Balance of Nature Review: What to Know About the Fruits and Veggies Supplements
Balance of Nature’s Fruits and Veggies capsules have built a loyal following among people looking for an easy way to round out their produce intake, and plenty of long-term users report genuinely liking how the product fits into their routine. But this is a brand with a regulatory history that’s more significant than most supplement companies, including a 2023 federal consent decree that temporarily halted sales, and that history is directly relevant to how you should approach any health claims associated with the brand, so it’s worth understanding clearly before you buy.
What Is Balance of Nature?
Balance of Nature is a Utah-based supplement company, founded by Dr. Douglas Howard, best known for its Fruits and Veggies capsules, dehydrated fruit and vegetable powder in capsule form, marketed as a convenient way to supplement produce intake. The company also sells fiber and omega-3 products. It operates primarily as a subscription-based direct-to-consumer brand, with recurring shipments unless a customer actively cancels.
Who Is Balance of Nature Actually For?
Balance of Nature may appeal to people who struggle to eat enough fruits and vegetables and want a supplement to help close that gap as part of an otherwise reasonably balanced diet, treating it the way you would any general multivitamin, a supplement to a healthy diet, not a substitute for one and not a treatment for any medical condition. If you’re generally healthy and simply want more variety of plant nutrients in your routine, it’s a product some longtime users report being satisfied with.
It is not a good fit, and you should not use it, as a treatment or management tool for any diagnosed medical condition, and you should be skeptical of any specific health claims associated with the brand given its documented regulatory history below. If you’re managing a health condition, talk to your doctor before adding any new supplement, and don’t rely on marketing claims from any supplement brand as medical guidance.
Important Regulatory History to Know
This is the section that matters most for an informed decision. In 2023, California regulators reached a $1.1 million settlement with Balance of Nature over false advertising claims related to diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, heart disease, and cancer. Separately, the FDA took action against the company’s manufacturing and marketing entities over unsupported health claims (including testimonials referencing cancer and cirrhosis) and manufacturing violations, including reports that ingredient identity was being verified by smell rather than proper testing procedures. In November 2023, a federal court issued a consent decree that temporarily halted the company’s production and sales entirely.
Balance of Nature resumed operations later that same month after agreeing to conditions including improved complaint-handling procedures, removal of unsupported marketing claims, ingredient verification systems, and ongoing independent compliance audits. The company remains selling under that consent decree today, with continued FDA oversight, an FDA official has indicated the company appears in compliance but must maintain that compliance to keep operating. As of the most recent available legal updates, a federal class action in Illinois over marketing claims was dismissed in June 2025, though a separate class action in New York remains active.
None of this means the underlying product is unsafe to consume as a general supplement, dehydrated fruit and vegetable powder is a straightforward category. What it does mean is that any specific disease-treatment or disease-prevention claim associated with this brand, historical or current, should be treated with real skepticism, and this is exactly the kind of product where checking with your doctor before use, especially if you have an existing health condition, is a genuinely good idea rather than boilerplate advice.
What Real Users Say They Like
Setting the regulatory history aside, longtime users who stick with the product describe appreciating the convenience of getting a wider variety of produce-derived nutrients without having to overhaul their diet, and the capsule format is frequently mentioned as easier to stick with consistently than trying to eat a wider variety of vegetables day to day. Some users report the subscription model works well for them once they’re on a schedule they’re happy with.
What to Know Before You Buy
Beyond the regulatory history above, the subscription and cancellation process has been a specific, documented source of customer complaints, users report needing to call rather than being able to cancel entirely online, and describe the process as more involved than expected for a recurring charge. If you sign up, mark your next billing date and be prepared to call to cancel if you decide not to continue, rather than assuming an easy self-service cancellation.
Given the FDA’s directive that the company remove unsupported health claims from its marketing, it’s worth being specifically skeptical of any current or past testimonials or claims suggesting the product treats or prevents any disease. Evaluate this product as a general produce supplement, not as anything with therapeutic claims, regardless of how it may be marketed.
Is It Worth the Price?
That depends heavily on what you’re expecting from it. As a general “more variety of plant nutrients” supplement alongside a reasonably healthy diet, some long-term users report satisfaction with the convenience. As anything positioned to treat, manage, or prevent a specific health condition, no, and the company’s own regulatory history is the clearest evidence for why that framing shouldn’t be trusted. If you’re specifically trying to address a health condition, talk to a doctor about evidence-based options rather than relying on a supplement’s marketing claims.
Our Verdict
Balance of Nature has a real, well-documented regulatory history involving unsupported health claims and a 2023 FDA-driven sales halt, and that history should shape how skeptically you read any claims from this brand, current or past. If you’re interested in it purely as a general produce-nutrient supplement and not as a treatment for anything, some long-term users report it fits well into their routine. Talk to your doctor before starting it if you have any health condition, and read the subscription terms carefully before signing up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Balance of Nature safe to take?
As a general dehydrated fruit and vegetable supplement, there’s no indication the product itself is unsafe for general use, but it is not a substitute for medical treatment, and you should talk to your doctor before starting it, especially if you have an existing health condition or take medication.
Did the FDA shut down Balance of Nature?
Yes, temporarily. A federal court issued a consent decree in November 2023 that halted the company’s manufacturing and sales over unsupported health claims and manufacturing verification issues. The company resumed operations later that month after agreeing to compliance conditions and remains under ongoing FDA oversight.
Is Balance of Nature currently operating legally?
Yes. As of the most recent available updates, the company operates under a permanent consent decree with the FDA, and an FDA official has indicated the company appears in compliance, though it must maintain that compliance to continue operating.
Can Balance of Nature treat or prevent diseases like diabetes or cancer?
No. The company was specifically found to have made unsupported claims of this kind and was required by regulators to remove them from its marketing. Treat any such claims, current or historical, with skepticism, and rely on your doctor for anything related to managing a diagnosed condition.
Is it hard to cancel a Balance of Nature subscription?
Some customers report the cancellation process requires a phone call rather than being available as simple self-service online, so mark your billing date and plan to call ahead of your next shipment if you decide to cancel.
