[update] I left a reply to the “pro juice plus” comment click here to see it.
“Science is organized common sense where many a beautiful theory was killed by an ugly fact.”
-Thomas Henry Huxley
As a homeschooler, I grew up on “the other side” of the medicinal tracks. And while I appreciate many aspects of the alternative health industry there is much of it that resembles quacks selling snake oil! But really all you need to create a cure is… 1/4 cup curiosity, 1/4 cup skepticism and 1/2 cup of common sense. Directions: apply and reapply as needed.
In my homeschooling journey I have run across (and taken) a supplement called Juice Plus. Juice Plus is touted as a cure all for just about any disease from cancer to the common cold. The argument is a simple one, both to make and to refute.
(image source juiceplus.com)
First, talk about and quote every study ever done that has shown that eating more fruits and vegetables is good for you.
Second, scare people by talking about the failing health in America, the increase of cancer and deadly disease.
Third, produce a pill that contains a thimbleful of dried veggies and dried fruit and proclaim it to be the miracle the world has been waiting for, after all veggies are good for you are they not?
Fourth, bring forth testimonial after testimonial of people telling you how Juice Plus cured all their diseases.
It all seems good but there is a MAJOR flaw in that argument the Latin term for it is, Ignoratio elenchi, which means an Irrelevant conclusion. This means claiming that your argument supports your conclusion when logically it has nothing to do with your conclusion. Examine the argument again.
A- Studies have shown that eating fruit and vegetables is good for you (true)
B- Juice Plus is made up of fruits and vegetables (true)
Therefore…
C – Juice Plus is good for you (false)
The studies of fruits and veggies all deal with quantities of real vegetables and fruits. Were the studies done with Juice Plus then the conclusion would be true but by taking to separate facts then putting them together doesn’t make a valid argument.
Consider this argument
A- Studies show that exercise is good for your cardiovascular health (true)
B- Flipping channels on the remote is a form or exercise (just a smaller quantity) (true)
therefore
C- Channel surfing has cardiovascular benefits (false)
Lesson – spend the 39.99 on a bag of apples and carrots NOT on a cute bottle of veggie powder
Bonus fact – the buzz word with Juice Plus (and other such magic cures) is “Phytonutrients” means
phyto – plant and nutrient – nutriant hence phytonutrient means a nutrient from a plant.
Useful links:
Juice Plus website
Juice Plus a critical look (mlm watchdog site)
Argument/Fallacies exlanations (the nikzor project)
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If you spend 40 bucks on one bag of apples and one bag of carrots your buying your food at the wrong store! Go to Save A Lot!:-)
i should clarify
spend the 40 bucks on apples and carrots for a whole month 
Sorry to disagree with you on this one Ethan….the studies and findings are done on Juice Plus itself. That is what differenciates it from many vitamins and supplements that do use the logic …Vit A is good for you and this has Vit A so it must be good for you. They have many different kinds of researchers that have done scientifically controlled studies that are independent of Juice Plus but they do use the actual product. Some studies show that it actually absorbs into the blood stream and is able to be used….called bioavailabiltiy. That is diff from some vitamins that simply float through your digestion and are never absorbed! Other studies have been done with heart disease, cancer, children’s studies, atheletes, etc etc. They are done as scientific research .
I do sell Juice Plus to my family and friends. I have been researching nutrition since the early 1980’s, have tried various vitamins, and have had the best results with Juice Plus. Distributors are told that it is best to use the Scientific evidence to talk about the benefits of Juice Plus rather than personal testimonies…but it is often the case that what an actual person you know has experienced is more convincing. God made our bodies to use various nutrients and process them on a celular level. Our bodies work better and are able to fight off disease or illness when given these nutrients.
Since I have CFIDS which is a genetic neurological disease I can only give my body support and try to do all I can to make it work better. I still have loads of symptoms and difficulties…but I used to have many more and I used to catch every virus that came around me…which I no longer do.
Others in my immediate family have had great results lowering High Blood Pressure and overcoming Pre-cancerous conditions. So much better to support the body and help it do what God made it to do…overcome disease, than to take medicine to control the symptoms.
The man who developed JuicePlus did so because his father was dying, and the doctors couldn’t help him. He literally carried him on a plane to take him to his house and care for him. Many juicing regimes are helpful in such a condition….his father couldn’t drink all the juice so this man dehydrated the juice and gave it to him concentrated. His dad recovered and lived 6 more years…into his later 80’s.
Now the stuff is all done very carefully and scientifically….and the quality and mix is consistant and monitored. And the powder is put into capsules…which is a lot easier to take. Phytonutrient is used in the place of vitamins…as there are so many hundreds of these that have no name….kind of like the stars in the sky…they haven’t been discovered or named yet….only a small number have been and they are usually called vitamins.
Sounds like you somehow had a negative experience with Juice Plus…sorry you did…..mine on the other hand has been very positive.
blessings,
Jenny
Hey don’t apologize for disagreeing with me
I rather enjoy it 
and I have not had a positive or negative experience with Juice Plus I am merely trying to look at the argument and evidence as best as I can.
One of the purposes of this site is to broach semi controversial topics.
As for controlled studies of Juice Plus independent of Juice Plus I am skeptical.
Reason one – the studies referenced on the Juice Plus website were sponsered by two main companies (1) NSA the owners of the Juice Plus company and (2) Natural Alternatives International’s Research Foundation. NAI is the producer of the Juice Plus capsules. So there is plenty of bias to start with.
http://www.nsaonline.com
http://www.nai-online.com/index.html
Furthermore the studies (at least the ones I read) compared Juice Plus to a placebo or to other vitamin pills never to eating fruits and vegetables.
As we are on the topic of studies and reports here is one from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. (click here to visit) http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69270.cfm
“While it is true that nutritional supplementation is important in maintaining health in many segments of the population, particularly the elderly, none of the scientific studies undertaken have sought to prove that Juice Plus+® is more effective or more bioavailable than other supplements. In addition, no studies exist to compare the physiologic effects of supplementation with Juice Plus+® and eating whole fresh fruits and vegetables.”
If studies show that Juice Plus is absorbed into the blood stream via digestion then they wasted their money. That happens to be how the digestion system works. You will digest fruit and veggie powder the same (or worse) than fresh fruits and veggies.
I agree with your statement that, “God made our bodies to use various nutrients and process them on a cellular level. Our bodies work better and are able to fight off disease or illness when given these nutrients.” I disagree that taking veggie powder is better than eating fresh veggies.
Consider a family of 4 (two parents and two kids) cost for a one year supply of Juice Plus is 3,600 (for the basic pills) I would argue that the health benefits of spending that money on fresh fruits and vegetables would much wiser than on powder made from the same fruits and vegetables. And you get the fiber, live enzymes etc. Thrown in for FREE! you can’t beat a deal like that
Dear Ethan,
Good job man! It’s about time more sane voices commented on this product. The repsonse from Jenny the Juice Plus distributor was typical in that it quoted the manufacturer’s BS about the product and the research. In realtiy, there is no validity to any of the company’s claims. The product is a scam pure and simple. John Wise, who works for the manufacturer and authored several of the research studies on Juice Plus, was previously an executive for United Sciences of America which was shut down by the FDA for exactly the same kinds of violations that are now being committed with Juice Plus. Here are a few sites you might find interesting.
http://juiceplusresearch.blogspot.com
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69270.cfm
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/html/ds/dsJuicePlus.php
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/subCorner/pdf/2000/0011.pdf
http://www.thedietchannel.com/Dietary-Supplements-Facts-About-Juice-Plus.htm
http://www.mlmwatch.org/04C/NSA/juiceplus.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice_Plus
Ethan,
These studies you cited by yourself and (the obvious plant) Wink J, are clearly irrelevant.
I say this based on their failure to address the primary benefit of Juice Plus.
My wife and I are the proud parents of dectouplets, and consequently we have a very busy schedule. We simply do not have enough time to prepare all those meals and change all those diapers.
Juice Plus has helped us overcome both of those obstacles. We feed them a strict diet consisting of only Juice Plus capsules (and 8 ml of water per day/per child (80 mls total).
Not only are we meeting (dare I say “exceeding”) their nutritional requirements, but we are able to reuse one set of diapers indefinitely for each child (all that comes out is a fine mist of veggie powder which is very similar to the corn starch in baby powder; so it serves a dual purpose).
Sure the capsules are expensive, but think of all the money we are saving on clothes. They haven’t increased a size for the last 10 months (an added cost savings bonus).
Sure you can feed your kids fruits and vegatables, but it’s a known fact that all those “live enzymes” and “fiber” (which you are so crazy about) leads to a healthy and active colon. You might be saving a nickel on the fruit, but your loosing $19.00 every time you pick up a pack of 20 diapers (generic, with coupon).
And I don’t need the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to tell me that dirty diapers don’t smell good.
You’ll have to get up a little earlier if you want to use your “science” to pull one over on this Juice-Plus-Parent!
