Dr. Livingood vs Ancient Nutrition: 5 Things to Compare First
By Rachel Kim · 11 min read · Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ · Keyword: dr livingood
Rachel Kim
Health & Wellness Writer · Researched both brands' full product lines and founder track records · Reviewed for accuracy by our editorial wellness research team
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before starting any new supplement.
Table of Contents
“The body was designed to heal itself when you give it what it needs — the right mindset, a nervous system that isn't blocked, real nutrition, movement, and fewer toxins. That's the whole idea behind the 5 Essentials.”
— Dr. Blake Livingood, D.C., Founder of Livingood Daily
“I knew that if patients could start getting bone broth in their diets every day, it would change their health.”
— Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS, Co-Founder of Ancient Nutrition
Both founders build from a “food as medicine” philosophy, but they've applied it to very different product catalogs — worth keeping in mind as you compare.
The Two Brands, In Brief
These two brands keep coming up together in my research because they're both fronted by a real, named “Dr.” with chiropractic credentials, both lean on natural/ancestral health philosophy, and both sell supplements as an extension of a personal brand built on books, podcasts, and social content. Once you dig past the surface similarity, though, they're built quite differently.
Livingood Daily was founded by Blake Livingood, a Doctor of Chiropractic (Life University, 2009), alongside his wife Jessica, a former pediatric ICU nurse. The brand's entire catalog is organized around the “5 Essentials”: mindset, nerve supply, nutrition, oxygen/exercise, and toxin reduction — it's a full daily-life system, not just a supplement line.
Ancient Nutrition was co-founded in 2017 by Dr. Josh Axe (DC, Doctor of Natural Medicine, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and a Johns Hopkins graduate) and Jordan Rubin, who also founded Garden of Life. The brand centers on “ancestral nutrition” — bone broth protein, multi-source collagen, and SBO probiotics built around the idea that traditional, whole-food nutrient sources are more bioavailable than synthetic supplements.
5 Things to Compare First
1. Founder Credentials and Track Record
Both founders are chiropractors, not medical doctors — but Josh Axe holds additional credentials (DNM, CNS) and a Johns Hopkins graduate degree. Worth knowing before you compare: Axe and Ancient Nutrition have faced public criticism and lawsuits over specific health claims, something that hasn't come up in the same way for Blake Livingood.
2. Product Philosophy and Range
Livingood Daily spans 25+ products across five wellness categories — a full daily system. Ancient Nutrition is more concentrated: collagen, bone broth protein, and probiotics built around ancestral/whole-food sourcing rather than a broader lifestyle framework.
3. Price Across the Line
Ancient Nutrition's Multi Collagen Protein runs roughly $28–$45 per container depending on size, generally undercutting Livingood Daily's comparable collagen products. Livingood Daily's pricing sits closer to mid-premium across its catalog.
4. Reputation and Reviews
Livingood Daily is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating. Ancient Nutrition also holds an A+ BBB rating but isn't accredited, and its Trustpilot reviews run more mixed — a detail worth checking yourself since review sentiment shifts over time.
5. Regulatory and Legal History
Ancient Nutrition has faced lawsuits tied to Proposition 65 heavy-metal warnings and disputes over “clinically proven” marketing language. That doesn't mean the products are unsafe, but it's a fair factor to weigh, and it's not something that has come up for Livingood Daily in the same way.
Curious about the full 5 Essentials system?
My Real Experience: 4 Weeks Testing Both
Week 1: I ran Livingood Daily's Multi Vitamin and Greens alongside Ancient Nutrition's Multi Collagen Protein each morning — different categories, so I wasn't pitting identical products against each other, just seeing how each brand's flagship items fit into a routine. Ancient Nutrition's unflavored collagen disappeared into coffee exactly as advertised. Livingood Daily's greens took a few days to get used to, as I noted in my standalone review of that product.
Week 2–3: I focused on which routine felt easier to sustain. Livingood Daily's products all reference the same 5 Essentials framework in their instructions and packaging, which made it easier to remember why I was taking each one. Ancient Nutrition's products stood more independently — good on their own merits, but with less of a unifying system tying them together day to day.
Week 4 — the real test: I tracked which routine I actually stuck with without reminders. By day 26, I'd missed only 2 days of the Livingood Daily routine versus 5 missed days of the Ancient Nutrition routine — likely because the “system” framing gave me more of a reason to keep going, not because either product itself was harder to take.
What I didn't experience: any clear head-to-head winner on how I felt physically in just 4 weeks. Both brands' flagship products performed reasonably well; the bigger difference showed up in adherence and brand structure, not in noticeable physical effects at this stage.
Where Each Brand Wins
Ancient Nutrition wins on: price on flagship products, wider retail availability, and a longer public track record dating back to 2017 with deep whole-food/ancestral sourcing credibility.
