Herbalife vs Arbonne – A Detailed Comparison (pyramid, health)

Between Herbalife vs Arbonne which is best?

In this article, I will review two famous multi-level marketing corporations that produce and distribute nutritional supplements.

As a fitness enthusiast, my relationship with dietary supplements and the companies manufacturing them isn’t new; therefore, I know how being a newbie in this journey can intimidate one.

It is because there’s a lot that one has to consider to opt for the best one.

From understanding the science behind the ingredients, how they may or may not benefit you to knowing the possible side effects is highly crucial to make an informed decision.

And to acquire knowledge about all of it, heaps of experimentation, as well as the investment of time and money, is required – the very exact effort I have already done for you!

So, to hear it all about Herbalife and Arbonne from an expert, scroll down to my detailed review!

Herbalife vs Arbonne– A Brief Rundown

Before diving into the nitty-gritty details, let me take you through a brief introduction to both these brands.

What is Herbalife?

The journey of Herbalife started back in 1980 when Mark R. Hughes laid its foundation with an ambition to optimize the overall health and lifestyles of people.

Mark started this venture as a multi-level, direct-selling business.

He embarked on this journey with a soy-based food-replacement Formula 1 protein shake as a debut.

Luckily, this product became a game-changer for the company and solidified Herbalife’s position in the market.

Herbalife was unstoppable after worldwide acclaim of this product, which resulted in a steady growth of consumers.

Today, the brand has a diverse collection of products, including weight management solutions, dietary supplements, protein bars, sports nutrition, beauty, personal care, and personalized diet plans.

Now, their business operates in over 90 countries and employs approximately 9,900 employees worldwide.

Last but not least, the brand is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Arbonne

Arbonne was born when Norwegian entrepreneur Petter Morck joined hands with a group of qualified biochemists and herbalists to give life to what he envisioned.

This company has been around for nearly four decades.

In 1975, the brand was launched in Switzerland but moved to the United States after five years.

Arbonne develops and sells products from several locations in the US and is based on the MLM model.

Initially, the brand started selling skincare products. Later, they diversified their collection and introduced protein powders, protein shake mixes, teas, fruit snacks, and a lot more.

According to the official website, their products are vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated with plant-based ingredients.

Arbonne also ensures that its products are developed with direct cooperation with expert scientists to ensure safety and authenticity.

It is headquartered in Irvine, California, and has international offices in the United Kingdom, Canada, Poland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Herbalife and Arbonne– Which one is better?

It is time to get into the in-depth comparison of both companies. Based on these details, you can decide which brands seem to align with your diet goals.

1. Efficacy

Herbalife: Protein shakes and dietary supplements are fantastic tools to consume essential nutrients to maintain an active body.

At Herbalife, there are different types of shakes that serve varying purposes. From protein-boosting shakes to Formula 1 Nutritional shake mixes as the company’s most popular product, you have a few options to choose from.

Herbalife’s shakes contain high soy protein content, vitamins, and minerals to keep you energized.

According to a study, protein helps maintain metabolic health and promotes weight loss too.

It does so by satisfying your hunger, making you feel full, and boosting your overall bodily strength. So, that’s a great deal right there.

Arbonne: Our bodies require a consistent and adequate supply of essential vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for stable health. However, sometimes we fail to consume them due to unhealthy eating habits.

Luckily, we have protein shakes today that offer an instant supply of protein and other vital nutrients.

With essential minerals, vitamins, and 20g plant-based protein per serving, the Arbonne shake mix is a good source of energy that helps you live a healthy life.

Since the products with protein and high fiber content can help drop extra pounds and increase your metabolism, you can opt for this brand.

Also, notice that Arbonne doesn’t contain artificial flavorings and sweeteners, which is a big plus!

Final Verdict: Both the brands incorporate essential minerals, vitamins, and protein content that is healthy for your body and help in weight loss.

However, I prefer Arbonne shake as it is made of plant-based protein and doesn’t contain any artificial sweeteners.

2. Side Effects of Herbalife and Arbonne

Herbalife: As I mentioned earlier, Herbalife products and shakes contain a high amount of protein as well as micronutrients.

Although they are a great deal to help achieve optimal health, yet there are some limitations for people with food allergies, chronic diseases, and impaired kidney functions.

It is because consuming a high protein diet for a prolonged time can generate questionable consequences like kidney damage.

The same goes for high amounts of micronutrients, which people with impaired kidneys and liver fail to process effectively, leading to many other undesired consequences, which may include hepatic injury.

But unfortunately, that’s not just it.

The main reason behind it causing hepatitis in its several users is the presence of bacteria B.subtilis.

Therefore, it is mandatory to seek your doctor’s advice before buying a dietary supplement, especially if you have an underlying illness.

Arbonne: Arbonne shakes, on the other hand, are also somewhat similar to Herbalife in composition and therefore may exhibit similar side effects.