Best of Luck With those Apples!
Couple of things I like to address:
-It seems to me that if you scare older people about health, they will buy anything (i.e. juice plus, noni juice, etc.)
-Daniel Rudd- You justify feeding your kids Juice Plus with savings of diapers and clothes? How about what you said:
“Sure the capsules are expensive, but think of all the money we are saving on clothes. They haven’t increased a size for the last 10 months (an added cost savings bonus). ”
Your babies haven’t grown a size in 10months! That obviously is NOT normal. I don’t have kids, but everyone I know that has a baby has to buy clothes for him/her every month because their babies grow! Common sense sort of tells you something isn’t normal.
-Ask any doctor and they will tell you that there is nothing better than the real thing. You can’t substitute a pill for real fruit and vegetables. Another point that is common sense
Ben, ben, ben…
come on man.
read my post more carefully.
then take a deep breath and relax.
I’d like to know if NSA is planning on saving us the hassle and expense of eating meat and grains by powdering them and encapsulating their nutritional essence too. I have a hard time eating 17 different types of meat and I don’t eat a lot of oats, whole wheat, or quinoa, so a convenient capsule sure would help fill in the gaps. Maybe if we are really lucky, NSA will make it possible for us to never have to ingest real solid food again.
My family uses Juice Plus for the same reason we’ve taken vitamins. It’s a supplement, not an alternative. I don’t understand all of the time focusing on putting down this product. People should eat as healthy as possible, but I’d venture to say that most people aren’t getting in their recommended allowance of ‘fresh’ fruits and vegetables daily, so how about cutting the product a little slack for helping people out in that area?
If Juice Plus did help people out then I would give it a lot of slack and even use it myself.
But however I have no real data other than “I use Juice plus and it helps me a lot” because of the absense of data and the obvious bias of “studies” that have been done I have to conclude that Juice plus doesn’t help anyone.
Until Juice Plus can back up it’s claim that ingesting ground up dried veggies is comparable to real veggies, I will continue to hold this position.
Please don’t take the fact that I disagree with your argument as an indicator that I don’t like you.
Do you take vitamins, or do you support their cause?
Ethan, the programming of distributors in the Juice Plus cult dictates that any criticism levied must be denounced as the evil actions of conspirators in mainstream medicine and the pharmaceutical industry, or the ravings of Quackwatch’s Dr. Stephen Barrett, who they viciously (but unjustifiably) denounce. Juice Plus is such a blatantly transparent scam and when I witness their brainwashed lemmings marching in lockstep, I have to marvel and momentarily consider a career as a snake oil vitamin pusher. Who knew it could be so easy to separate fools from their money.
The “I use Juice plus and it helps me a lot” spiel that every distributor regurgitates is actually scripted in their distributors manual, and frequent distributor “training” (i.e. programming) meetings help to ensure that everyone knows how they are supposed to “feel”. There is a lot of this type of programming by suggestion lurking in NSAs training methods.
But it’s just a freakin’ vitamin pill for crying out loud. People who take One-A-Day or Centrum don’t jump up and down raving about how great they feel, even though their product is far superior and far less expensive, and they certainly don’t go around claiming that their products cure everything from cancer to arthritis, as do the Juice Plus drones.
The primary benefit that Juice Plus offers is profit to some of the people who sell it. NSAs slick veneer provides a plausible cover story/sales pitch and a license to steal from sick, desperate, and ignorant people.
I have been taking Juiceplus for over 2 years. I have seen a lot of changes in my overall health… I won’t bore you with the details but you couldn’t pay me to STOP taking my JP. My 3 year old loves the gummies and rarely gets sick. She hasn’t seen a doctor since she was 9 mo. old. I also have my entire family on them for as little as $1200.00 a year. The above price quote for a family of four is incorrect. I’m a certified Nutritionist and I feel very comfortable buying products directly from a distributor. I would rather contribute my money to direct sales then to buy some unknown cheaper version at Wal-Mart. At least I know that my money is contributing to a supplemental income for a stay at home mother. Multi-Level Marketing isn’t something you should be afraid of…that is your subconscious doing your thinking for you. Thanks to Amway, too many people are suspicious of direct sales. This product is marketed like Avon, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Arbonne and many other companies … to you DIRECT. Who knows what cause or company that you are supporting by buying them off the shelf. You could be supporting some Satanic organization for all you know. Stop giving MLM’s a Bad Rap!!! Thanks to network marketing many people have been able to change their lives by being their own boss and creating unlimited income. The corporate world is who you should watch out for…that is the TRUE PYRAMID.
Juice Plus is not just another “freakin’ vitamin pill”. Traditional vitamins have isolated and synthetic nutrients that our bodies cannot always use and sometimes they harm us. Juice Plus is a whole food concentrate. It’s something so simple that just makes sense… because hardly any of us eat the recommedned 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
@Nutrition 101 I’m not knocking you personally but please understand that a “personal experience” story shouldn’t convince anybody. For example I went to college where I stayed up later, ate more junk food and stopped taking herbs/vitamins/supplements/juice plus and I got healthier and had more energy. Does this mean I should everyone should stay up late and eat junk food? no it means I got healthier and I don’t know why. I’m glad your three year old eats gummies and is healthy but in the USA most 3 years olds are healthy regardless of “gummies”
Having been involved in the MLM world (shaklee/nature sunshine/amway/) as well as with the “evil” corporate world. Neither one “creates” unlimited income. Each contains people that go to work and their income is related to how hard and how well they work. There is no “magic formula” for wealth/health/happiness they all are a result of good old honest work.
And I’m not afraid of “satanic” companies trying to steal my soul through product placement at Wal-Mart. Seriously people.
@Linda – all nutrients and vitamins come from somewhere. They aren’t created ex nihilo in some test tube. All vitamins are found in nature and to make a vitamin you just concentrate the “natural” food to extract just the vitamin. What does Juice plus say they do… they take a whole food and concentrate it then extract a small portion of it and then say eating the smaller bits of an apple is just as good as eating a whole apple.
There are no studies/tests that compare eating Juice plus/vitamins/herbs/supplements to eating real whole foods. All the studies compare herbs to vitamins, juice plus to vitamins etc.
Too me it is just common sense to not try and shortcut the process. Our bodies are designed to eat and digest real food not concentrated food. So my common sense tells me to not look for a magic pill to allow me to… eat less vegetables or exercise less.
The same goes for business… don’t look for the magic formula to make millions of dollars that shortcuts real work and real products.
Isn’t it interesting that the people who desire easy and quick health are also the same people who desire easy and quick wealth?
Ethan, I do agree with you about personal testimonies and the lack of science behind them. I also agree with you about hard work. Someone has to choose to be successful first before enduring the road that will lead them there. America offers a lot of opportunity but it isn’t a free ride, it takes hard work and a strong belief in yourself. I know this from my own present and future success in my life.
Juiceplus/NSA has a lot of research to prove that JP is beneficial to the body. No they do not have any research that compares whole food to capsuled food. I couldn’t agree with you more that the actual, God made version of fruits and vegetables is the best way to achieve optimal health. Excercise and drinking plenty of pure water is another solution. In America everyone wants a “quick-fix” and an easy solution to these century old health remedies. That is why JP is so appealing and successful. Unfortunately some people are getting very wealthy because of our hectic lifestyles and laziness.
Again.. JP is just suppose to SUPPLEMENT your daily diet… not REPLACE the fruits and veggies in your diet. Its something that is easy to take and helps to bridge the gap in our daily nutrition. No one has ever claimed (at least not to me) that you should never eat F & V again or continue to live an unhealthy lifestyle.
Just trying to set the record straight.
The research results from the Juice Plus studies have been predictable and are in all cases attributable to the product’s vitamin fortification. There is nothing that distinguishes this product from a dirt cheap multivitamin and no research that shows Juice Plus to be superior to, or even as effective as, a cheap multivitamin. In fact, Juice Plus contains fewer nutrients than a multivitamin and deficient amounts of several essential B-vitamins and minerals, which the multivitamin provides.
But where the product really hurts consumers is in the pocketbook. It is ridiculously overpriced for what it is and there is no justifaction for the 20-fold price differential, other than to support an inefficient MLM system. But to compel people to buy it, distributors rely on scripted scare tactics about cancer, chronic diseases, and children’s health. They skirt the law by implying that Juice Plus can prevent/treat/cure diseases, and in some cases, they violate the law by stating so explicitly.
Distributors often imply that Juice Plus is an alternative to the real thing; they routinely emphasize that the real thing is too expensive, too inconvenient, and potentially laden with toxins. They discourage people from eating the real thing and deceptively offer Juice Plus as the solution.
It may be true that not all MLMs are bad, but Juice Plus is definitely an example of MLM at its worst.
BTW, I don’t know if there are any Satan worshippers working for Wal-Mart, as one of the Juice Plus distributors suggested above, but there is definitely at least one Satanic priest who sells Juice Plus:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=14427306
http://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/pages/Home.soa?site=gw33160
Thank you “Daniel Rudd” for your humor to help us all realize that humor, by far, is truly the best medicine!