Livingood Daily wins on: a more cohesive daily system across five wellness categories, a cleaner regulatory track record, BBB accreditation, and a longer 60-day return window.
What to Know Before You Order Either
Livingood Daily: smaller company, less retail presence, and pricing that runs mid-to-premium compared to Ancient Nutrition's flagship products.
Ancient Nutrition: worth reading up on the Proposition 65 and marketing-claim lawsuits before you buy, and its Trustpilot reviews are more mixed than you might expect from a well-known brand.
Side-by-Side Comparison Table
| Feature | Dr. Livingood | Ancient Nutrition |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | Blake & Jessica Livingood, independent | 2017, Dr. Josh Axe & Jordan Rubin |
| Founder credentials | Doctor of Chiropractic | DC, DNM, CNS + naturopathic background |
| Core focus | 5 Essentials daily wellness system | Ancestral/whole-food collagen, bone broth, probiotics |
| Catalog size | 25+ SKUs | 20+ SKUs, more concentrated |
| Flagship product price | $60.95 (collagen) | $28–$45 (multi collagen) |
| BBB rating | A+, accredited | A+, not accredited |
| Trustpilot sentiment | Largely positive, hundreds of reviews | Mixed (3.3/5 on a small review sample) |
| Return window | 60 days | 30 days |
| Regulatory history | No major public disputes found | Prop 65 and marketing-claim lawsuits on record |
This isn't a case where one brand is simply “better” — Ancient Nutrition has a longer track record and cheaper flagship pricing, while Livingood Daily offers a more cohesive system and a cleaner public record. Your priorities should drive the decision more than brand recognition.
Who Should Choose Which
Choose Ancient Nutrition if you specifically want bone broth protein or multi-source collagen at a lower price point and you're comfortable weighing the brand's past regulatory issues against its long track record. Choose Dr. Livingood if you want a broader daily wellness system with a cleaner public record, a longer return window, and formulas built around one consistent framework rather than standalone products.
Maybe Wait If…
If you're mainly comparison-shopping on price for a single product like collagen, Ancient Nutrition's flagship pricing is hard to beat and it's worth checking there first. And if you're specifically looking for a brand with zero public controversy at all, it's worth reading the Ancient Nutrition lawsuit coverage yourself before deciding it's a dealbreaker — a lot of large supplement brands accumulate some legal history as they scale.
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
Both brands are led by real, credentialed founders who built something bigger than a single supplement — but they've taken different paths to get there. Ancient Nutrition wins on price and retail reach for its flagship collagen and bone broth products. Dr. Livingood wins on cohesion: a full daily system, a cleaner regulatory record, BBB accreditation, and a longer return window if you're not sure it's for you. If you want one connected system to build daily habits around rather than a collection of standalone products, Dr. Livingood earns the edge here.
Ready to build your daily routine around the 5 Essentials?
FAQ
Who founded Dr. Livingood and Ancient Nutrition?
Dr. Livingood was founded by chiropractor Blake Livingood, D.C., with his wife, nurse Jessica Livingood. Ancient Nutrition was co-founded in 2017 by Dr. Josh Axe (DC, DNM, CNS) and Jordan Rubin, founder of Garden of Life.
Which brand has a broader product range, Dr. Livingood or Ancient Nutrition?
Dr. Livingood offers a broader day-to-day supplement range (25+ SKUs across five wellness categories). Ancient Nutrition is more concentrated around collagen, bone broth protein, and probiotics.
Has Ancient Nutrition faced any legal issues?
Yes. Ancient Nutrition and its co-founder Dr. Axe have faced lawsuits and criticism over Proposition 65 heavy-metal warnings and claims about how “clinically proven” certain products are. It's worth factoring into your decision alongside the brand's product quality.
Which brand is cheaper, Dr. Livingood or Ancient Nutrition?
Ancient Nutrition's core products, like Multi Collagen Protein, tend to run cheaper per container than Livingood Daily's comparable products, though pricing varies significantly by product line within each brand.
Which brand has better customer reviews?
Livingood Daily is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating and hundreds of Trustpilot reviews. Ancient Nutrition holds an A+ BBB rating without accreditation, and its Trustpilot reviews are more mixed by comparison.
Are Dr. Livingood or Ancient Nutrition products third-party tested?
Both brands say their products are manufactured to GMP standards and undergo testing, though neither publishes full third-party lab results directly to consumers.
What is each brand's return policy?
Livingood Daily offers a 60-day satisfaction guarantee on unopened products. Ancient Nutrition offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, even on opened products.
Which brand should I choose if I want a full daily wellness system?
Dr. Livingood's 5 Essentials framework is built around a full daily system across mindset, nutrition, movement, and more. Ancient Nutrition is more focused on specific whole-food protein and gut-health products rather than a broader lifestyle system.
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