Frequently Asked Questions

Standard multivitamin supplements contain minerals that are inorganic mineral salts. Minerals in this form are little more than crushed rocks that have been processed with acids. You can recognize these minerals on a label because they are always listed with two words: zinc picolinate, calcium citrate, magnesium glycinate, etc. Even the small amounts of minerals from these substances that make it into the bloodstream are lacking in cofactors that facilitate effective utilization by our cells and can therefore contribute to toxic buildup in tissues with long-term consumption.

HealthForce Superfoods® products are derived from actual whole foods. We believe in nutrition the way Nature intended. For example, Vitamineral Green™ consists of 25+ whole superfoods (e.g., nettles, wheatgrass, spirulina, kelp) and whole food juices that have been dried at low temperatures and then ground into a powder, with no fillers, binders, or excipients added. Vitamineral Green was formulated to be the most mineral and vitamin rich product possible, sourced from 100% whole foods. Since the micronutrients in Vitamineral Green are from whole foods, the body recognizes and utilizes them more effectively than those found in conventional multivitamin supplements.

While we haven’t yet had the time to look into getting official certification, we are indeed a woman-owned business.

Well, we certainly should be! We haven’t had time to pursue official certification, but we plan to as soon as time permits. Meanwhile, we’ve always held the highest standards of compassion and respect for our world and all living beings, and these values are reflected in everything we do.

“Hard-core” is our pledge to offer the purest, most potent, and therapeutically beneficial products possible. HealthForce Superfoods® is committed to nutrition the way Nature intended. We produce highly therapeutic, whole food supplements packaged in our exclusive EcoFresh Nutrient Lock Packaging™. Our mission is to achieve the highest levels of purity and potency possible in our products, and thus we do not use any binders, fillers, or excipients (flow agents). In addition, our TruGanic™ standards and practices take quality, purity, potency, and therapeutic value to a new level, offering products free from pesticides, GMOs, and irradiation. Finally, all of our products are certified vegan and gluten-free and produced in a vegan, gluten-free facility.

Our commitment to offering the cleanest, highest potency, and most affordable product to YOU, our valued customer, is what moves us. This the heart and soul of HealthForce Superfoods®. We truly care, and we are committed to providing you with the best possible products at the best possible value. We focus on supporting peoples’ healing and regeneration first and foremost. HealthForce Superfoods is proud to offer hard-core products with hard-core packaging, offering hard-core results.

Our EcoFresh Nutrient Lock Packaging™ consists of three components: amber glass bottle, airtight metal lid with rubber seal, and oxygen absorber. Amber glass is UV resistant and can withstand heat much more than plastic. The airtight metal lid with rubber seal effectively creates a vacuum inside the bottle, preventing oxidation of fragile nutrients. The oxygen absorber is present because every time the seal is broken for consumption oxygen gets inside. The oxygen absorber counteracts this by absorbing the oxygen and extending the shelf life of the product.

Note that all plastic bottles and metal/foil pouches (and plastic lids on glass bottles) allow oxygen to pass through and come into contact with the product inside the bottle, slowly oxidizing valuable nutrients as the product sits on the shelf waiting to be purchased. In addition, plastic bottles and metal/foil pouches off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that negatively affect our health and are highly toxic to melt down. In contrast, our bottles do not off-gas and can be easily recycled (non-toxic to melt down), or better, reused for dry or liquid food storage!

All HealthForce SuperFoods® products are produced in our U.S. manufacturing facility which is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. Oregon Tilth is an American nonprofit membership organization dedicated to supporting and advocating organic food and farming. We are currently in the process of applying this certification to individual products. In the past, we opted to just do our own internal TruGanic™ standard since we were disillusioned by the fact that a number of certified organic products tested positive for pesticide contamination when we sent them off to the lab. Now, we recognize the value of having third-party certifications, so while keeping our own TruGanic standards intact, we are now working with Oregon Tilth, and you will see a number of products being transitioned to certified organic. You can visit individual product pages to find out which products are certified organic at this time.

Yes, all HealthForce SuperFoods® products are 100% vegan. Our founder is vegan, and our entire production facility is vegan, with no animal products used anywhere onsite. We are proud to be a 100% vegan company with a 100% vegan product line.

Absolutely not! You do not have to be vegan to use and benefit from HealthForce SuperFoods® products. Our founder, a naturopath, has been vegan for well over 30 years and recommends a properly balanced whole food organic vegan diet with an emphasis on high-water-content fruits and vegetables, nuts/seeds, legumes, and mushrooms; but we are not in the business of telling you what to eat. Our passion is simply making high-quality products that are cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan (and therefore suitable for everyone). If you are not vegan, and aren’t interested in veganism, don’t let “vegan” turn you off. HealthForce SuperFoods® products can be beneficial to anyone on any diet. If you are vegan, then our product line is an excellent resource for you.

Yes. Our founder is gluten-free, and all HealthForce SuperFoods® products are gluten-free. Our entire production line is gluten-free, and all finished products are lab-tested to ensure gluten-free status.