You guys are not intellectually honest. If you were really unbiased and truly wanted to know if Juice Plus is what it says it is you would take a look at the research. All you do is repeat things that don’t make sense.
For instance, you say Juice Plus should be compared with eating fruits and vegetables. You have missed the point! No one is saying JP is better than eating fresh produce. What they are saying is that hardly anyone eats the 9-13 servings of raw fruits and veggies each and every day! A serving is a half a cup, unless it’s green leafy veggies, then a serving is one cup. Do you eat the amount your body needs every day??? I have a daughter who is Type I diabetic. She cannot eat much fruit because the natural sugars in fruit will make her blood sugar rise. But she needs the nutrients from fruits–Juice Plus is the solution for her as the sugar has been removed. How many diabetics are there in America who cannot eat very much fruit? A lot of people have diabetes–in fact, it’s predicted 1 out of every two children today will develop Type II diabetes at some point. Juice Plus is also the solution for all those people who don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.
I’ve been studying nutrition for 35 years. I’ve taken several nutrition and health classes at a local college, working towards a degree as a Dietitian and one thing that always worried me was that I knew I wasn’t eating enough fruits and vegetables every single day. Some days I’d eat 8 servings, some days I’d eat 2 servings, some days none if I were real busy or traveling. All the main health organizations say we need to eat more fruits and vegetables, but are we doing it??? The answer is no. That’s why I take Juice Plus.
The reason there are small amounts of vitamins in Juice Plus is because that’s the amount that was in the fruit or vegetable that’s in Juice Plus. Haven’t you read recently that taking multi vitamins and isolated vitamins are actually harmful? There have been numerous studies proving this. Check out the March 2006 issue of the Wall Street Journal. If you want me to I can send you the article.
One of the more recent studies on Juice Plus, published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 2006: 38 (6); 1098-1105 showed Juice Plus to be as effective as high amounts of vitamins C and E in reducing a marker for oxidative stress associated with aerobic exercise. The reason the science and medical community are now saying we need to get our vitamins from whole foods, instead of from isolated vitamin tablets is because whole foods deliver the 10,000-15,000 thousand phytonutrients that are in fruits and vegetables, instead of the 30 or so that are in a multi vitamin. All those phytonutrients work together and need each other.
Have you ever actually looked at the research that’s been done on Juice Plus? Yes, the research was in part funded by NSA, but only to the degree that the Juice Plus capsules and the placebo’s were provided to the medical research university’s free of charge. Have you seen the list of university’s that have done research on Juice Plus? They are a list of Who’s Who among university’s. They came to NSA and asked to be able to do research on Juice Plus. NSA did not seek them out.
Have you seen which peer reviewed publications these studies are published in? For instance, one is the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. You can’t pay your way into these well known publications. The type of research that’s been done on Juice Plus is the highest standard and it’s indisputable.
Why even our own U.S. government is now doing research on Juice Plus; yes, at Wake Forest University and it’s being funded by the National Cancer Institute. They saw the previous research and was impressed with it and wanted to do their own research.
I dare you to take an honest look at the research. Get back with me when you do.
—Val
I am right there with you. I am convinced that Juice Plus makes money from the fears of others. I am just amazed at the number of people who fall for it hook, line and sinker. It really saddens me to see families who cannot afford JP buying into the salespitch and believing that they are actually buying good health. Where is theh critical thinking skills these same people espouse??
Speaking of intellectual honesty, how can anyone claim with a straight face that all NSA did was supply free capsules for the research? Not only did NSA/NAI provided hefty amounts of money to the researchers they recruited (this information is in the public domain) but one of the executives (John Wise) of the company that manufactures Juice Plus was an author on about half the studies. Clearly the company’s involvement goes well beyond merely supplying capsules for the studies. To make matters worse, John Wise was formerly an executive with United Sciences of America, which was a pyramid-scheme vitamin company that was run out of business by the FDA in 1986-1987 for making illegal disease treatment claims and using fraudulent research. Like Juice Plus, United Sciences also relied heavily on celebrity endorsements. The research done on Juice Plus is nothing more than a means for distributors to brandish impressive looking stacks of paper, while the actual results of those studies paint a very unimpressive picture of Juice Plus. It doesn’t do anything that a regular multivitamin couldn’t do for about 1/30th of the cost. Furthermore, with regard to intellectual dishonesty, why claim that the daily requirement for fruits and vegetables is 9-13 servings when in fact it is 5-13 servings, with many agencies recommending a mere 5 servings per day. Let’s try and get the facts straight here.
Yes, let’s get our facts straight.
I have heard two biochemists state that we actually need 20-25 servings of RAW fruits and veggies EVERY day to help prevent degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, etc., however, no one says this because it’s an unreachable goal.
WHY do we need so many raw fruits and veggies per day? Because the produce we buy in the stores today is inferior to the produce even 60 years ago. WHY is it inferior? Because our soils are depleted, our produce is picked before it’s ripe (80% of the nutrients are developed in the plant the last two weeks as they are vine ripening), and the produce languishes in the warehouse or grocery store any where from 1 year (oranges) to 3-5 days. During the time it’s in the warehouse or store the nutrients are being destroyed. Fruits and veggies are meant to be eaten soon after they are picked AND they are meant to be vine ripened.
If you have an organic garden and orchard and eat your own produce every day then you do not need Juice Plus. However, if you don’t have that opportunity then you need help and Juice Plus provides that nutritional help. Is it any wonder that all types of diseases are on the rise?
I dare you to research how our produce today is of such poor quality.
Go ahead, do some research on that topic. Then, tell me you only need 5 servings a day. The 5 servings a day are for little kids, not for an adult.
The following quote is from the Harvard School of Public Health website which you can access at:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fruits.html
“Eat your fruits and vegetables” is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.
What does “plenty” mean? More than most Americans consume. If you don’t count potatoes – which should be considered a starch rather than a vegetable – the average American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day, depending on one’s caloric intake.(1) For a person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this translates into nine servings, or 4½ cups per day.”
If you want to argue with this website go right ahead. There are always people that don’t believe what’s obvious to most people. As for myself I would rather heed the warning and get the minimum 9 servings per day and do what I can to prevent cancer and heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and a host of other degenerative diseases.
Active men and boys ages 14 to 30 need the 13 servings a day, according to our government, inactive boys and men the same ages need at least 10 servings.
The raw fruits and veggies in Juice Plus are ALL vine ripened and they are over 60% organic and they are checked 3 different times for pesticides, herbicides, mold, etc. The sugar is taken out and the salt is taken out.
As for what the last person stated about the research being bogus. He’s wrong. He’s going off old information. The first couple of studies were funded by Juice Plus because they knew they had something good and wanted to be known by the research–not testimonials as other companies are known.
However, they NO longer fund the research other than supplying the capsules and placebos. There are SO many research and medical universities who want to do research on Juice Plus now that NSA (the company who makes Juice Plus) has to turn most of them away. Let me list just some of the well known and respectable research institutions who have and are at this time doing research on Juice Plus:
Brigham Young University, University of Texas Health Science Center, King’s College, London, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, University of Florida, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, University of Sydney, Australia, University of Birmingham, England, Medical University of Graz, Austria, University of Texas/MD Anderson, University of Milan, Italy, Yale University-Griffin Hospital Prevention Research Center.
These are just some of them. There are more. They are putting their reputations on the line when they associate themselves with Juice Plus. ALL, and I mean ALL of the research that has been done on Juice Plus so far has been VERY positive; so much so that many doctors are deciding they need to recommend Juice Plus to their patients. And, as I stated before OUR OWN GOVERNMENT is now doing research on how Juice Plus affects cancer survivors.
This research is published in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals that you CANNOT buy yourself into. It is the type of research scientists and doctors look at.
Go ahead, continue to be skepical; but you are the one losing out. Personally, I’m worth $1.33 a day to help prevent future disease. Are you worth it?
Val
Juice Plus .
4 years ago our doctor suggested that we take the product. We did not. I thought it was a MLM scam and did not seperate the product from the business.
2 years ago we started taking Juice Plus and have had positive health results. (If it works or we just think it works really doesn’t matter. The results did.)
Now I am investigating becoming a distributor based on our personal results.
The research shows both sides of the story, as with most products. Juice Plus currently has multiple studies underway.
My own research has been to see how many doctors I could find; on the internet that promote Juice Plus (Again, I was first exposed to the product by our doctor.)
In just an hour of internet research I was able to find OVER 40 doctors that take and recommend Juice Plus to their patients with good results.
There is an overwhelming support growing in the medical industry for this product. Prevention is just starting to become an accepted method as a precursor to Detection and Treatment. Juice Plus fits well in this shift because it is Whole Food Nutrition (However small or large the amount may be.)
It is wise to see the whole picture and realize who is against something and why.