But, unlike Herbalife, no proven side effects have yet been published on credible sites like NIH (US), which somehow deems it safer.

However, you may experience short-lived side effects like stomach issues, vomiting, bloating, cramps, gas, constipation, or diarrhea.

Final Verdict: It is pretty obvious, Arbonne is the safer one here. 

However, consuming more than recommended can set you in trouble no matter which brand you opt for.

Therefore, visit your doctor in the first place and stick with the dose he recommends.

3. Cost

Herbalife: Formula 1 instant healthy meal dietary shake is the crown jewel of this brand. It is available in the flavors of creamy chocolate and vanilla dream at the price of $47.40.

Another popular product is the Protein drink mix, which is available for $53.10. It comes in chocolate, vanilla, and peanut cookie flavors. They also have beverage mixes and protein boosters at varying rates.

Arbonne: The starting price of protein shakes is $79. This shake comes in three flavors: coffee, chocolate, and vanilla.

Final Verdict: Although both brands have products at competitive rates, we can see that Arbonne’s protein powders are more expensive than Herbalife.

4. Taste/Flavor

Herbalife: I roamed around the internet to find what are people saying about the flavors and taste.

Each to their own, but I personally enjoyed the classic French vanilla flavor a lot.

Apart from that one, Herbalife has heaps to offer when it comes to variations in shake flavors. From mint chocolate to Dulce de Leche and Cookies ‘n Cream, there’s a lot you may choose from!

They are obviously not as regular shakes, but they do have a refreshingly pleasant sensation.

All you have to do is blend two scoops of powder into 8 ounces of water. You can also use regular or almond milk and have it along with your breakfast.

Arbonne: Arbonne hasn’t got much in store when we talk about flavors as there are only three options to chose from; vanilla, coffee, and chocolate.

However, they taste just as good as normal shakes would. So, that’s a big thumbs up here!

Final Verdict: Taste-wise, shakes of both the companies, Arbonne and Herbalife, are good to go, in my opinion.

However, if you’re someone who likes to try different flavors every other day so that those taste buds don’t get bored, I guess Herbalife will make a better option for you.

5. Product Range

Herbalife: It is a multipurpose company that covers all the aspects of fitness, personal care, skincare, and beauty.

You will find core nutrients, weight loss enhancers, protein boosters, snacks, dietary supplements, vitamins, and comprehensive weight management programs.

Arbonne: It ventured as a skincare products distributor but later branched into hair, makeup & beauty, nutritional supplements, and protein powders.

Final Verdict: Clearly, Herbalife wins the race as a multipurpose corporation that produces an extensively diverse product line.

6. Arbonne vs Herbalife Ingredients

Herbalife: Herbalife’s high-protein Formula 1 nutritional shake mix contains several healthful ingredients, including soy protein, carbohydrates, multiple vitamins, biotin, folic acid, Riboflavin, fiber, and so on.

First of all, protein is highly crucial to curb down the untimely cravings as it keeps you satiated for long, and carbs, being the main source of energy for your body, keep you pumped up to carry out daily life activities efficiently despite being on a calorie-restricted diet.

Then the fiber is another fantastic ingredient of the Herbalife protein shake mix that regulates sugar’s use in your body.

Our bodies need at least 20-30 grams of fiber daily, so this shake can effectively fulfill that requirement as it contains around 17g of it.

Biotin may also elevate your resting metabolism rate, facilitating weight loss at a faster pace.

Last but not least, most importantly, each serving of these shakes has around 0.25mg of Riboflavin in it, an optimum level of which is crucial to maintain while being on the weight loss journey.

It is because your body’s requirement for Riboflavin rises significantly as you deliberately workout to lose weight.

Arbonne: Arbonne protein shakes are said to work by primarily boosting your metabolism to help you lose weight.

These shakes are formulated with similar ingredients like Herbalife, such as high protein content, dietary fiber, and a mixture of essential vitamins and minerals.

Other ingredients that make Arbonne different from Herbalife are pea protein isolate, rice protein, cranberry protein, inulin, sunflower oil, iron, magnesium, iodine, and more.

Combined with a proper diet routine, many of these ingredients can significantly aid weight loss.

For instance, dietary fiber consumption can help decrease inflammation that is associated with obesity.

Inulin is a dietary fiber too that improves your digestive system and burns fat.

Whereas combined, pea protein and rice protein give the efficacy of full protein.

Arbonne protein shakes also include magnesium that can help you lose abdominal fat.

Insufficient thyroid hormones can lead to unexpected weight gain as these hormones help maintain metabolism’s speed.

Thankfully, you can solve this issue by adding more iodine intake to your diet via Arbonne shakes!

Final Verdict: Both brands produce nutrient-rich products that can help maintain your body in fulfilling ways. However, I prefer Arbonne over Herbalife.

