Organifi Pure Review: More Mental Clarity, For Real?

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Organifi is a health and wellness company that produces and offers supplements made with organic whole foods, and they offer varied solutions from meal replacement shakes to nootropic formulas that promote calmness and focus.

Organifi Pure is a caffeine-free supplement with a specialized blend formulated with nootropic ingredients that are meant to improve mental clarity and reduce stress. It also comes with ingredients that theoretically allow for more efficient digestion. 

In this article, I’m going to specifically cover each ingredient in the formula and determine whether it’s possible for it to provide you with mental clarity and improved digestion as Organifi claims. 

Organifi Pure Ingredients

Organifi’s Pure formula comes with three different blends that combine a variety of plant-derived ingredients to promote cognition and digestion. The three blends are:

• Digestion Blend
• Digestive Enzyme Blend
• Cognitive Blend 

Let’s look at the ingredients in each blend and pair them against the existing scientific evidence in order to determine whether Organifi’s claims (about improved digestion and cognition) are accurate. 

Digestion Blend

The digestion blend contains four unique ingredients that supposedly aid with digestion. These include a prebiotic powder made from tapioca starch, apple cider vinegar, Baobab, and lemon.

Prebiotic Powder

A prebiotic powder is a nutrient extracted from foods that increase the number of bacteria in the gastrointestinal system, and although Organifi has included this nutrient in its Pure formula, there’s plenty of it in fruits and vegetables. 

Prebiotics carry out functions that are vital for our overall well-being, including nutrient metabolism and regulation of the immune system. ¹

They influence the makeup and function of gut bacteria, promoting the growth of beneficial microbes, so they may potentially reduce the risk of some diseases such as heart disease, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and type 2 diabetes. ²

With that being said, you can pretty much achieve these benefits by increasing your fiber intake, and this involves consuming more fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds, which are all great sources of fiber.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar advocates make claims about its many benefits, and one such claim is that drinking a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar in a glass of warm water can treat bloating and other digestive issues.

In fact, there are many videos on YouTube from so-called doctors and experts claiming that apple cider vinegar is indeed effective in that sense.

Here is one such video:

Unfortunately, other than anecdotal claims that ACV can quickly treat bloating and other digestive conditions, there is no direct evidence to prove that.

In fact, the one clinical study ever completed on ACV and digestive problems found that ACV actually impairs gastric emptying, which means that it takes longer for the muscles and intestines to push stool out of the body, leaving you with more gas. ³

It’s possible that ACV could actually make your symptoms of gas and bloating even worse, so it would be wise to wait for further research to come out about this subject before taking ACV as the solution. 

With that being said, there may be situations in which apple cider vinegar may prove beneficial.

Given that ACV is acidic, it may improve stomach acid levels in those who have low levels of stomach acid to aid digestion, which in principle might treat gas and stomach bloating, conditions that result from slow digestion. 

ACV is also an antimicrobial substance, so it may be capable of killing bacteria in the stomach or intestines, which could theoretically help you with digestion. ⁴

ACV does have some benefits, but those are different from what many individuals claim. Studies show that ACV has a modest ability to reduce the glycemic index of foods, making it a possible tool for helping to manage blood sugar and also to suppress appetite. ^{5, 6, 7}

Whether it helps with digestive issues or not is yet to be defined, so more research needs to be made since many people clearly advocate it as a solid solution for gas and bloating. 

Baobab Fruit Powder

The baobab fruit is native to certain regions of Africa, Arabia, and Australia, and it’s touted as a powerful antioxidant thanks to its vitamin and mineral-rich composition. 

It contains vitamin C (10x more than oranges), vitamin B6, niacin, iron, and potassium. Naturally, as a fruit, it also contains fiber, which helps with digestion by introducing more beneficial microbes to your gut. 

Generally, the benefits you get from consuming this fruit are equivalent to the benefits you get from consuming any other fruit. Adding more vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your diet tends to make you healthier, but whether you do it from this fruit or an orange doesn’t make that much of a difference. 

Lemon

Lemon is known as a source of vitamin C, and polyphenols, like most fruits, but the difference is that this one is more acidic, so it is also a source of citric acid. 

However, as far as its digestive benefits go, it’s mostly thanks to its fiber content, and not because it’s a particularly acidic food source. 

Digestive Enzyme Blend

The digestive enzyme blend contains protease, amylase, lipase, lactase, cellulase, and extracts from plants such as aloe vera and ginger. Supposedly, these ingredients should also help improve your digestion, and perhaps prevent feelings of bloatedness or gas when consuming nutrient-dense foods.  

Protease, Amylase, Lipase, Lactase, and Cellulase

These digestive enzymes are proteins that help break down your food into smaller parts so your body can use it more easily, or in other words, they make your digestion more efficient. ⁸

These enzymes are naturally produced in different parts of the body, but sometimes the body is unable to produce enough of them or use them properly, so people supplement digestive enzymes to replace them.

You basically have three different types of digestive enzymes: those that digest proteins, those that digest fats, and those that digest carbohydrates.

• Protease: As the name suggests, this is an enzyme that breaks down proteins. It’s found in the pancreas. 
• Amylase: Typically found in saliva and the pancreas, amylase is capable of breaking down complex carbohydrates and starches in grains, beans, and starchy vegetables.
• Lipase: As the name indicates, Lipase helps break down lipids or fats. This type of enzyme is also found in the pancreas. 
• Lactase: Although it might not be useful for vegans, lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose, which is the sugar found in milk. This enzyme is found in the small intestine. 
• Cellulase: This enzyme is capable of breaking down the cellulose of plant cell walls into simple sugars. 

There are many more types of digestive enzymes, but these are typically the ones people supplement when they’re struggling with digestive issues. 