Do your own research, make your own assessment and don’t follow people who seem to have no expertise other than to be negative about something that they don’t understand or have not tried.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if the slander of such a large group of professionals opinion were directly challenged?
I have been able to: Use the product with positive results, research the product (Not all good, never is.) and view the high level of commitment to the product by a large group of medical professionals.
With all of this being weighed against MLM distribution focus it is easy to see how animosity for the MLM business can bleed over to the product….
Ask your Doctor, ask someone you trust that has taken the product for a sufficient time, take it yourself and make your own judgment.
We have done our research, and based on the whole picture, we will become a distributor for this product. Not to push it on anyone, but to let anyone who is exposed to the product, make their own determination. There are too many reputable doctors supporting this product for it to be a just a scam! (And Doctors make money on most of the products sold at their practice)
If someone is on a vendetta against this product, I suggest contacting the doctors that promote the product (They can easily be found on the internet); and argue with them… if you can…
A future Juice Plus Distributor by choice, make up your own mind and don’t be poisoned or poison others…
I was truly appalled to see the degree of deception and inaccuracy in Val’s latest post. Rather than chronicling every one of the numerous examples, I will for now concentrate only on the most obvious. Val stated (incorrectly):
“As for what the last person stated about the research being bogus. He’s wrong. He’s going off old information. The first couple of studies were funded by Juice Plus…However, they NO longer fund the research other than supplying the capsules and placebos. There are SO many research and medical universities who want to do research on Juice Plus now that NSA (the company who makes Juice Plus) has to turn most of them away.”
Now let’s examine the truth…
1. All of the published Juice Plus studies conducted between 1996, when the first study was poublished, and 2007 (with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions) were paid for by either Natural Alternatives International (the manufacturer) or National Safety Associates.
2. NSA paid researcher Richard Bloomer $86,595 (see page 4 https://umdrive.memphis.edu/g-HSS/WebPages/CRML/R Bloomer CV.pdf). His Juice Plus study was published in 2006 (Med Sci Sports Exerc 38:1098-1105).
3. NSA paid out $76,590 to Susan Percival (U Florida — see page 91 http://research.ifas.ufl.edu/re/annualReports/2004/04ARR_Text03.pdf) Her Juice Plus study was published in 2006 (Natz et al. J Nutr 136:2606-10).
4. David L. Katz (Yale Public Health) was paid more than $200,000 to conduct a study of Juice Plus on endothelial function in insulin-resistant adults. It wasn’t Katz’s idea to do the study, nor did he approach NSA as Val suggested. Rather, according to Yale, “Katz met with the NSA Corporation at a nutrition conference and was asked to conduct a study analyzing the health effects of Juice Plus” http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/12439
5. Lovell A. Jones (MD Anderson) who is currently conducting a study on Juice Plus was paid $224,950 by NSA (see page 10 http://www.oso.tamucc.edu/pals/jones.pdf).
6. Lorne Hofseth (University of South Carolina Pharmacy), who is also currently conducting research on Juice Plus (its effect on global body inflammatory load), was paid $279,878 by NSA. This information was previously posted on the university’s website (http://cccr.sc.edu/new.html and http://cccr.sc.edu/investigators/Hofseth-Lorne.html) but has recently been removed.
The only question that remains is whether Val was lying intentionally or if she is just ignorant and made no attempt to ascertain the truth. In either case, her deceptive comments confirm yet again that there is no validity to the claims that are made about this product. Instead, it’s just one lie after another.
I always trust my gut feeling. With the information i was given by a sales pitch and even trying it. My gut feeling said no and i bought a juicer.
Re: Wink J
I can always count on a great comment from you
One more point I’d like to make.
The reason everyone recommends a high daily intake of vegetables is not only for the vitamins contained in them but also for the fiber in the vegetables.
Fiber is a very necessary part of a healthy balanced diet. Now to be fair a juice plus capsule contains 25% plant fiber but that is nowhere near the amount of fiber you should be eating.
I’m seriously thinking of making a YouTube video showing people exactly how you make juice plus. So far honest discussion hasn’t changed anyones mind so I think a new medium is needed.
I’ve got a juicer I can borrow anyone got a food dehydrator I can use? let me know, ethan@ethandemme.com
Thanks Ethan! The world needs more “kinda strange blog guys” like you.
You make an important point about the importance of fiber in the diet. But another major reason why consumption of fruit/vegetables is promoted is because they displace other potentially harmful foods from the diet. If one doesn’t get many calories from fruits and vegetables, then the caloric difference has to be compensated for by consuming other foods, which will typically include more processed/junk food, simple carbs, saturated or trans fats, and other nasty compounds. Juice Plus doesn’t have more than a few calories so taking it to compensate for a plant-deficient diet will provide almost none of the benefits of eating real fruits and vegetables, other than a few isolated nutrients that are indistinguishable from those in an ordinary multivitamin.
I like the idea of your dehydration experiment, although the USDA has done most of the work for you already. Have a look at the calculations based on data from the USDAs nutrient database: http://juiceplusresearch.blogspot.com/2007_08_02_archive.html under “Equivalency Based on Subtracting the Weight of Water, Sugar, Salt, and Fiber”.
I take Juice Plus. I was looking for a way to increase my fruits and veggies, mostly because I didn’t eat them. YUCK! I would have rather had a donut or a really good chocolate chip cookie. I came across JP and now I have an easy way to consume fruits and veggies without having to taiste them! I’ve noticed great changes in my body (my skin is nice, I LIKE raw vegetables now! and my bioscan reading for the amount of nutrients in my blood was the highest out of everyone that tested that day at a health fair, Vegetarian level!) which will be insignificant to you since it would be considered another dreaded personal testimony (hmmm another interesting concept,for example, I like to hear what one of my friends thought about a movie, how it affected them, I can still have my own opinions….). ANYWAY, I’m sure you’ll have negative impressions on that as well.
I had thought about getting a juicer, seems like work and time and something I would have trouble doing consistently. Just me, I would rather take a capsule and get the benefits. YEAH!!!
But these testimonials are not coming from our friends; they are coming from disembodied anonymous voices hustling vitamin pills on the internet. And while we might value a friend’s opinion about a movie, we certainly shouldn’t put much faith in their opinion about how to perform heart surgery, measure cosmic gamma radiation, or assess the value of Juice Plus.
All the testimonials in the world can’t excuse the fact that the people who have been posting here in support of Juice Plus have told ridiculous lies and generally tried to misinform people: such as Val lying about the number of recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables and the source of funding for Juice Plus research, Point Man’s boilerplate cut and pasted propaganda leaflet that he has posted verbatim on several other websites, or Nutrition101’s deluded ramblings about a possible Satan/Wal-Mart connection. Collectively, these comments have buried Juice Plus deeper in the consumer fraud graveyard than anything the critics have said about it.
Hi Ethan –
I applaud you for your daring and the guts to tell it like it is on your website! Sorry so many “testimonial people” and sales people for Juice Plus keep trying to infiltrate your site.
I think doing a video where you try to make Juice Plus is a great idea!
Also, they have a manufacturing plant in San Marcos, CA where they “make” Juice Plus. They invite people to watch the process, BUT all they are doing at the plant is taking an already-made powder and packaging it into capsules! The powder is made somewhere else, and from what I have read, consists of some ADDED vitamins and some extracts purchased from a chemical company in Germany! Hardly “natural”!! Thus, it is hardly a process where whole, organic (and they don’t have organic on their label, so their claims of being organic are really dishonest) foods are juiced, then condensed into little capsules, like they would have everyone believe. No way!!
It is amazing to me that people will pay $40/bottle for something that costs a few bucks to make, with most of the money going into someone’s pocket, and more money that that going into all the up-lines’ pockets since it is an MLM scheme.
I have seen “fruit and vegetable bears” at natural food stores and also at Trader Joes — at Trader Joe’s one bottle was $5! A lot cheaper than Juice Plus and probably a a better product.
I was at Costco the other day and saw this:
http://www.greenstogo.com/index.php
Greens To Go Instant Drink Mix – Customer Testimonials
Here is the ingredients list:
Greens to Go 100% Natural Ingredients – Directions for Use
Unlike Juice Plus which has NO LISTING of mg of vitamins in the product, this one lists the mg of vitamins per serving. It is also “CERTIFIED ORGANIC”. Juice Plus has NEVER been certified organic! AND, no middleman — one can walk into a Costco and buy this stuff! I have no idea on price as I was in a hurry when I walked by the display, but knowing Costco, it is probably much cheaper than Juice Plus. I have seen a similar product at Trader Joe’s. I of course have nothing to do with Greens To Go — I am a healthcare provider and just get really sick and tired of people fleecing the American (and other countries too!) public.
Keep at what you do — your site is great!!
Kittygirl!