The reason is that Herbalife includes soy protein in its shakes, and there isn’t enough conclusive information available on its efficacy.

On the other hand, Arbonne extracts protein from different plants, which is much better in quality than soy.

Therefore, it is better to prefer research-oriented and plant-based protein until further notice.

7. Business Opportunities

Herbalife: You can make money by becoming a direct seller for the company or through affiliate marketing.

You may also recruit and train a team to sell products and earn commission through their performance.

According to the company, you can get started with as little as $59.

Moreover, if you have expertise in product development, IT, customer services, sales, and marketing, you can connect with the company for a job opportunity.

Herbalife offers attractive compensation plans, such as casual dress code, on-site cafe, fitness club, 401k matching, and much more.

Arbonne: You can earn money through Arbonne by becoming an affiliate or consultant from the comfort of your home.

You may also browse marketing, IT, finance, and customer service jobs as an employment seeker.

Final Verdict: Both brands have been in the business for decades and are legit corporations to work with.

However, building a substantial income stream through affiliate marketing or consultation depends on multiple factors, including your experience and expertise.

Make sure to seek advice from an experienced collaborator before investing.

FAQs about Herbalife and Arbonne

Is Arbonne nutrition FDA approved?

Arbonne is not FDA approved because FDA is not responsible for examining or testing dietary supplements.

It only intervenes under one condition – if a new ingredient is added to a supplement that is not tested for its safety or efficacy before.

Is Arbonne a pyramid scheme?

A pyramid scheme is a business model where a person hires a team, trains them to entice people to buy the products, and earns a commission through the sales they make.

Arbonne is structured on the same model where the revenue of the trainer keeps growing, whereas the team members feel stuck on the same spot.

How much does it cost to join Arbonne?

You can work from home as an Arbonne consultant by starting with $49. It covers everything from your personal website to the welcome kit cost.

Is Herbalife high quality?

Herbalife claims that it incorporates high-quality ingredients into its products and collaborates with generational farmers to ensure the best possible quality.

You can find a satisfyingly detailed answer by looking at the section where I mentioned its shake’s ingredients and efficacy.

Why is Herbalife bad for you?

If you have a chronic illness, kidney, or liver disease, refrain from using dietary supplements without asking your doctor.

Whether you choose Herbalife or some other brand, the after-effects can be adverse and long-term if you don’t seek prior help from an expert.

Do Arbonne energy fizz sticks have caffeine?

Yes, these fizz sticks contain 50 milligrams of caffeine and less than two grams of sugar per stick.

These sticks work as morning coffee replacements.

Do Arbonne energy fizz sticks work?

Fizz sticks, AKA fizzies are pretty popular these days and are used as nutritional supplements.

They contain high caffeine content that may help you stay energized throughout the day, enhance your cognitive performance and alertness.

Are Arbonne energy fizz sticks safe?

Arbonne energy fizz sticks contain 100 mg of Ginseng, which is under the suggested amount of 200-400 mg.

Ginseng doesn’t seem to cause any harmful effects already, so this product is pretty safe to use.

However, if you have an illness, are pregnant, or are breastfeeding, ask your doctors before use.

Are Arbonne energy fizz sticks healthy?

Yes, they are absolutely healthy and safe. They help you stay energized and less fatigued throughout the day due to the caffeine content.

To date, no one has reported experiencing any side effects after the intake.

Is Arbonne better than Herbalife?

There are multiple aspects to decide which brand is better. Comparatively, Herbalife shakes are affordable.

If we talk about protein sources, I think Arbonne is better because it sources protein from different plants, unlike Herbalife that incorporates only soy protein.

Also, Arbonne doesn’t contain artificial flavorings like Herbalife.

Then there are some similarities, such as both brands include high protein, sugar, minerals, and essential vitamins.

Regardless of their popularity, some people will always be skeptical about their credibility due to the questionable history of MLM businesses and pyramid schemes.

Final Thoughts – Which one is better?

You can’t go wrong with either company.

Both offer great products and a supportive community for their customers.

If you’re not sure which one to choose, consider your budget or the type of product you would like to try. It’s important that when making this decision, it feels right for you.

Remember that both companies are reputable in the industry and will provide excellent customer service if needed.

In one breath, I would say Arbonne is the better option.

The main reason behind me saying this is that Herbalife shakes are quite notoriously known for being problematic in the long run as its users have reported some serious illnesses like renal and hepatic impairment.

On the other hand, throughout my whole research, I haven’t come across any such study or research that claims the same about Arbonne, deeming it safe for anyone to use. (given that he/she has no history of underlying medical conditions)

Last but not least, no matter what, prior consultation with a doctor is non-negotiable, especially if it is your first time trying a nutritional supplement.

I hope this article helps you make an informed decision about which company to go for.