Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi Review

Key Takeaways

1. Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi is highly regarded by the author who has tried various brands over the past decade.
2. Despite a healthy lifestyle, the modern diet may lack essential nutrients due to soil depletion and food processing.
3. Many multivitamins in the market contain synthetic vitamins, which may be inferior to whole-food multivitamins.
4. The author warns against harmful additives like artificial colors and hydrogenated fats in some multivitamins.
5. The author prefers multivitamins with transparent labeling over those with proprietary formulas hiding ingredient amounts​.

I’ve had Nootropics Expert readers asking me what my preferred multivitamin/mineral supplement is. And what I use every day. This post is a detailed response to that question.

Performance Lab^® NutriGenesis Multi is by far the best multivitamin/mineral supplement I’ve used. And I’ve tried several different brands of multivitamins over the last 10 years.

Including a couple of the well-known raw- and whole-food multivitamins available at the local vitamin shop, Whole Foods and online.

But the question I often see goes something like, “is a multivitamin necessary”?

Even if you are living a much healthier lifestyle like I have since being diagnosed Adult ADD 12 years ago. And even more so since turning hypothyroid 6 years later.

You may even be able to identify with this:

✔ You eat your vegetables

✔ You don’t smoke

✔ You drink very little

✔ You avoid junk food

✔ You exercise every day

Does this picture of health really need to take vitamins?

Unfortunately, the answer is, “Yes”.

And here’s why …

A recent study published by the Mayo Clinic showed that less than 3% of Americans meet the basic qualifications for a healthy lifestyle.[i]

Now assuming you are one of those 3% …

Another study shows only 33% of adults eat enough fruit. And only 27% get the recommended servings of vegetables.[ii]

Are you with me so far?

Most people do not eat a healthy diet, and the quality of our food supply makes this extremely difficult.

The thing is, even if you meet the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) for servings of fruits and vegetables, it is impossible to get the nutrients your body and brain need for optimal health.

Our fruit, vegetable and meat products simply do not have enough essential vitamins and minerals to naturally support a healthy body.

Grown on nutrient-depleted soil. And most have been genetically modified to grow faster. GMO produce grows so fast it hasn’t time to draw in enough nutrients from the nutrient-starved soil it’s grown on.

Then the nutrients that do make it into our food are lost during transport, storage, processing, and cooking.

Even young people, with a higher metabolism and a higher food consumption than the average 50 – 70-year-old, only 1% are getting the nutrients they need.[iii]

And did you know you would need to eat 26 of today’s apples to get the nutrition you’d get from one apple grown in 1914?[iv]

So what to do?

The obvious, simple answer is give your body what it’s been deprived of by using a multivitamin/mineral supplement.

But not all multivitamin supplements are created equal.

In fact, most of what you’ll find on supermarket, drugstore, and even vitamin shop shelves are useless. Some are actually toxic and dangerous to use.

In this post I’ll share the criteria I use to select a multivitamin, the supplement I prefer and use every day, ingredients needed for optimal health, how they work together, cost, and where to get it.

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My Multivitamin Selection Criteria

One of the things people do when first becoming health-conscious is to start using a daily multivitamin.

And if you are anything like I was when first getting started, you look on in confusion at shelf after shelf with hundreds of multivitamin supplements to choose from.

Instinct is to grab the first multivitamin you recognize from the slick commercials on TV.

You take the multi for a month and don’t feel anything. No better than you did before. What’s going on?

First, we need to take a close look at the label. A multivitamin bottle label will tell us all we need to know. If you know how to read it. And understand what’s in the bottle.

What I’ve learned since my first multivitamin purchase is most of them should have a “Black Box” warning label. The kind the FDA mandates pharmaceuticals put on some of their drugs.

Here’s a quick summary of what I look for, and what to avoid.

Toxic Vitamins: Biohacker Beware

Near the bottom of the ingredients label, if you see FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, or any of their variants, put the bottle back on the shelf.

These abbreviations represent food dyes made from petroleum and have been used in food and supplements for decades. But why would you need artificial colors in your multivitamin or other supplements?

Recent studies link food coloring to hyperactivity in kids.[v] And European lawmakers now require a warning label on foods that contain artificial dyes.

Another one you’ll see is hydrogenated fats like ‘soybean oil’. Used as a filler to bulk up the tablet or capsule.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans states, “Keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible by limiting foods that contain synthetic sources of trans fats, such as partially hydrogenated oils, and by limiting other solid fats”.[vi]

Yum. Exactly what you don’t want in your multivitamin.

