selling supplements based on reviews and popularity. Here‘s what I found:
Youngevity Beyond Tangy Tangerine 2.5
Beyond Tangy Tangerine (BTT) 2.5 is Youngevity‘s signature supplement, marketed as a complete multivitamin and mineral formula.
Ingredients:
Contains a diverse blend of vitamins, minerals, fruit/vegetable extracts, amino acids, prebiotics, probiotics, and other compounds. Key ingredients include vitamin C, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, selenium, beet root extract, coQ10, grape seed extract, and others.
Benefits:
Provides a full spectrum of essential vitamins and minerals. Antioxidants help fight free radicals and reduce inflammation. Beetroot extract boosts nitric oxide for heart health. Prebiotics/probiotics support digestive health. May boost immunity, brain function, bones, muscles, etc.
Taste & Mixability:
Comes in tasty tangerine flavor. Mixes easily in water for a tangy antioxidant-rich drink. Most reviews mention pleasant taste.
Safety & Side Effects:
Generally well tolerated but high doses of vitamin A, C, or B vitamins may cause nausea or GI distress in sensitive individuals.
Cost:
$64-$400 depending on quantity purchased. Pricey for a standard multivitamin but the extensive ingredients list somewhat justifies the cost.
Overall, BTT 2.5 is likely Youngevity‘s most solid product with decent ingredient quality for a multi-nutrient supplement.
Youngevity Healthy Body Start Pak 2.0
The Healthy Body Start Pak combines 4 of Youngevity‘s core supplement formulas into convenient daily packets. Each packet contains:
- 4 tablets of Beyond Tangy Tangerine 2.0
- 1 capsule of Ultimate Mineral Complex
- 1 capsule of Ultimate Calcium Complex
- 1 softgel of Ultimate EFA Plus (essential fatty acids)
Ingredients:
Provides vitamins, minerals, omega-3s, omega-6s, prebiotics, probiotics, and other compounds. Has some overlap with the Tangy Tangerine tablets.
Benefits:
Convenient "starter kit" that provides a spectrum of essential nutrients to fill dietary gaps. Omega-3s help reduce inflammation and support heart, brain, eye health. Calcium and trace minerals benefit bones.
Safety & Side Effects:
Likely safe for most people but contains multiple vitamin/mineral forms, so overdosing is a possibility if combining with other supplements.
Cost:
$150-$187 for a 2 month supply (60 packets). Very expensive compared to buying a basic multivitamin & omega-3 supplement separately. You pay a premium for the pre-packed convenience.
The Healthy Body Pak simplifies supplementation into daily packets so you don‘t have to take numerous bottles of pills. However, the price is quite high, especially given the multivitamins are similar to the cheaper Tangy Tangerine formula.
Youngevity Tangy Tangerine 2.0 Citrus Peach Fusion
Citrus Peach Fusion is the latest iteration of Youngevity‘s Tangy Tangerine multivitamin supplement, offered in citrus peach flavor.
Ingredients:
Nearly identical to original Beyond Tangy Tangerine except for a different flavor, 20mg less beet root extract, and adjusted amounts of some B vitamins and antioxidants.
Benefits & Safety:
Same as original Tangy Tangerine – provides full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, prebiotics, probiotics to fill nutritional gaps and support overall health. No major differences or improvements in newest version.
Taste:
Receives excellent reviews on improved citrus peach taste over original Tangy Tangerine flavor. Clearly formulated to be more palatable.
Cost:
Slightly cheaper than original Tangy Tangerine. Prices range from $64-$400 based on quantity. One of Youngevity‘s most cost-effective products for the ingredients.
The Citrus Peach Fusion Tangy Tangerine offers marginal improvements over the original formula – mostly in terms of flavor. Given the small differences, it seems the product was released largely for marketing purposes rather than any major nutritional upgrades.
Who is Youngevity Best For?
Youngevity supplements can benefit those with suboptimal diets lacking in certain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, omega-3s, probiotics and other essential nutrients.
The convenience of "all-in-one" supplement packs may appeal to busy professionals, athletes, seniors or those with high nutritional needs who want simplified supplementation regimens.
However, Youngevity‘s high prices make their products impractical for anyone on a tight budget. The sheer number of ingredients also increases chances of overdosing on certain nutrients if consumed long-term without medical guidance.
Compared to taking affordable single-ingredient supplements tailored to your needs, I would only recommend Youngevity‘s specialty formulas to address specific deficiencies diagnosed by lab testing.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Most negative reviews do not report major side effects, though a few mention digestive upset, nausea, increased urination or mild headaches after taking certain Youngevity products – likely stemming from excess B vitamins or high antioxidant doses.
