Taking supplements is becoming an extremely common practice. Some people like to take multivitamins, specific vitamins to grow their hair, or protein supplements to maximise performance in the gym. Whatever your niche, there’s probably a supplement to maximise your health.
Lately, CBD supplements have become all the rage. This non-psychoactive cannabinoid is fast becoming a staple in the medicine cabinet. So much so that non-CBD brands are now branching into the world of CBD.
One of these brands is UB Super, a plant-based protein company known for its healthy shakes. The UB Super range now features hemp extract smoothies. Should these be your next health investment? In today’s review, we find out whether the UB Super hemp smoothies are worth the money.
Who Is UB Super?
UB Super was founded by Scott Kanyok. It’s one of those brands with a touching story behind it.
In 2008, outdoorsman Scott suffered a serious injury while on a long-distance bike ride. He was hit by a box truck, resulting in a fractured skull, a subdural hematoma, and several other bleeds and compound fractures. Doctors thought he might not survive, but Scott pulled through the surgeries.
Despite the miracle, Scott remained in ill health. His immune system had become compromised due to the trauma, and so he got sick often. Ever the optimist, Scott wanted to show that it was possible to heal through natural means. He altered his diet to include plenty of superfoods and different protein sources. However, his immune system remained subpar.
Scott remained active and tried to live a fulfilling life – he even trekked the Amazon rainforest. A few years after his accident, he was introduced to Dr. Jason Mitchell, the Chief Science Officer at Country Life Vitamins. He introduced Scott to a few additional ingredients that might help him. The two crafted a blend of proteins, superfoods, organic vitamins, fulvic acid minerals and probiotics. This is the UB Super blend that Scott sells today.
The UB Super company itself is still run by Scott, and it’s a pretty great company. All ingredients are non-GMO, gluten-free, and as natural as possible. Furthermore, UB Super uses fair-trade suppliers, environmentally friendly packaging, and sustainable harvesting methods.
With a touching backstory and good company practices, UB Super appears to be a great supplement company on the surface. But what about its products?
UB Super Products
UB Super sells a few different protein shakes. Only two of them are hemp-based, so we decided to check out one of the other nutritional shakes, too. UB Super provides an e-book full of yummy smoothie recipes you can use to incorporate these shakes, so be sure to check that out.
Plant-Based Protein Superfood Nutritional Shake
The Plant-Based Protein Superfood Nutritional Shake is filled with protein-rich sources like pea, salba chia seed, hemp and flax seed. It also contains a huge variety of vitamins, fulvic minerals, BCAA amino acids, enzymes, prebiotics, probiotics, and fatty acids. Plus, it contains a blend of superfoods including acai, mangosteen, maqui berry and pomegranate.
The supplement is vegan, wheat-free, and contains no added sugar. It comes in powder form, so you can mix it with liquid to make an easy-to-use protein shake supplement. It can also be used as a meal replacement.
UB Super sells this product in two flavours: Chocolate and Vanilla. Both are delicious! One canister contains 15 servings and costs $49.99.
Plant-Based Protein Superfood Nutritional Shake with Hemp Extract
This addition to the range is pretty similar to the above. However, it also contains hemp extract. There are two options: Broad-spectrum and full spectrum. Either way, there is a healthy dose of cannabinoids which allow for the entourage effect to take place.
The full-spectrum variety also features terpenes from Black Pepper Fruit and Clove Oil. This probably refers to beta-caryophyllene.
UB Super says that it uses nanotechnology to increase the bioavailability of its CBD. This makes it water-soluble and allows UB Super to create an effective product.
We do have a few complaints, though. Firstly, these shakes are only available in one flavour: The broad-spectrum is chocolate while the full spectrum is vanilla. Secondly, there is no information about the precise cannabinoid content, and we think it’s important that customers know what they’re consuming. This brings us to the third point: Lab tests. Lab testing is a crucial part of selling CBD products, and UB Super doesn’t say anything about conducting such tests. There is nothing to prove that these products actually contain CBD.
This is a shame because the products otherwise seem pretty good. However, whether they are worth the price point is another matter.
Both hemp extract products are $89.99. This is a huge increase based on the price of the other shakes, and it might not be worth it considering there is no proof of cannabinoid content.
UB Super Pros
- Reputable company with a nice backstory; it compels you to buy from this brand.
- Good flavours which can be incorporated into a number of smoothies from the e-book.
- Environmentally sustainable practices and vegan-friendly shakes.
- Gluten and wheat-free, so can be enjoyed even by those with a gluten allergy.
UB Super Cons
- Very high price tag for the hemp extract products.
- Hemp extract shakes only come in one flavour each.
- No lab tests and no information about the cannabinoid content.
- Little information about things like where the hemp is sourced and how the cannabinoids are extracted.
- Some consumers complain that these shakes make your urine a neon colour.
Final Verdict on UB Super
In the end, this company is a bit mixed. The shakes, in general, seem great and high-quality. We might even recommend them. However, the hemp extract products seem to be subpar. We would definitely like to see at least an estimate of the cannabinoid content, but lab reports would be even better.
If you are in the market for a plant-based protein supplement, then these shakes might be okay. However, they appear to be more of a meal replacement than a simple protein shake. Plus, the hemp extract ones are a little too expensive considering we don’t know the cannabinoid content.
There is nothing particularly wrong with UB Super, but it’s also not the best company we have seen. Nevertheless, you might find that it’s the perfect brand for you.