Hello, I was quite entertained reeading the different arguments about juice plus. I from Chicago but now live in Andalucia, Spain. I have to admit that I eat wayyyyyyyyyyyyy better here than I did in Chicago. That isn´t because I didn´t have good nutritional food to eat, but it was because I worked a lot, lived a stressed lifestyle and wasn´t eating properly. I now have some health problems due to that malnutrition when I was younger. Maybe juice plus isn´t the answer for everyone but it is for many poeple who can´t eat properly for whatever the reasons may be. Living in the South of Spain –for me is the best, because my boyfriend´s family live up in some of the highest parts of Spain and we use fresh olive oil and fresh vegetables home grown from the family patch. I have never in my life eaten such delicious fruits and veggies! I eat stuff here that I never ate in the U.S. and eat much healthier. I´m not against Juice Plus and don´t consider it a complete way to get our nutrition, but I think it can be utilized as a simple complement to some of our diets for those who are interested and those who really need it because they don´t have time to eat correctly. I haven´t tried it but am considering it –just as a complement to maybe help me avoid the worsening of the health problems that I caused for not eating correcting when I lived in the U.S. So I think it is soley up to the individual and their lifestyle. Cigana
What exactly is it that Juice Plus is supposed to be the “answer” to? It’s not a substitute for fruits and vegetables and it’s not a solution to a poor diet. Rather, it is a scam that convinces to overpay 25-fold for a cheap, second-rate multivitamin pill. The company attempts to justify the price differential by using “cooked” research, false advertising, and farfetched testimonials insisting that Juice Plus is a miracle cure.
Even if it ultimately comes down to an individual choice as to whether or not to take it, this still does not exonerate the company from using underhanded business practices. Look at the standard set by the big manufacturers in the industry like One-A-Day, Centrum, etc. who market their products ethically. Unlike Juice Plus, they do not even remotely suggest that their products are going to cure cancer and they don’t use paid testimonials to help push their products.
If the daily cost of Juice Plus was a nickel instead of a minimum of $1.30, and if the product was sold without all the hype, lies, and illegal disease treatment claims, then there wouldn’t be a problem. But in light of all the misinformation and dishonesty, consumers have good reason to be upset about this product.
Wink J needs to wake up. I don’t know where you get your “facts” but you are mistaken. The only thing NSA “funds” is provide the Juice Plus capsules and the placebo’s, since they are the only ones who can make them.
Did you not notice that I said our own United States government is now conducting research on Juice Plus? THEY ARE FUNDING THE ENTIRE STUDY WITH THEIR OWN MONEY. The National Institutes of Health at Wake Forest University are conducting a gold standard clinical study on how Juice Plus benefits head and neck cancer survivors. The National Institutes of Health read the previous research on Juice Plus which has been published in Peer Reviewed Medical and Scientific journals and was SO IMPRESSED they decided to conduct their own research. Would they spend their money if they weren’t impressed with the previous research??? I would love to hear your comments on this.
I’ve been taking Juice Plus for four years. Prior to that every year when I’d see the eye doctor my eyes were worse than the year prior. The last three visits to my eye doctor (the last three years) my eyes have been unchanged. This never happened before. In fact, my doctor was so impressed with that and also another eye test he did to determine to a greater extent the health of my eyes that now he wants information on Juice Plus! I take 3 fruit, 3 vegetable and 3 berry-blend capsules every day. I also try my best to eat as many fruits and vegetables that I can.
And, to top it off I have not been sick in 3 1/2 years, literally. Prior to my Juice Plus days, I got sick approximately 2-4 times a year. Now, if I start to feel slightly under the weather I just take a few extra Juice Plus and whatever I was getting just goes away. Likewise, my husband never gets sick anymore either. We cleaned out our medicine cabinet a couple of days ago. All that cold and flu medicine went into the trash. My customers tell me that if they do get sick, the illness is much milder and only lasts a couple of days.
Plus, I used to get headaches all the time. I don’t anymore–I only get maybe one a year. Plus, my joints used to hurt. They don’t anymore. My husband used to get terrible migraine headaches, he doesn’t anymore. My two daughters, my niece and a friend used to get really bad PMS symptoms–they no longer do. My daughter stopped taking Juice Plus for one month and what do you know? The PMS came back. When she resumed, it went away.
My nephew suffered from irritable bowel since he was 15 and he’s now 37. After just 1 week of taking Juice Plus ALL irritable bowel symptoms went completely away and have not returned. He’s been on Juice Plus for 3 years.
I could go on and on with the testimonials, but I don’t need to, the research speaks for itself if you would bother to read it.
Why don’t you try Juice Plus for one year and see what positive changes your body experiences?
As far as a “middleman”–something someone else said in a previous comment above; you have your terms mixed up. When you buy something at a store such as Costco, there is a middleman and it’s going to cost more. When you buy an item such as Juice Plus from a distributor you cut the middleman out and it’s going to cost less.
And, anyway, haven’t you heard? According to Robert Kiwosaki and Donald Trump’s new book that they co-wrote, “Why We Want You to be Rich” Chapter 27 talks about why they recommend Network Marketing. You should read the book, it’s an eye opener.
And, organic? Juice Plus is at least 60% organic. The kale and broccoli is 100% organic. The demand for Juice Plus outstrips the supply. NSA is trying to go 100% by buying up farm land and hiring farmers who have lost their farms due to one reason or another. And, Juice Plus is checked 3 times for any pesticides, herbicides, etc.–more times than the government states it has to be checked.
And, someone stated that Juice Plus doesn’t even list the amounts of each vitamin. There is a good reason for that–it’s FOOD, it’s not manufactured in a laboratory. Juice Plus even has a food label because the government recognizes that it is FOOD, NOT a vitamin. Vitamins have unnaturally high levels of just a few vitamins. Fruits and vegetables have 10,000-15,000 phytonutrients (plant vitamins), but they are all in LOW amounts. These low amounts of many, many vitamins work together in a synergestic way.
Why even the November issue of Reader’s Digest had a article on why taking “vitamins” is harmful! It’s been all over the news in the last 2 years. High amounts of vitamins are harmful to our bodies–our bodies want to get rid of them. God created our bodies to get our vitamins from food, not a multi-vitamin. Scientists all over are coming to believe that we should get our nutrition from whole food. JUICE PLUS IS WHOLE FOOD.
I can’t eat enough fruits and vegetables each and every day to supply what my body needs. That’s why I take Juice Plus–to bridge that nutritional gap. When I go to bed at night I know I’m doing what I can to eat healthy. You guys act like $1.33 a day is going to put you in the poor house. To me that is cheap health insurance. I’d rather spend it now than later with high medical bills and cancer or heart disease. We only have one body–that’s it.
Val
Wink J needs to wake up. If Juice Plus’s research is so bogus, then why–I ask you why is our own United States government now doing research on Juice Plus? I would love a response from you on that.
And, THEY ARE FUNDING THE ENTIRE STUDY, COMPLETELY. Wake Forest University, FUNDED BY THE National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health is right now conducting a scientific clinical study on the effect of Juice Plus on the nutritional status and various markers of cell health in head and neck tumor survivors.
They saw the previous research that is published in PEER REVIEWED medical and scientific journals and were impressed. They wanted to conduct their own research. My son who is just a few months away from graduating with a doctorate in Biochemistry as it relates to nutrition looked at some of the research on Juice Plus. We sent him a few of the studies. His response was that this was the HIGHEST STANDARD–it’s called the GOLD STANDARD amongst scientists and is indisputable.
It’s so easy for you to say the research is bogus, anybody can spout off a clever essay. But, let me ask you HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE RESEARCH–seriously, have you even bothered to read the research? Please respond to this question also; have you READ the research–all of it? If you are interested I would be happy to send it to you or you can review it on a Juice Plus website.
I’ve been taking Juice Plus for 4 years. I thank God every day that someone took the time to tell me about this wonderful product. I try to eat enough fruits and vegetables, but trying to eat at least seven servings of raw fruits and vegetables each and every day is almost impossible. If you’re a guy in your 20’s you should be eating even more. If you’re pregnant or if you work out a lot you should be eating more. It’s easier in the summer when there is an abundance of produce.
I used to worry that any day now I would die of a heart attack, stroke or cancer. Maybe when you’re a little older you will be concerned with your health enough that you’ll not mind spending $1.33 a day for peace of mind. You only have one body and what you put into it today affects your health later. By taking Juice Plus capsules every day I know I’m doing everything I can to fill in the nutritional gap of the fruits and vegetables I actually eat and what I’m supposed to be eating in order to stay free of all those diseases none of us want.
In fact, I take a little more than the recommended dose. The recommended dose is 2 fruit and 2 veggie capsules per day. If you’ve added the Vineyard Blend which is 9 different berries and grapes, then you take 2 of those also. I’ve been taking 3 of each capsule for about 2 years now.
I don’t get sick anymore. Literally, I have not had a cold, flu, etc. in 3 1/2 years. If I start to feel a little bit like something’s coming on I take a couple of capsules every 2 hours for the first day and whatever was coming on just goes away. My customers tell me that if they get a cold, etc. it never lasts very long or is as bad as their relatives or friends who do not take Juice Plus. When our immune system is that strong it’s also destroying the cancer cells within all of our bodies.