Next, look for talc, or magnesium silicate. Talc is a mineral composed of magnesium silicate, silicon, oxygen and hydrogen. And used as an anti-caking agent and cheap filler in multivitamins.

Talc has been linked to ovarian cancer in women.[vii]

Titanium dioxide is another one to avoid. It’s used as a colorant in supplements. And comes with a host of health implications. Including DNA damage.[viii]

If you want to learn more about what to avoid and what to look for, please see my post, “How to Select the Best Multivitamin for Brain Function”.

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Whole-Food Multi vs. Non-Food Vitamins and Minerals

This category covers a whole host of problems with most vitamin supplement options out there.

Our bodies were designed to get vitamins and minerals from food.

But most multivitamin supplements on the market today are synthetic. Vitamins created using coal tar derivatives. And minerals using ground up rock.

I’ve found one of the quickest and simplest ways to assess a multivitamin for quality and “food-based” is to look for Vitamin B₉ (folic acid) or Vitamin B₁₂ (cyanocobalamin); neither of which is food-based.

If either one is on the label then the entire bottle must be avoided because the rest of the bottle is unlikely to be a quality, food-based vitamin complex.

For more on avoiding “USP Vitamins, Pharmaceutical Grade and Natural” in your multivitamin, see my post here.

Added Ingredients and “Fairy Dusting”

One of the things that really irks me is manufacturers who use a “Proprietary Formula” in their supplement.

Proprietary formulas hide how much of an ingredient is in the bottle. Which is a problem because I want to know exactly how much of each ingredient I’m getting in a tablet or capsule.

I need to know if I must add extra of one vitamin or mineral based on my unique body chemistry and health issues.

And proprietary formulas are also a sneaky way of including what I call a “fairy dusting” of an ingredient. An amount so small it only looks good on the label. And does nothing for optimizing your health.

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Discovering the Performance Lab Multivitamin

Now that we’ve established what we want to avoid in a multivitamin supplement – what’s left?

It turns out there are very few raw-food and whole-food supplement makers who produce a high-quality multivitamin.

I’ve tried some of them, and they are good. These whole-food multivitamins contain the right form and dose of each vitamin and mineral.

But all of them add unnecessary ingredients. A blend of organic food powders to make it look more like a “whole-food” multi.

Or a little CoQ10 in a form which my body cannot use. Or a proteolytic blend of enzymes that is supposed to help clear fibrin. But instead digests my food if I take it with a meal.

All I want is a simple, pure, whole-food multivitamin that supplies only the vitamins and minerals my body and brain need every day.

Only one company on the entire planet produces a simple, pure multivitamin.

Performance Lab^® is a new line of supplements made by same people who produce Mind Lab Pro^®.

Performance Lab^® NutriGenesis Multivitamin is the foundation of their new supplement line.

Performance Lab^® NutriGenesis Multi Ingredients

Performance Lab uses ‘nature-identical’ vitamins and minerals which include their natural cofactors to ensure their bioavailability. And your body can use them.

Unlike isolated vitamins and minerals found in most other multivitamins, these nutrients go straight into the cells and tissues where they are needed.

The company uses their own proprietary NutriGenesis^® method to grow whole-food based nutrients. Avoiding genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins.

The only ingredients in this Performance Lab Multivitamin are the vitamins and minerals listed on the label in their purest, bio-identical form. In dosages designed to support and enhance a healthy body and brain.

The company uses NutriCaps^® vegan capsules made from tapioca instead of the semi-synthetic polymer found in other vegetarian capsules. And infuse the capsules with a prebiotic for better digestion and boost the bioavailability of the nutrients in this Multi.

The Performance Lab Multi is available for men and women with only slight differences in their formulas.

The women’s multi contains iron and double the amount of Vitamin B₉ (folate) compared to the men’s formula which has a little more boron and zinc.

Here’s a full list of the vitamins and minerals in Performance Lab’s Multivitamin with a summary of what each does in your body and brain.

Every vitamin and mineral in this multivitamin is as important for your brain as the rest of your body. So the emphasis in descriptions are for brain health and optimization since that is our focus here at Nootropics Expert^®.

