I Tried This Cult Wellness Brand's Newest Supplements—Here's My Honest Review

I have a confession to make as a wellness editor that might shock you: I'm not very good at taking daily vitamins and supplements. I hope you will forgive me for this admission. Now, that doesn't mean I don't take any of the things I'm promoting on this site. That's far from the truth—my supplement stash takes up two drawers in my kitchen, and that's not to mention my inventory in the THE/THIRTY offices. I'm seriously considering buying a separate medicine cabinet just for all of my pills and powders and tinctures.

I'm just not good at the daily routine. I have moments when I'm super diligent about taking my daily multivitamins and supplements. Then after a couple of months, it kind of drops off, and I take them whenever I remember or see them on my kitchen counters. I know, I know. My sporadic vitamin-taking kind of defeats the efficacy of these products, but I've been trying to get better. Somehow I always remember to take my hair gummies, but maybe it's because they taste so damn good. 

When I found out that cult wellness brand (and one of our editor favorites) Sakara Life was launching new daily supplement, The Foundation (Sakara Rx), I thought it was the perfect time to change my ways. I received a 30-day supply in the mail and decided to be extra vigilant about taking them. It also helped that the supplements are packaged in easy-to-use multi-packs with six pills. When you order, you get a one-month supply. They retail for $120 for a 30-day supply and $105 per month for a subscription.

"We care deeply about where our food comes from, how it's grown, and the health benefits it provides," Danielle Duboise, Sakara co-founder and co-CEO, told THE/THIRTY. "We wanted a regimen of high-quality, plant-based supplements created under equally stringent guidelines that would fill potential nutritional gaps and support optimal holistic health and vitality—meaning digestive wellness, energy and mood support, strong immunity, and beautiful, ageless skin. So we created Sakara Rx, the first plant-based, medical grade supplement pack on the market, with science-based formulations that are clean, effective, and trustworthy."

Because there are so many supplements out there, it can get pretty overwhelming. I mean, I just told you I had two drawers and then some of supplements at my house and office. It's always important to know what's inside the vitamins you're taking and, of course, to check in with your doctor or another healthcare professional before you start a new regimen. I asked Duboise and Sakara's other co-founder and co-CEO, Whitney Tingle, to help break down what's in The Foundation and what benefits users can expect.

What's in Them?

The Foundation is clean, plant-based, and doctor-formulated, which isn't a big surprise when you think about Sakara's other offerings. If you've ever ordered its meal program, you know it's all plant-based recipes that actually taste good. And the brand's existing supplement-and-wellness product line is clean, too.

The ingredients are nontoxic, made of botanicals and superfoods, and are vegan-friendly. For those with allergies or sensitivities, you'll be happy to know it's free of dairy, gluten, shellfish, soy, GMOs, fillers, hexane, colors, pesticides, nuts, wheat, eggs, and fish. Whew.

Here's a breakdown of the six pills in each daily pack:

Superfood Multi: You get two of these in one pack. They're your source of all the daily vitamins and minerals you need, such as vitamin A, D3 (sourced from lichen so it's vegan-friendly), and zinc. It also contains superfoods like quinoa sprouts and moringa leaf extract.

Algae Omega: The pack includes one omega-3 pill that's sourced from nutrient-rich marine microalgae instead of fish.

Macro Minerals: You also get one of these pills that contains calcium and magnesium.

Complete Probiotic Formula: And you get a probiotic, too! This particular formula contains 11 bacterial strains, prebiotic fiber, and digestive and systemic enzymes.

Adaptogenic B Complex: Lastly, you get one B-complex supplement that has all the B vitamins, plus the adaptogen, ashwagandha root extract

What Are Their Benefits?

So now that you know what's in these pills, what are the purported benefits of these dailies? Each of the pills focuses on different needs: gut health, immunity, energy, beautiful skin, and system-wide vitality.

"The Foundation includes all the essential nutrition support required daily to help fill any potential nutritional gaps—think of it as your daily nutritional insurance policy," Duboise says. "Getting nutrients from food is always best, but even if you eat perfectly 100% of the time (and who's perfect?), lifestyle, stress, and compromised soil lead to nutritional gaps. These formulations provide more than 25 essential nutrients in food-based form to help nourish your body and mind. They lay the foundation for your body to function at its best."

And because I'm all about instant gratification, I wanted to know what kind of results I'd see after taking them. Unfortunately, you won't be a changed person overnight—is there a supplement out there that actually does that?—but you should expect to see some changes in a few days, Duboise and Tingle told me. They said that within the first week, you'd feel an increase in energy, focus, and brain clarity. After a month, you can see improved digestion regularity and less bloat. Within three to four months, you'll see the full effects like skin hydration and glow, a strengthened immune system, and an overall feeling of energy and well-being.

It also helps to take these supplements regularly and over the long-term: "It takes about 120 days for your red blood cells to fully turn over, so you want to give yourself that amount of time to feel the full effects of taking it," says Tingle.

My Review

Okay, at this point in the story, you're probably thinking, All of the above sounds so peak wellness with plant-based ingredients and feeling good from the inside out and all those buzzwords like adaptogens and probiotics. You might be a little skeptical as to if they really worked.

Well, after taking them for almost a month, I'm in no way a totally different person, but I do feel GOOD. And isn't that all you can ask of a supplement? There's no magic pill that instantly turns you into a totally different, perfect version of yourself. 

To start, I thought the multi-packs were super convenient. Knowing that pretty much all the vitamins and nutrients I needed for the day were in this little packet made it so easy. As recommended, I took my packet every morning after breakfast with a big glass of water. I also made it a point to drink plenty of water throughout the day to help with any sensitivity to the supplements, which I ended up not having. And if you're wondering about packaging waste, Sakara says that it uses 80% less plastic in the daily packs than bottled individual supplements.

As for how they changed my body, I did notice an increase in energy and focus after about two weeks of consumption. I felt more awake throughout the day and saw that my mood was lifted. And after about three weeks, I noticed my face was not as dry. I always have some kind of dryness on my skin, so that was a welcome benefit. I'm also sure that my increased intake of water helped, too. It wasn't all completely gone, but it was more manageable.

And this is where I get to the TMI portion of my review: I'm pretty, um, regular, so I didn't really think twice when I was reading about the digestion benefits. But I do think the supplements helped in that department, too, even though I didn't really think I needed any help! I felt way less bloated throughout the day and was even more regular (if you know what I mean).

All in all, I noticed some small changes after taking the supplements—nothing too dramatic but beneficial enough that I'm going to continue taking them. I was pretty pleased with the results and want to continue taking them long-term to see if there are other results. And promise to take them diligently—I hope.

While they worked for me, you should keep in mind that supplements can have varied effects because everyone is different. Don't forget to check with your doctor before adding any new product to your vitamin routine.

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