My eye doctor was so impressed with my test results last week that he now wants information on Juice Plus. My eyes have actually IMPROVED over the last 3 years. It used to be that every year when I visited my eye doctor my vision would be worse than the year before. You know what the doctor told me last week when I went in for my yearly check up? My eyes have actually improved since 3 years ago! And, when he did a more extensive test to determine my eye health, he said my eyes were so healthy that it was remarkable.
My nephew suffered from irritable bowel syndrome since he was 15 yrs. He is in his late 30’s. After taking just 2 fruit and 2 veggie capsules for ONE WEEK all irritable bowel symptoms went away–and have not returned.
I could go on and on with the testimonials, but I don’t need to because the research on Juice Plus is solid.
The latest research that will be published next year (it was just accepted for publication) is on the Austrian Elite Forces–the Austrian military. The results they had when taking Juice Plus were so remarkable that it is now part of their daily diet and they continue to take it now, every day, even after the study was concluded because the health benefits were so clear.
In response to someone’s essay above, the way Juice Plus is sold is though network marketing. That means there is no “middleman”. I think you have your definitions mixed up. If you buy something at Costco there is a “middleman” and so it’s going to cost more. If you buy something like Juice Plus through somebody and not a store, you have avoided the “middleman” and it will cost less.
And, talking about Network Marketing, have you read the latest book by Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump called Why We Want You to Be Rich? Chapter 27 is entitled, Why Do You Recommend Network Marketing?. Review that chapter and you’ll understand that it’s a very ethical way to conduct business. There have been some businesses in the past that abused multi level marketing and thereby gave it a bad name. Amway was one.
However, if you look around, network marketing is on the rise. Why? Because people are sick of going into a store to buy something and getting absolutely no customer service. With network marketing you are the owner of your own business and you want your customers to be happy so you give really good customer care.
Also, people are sick of working for someone else at an 8 to 5 job and not making enough money to even keep up with inflation. I can work when I want, where I want and even wear my pajamas at 10:00 am. and conduct business if I want. I don’t have to slave for someone else and give them the profit. I don’t have to listen to some boss ordering me to do something that I don’t agree with, or feel like I have to say really nice things to a manager when I don’t really even like him or her–just so that I can move up in the company and keep my job. I can go on vacation when I want for as long as I want. I can conduct business from another country. I can make as little or as much money as I want. It’s all based on how hard I want to work. For me it’s the perfect business.
I hated working for others. I remember when my sister died. The boss I had then didn’t believe she had died. I had just begun working at this job (a county job)and this boss was a very suspicious little man. This sister had raised me since I was young because my mother had died when I was young. I was very close to this sister. My new boss didn’t want me to take a day off to go to the funeral. The funeral was about an hour and a half drive from where I lived. He expected me to attend the funeral on my lunch hour. I finally did get to have the day off and go, but it had to be one of my vacation days, which I had too few of anyway. That is the kind of garbage that bosses dish out and I am happy to be free of forever!
I love the freedom of working for myself and developing wonderful relationships with my customers. And, I love helping people with their health problems. I educate my customers on every aspect of good health. I’m very happy doing what I’m doing and I’m making the world a better place.
You are complaining that Juice Plus is too expensive. If you feel that way go to the store or Farmer’s Market and buy enough fresh produce to juice 12 oz. of juice. That’s the amount of juice that is in 2 capsules before it was dehydrated. And, you need to make sure that it’s at least 60% organic, because that’s what Juice Plus is (the demand outstips the supply and also due to weather conditions it’s difficult getting enough organic produce for all those thousands of people taking Juice Plus every day), then make sure it’s 100% vine-ripened produce because that’s what Juice Plus is (80% of the nutrients develop during the last 2 weeks as the produce is vine ripening–the stuff in the store is not vine-ripened and is therefore much lower in vitamins). And, make sure it’s all high quality produce because that’s what Juice Plus is.
Why, did you know that the broccoli that goes into Juice Plus is 100% organic and is a variety that is more nutritionally dense than the type in the grocery store. Why doesn’t the grocery store sell it? Because it’s not a very pretty variety and people wouldn’t buy it. But, we get it when we take Juice Plus. Then, buy a variety of produce because what goes into Juice Plus is 15 different fruits and vegetables. They are: apples, oranges, pineapples, cranberries, peaches, acerola cherries and papaya in the fruit capsules.
Remember, when you take the two fruit Juice Plus capsules you are getting the equivalent of 12 oz. of juice from these fruits. Then, juice carrots, spinach, broccoli, kale, cabbage, parsley, beets and tomatoes, because that is what is in the vegetable Juice Plus capsules. And, again it’s the equivalent of 12 oz. of juice for the two veggie capsules.
Okay, go home juice them and get the 24 oz. of juice for the 4 capsules that you take every day and tally up exactly what that cost you. Did it cost more than $1.33? I’m sure it did–it cost a LOT MORE. Plus, when you juice at home, you’re getting the pesticides, and the sugars naturally found in fruit and veggies. You don’t get that with Juice Plus. No concentrated pesticides for me. Now tell me that NSA is charging too much for their product. No, they are keeping the price down as much as they can and I appreciate that.
The reason there is no list of amounts of vitamins on Juice Plus labels is because it’s FOOD. The FDA recognizes that it’s food and so they have food labels just like any other food product. Fruits and veggies have between 10,000 and 15,000 plant vitamins in them. But, they are all in small amounts and they all work together. Multi vitamins and isolated vitamins are harmful to our bodies. The amounts of isolated vitamins that are in them are too high and there are too few of those vitamins. How many are you getting when you take a multi vitamin? 20 or 30? When you take Juice Plus you’re getting everything that was in that fruit or veggie; thousands and thousands. The November 2007 issue of Reader’s Digest has an article that discusses the damage that taking vitamins will do to your body.
Wall Street Journal had an article last year on the same subject. It’ the newest science; multi vitamins and isolated vitamins don’t work, in fact they harm us. Everyone is saying we need to get our vitamins from our food now. Well, I can’t eat enough fruits and vegetables every single day to meet the nutritional requirement of 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables PER DAY. So, Juice Plus fills that gap for me.
And, to the owner of this blog site, you probably had more energy while attending college because you were on such a high just being around all those girls and the excitement of just being there. I remember when I was 18 and in college. I didn’t eat right either and I got very little sleep, but I was so excited about being there and having so many new friends and dating and all, that I was always on an energy high. I’m sure I was depleting my body of nutrients and for sure not putting them back in like I needed to. That type of pattern can’t last forever. At some point you fall apart health wise. That usually happens around 35 to 55. Eating junk food will not give you more energy, that’s for sure.
And, Juice Plus is not a magic pill. No one says it is. It takes time to build up your body’s health. It takes one year for most of our cells to be brand new from the year previous. That’s why most people feel a lot of positive benefits after 6 to 12 months of being on Juice Plus–but, you must be consistent to experience those health benefits. If you take Juice Plus for 1 or 2 months you are not giving your body enough time to rebuild your cells and make a real difference. You can’t take Juice Plus one day a week and expect a health change. If you ate a lot of fruits and vegetables for 2 months and then ate only 2 or 3 servings a day after that do you think you’d be making much of a health improvement? We are rebuilding our body, cell by cell. Did you know that it takes your blood 4 months to be all new blood cells and bones almost a year to be brand new bone cells?
Take an hour to look at the research, maybe you’ll be a believer yet.
Val
Sorry to have submitted two lengthy essays that are almost identical. However, after writing the first essay last night and then checking this morning to to see if it was there I saw that it was not. I figured that for whatever reason the first one didn’t take. So, I went to all the trouble of rewriting it and submitting it again–only to find that by this time the first essay was now posted.
Val
“Wink J needs to wake up. I don’t know where you get your ‘facts’ but you are mistaken. The only thing NSA ‘funds’ is provide the Juice Plus capsules and the placebo’s, since they are the only ones who can make them.” [Posted by Val 11/11/2007]
Mangled grammar aside, I have one question…if someone makes a claim like the one above — even when my previous post (09/17/2007) provided several links showing that NSA paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars to individual investigators who are carrying out the Juice Plus research — would that person best be described as an idiot, a liar, or both?
http://www.yaledailynews.com/articles/view/12439
I found your blog via Google while searching for noni scam mlm and your post regarding Plus, a lack of common sense = $$$ at Ruminations looks very interesting to me. Just wanted to drop a note to let you know what a great site you have. It is a great resource and a great place to drop by.
If I am wrong about something, I will admit it. I called NSA and asked them if they paid for the research that is done on Juice Plus. They said they DO pay for it.
I thought they just paid for the capsules. After talking to one of their top people I now understand that it is correct that NSA pays for the research. However, they have no part in the results or the publication. Research is expensive, someone has to pay for it. My son is a few months away from getting a doctorate in biochemistry and he does research every day. He’s told me many times exactly how expensive it is.