Performance Lab’s NutriGenesis Multi is Packed with Nutrients	Benefits and Areas of Support in Your Body and Brain
Vitamin A	Long-term potentiation and memory, vision, skin, immune system, protein synthesis, tissue repair, bones, antioxidant
Vitamin C	Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), myelin, neurotransmitters, immune system, cardiovascular, skin, joints, antioxidant, gums, bones, muscle
Vitamin D	Neurotransmitters, gene expression, neuroplasticity, immunity, bones, testosterone, cell function, protein synthesis
Vitamin E	Antioxidant, cardiovascular, hair, skin, nails, tissue repair
Vitamin K1 & K2	Myelin, neurons, glial cells, bones, cardiovascular, connective tissue
Vitamin B1	Acetylcholine, adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
Vitamin B2	Neurotransmitters, red blood cell formation, cell growth, energy metabolism, antioxidant
Vitamin B3	Neurotransmitters, BDNF, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), circulation, protein and fat metabolism, skin
Vitamin B5	Neurotransmitters, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), hormone production, cardiovascular
Vitamin B6	Neurotransmitters, immune system, blood cell formation, oxygen transport, blood sugar, cognitive function
Vitamin B7	Neurotransmitters, myelin, white blood cell development, DNA, hair, skin, nails, blood sugar, energy
Vitamin B9	DNA, RNA, gene expression, amino acid synthesis, neurotransmitters, new cell formation
Vitamin B12	DNA, RNA, neurotransmitters, myelin, red blood cell formation, energy metabolism, heart health, cognitive function
Calcium	Bones, joints, cardiovascular, muscles, hormones, brain cell signaling
Iron	Blood cell formation, DNA, oxygen transport, neurotransmitters, myelin
Iodine	Thyroid hormones, neurotransmitters, metabolism
Magnesium	Adenosine triphosphate (ATP), DNA, RNA, ion channels, neuroplasticity, cardiovascular, bones, testosterone, muscle relaxation, nervous system, blood sugar
Zinc	Protein synthesis, cell signaling, gene transcription, neurotransmitter transport, DNA, methylation, immune system, vision, testosterone, neurons, cell growth
Selenium	Neurotransmitters, thyroid, immune system, antioxidant
Copper	Red blood cell formation, neurotransmitters, myelin, blood vessel formation, neuron and glial cell respiration, antioxidants, energy, connective tissue, cardiovascular, vision, immune system
Manganese	Bones, metabolism, blood sugar, calcium absorption, neurons, glial cells, enzyme cofactor, weight management
Chromium	Neurotransmitters, metabolism, energy, weight management, blood sugar
Molybdenum	Enzyme cofactor, metabolism
Strontium	Bones, joints
Inositol	Neurotransmitters, brain cell signaling, skin
Vanadium	Blood sugar, cardiovascular, bones, muscles, enzymes, growth factor
Boron	Bones, hormones, antioxidant, neurotransmitters, joints, connective tissue

For more detail on how each vitamin is critical for brain health, see “13 Vitamins Essential for the Optimized Brain”.

For more detail on how each mineral is critical for brain health, see “13 Minerals Essential for the Optimized Brain”.

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NutriGenesis^® vs Isolated Vitamins & Minerals

In a perfect world you get all the nutrients your body and brain need from the food you eat every day. But we don’t and for reasons covered earlier in this post. So we try to make up for this deficiency with a multivitamin supplement.

The problem is most minerals and vitamins used in multivitamin supplement formulas do not contain protein chaperones or other cofactors needed for absorption into your cells. The form of vitamins and minerals you get from real food.

Most other supplement companies, with very few exceptions, use “isolated” minerals and vitamins made from petroleum derivatives. Forms of nutrients your body does not recognize as nutrients.

Your body either expels them as unwanted toxins, or these impostors attach to receptors required by genuine vitamins and minerals for various actions in your body.

The result is expensive urine sending these aliens down the drain. And some even cause real damage and long-term health issues.[ix]

Using NutriGenesis^® to produce vitamins and minerals avoids this toxicity. And provides nutrients in the same form you would normally get from food.

Performance Lab^® NutriGenesis Multi Dosage

The amount of each ingredient listed on the label is for Performance Lab’s recommended 4-capsules per day.

I recommended using 2-capsules in the morning and the other 2-capsules mid-day.

Some of the ingredients in this multivitamin are fat-soluble so take each 2-capsule dose with a meal containing healthy fats. Or a tablespoon of unrefined coconut or MCT oil. My preferred healthy fat is the new organic, non-GMO Performance Lab^® MCT Oil.

It is safe to dose up to but no more than 6-capsules per day.