Since our products are all vegan and made in a 100% vegan facility on 100% vegan equipment, the kosher requirement of separating dairy from animal flesh is a non-issue, since our products contain neither of them to begin with. Likewise, the kosher requirement of cutting and draining the blood from an animal while still alive and conscious (often with other animals watching in terror) is also a non-issue, since our products and facility are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. We do have official kosher certification currently, so all of our current in-stock products are indeed kosher. However, we’ve found it to be a very costly endeavor that involves unnecessary paperwork and is simply a time-consuming expense we can no longer afford, so we’ve chosen not to renew it when it comes up for renewal. It does nothing to make our products any different than they already were/are. Our founder lives by God’s commandment of “Thou shalt not kill” (and also holds the vision of Isaiah 11:6-9). HealthForce SuperFoods is built on this ethic.

Our VeganCaps™ are made from tapioca, which is naturally fermented into a water-soluble polysaccharide known as pullulan. This material provides the best oxygen barrier properties of any vegetarian capsule and dissolves just as easily as a gelatin capsule and faster than traditional veggie caps. In addition, HealthForce SuperFoods® VeganCaps™ are starch free, preservative free, gluten-free, and GMO free. Unfortunately, most vegetarian capsules on the market are made from genetically modified corn. They also usually contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), a synthesized surfactant used in many cleaning and personal care products as a binding agent in the capsules.

With herbal extracts, we can offer higher potency and therapeutic value in capsule, rather than liquid form. All herbal extracts start in liquid form with a liquid solvent, usually alcohol. With the exception of alcohol sensitivity for some people, there is nothing inherently wrong with consuming the solvent along with the herb (many well-respected herbalists use extracts in liquid/alcohol form). However, higher potency and concentration can be obtained by evaporating the alcohol, so all that is left is the herbal extract itself. To enable the highest potency, this is the process that all HealthForce SuperFoods® herbal extract products undergo before encapsulation. Products that include herbal extracts are Liver Rescue™, CircuForce™, Antioxidant Extreme™, SCRAM™, and Intestinal Movement Formula™.

Two products do, the rest do not.

For the product Earth Broth®, refrigeration is recommended after opening to keep the ground flax seed as fresh as possible.

For the product Intestinal Drawing Formula™, refrigeration is recommended after opening to keep the ground flax seed as fresh as possible.

Friendly Force™ probiotic is a shelf stable probiotic. The product is formulated to deliver the CFU (colony forming units) potency claimed on the product label, which is “up to 40 Billion CFU until expiry date.” However, there is “50 billion CFU at time of manufacture.” While no refrigeration is required, for maximum potency beyond the 40 billion CFU, Friendly Force can be refrigerated.

Our EcoFresh Nutrient Lock Packaging™ system is the best in the industry and protects the integrity of the nutrients in our products quite well. The amber glass decreases the amount of light that can penetrate through the bottle thus protecting the nutrients. In addition, the glass bottle, airtight metal lid, and oxygen absorber inside the bottle, effectively creates a packaging system that greatly preserves the integrity of the nutrients. It is recommended to store products in a cool, dry, dark place (e.g., kitchen cupboard). Glass bottles are reusable, recyclable, and do not leech any undesirables into the contents it holds.

We at HealthForce SuperFoods® are constantly striving to improve the quality of our products. As we source better quality raw materials, or develop an improved formulation, we upgrade our products accordingly. Sometimes these formula changes come out of inspiration (when new research or availability of new raw materials give us the ability to make an upgrade to a product), and sometimes they come out of necessity (when a raw material is no longer available that meets our quality standards and thus forces us to make a formula change, as in these cases the only alternative to a formula change would be compromising our quality standards, which is not an option for us).

We partner with our sister company, Excelsior Alchemy for all our product manufacturing needs and ingredient sourcing requirements. Located in Tempe, Arizona, USA, Excelsior Alchemy is a dietary supplement contract manufacturing facility who complies with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations. Excelsior Alchemy is a registered manufacturing facility under the strict compliance of the FDA. Excelsior Alchemy is also third-party audited annually by NSF International to ensure compliance with FDA’s Current Good Manufacturing Practices. NSF International is one of the most respected independent certification companies that guides and ensures manufacturers meet the highest standard of Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).

The manufacturing plant is a vegan, organic, and gluten-free facility. Excelsior Alchemy sources ingredients that, upon qualification of an ingredient, undergo testing for pesticides and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) to ensure highest quality of ingredients. For products which are encapsulated, they are manufactured without the use fillers, flow agents, and excipients (except in the minute instances where it is unavoidable). To the best of our knowledge, all cleaning chemicals are the most eco-friendly available. The facility handles pest management with non-chemical, organic, cruelty-free methods.

Our production facility is registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is routinely inspected. The facility is fully compliant with the FDA CFR 111 Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) in manufacturing, packaging, labeling, or holding operations for dietary supplements.