Aloe Vera Powder

Although it has recently been used in skincare solutions, aloe vera has traditionally been used to ease digestion as a folk remedy, and to alleviate pain from burns when used topically. 

Evidence suggests that aloe vera is effective and safe in the short-term treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and that It may also be used to treat constipation. This is partly due to its strong laxative properties and ability to speed up intestinal motility, which basically refers to the movement of food from the mouth through the pharynx (throat), esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and out of the body.^{9, 10}

Based on the evidence available, it seems to be beneficial for digestion, but I would take this with a grain of salt, as we don’t know how much aloe vera this supplement contains. 

The only human study on aloe vera used 300 mg twice daily, but there’s no evidence to suggest this is the best dose, although its reported benefits were with this dose. 

Ginger Root Extract

Ginger has been used quite extensively as medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, and according to scientific literature, doses between 1-3 grams are effective at reducing nausea and easing digestion.

1 gram of ginger, in particular, seems to be quite effective for increasing intestinal motility. ^{11, 12}

However, Pure doesn’t seem to contain that much ginger, so I don’t think it’s capable of increasing intestinal motility by itself unless that effect occurs synergistically alongside other ingredients such as aloe vera, which is possible. 

Cognitive Blend

The cognitive blend combines ingredients such as coconut water, lion’s mane, and whole coffee extract to improve your alertness and mental focus. However, can these ingredients actually achieve that? Let’s find out. 

Coconut Water Powder

Coconut water is low in sugars and calories but significantly high in the electrolytes/minerals magnesium, potassium, and sodium. It is also a great source of antioxidants. 

Although I fail to understand its use as a cognitive enhancer, coconut water seems to have other palpable benefits, such as being able to moderate your blood sugar, helping improve your kidney health, and keeping you refreshed and hydrated after a workout. ^{13, 14, 15}

If you exercise and tend to sweat profusely due to your workouts, consuming a source of electrolytes may prevent fatigue derived from electrolyte expenditure. Fatigue is an enemy of both alertness and mental clarity, so we could assume it’s an indirect result of not being properly hydrated. 

Lion’s Mane Extract

Also known as Yamabushitake, Lion’s Mane is a dietary mushroom that has shown promising cognitive-enhancing and immunomodulating (stimulating or suppressing inflammation depending on context) benefits. 

One human study, for instance, found that 3g of 98% lion’s mane powder (in capsule form) significantly improved dementia rating scores in people with general cognitive decline. ¹⁶

In the same study, lion’s mane usage significantly improved cognition compared to control, and the degree of improvement grew over time. However, 4 weeks after cessation, there was a gradual return to normal, despite the fact that cognition was still significantly improved.

Another human study also revealed that taking 2g of lion’s mane, via cookies, reduced anxiety, and depression symptoms over the course of 4 weeks. ¹⁷

My only issue with the lion’s mane in this formula is that it’s probably underdosed given that the entire cognitive blend only weighs 1.4 grams in total, which suggests there’s not even 1g of lion’s mane in the blend. This means that these effects may not occur given the small dose. 

Whole Coffee Extract

Whole coffee extract is derived from whole coffee fruit, which is quite high in polyphenols and seems to have some potential for brain health. Despite being derived from coffee, there’s little to no caffeine in the extract, so you won’t experience any of the benefits and side effects attributed to caffeine.

Since whole coffee extract contains high levels of polyphenols, it is associated with a range of positive cognitive effects such as increased neural plasticity, increased alertness, and decreased fatigue.

A study with humans found that whole coffee extract supplementation is associated with decreased reaction time and increased connectivity between the anterior cingulate regions of the brain that are involved with sensory and decision-making networks. ¹⁸

According to these findings, whole coffee extract may be capable of reducing cognitive errors on tasks requiring the best working memory and response inhibition. Nevertheless, the study had a very small sample size (8 participants), and VDF FutureCeuticals, Inc., the supplement’s manufacturer, paid for the study, which suggests a conflict of interest. 

Therefore, I wouldn’t bet on this particular ingredient being extremely effective given that it’s only backed by limited scientific evidence. 

How Much Does It Cost?

One canister costs about $70 and it comes with 30 servings, which means that each serving costs $2.33, making it a rather expensive formula. 

Even if you compare it to other cognitive-enhancing formulas (Mind Lab Pro being one of the most popular), Organifi’s Pure is quite expensive by about $10. 

Personally, I think that is too expensive for a supplement that will last you 30 days. 

So, Does Organifi Pure Actually Improve Cognition?

Based on the scientific literature I’ve read about the different ingredients, I don’t think that Pure is a formula that can effectively improve cognition. 

I’m saying this for two reasons:

1. The three ingredients present in the cognitive blend (coconut water, lion’s mane, and whole coffee extract) are backed by very little evidence. Coconut water is not known for enhancing cognition (there are no studies covering its effects on cognition), and whole coffee extract only has one study, albeit it is insignificant due to the small sample size and the fact it is funded by the ingredient’s manufacturer. Lion’s mane is apparently more serious in terms of the results it has shown, but it is underdosed in this formula.

2. There are way more serious formulas out there that rely on ingredients that have been more aptly studied and are not as overpriced as this one. Even if this supplement was highly-effective, I would not recommend it because it’s extremely expensive. 

With that being said, if you’re still interested in Organifi’s Pure, you’re free to purchase it from the brand’s official website.

Otherwise, you can also check our list of the best plant-based nootropics.

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Editor’s note: The content on this website is meant to be informative, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The content of our articles is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always best to speak with your doctor or a certified medical professional before making any changes to your lifestyle, diet, exercise routine, or trying a new supplement.

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