While NutriGenesis nutrients are highly bioavailable and non-toxic, some nutrients like Vitamin A and Vitamin E are stored in fat in your body. And not expelled in urine like water-soluble nutrients.

Dosing more than your body can use daily may cause an unnatural buildup of some vitamins and minerals. Eventually leading to possible toxic overload and health problems.

Synergy of Vitamins and Minerals is Key

Check the label of Performance Lab’s Multi and you may notice some nutrients dosed lower than some other brand of multivitamins.

You’ll also notice some nutrients dosed at exactly the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). But some a little higher or lower than the RDI.

Performance Lab^® calculated these dosages based on synergy and how each nutrient supports and work with others in this formula.

Performance Lab ingredients work in harmony with each other. And with your body’s ability to naturally produce certain proteins, enzymes, amino acids, hormones, and neurotransmitters.

The intent is not to upset the balance and artificially boost specific areas of your body with this multivitamin.

Rather the intent is to ensure your body and brain get optimal amounts of each vitamin and mineral it requires to thrive every day.

How Performance Lab^® NutriGenesis^® Multi Works in Real Life

I love this multivitamin. Two capsules in the morning with a tablespoon of Performance Lab^® MCT Oil along with the rest of my nootropic stack. And it launches my day.

I take another two capsules at noon with unrefined coconut oil or MCT Oil and my nootropic stack. I’ve got more energy and I’m productive for the rest of the day.

I’ve noticed a difference since I replaced my previous multivitamin with the Performance Lab Multi for Men. It feels cleaner, productivity has increased a little more, mood is slightly better, and I sleep better.

Performance Lab^® NutriGenesis^® Multi is Good Value

One of the things I’ve learned over the years of working with nootropics is it’s not cheap. In fact, taking each nootropic, vitamin, and mineral on its own in my case can add up to hundreds of dollars per month.

But I’m OK with this investment in my health. Because it has completely changed my life for the better.

In this case, I know my body and brain demand a multivitamin/mineral supplement daily. I’ve searched long and hard for the best multivitamin I could find based on what I’ve learned over the last few years.

Now it’s no surprise that the highest quality supplements are often more expensive. But I’ve also found that when compared to buying many of these ingredients as separate supplements, it turns out to be a whole lot less.

In my case, I’m no longer using a separate B-Complex supplement, or a separate zinc or selenium supplement.

This Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi for Men is a little more than my previous whole-food multivitamin supplement. But I’ve cut down on 3 other separate supplements in my stack, so it comes out to about the same investment in my health.

Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi for men or women is only $40.00 for a 1-month supply (120 capsules) (+ shipping & handling).

And when you get 3 boxes they’ll send one box FREE along with FREE shipping.

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Pro & Cons of Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi

Performance Lab^® has taken an extra step to include NutriCaps^® instead of regular vegetarian capsules in their stack. These vegan caps are made from tapioca. And each capsule is infused with a Prebiotic for digestive health and bioavailability of the whole multivitamin/mineral complex.

All of the other competitors with a high-quality multivitamin use HPMC vegetarian capsules which are a semi-synthetic polymer made from wood pulp.

Now, let’s look at what I think are the pros and cons of this premium multivitamin.

Pros

• Full disclosure on the amount of each ingredient
• Highest quality, nature-identical, eco-friendly NutriGenesis^® ingredients
• Highly bioavailable B-Vitamins (equivalent to folate, P-5-P and methylcobalamin)
• No added ingredients
• No World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned substances
• Vegan-friendly ingredients including NutriCaps^® capsules infused with Prebiotics
• Tested prior to encapsulation for allergens, GMOs, microbes, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, and other contaminants
• Tested again to confirm potency, purity, and activity after encapsulation
• Ships in recyclable cardboard security boxes filled with biodegradable packing peanuts
• Competitively priced
• Empty bottle, money-back guarantee (less shipping)
• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Only available on their website (more on this in a minute)
• Magnesium dosage is too low

In all, the nature-identical ingredients and dosages included in the Performance Lab NutriGenesis Multi are perfect for a multivitamin.

Magnesium is too low and most of us are deficient in this critical nutrient. But once again Opti Nutra has thought of everything in this formula.

Because the magnesium that’s ‘missing’ in the multivitamin is in the Performance Lab Sleep formula. Which is when you should be taking your magnesium dose anyway.

Most important is Performance Lab^® fully discloses how much of each ingredient is in each 4-capsule dose. So you know exactly what you need to add for your unique health issues.