This review examines a product called Natural Source BCAA manufactured by Pure Organic Ingredients. This manufacturer’s tagline says they have ‘unmatched purity’ in their ingredients. Natural Source BCAA claims to build muscle and contribute to rapid recovery and athletic endurance. This product is made in the USA and has a 100% money-back guarantee. It is also available for purchase on Amazon. Our review investigates if the ingredients found here deliver on all of these claims.
The first thing we noted was the 2:1:1 ratio of BCAAs found in this product. This refers to the ratio of L-leucine to L-isoleucine and L-valine which is based on clinical studies to develop muscles, aid in recovery and prevent muscle tissue damage. We were therefore very pleased to see it in this formula. However, the total amount of actual BCAAs incorporated here is dismally low. With only 1200mg of total BCAAs it is half of what we would have expected to find. In fact, some products will have 1200mg just of L-leucine!
The next thing we noted is that this product is not vegan friendly. Why does this matter so much for people who are meat and fish eaters? A crucial feature of BCAA, more than any other supplement, must be that it is a vegan product. This is because sources of BCAA are from human hair, duck feathers and pigskin. Even the biggest carnivore would rather not consume bird feathers if they didn’t have to. Even though many manufacturers produce their BCAA pills without animal products, it is more expensive for them to do so. If a company produces a cheaper supplement, it probably is not vegan.
This product is definitely affordable but as its source of BCAA is questionable and as there is a low dose of BCAAs, it is up to each consumer to decide for themselves if it is worth it to them to purchase.
Finally, we were happy to note that this product is pure BCAAs, namely L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine. Some products will add in other amino acids and perhaps dilute the efficacy of the BCAAs. Since this is a very low dose, we would have liked to see an ingredient to increase bioavailability. By adding a mere 10mg of an ingredient such as black pepper extract, one can increase the absorption of the active ingredients. This would allow the BCAAs to penetrate more effectively into the body tissues and for greater results. We would have hoped to see such an ingredient here. We are left feeling slightly disappointed in this product, to say the least.
Is Pure Natural Source BCAA Effective?
In order to ascertain the efficacy of any product, it is essential to peruse customer reviews. However, we were astounded when we could not find a single review. Does this mean no one has actually bought this product? We would have been happy just to see a review about how easy or difficult it is to claim the money-back guarantee. To have no feedback whatsoever leaves us in the dark as to the efficacy of this product.
Is Pure Natural Source BCAA Safe?
BCAAs are naturally occurring amino acids, which is a positive in terms of safety. It is not the BCAAs themselves which concern us, but rather where they are sourced from. Non-vegan BCAA supplements are found to have been sourced from human hair, animal fur, pigskin and duck feathers. Therefore, when a product is not vegan friendly, we would hope a manufacturer would be transparent about the source of BCAAS in order to ease any concerns consumers may have. In this case, we don’t know what the source of the BCAAs is.
As with any new supplement or diet introduced into your daily life, we always advise talking to your healthcare professional about possible contraindications of any pre-existing medical conditions or medications that you are taking. Supplements work differently for everyone and the effects vary between individuals so it is always a good idea to run any health changes with a professional.
Summary
On its Amazon page, Natural Source BCAA by Pure Organic Ingredients, has a video claiming to have ‘ingredients with unmatched purity’. However, we did not find any information to back up this statement. There is no information as to the sources of this product’s BCAAs. When it comes to BCAA supplements, if the product is not vegan, we want to ensure that it is not made from sketchy sources such as animal fur or duck feathers. This was the first strike against this product.
Continuing with our investigation, we were pleased to note the clinically-proven ratio of 2:1:1 BCAAs. However, the ratio is only part of the story. The actual amount of BCAAs is only 1200mg. Of that, only 600mg were of L-leucine. Some products we have seen contain 1200mg just of L-leucine.
Additionally, while this product contains only BCAA, which should be a good thing, it actually works to its detriment because of the extremely low dose. In this case, we would have liked to see an ingredient included which could boost the absorption of the BCAAs. By adding an ingredient like black pepper extract, it would have been possible to amplify the otherwise modest results that you may get from this product.
We were extremely pleased to see that Pure Organic Ingredients manufacturers many supplements and that it advertises a 100% money-back guarantee. When a company only produces one product, it can raise warning signs for us. We also like that they say their guarantee is hassle-free. Getting money back from supplement manufacturers can cause a lot of time and anxiety so we are glad to know that they seem to look out for their consumers. What we wonder is how easy it really is to cash in on this guarantee. There are no steps included to let people know what the return process is.
Finally, we might not be as concerned with claiming a money-back guarantee if there were any customer reviews available. Scouring the internet provided us with no answers as to what any real customers say about this product. Even a negative review would have been helpful to us to show that someone has actually purchased this Natural Source BCAA. With so many BCAA pills to choose from, it is up to each person to be a savvy consumer and read reviews. When there are no reviews to read, that is an answer in and of itself.