To avoid complications, follow dosage directions carefully, consult your doctor before use especially when taking medications or if pregnant/nursing, and take a cautious approach if you have a pre-existing health condition. Discontinue use if any abnormal reactions occur.
In rare cases, overconsumption of vitamin A, iron and B6 could cause liver damage, organ toxicity or nerve damage over months or years according to clinical data. This likely only applies to those taking way above the recommended serving sizes.
What Do Customers Have to Say?
The majority of customer feedback indicates general satisfaction with Youngevity‘s products. Beyond Tangy Tangerine as a whole averages around 4 out of 5 stars on most independent review sites.
Positive highlights praise the variety of high-quality nutrients, improved energy, mental clarity, less joint pain, healthier skin and immune function. Negative critiques mainly cite the premium cost, uncertainty that products work better than cheaper supplements, and dissatisfaction with the direct selling compensation model.
Here‘s a brief summary of what reviewers say about Youngevity’s top products:
Beyond Tangy Tangerine 2.5
- 121 reviews, average 4.6/5 stars (Youngevity site)
- 358 ratings, average 4.7/5 stars (Amazon)
Healthy Body Start Pak 2.0
- 9 reviews, average 4.9/5 stars (Youngevity site)
- 171 ratings, average 4.6/5 stars (Amazon)
Tangy Tangerine 2.0 Citrus Peach
- 86 reviews, 4.8/5 stars (Youngevity site)
- 683 ratings, 4.8/5 stars (Amazon)
The consistently high average ratings indicate most customers find Youngevity delivers quality formulations with measurable benefits. However, potential biases from the MLM model may skew reviews on the Youngevity website.
Is Youngevity Worth the Money?
Given the specialty nature of their supplements packed with proprietary blends and processed extracts, Youngevity products generally offer decent value for money but are still quite pricey.
You pay a premium for the convenience, patented formulas, and presumably higher profit margins needed to compensate their multi-layer direct selling structure.
In my analysis, only their signature Beyond Tangy Tangerine seemed to somewhat justify the higher cost relative to its extensive ingredients list and mostly positive customer feedback.
Ultimately, it depends whether you specifically want all-inclusive "wellness in a bottle" type supplements as opposed to more affordable single-ingredient vitamins and minerals.
Youngevity Rankings From Independent Organizations
- Better Business Bureau: A+ Rating. 3/5 stars based on 4 reviews.
- Trustpilot: 4/5 stars based on 100+ reviews
The company receives high trust and ethical standards rankings from watchdog groups, indicating they generally conduct fair business and responsive customer service. This lends some credibility compared to shadier supplement brands.
Negative feedback on these sites mostly cites issues with delayed shipping, problems cancelling auto-ship orders, and misleading income claims by distributors.
How to Order Youngevity Products
Youngevity primarily sells directly to consumers via independent distributor websites or through their company site youngevity.com.
Some products are also available on Amazon and other online retailers, though pricing is usually inflated compared to buying directly from Youngevity distributors or while signed up for an autoship membership.
To find a distributor and best pricing, use Youngevity‘s locator tool to search for independent sellers in your area. Signing up as a "preferred customer" saves 20% on all products.
Return Policy & Consumer Guarantee
Youngevity offers a 30 day money back return policy on supplements returned unopened. Refunds are processed minus shipping fees. Ensure you understand the specific refund rules before purchasing – especially on autoship agreements.
Unlike some competitors, Youngevity currently does not offer any consumer satisfaction guarantees or free trial offers. This means once open, products cannot be returned or refunded.
How to Contact Youngevity
Questions about Youngevity orders, products, company policies, or locating a distributor can be directed to:
Phone: 800-982-3189
Email: multiple department email addresses listed on Youngevity.com
Customer service is available 7 days a week to assist both customers and distributors.
Before reaching out, check Youngevity‘s FAQ database which provides answers for commonly asked questions about orders, shipping, account issues, etc.
The Bottom Line
Youngevity offers a unique niche delivering highly-customized wellness formulas targeting everything from weight loss to athletic performance. Products emphasize comprehensive nutrition via optimum vitamin, mineral and nutraceutical intake.
While quality control practices have improved, there still remains questions over uncontrolled ingredient dosing in their heavily-patented proprietary blends not found in any third party tested supplements.
Given the available alternatives offering more standardized nutrients at lower cost, I would only recommend Youngevity supplements if unable to address health conditions through improved diet and less expensive isolated vitamins first.
The direct selling structure further complicates objective analysis due to tendencies of distorted product reviews and testimonials from network marketing distributors seeking to recruit downline affiliates.
In summary, asking your doctor if Youngevity supplements are appropriate for your needs seems the wisest course before purchasing given the premium pricing and potential safety concerns around long-term overconsumption patterns.