What we really need to ask is, does NSA have any part in the study results? Do they have any part in getting the results published? The answer to both these questions is NO. They provide the capsules, the placebo’s, and the grant needed to do the study. After that they have no contact with the institution conducting the study until the results are in.
The institution then contacts NSA with the results. So far, all the results have been amazing. It is not NSA that gets the study published, it is the institution who did the research. The institution submits the paper that the study was on for publication. Since my son has had some studies published, I know, and you may also know, exactly how getting a study published works. You can’t pay money to get a clinical study published in a peer-reviewed scientific or medical journal. No, it must be reputable research in order to get published.
Other scientists who had no part in the research review and study it rigorously. All the Juice Plus studies have been published in PEER-REVIEWED journals. This means other scientists with their reputation on the line read and studied the research done on Juice Plus and came to the conclusion that the research was valid and done correctly and had merit. Because of this it got published.
Research does not get published if it’s bogus. You have implied that because NSA pays for the studies they must be bogus. Please prove this to me. Please prove to me that all the Juice Plus research published to date in peer-reviewed journals is bogus.
Did you know that the fact that NSA paid for the research really doesn’t matter? This is how most research is done. The question is, is the research reputable? The answer to this question is yes. For the last several years all the studies done on Juice Plus have been randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigations. They have been published in such prestigious journals such as the: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, to name a few.
–Val
Val, fact checking is something you should have done BEFORE you made ridiculous claims about Juice Plus, not afterwards. Apparently, you don’t know anything about Juice Plus other than what the company tells you, and you are more than willing to spam us with company propaganda without knowing whether any of it is true. Whatever you were told about lack of company involvement in the publication process is just more BS. John Wise, an executive and insider shareholder of NAI (the company that manufactures Juice Plus), was an author on the most of the studies. As an author, he (and NAI) would obviously and undeniably have control over the results that were published and the way the information in the articles was spun.
When you called the company to discuss research, did you also mention that John Wise was a senior executive of United Sciences of America, a vitamin supplement company that was run out of business by the FDA in 1987 for making illegal claims, paying off scientists and celebrity endorsers, and for using rigged research and fraudulent marketing (very much reminiscent of the way that Juice Plus is marketed). Any sensible consumer would find this alarming to say the least, but those in the Juice Plus cult seem to completely ignore this damning piece of critical information.
Juice Plus has been around since 1993, and if it were half as good a product as you and the manufacturer suggest it to be, researchers around the world would be studying it independently — but they still are not. The only people researching it are Juice Plus distributors and other who were given hundreds of thousands of dollars to do so. In reality, there has not been a single independent study of Juice Plus published to date. And when the results of those studies were negative, as they were in the case of Dr. Stewart’s Juice Plus gummies study in 2002, it seems that the company attempted to suppress the release of those findings. The company does not present their research findings honestly; they overhype any remotely positive results, no matter how trivial, and completely ignore all of the many negative, inconsistent, and contradictory findings.
And yes, the research is bogus in the sense that it shows us nothing remarkable about the product, yet it is spun by the manufacturer (and by ignorant distributors who don’t know their arses from their elbows) to make it seem like the product is something really special. The product is nothing more than an assemblage of synthetic vitamins blended together with an insignificant amount of juice powder, and all their research shows is that those added vitamins do more or less what they would be expected to do. The research is a smokescreen and a scam — it used mainly by idiots to fool other idiots into believing that Juice Plus is miracle cure and that its ridiculously high, MLM-inflated price tag is justified.
Val, you were presented with several links that showed quite convincingly that the research was paid for by the manufacturer and yet, rather than acknowledging this, you came back and astonishingly posted that “Wink J needs to wake up. I don’t know where you get your ‘facts’ but you are mistaken.” You didn’t need to call the company to confirm that they paid for the research; all you needed to do was follow the links provided and you could have confirmed this fact in 10 seconds. Nonetheless, you came back, claiming to have contacted the manufacturer, to issue a pathetic and misleading blanket denial of culpability that came directly from the mouth of the manufacturer. http://www.creativeproteinbakery.com/articles/JuicePlusResearchLegitimacyQuestions.pdf
It seems quite likely that you are either a distributor for the product or work directly for the manufacturer, and that in one way or another you have a financial incentive for posting this nonsense about Juice Plus. If you are representing the company in either capacity, you should be forthcoming about it. Acknowledge that you sell the product, identify yourself as a distributor, give us a link to your distributor website or a contact number, and take some responsibility for the ridiculous claims that you have made here.
Ethan,
I was also very skeptical of “JuicePlus”. After seeing your web site I had to toss in my 2 cents!
JuicePlus had been presented to me several times over the past years with all personal unfounded testimonials on it benefits. I did not care for old story; someone felt it helps or they know a friend, which knows a friend, that it helped their neighbor HA! I too performed web searches and presented the links to others on how fresh fruit and veggies are so much better for us, so why take JuicePlus.
I have CMML (Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia) and by white blood count (WBC) has been deteriorating over recent years. In May of 2007 it dropped to 1.9 and I contracted double pneumonia four time in the past 6 month. I was constantly ill. My impaired immune system could no longer fight off any infection. I was chronically ill, under constant doctor care and in and out of the hospital. My outlook was grim at best. At this point I began preparing my funeral arrangements, as my health would permit. The doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center told me that I need a bone marrow transplant ASAP! Needless to say, I have exceeded my CMML prognosis at this time.
During my next monthly blood draw in July, I was weak and still ill, my phlebotomist (blood vampire) mentioned to me that another patient with extremely low WBC (1.4) was told he needed to have a bone marrow transplant performed ASAP at MD Anderson. In the month’s time it took to make the arrangements for the transplant he began taking JuicePlus. By the time he attended his consultation appointment at MD Anderson, his blood count was 4.6 (normal range) and was advised go home since no transplant was needed.
Of course being very, very, very skeptical of JuicePlus I decide to try JuicePlus my self. I have already decided against having a transplant performed since I believe the cure would be worst than the disease, at least to me. I am tired of all of the hospitals, tubes in my body and then crawling back to just end up back in the hospital again with another case of respiratory infection, the curse of low WBC.
I acquired copies of my recent blood lab work to document my decline and started taking the JuicePlus. I contacted the other patient and was still very skeptical on how or why the JuicePlus would have such a positive affect on his WBC. He asked me to keep him informed on my use of JuicePlus and any effect on my WBC. He also was still skeptical as well. After the first month of taking JuicePlus my white blood count (WBC) also increased to 4.2! What a miracle for me! Even the Neulasta (the medication designed to temporary raise WBC’s for chemo patients now only raised my WBC by 0.1 after two injections. Two years ago a single shot raised it by 2.6.
So this stupid JuicePlus, that I called an “old west SNAKE OIL medicine”, turned out to be a miracle! I also personally experience numerous other benefits that I can not show documented lab test or records. I guess I am now one of those “Nut Cases” that goes on with their usual “PERSONAL TESTIMONY” on the undocumented benefits. It works because I say so, HA! – Nut Case.
As a note: I have been on chemo for over two (2 1/2) years. Although it did stabilize my WBC for awhile, my WBC it has been dropping recently. I guess my person remission time was over? And we all know what that leads to.
Heck, if it my imagination, then now it is the imagination of four (4) leukemia patients in our cancer center.
So despite the medical research often referred to on the Internet stating no real benefits my research with me, as the subject, is amazing. The other patient stated that he did stopped taking JuicePlus (braver than me) for awhile and his WBC then dropped to below normal again.
I only wish I could document the increased energy, the reduction of 4-5 days to recovery from my chemo treatments, the reduction or pain, etc, etc, etc.
I have stopped telling non-patients about JuicePlus because I have become inundated with their request for JuicePlus information (which is lacking as we both know) and hounding me to order some for them.
Maybe we are the exceptions, if so Thank God for that blessing! I’ll take JuicePlus over a bone marrow transplant any day!
Dan
I’m just happy that so many people have taken their time to form an opinion about Juice Plus, although I have an opinion of my own…and I’m gonna tell you why.
A little over a year ago, I was approached by a lovely lady who took Juice Plus and we started getting into a discussion over babies, imagaine that, woman ooing and aweing over babies..:) anyhow, I have had a few miscarriages in the last ten years, and didn’t understand why, I know there isn’t a cause in why most of them occur.. but as we were discussing the possibility of the why’s, she brought up the subject on my diet and how I fed my body, and that just maybe I wasn’t getting enough nutrients to give my body in order for it to function properly..she then went on to tell me how she’s been taking Juice Plus and just wanted to guide me toward looking into A HEALTHIER WAY OF EATING.
