HANAH Supplements Review – Authentic and Healthy Ayurvedic Creations

HANAH is an Ayurvedic supplement company that creates some really great products. Endorsed by legends Jimmy Chin, Travis Rice, and Jeremey Jones, among dozens of other professional mountain athletes.

From 6000 BC to Today

HANAH supplements were created by Joel Einhorn after he sustained a major life-changing crash, training for an Ironman in Prague.  While recovering from the accident, he met an Ayurvedic Doctor to helped him recover.  Astonished at how well this ancient form of medicine worked, Joel sought out to learn more about the herbs and treatments in this Eastern practice.

Joel dedicated much of his time and resources to tracking down the purest and most ethical sources for his own herbal concoctions.  Back in the USA, he offered some of the creations to his friends.  They enjoyed the supplements on hikes and backcountry skiing.  His friends spread the word and the next thing he knows, he has a thriving, healthy business.

That is about as organic of a creation story as I have heard!  You can learn much more about this in the Engearment podcast episode with Joel 

HANAH Supplements creation

As I mentioned above, Joel went to great lengths to source the best quality ingredients for HANAH supplements.  When I say great lengths, I mean GREAT LENGTHS! He spent significant time in India, Bhutan, and areas of Asia to find the best sources for his creations.  Here is an excerpt from a trip to Kerala, India:

 

These pics are from our last trip to Kerala, India, where we source many of our herbs and ingredients for HANAH ONE, Coffee Boost, etc. We went with our Ayurvedic doctor (Doctor Venugopal) and a few of the wild herb collectors into the forests of the Western Ghats to show us where they find some of our herbs. 

The Western Ghats is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with over 5,000 flowering plants, 139 mammal, 508 bird, and 179 amphibian species.

The forests are full of numerous products, like honey, medicinal herbs, resins, incense, spices, condiments, fibers, etc.  

HANAH Supplements I used

The HANAH supplements I used are HANAH One, Ashwagandha, Turmeric, and Coffee Boost. I started using the HANAH One, Tumeric and Ashwagandha in the summer, during our Free Solo giveaway.  HANAH was one of the sponsors and was kind enough to send over the supplements for me to try before doing the collaboration event.

The first thing I noticed about the supplements is the quality of the containers.  I know, that does not probably sound like a big deal. But trust me, you can tell a lot about a supplement (or beer!) by the color and quality of the packaging. I have been in the supplements testing field for 25 years, and have grown to appreciate quality packaging when I see it.

So what if the container is nice, what does that have to do with anything? Well, quite a bit actually.  Each container is thick glass with a brown hue to it.  Glass is not cheap, it also does not react with the supplements. Plus, it is not plastic! The brown color looks good, for sure, but also provides protection from UV and degradation.  Look at your favorite beer bottle.  It is probably brown as well.  Think about it 🙂

HANAH One

HANAH One is the main supplement that is featured in the line-up.  For a good reason.  It has a lot to offer!  Comprised of 30 wild-harvested herbs in a base of ghee, honey, and sesame seed oil. This thick goo is packed full of nutrient-dense goodness.  Some people mix it in their coffee or tea.  I just take a spoonful of it and eat it.

Taste is kind of surprising at first.  Not really sure what to expect, it packed a punch of herbs and sweetness. I love that Joel did not try to make this an over flavored supplement to please the masses.  This is honest to goodness, herbal goo that tastes much like it looks.  That is not bad, just honest.  Which is the foundation of HANAH supplements – honesty and not hiding behind fake colors or flavors.  I really appreciate that!

There are several herbs in the HANAH One mix.  Making this a thick, herbal snack.  Many of the athletes base their supplements around this product.  You can see a lot of them using it in their daily routines on the HANAH YouTube channel.  Jimmy Chin filmed the videos, so you know they are good :). Check them out here

The aim of HANAH One is to be a base supplement that covers a lot of benefits.  Digestion, cognitive improvement, energy, and immune system support.  Can I quantify that it does this?  Probably not in a way that makes sense to most people.  I tried this one for a month on, a month off approach.

I did notice that I felt “better” when taking it.  My skin and digestion did look and feel good.  Mood was noticeably consistent and good.  I have taken many of the herbs in this before and can say that they do seem to work, either in this product or by themselves.  So, I think it is a good product and would take it daily. $55

Coffee Boost

Coffee Boost is a newer mix that you add to your…. coffee!  Based on ashwagandha, bacopa monnieri, mucna pruriens and coconut milk powder. Bacopa monnieri has been the subject of a great deal of research in seeing if it can help with cognitive impalements (Alzheimer’s) as well as anxiety and depression.  Here is one such study from NCBI that had some good results! Effects of Standardized Bacopa Monnieri Extract on Cognitive Performance. 

If that was not a page-turner… LOL.  But, I wanted to show you that Joel and his team are really looking into the best ways to help people with their health and well being.  That is just ONE such study that shows they are doing good over at HANAH.

Taste is not bad.  Mixes in coffee with ease.  It seems to add a little boost to the morning Joe.  I usually put a tablespoon of C-8 MCT oil, as well as a scoop of collagen in my coffee.  I stopped doing that for 2 weeks to give the Coffee Boost a fair try.  $43

Turmeric +

Turmeric has been getting a lot of good attention lately.  It has been demonstrated to reduce inflammation and help with joint health. I have arthritis in both of my big toes and right knee. So, I am used to daily pain in those joints.  Years of hard living and injuries have added up to this trophy pain LOL.  I am constantly looking for ways to make the pain better.

The best thing I have found is daily movement.  Strength training and mobility work. These are irreplaceable, in my opinion.  But, there are lots of supplements (and drugs like NSAIDS) that aim to help with inflammation. I have tried a lot of Tumeric and have had mixed results.  Mainly because quality can vary so dang much.  As far as I can tell, HANAH Turmeric is the best one I have tried. I have asked other splitboarders who have used this, and they can vouch for it working. $42

Ashwagandha +

I have used Ashwagandha off and on for almost 20 years. It is actually in a class called adaptogens. What adaptogens do, is they  “adapt” to the body and help create homeostasis.  Pretty cool theory! What I have noticed from using Ashwagandha is calmness.

 

Simply put, it is the “chill” of herbs.  Definitely worth a try! There is a reason this is the main ingredient in HANAH One and many other mixes.  It is thought to be the master herb.  $49

Summary of HANAH Supplements

I reached out to a lot of friends that have tried HANAH supplements to get their feedback before writing this.  I did not want to just offer my side of the story.  From what I have gathered, and what you can gather from others take on HANAH, is that they make some very high-quality supplements that many people swear by.

Having used many of the herbs in the mixes, over the last several years, I can say that the ingredients Joel and the HANAH team have chosen to use are legit.  The amount of effort he puts into tracking down the best quality of each ingredient is heroic.  I wish more supplement companies put this much effort into quality control!

The bottom line – the HANAH stuff is good.  Very good.  Price reflects the quality and is actually very fair for what you are getting.  If you do choose to try HANAH, please let us know how you like it.  All the best to your health and fitness!