Our facility does extensive testing of all ingredients, above and beyond regulatory requirements. Every incoming ingredient is tested for identity, microbial contamination, and heavy metals. The same tests are done on the finished blend, and further tests are done on the finished product. For an ingredient to be used in one of our products, the supplier must be qualified first through an extensive questionnaire which is then followed up by third-party Certificate of Analysis testing and then for our legendary TruGanic™ products, our unique third-party TruGanic™ testing: pesticide free, GMO free, irradiation free. Also, the facility only uses 100% non-toxic, organic compliant, and biodegradable cleaning chemicals. Our production area is a radio frequency-free zone (no microwaves, Wi-Fi, or cell phones permitted) and has electromagnetic radiation (EMF) mitigating technologies.

Our logo, which we refer to as the Regenerate Being (based on the company’s original name, LifeForce Regeneration Systems), represents the embodiment of both physical health and spiritual health, vitality, radiance, compassion, and altruism. It was created by our founder to visually represent the goals of the company, and it serves as a reminder that we are not only physical beings, but also spiritual beings with a deep connection to God and the Heavenly angels (but NOT the fallen ones!); and that true health involves not only physical radiance but also spiritual radiance. We at HealthForce SuperFoods® look to the Regenerate Being as a symbol of our company’s foundation and as a daily reminder of our founder’s mission to bring vitality, purpose, and integrity to the nutritional products industry.

All of our products are in compliance with American Herbal Products Association* Guidance Policies for Heavy Metals. We know that no one wants heavy metals in their food, especially us. We are constantly searching and sourcing ingredients with lower metal content. This is an ongoing process and one we take very seriously.

Heavy metal specifications (arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury) are set for all raw materials and finished products to ensure that all finished products comply with the American Herbal Products Association’s heavy metal standards. Any raw materials and/or finished products that do not meet our specifications are rejected.

Heavy metal specifications for ingredients and finished products are set at the lowest feasible levels, in many cases resulting in finished products well below the American Herbal Products Association standards. It is important to understand that some trace levels of heavy metals are found in nearly all dried botanicals (as well as common foods). The presence of heavy metals does not necessarily mean that a product is in violation of any product-safety standards or requirements.

*AHPA (American Herbal Products Association) is the leading trade association for dietary supplements.

Heavy Metals: Analysis and Limits in Herbal Dietary Supplements

AHPA Heavy Metals Limit Comparisons

We have adopted three key foundational principles for seeking out new supply sources to ensure having the cleanest, highest quality ingredients we can find: Identity, Purity, and Composition. Sourcing and qualification of new materials and sustainable vendors is an ongoing, rigorous process! Our buyer is constantly searching for the purest, true-to-source, unadulterated, sustainably-grown ingredients on Earth!

Each potential vendor is screened through our Vendor Qualification process to ensure that they are the best fit for HealthForce SuperFoods®. We pride ourselves on transparency and quality; and with the help of verified third-party labs, certifications, qualified documents, and sometimes visits to the farms themselves, we assure you that our vendors are, too.

All ingredients are put through our Ingredient Qualification process. Then each ingredient is put through the series of tests to meet our TruGanic™ standard. TruGanic™ goes above and beyond the cGMP, NSF, Organic, and Non-GMO certifications, with a series of tests to ensure an ingredient is true to its botanical identity, that it is free of microbial contamination, gluten-free, free of heavy metal contamination, and free of pesticides, GMOs, irradiation, and solvent residue.

We also ask our suppliers questions to know the story of the products they are selling, such as:

• Where does the botanical originally come from, what countries grow it now, what are its uses today in the herbal medicine community?
• What farms are growing their specific productions?
• Are the farmers paid fair wages?
• Is this a sustainable crop for the economy and the ecology of the region?
• Do the farmers participate in sustainable growing practices; do they test every batch as thoroughly as we do?
• Are they NSF and cGMP certified?
• Are they certified organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free?

Our ingredients are sourced all over the world. Although our first choice is U.S.-grown superfoods, there are times when the complexity of our formulas requires sourcing quality ingredients from outside the U.S.

Sourcing worldwide means seeking out the highest-quality, most nutrient-dense superfoods. Sometimes sources are dictated by superfoods that are specific to a certain habitat and thus are sourced from their native environment. Our Klamath Lake blue green algae is from the U.S. Our high vitamin C fruits such as acerola cherry and acai are from Brazil; and whole maca root and yacon root powders are sourced from Peru. We look to India for moringa leaf, turmeric root, amla berry, and shilajit.

When sourcing, we also look into the sustainability of the crop and how its cultivation impacts the ecological system, like our U.S.-grown cereal grasses and spirulina or our North Atlantic seaweeds. Kelp, bladderwrack, and dulse are wildcrafted from the North Atlantic along the coast of Canada, and our nori is wildcrafted from the South Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina. These are just a few of many examples.

To ensure that the materials meet our standards for identity, purity, strength, and composition, and that you as the consumer receive the cleanest and highest quality products, we perform extensive material testing. All ingredients are required to pass rigorous testing for heavy metals and pesticides along with testing for botanical identity, microbials, gluten, GMOs, and irradiation.