Healthspan Elite All Blacks CurraNZ Blackcurrant Extract 300mg (1 Month Supply) | Helps The Body Overcome Stress & Exertion | 300mg Natural Extract Per Capsule | 35% Anthocyanin | Vegan Friendly

I cannot fault the product itself, it comes in small capsules that are odorless and easy to swallow. As a way of keeping up your anthocyanin intake this is clean and easy. The packaging is attractive and very glossy and this is clearly a first rate product!But I’m afraid I have to point out the enormous elephant in the room and that is the price, £22.49 is a lot of money for a months’ supply, that would by £269.88 for a year. Keep in mind that a healthy red cabbage has around 1200mg of various anthocyanins. Now according to the label these capsules contain 300mg of New Zealand black berries of which 35% is anthocyanin content so if my math is correct that would put the anthocyanin content per capsule at around 105 mg , that means you would have to take 11 of these pills to ingest the same amount of anthocyanin that you would acquire from a single red cabbage. Now bear with me as I’m going to do a little bit more math, there are 30 capsules in a pack of ‘CurraNZ Blackcurrant extract’ and so that gives us a cost of 74pence ( or at current exchange rates 85 U.S cents) per capsule . That’s £8.14 to acquire the same amount of anthocyanin that can be found in a common supermarket red cabbage. Now given that a red cabbage can be purchased for around £1.50, this does not represent good value for money. Also those calculations are based on taking 1 capsule per day, if you take 3 a day, which is shown as an option, then this is essentially a 10 day supply !Is this a good a product ? Absolutely - but you don’t have to be a mathematician to work out that the price is excessive to the point of outrage. However, at £10 (or less) this would be tough to beat but as it stands there are much cheaper and more plentiful ways of getting your anthocyanin.

From New Zealand blackcurrant, one a day reduces blood pressure naturally.

For what it's worth, this is a nicely presented product, coming in a box that looks impressive and 'upmarket'. And of course, it needs to look the part because it's very expensive. I am sure the price - around £22-odd for a month's supply - will put a lot of potential buyers off.As for the product itself, an individual capsule is relatively odourless and easy to swallow. After swallowing it, nothing happens, of course, and in all honesty if you were to take one a day for a month, you'd probably find it difficult to notice any differences that you'd be conscious of.So yet again - I often review food supplements, you see - we have to trust the integrity of the manufacturer. In particular, we have to trust that the ingredients are exactly what they are claimed to be. The ingredient is mainly one thing, and not surprisingly it's Blackcurrant Extract Powder. Now, you can't fit a quart into a pint pot, they say, so I do wonder how the benefits of a single blackcurrant can be transferred to a single capsule such as these. How many blackcurrants are needed to create the contents of a single capsule? I haven't been able to find out, but the nagging thought is that if I were to eat a single blackcurrant every day for a month, I'd probably gain similar benefits but save a few bob at the same time.Blackcurrants (as in natural ones) are high in antioxidants, including vitamin C. Along with the anthocyanins in blackcurrants, these antioxidants can help to give your immune system a boost, allowing your body to fight infection and viruses more effectively. Blackcurrants are rich in an omega-6 fatty acid called gamma-linoleic acid.In the end, it's hard to ignore the price of this product. It's a more convenient alternative to natural blackcurrants, but I'm sceptical that it's actually any better for you. I've given a 4-star rating because I feel that it is beneficial to your health in a number of ways - for example, it's better to take one of these capsules each day as opposed to not taking any at all - but you'll also need a healthy bank account to support a regular habit.

Is it easy to swallow? Yes, relatively.Anyway, let's get down to the nitty gritty...In a 2010 review of scientific evidence concerning the possible health benefits of eating foods claimed to have "antioxidant properties" due to anthocyanins, the European Food Safety Authority concluded that 1) there was no basis for a beneficial antioxidant effect from dietary anthocyanins in humans, 2) there was no evidence of a cause and effect relationship between the consumption of anthocyanin-rich foods and protection of DNA, proteins, and lipids from oxidative damage, and 3) there was no evidence generally for consumption of anthocyanin-rich foods having any "antioxidant", "anti-cancer", "anti-aging", or "healthy aging" effects.Based on the above, you have to question what is the point of this product, and it is most like a placebo. Given the product originates in New Zealand, it's carbon footprint in terms of air miles is huge, for what is essentially blackcurrants in tablet form. It's not very green at all.

Vitamin C is Vitamin C, though of course there are other antioxidants contained within this month's supply. From NZ blackcurrants, containing the highest potency, these flavourless capsules look more like a box of contraceptives than a health product. I was expecting a strong, zingy blackcurrant flavour, so was disappointed. Healthspan Elite will have paid a handsome sum to sponsor the All Blacks, so the high price tag will include this, along with all the branding and super-duper packaging. Are they any better than other vitamin capsules on the market? Hard to say. The only big difference is the high price, and I'm not convinced they're worth it.

Works well on my arthritic elbow - no pain

The pills are easy to swallow, don't have any strong smell or taste and do not stain teeth or the tongue. But you are mostly paying for the brand name here as £23 for a single month supply of the extract is simply too high.