So I looked into Juice Plus, started taking it immediately , and after a couple months, became pregnant..(now I’m not claiming that Juice Plus helped with that) BUT I chose then to take my JP through my entire pregnancy, w/o taking a prenatal..being so that the 17 different fruits, veggies, and grains that were in the JP that are in these capsules, carried all the vitamins PLUS! nutrients that we can’t get from the Vitamin supplement, being that it is derived from the plant (raw veggies and fruits) only. There is nothing else out there that comes close to being what Juice Plus is, “The next best thing to Fruits and Vegetables” and especially not carrying as much bioavailability (what the product has been proven to show in our bodies).
Juice Plus has Peer-reviewed medical Journals listing the positive results from Clinical research, yes sponsored by NSA (JP owner),when any research product is sponsored at an academic institution, there is an agreement b/t the sponsor(or any other organization)and the University conducting the study. The sponsor then pays the university directly. In this way the the investigator is independent from the sponsor. In fact, University faculty often have several funded projects underway at once and have no personal interest in any test item! beyond having a publishable paper to further their career.
I don’t have to be proven anything besides the fact that Juice Plus is the number 1 studied WHOLE FOOD BASED NUTRITION SUPPLEMENT
Man, you guys are thick! How hard do you have to be hit in the head with evidence before you will realize that Juice Plus is a pathetic scam. Why are people here still refering to the product’s research as “independent” when an executive stockholder of the manufacturer authored most of the studies. More importantly, the research showed that the nutrients in Juice Plus are not well absorbed. and that any effects the product has are attributable solely to the added SYNTHETIC vitamins it contains. Just check the European bottle labels for proof:
http://juiceplusresearch.blogspot.com/2007_11_18_archive.html
This crap isn’t going to prevent miscarriages and it isn’t going to keep anyone from getting a bone marrow transplant…wake the hell up!
Hi, I just stumbled on this website. I have been using Juice Plus for awhile, recommended by dear friends of mine. I caught wind of the possible “scam” & was curious.
My biggest curiosity, is what was the original motivation of starting this blog in the first place? Did Wink J have some horrible experience with Juice Plus or something? Or does he know someone that was personally harmed by it? There must’ve been something really terrible that happened for him to have spent so much precious time and energy on dispelling this so called “scam”!
WOW!! Has he been called by God almighty to sound the warning trumpet on the evils of Juice Plus?! My goodness!!
Perhaps he can take that energy and time to do something really positive to mankind! Instead of cuttiing down, find a cause to build up and change lives for the good.
I recently watched a Hollywood story about Rachel Ray, the famous female cook on TV. I was unfamiliar with her, but found her story facinating, & how she climbed the success latter with hard work and passion. Do you know that there is a woman that actually developed a blog for people that hate Rachel Ray? The reasons they hate this woman are laughable. It amazes me how people choose to critisize (spelling wrong, sorry). Life is so short. There has got to be a better way for us as human beings to spend this time on earth.
Wink J, you are so smart and intelligent. My suggestion to you is to find a positive alternative to throw your passions into. You are so gifted & talented, there has got to be something else you can pour your energies into!
In conclusion, I think I’m gonna do a little experiment on myself. I’m gonna finish off my current supply, then quit taking it & see how I feel. Oh, by the way, I also am juicing whole vegies each day as well. (trying to, but it is a huge commitment) I’m giving myself the double wammy of health, I guess!!
Hey, you all have a great and wonderful day!!!!
Blessings,
Denise
I had a Chrones disease and other ailments that left me incapicated for a long time. I was introduced to Juice Plus, and decided I had nothing to lose but to try it.
It totally changed my life. I was able to go back to work, and resumed working out at the gym. A feat I hadn’t been able to do in a long time.
Not only was my doctor sold on it by my own testimony, but the entire staff at his office. They couldn’t believe it. I went from a scrauny sickly man back to my muscular, healthy self. My blood pressure went down. No more high cholesteral. I am now able to eat all the healthy foods illness prevented me to.
I am grateful to Juice Plus.
I don’t know about all the research, but I have my own testimonial, and that meants the most to me.
Thank you,
Bill
I am a strong believer in objectivity, informed opinion, and commonsense, all of which seem to run counter to the Juice Plus promotional philosophy. In contradiction to the promotional claims made by distributors, we have expert critiques of Juice Plus from more than 20 independent sources, all of which pointed out serious flaws with the product and its marketing and concluded that it is a scam. We also have various U.S. government agencies and consumer advocacy groups warning us about the deceptive practices used by sellers of dietary supplements, and the Juice Plus promotional claims match every single red flag described by those organizations as being the hallmarks of health-related fraud.
Denise’s post had the unmistakable tone of a disingenuous Juice Plus apologist…it was laughably idiotic. For instance, she asked why I started this blog, apparently failing to notice the obvious — that this is Ethan’s blog and I am merely a participant. Was this a purposeful attempt to misdirect and misinform or is it just that Denise isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer?
Denise claimed she “just happened to stumble on this site” because she was curious about the Juice Plus “scam”, and yet apparently, after reading all of the information here and of the many instances of distributors providing false information, her “biggest curiosity is what was the original motivation of starting this blog”, implying that there is some ulterior motive beyond merely discussing the pros and cons of an overhyped, widely criticized MLM vitamin scam. These kinds of tactics are the last resort of desperate distributors who can’t argue against criticism with factual rebuttals and instead have to resort to throwing out red herrings to derail the discussion.
For example, her childishly sarcastic question “Has he been called by God almighty to sound the warning trumpet on the evils of Juice Plus?! My goodness!!” looks unmistakably like an underhanded attempt to distract from the real issue on the table – namely, that more than 20 reputable nutritional experts and health organizations have written scathing critiques of Juice Plus (whereas no independent experts have ever written positive commentaries on Juice Plus). On this forum, we have seen one instance after another of idiotic, overblown claims about Juice Plus – claims which were easily proven false. So rather than questioning the motivation of those who criticize Juice Plus, we should be asking what the motivation is for people who continue to spam chat rooms lying to people while trying to sell them on this fraudulent snakeoil product (although the answer is obvious).
Furthermore, it is foolish to draw a comparison between the criticism of Rachel Ray and that of Juice Plus. Promotional brochures feature claims about the “Science Behind Juice Plus” but I am unaware of anyone promoting “The Science of Rachel Ray”. Science is objective and it is easy to apply a yardstick to scientifically evaluate claims made about products like Juice Plus (and those claims are not supported by scientific fact). Furthermore, Rachel Ray doesn’t go around lying to people and breaking the law by telling them that watching her TV show or buying her books will cure cancer or Crohn’s disease (or any of the other diseases that people on this forum claimed that Juice Plus can treat, including hypertension, high cholesterol, neurological disorders, IBS, visual disorders, headaches, joint pain, PMS symptoms, leukemia, and infertility). And Rachel Ray doesn’t try to prey on the concerns of parents for their kid’s health or exploit seriously ill patients. If she did any of those things, then she would well deserve to be criticized.
People are free to post as many miracle-cure testimonials about Juice Plus as they want (or Ethan allows), but they should bear in mind that these are the hallmark of a snakeoil scam – it only serves to make Juice Plus look more fraudulent, not less. The FTC and various consumer advocacy watchdog groups warn consumers that they should be extremely cautious about any product that makes the kind of claims that are made about Juice Plus. We should be encouraging people to be more skeptical when they hear such dubious stories, not encouraging them to believe unreliable fairy tales told by hustlers. What do consumer advocacy groups have to say about these kinds of testimonials? Let’s have a look…
“Fraudulent fruit. In 2005, the FDA sent Warning Letters to 29 businesses making unproven health-related claims about fruit products on their Web sites and on product labels. The companies marketed dried fruit, fruit juice, and juice concentrate for treating and preventing cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and other diseases.” http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/health/healthfraud/healthfraud.htm
“Strategies for being a wise consumer: Don’t buy health products or treatments that include a promise for a quick and dramatic cure, testimonials, imprecise and non-medical language, that appeal to emotion instead of reason, or a single product that can cure many ills.” http://gosap.virginia.gov/pdf/Revised CURRICULUM ‘05/Lesson Plans/Lesson 01.pdf
“A mail offer, newspaper, magazine or television ad catches your eye. It promises a quick cure for cancer, arthritis, memory loss, back pain or other ailments. “It’s an absolute miracle,” one testimony reads. “I feel a million times better.” You mail your check for a six-week supply of this miracle cure and wind up with a jar of Vitamin C, placebos or, even worse, pills or tonics that
have not been medically tested and could worsen your condition or react negatively with the prescription medication you regularly take.” http://gosap.virginia.gov/pdf/Revised CURRICULUM ‘05/Handouts/Spot a Con.pdf
“Be suspicious of products that claim to cure a wide range of unrelated diseases–particularly serious diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. No product can treat every disease and condition, and for many serious diseases, there are no cures, only therapies to help manage them. Cancer, AIDS, diabetes, and other serious diseases are big draws because people with these diseases are often desperate for a cure and willing to try just about anything.”
“Personal testimonies can tip you off to health fraud because they are difficult to prove. Often, says Reynaldo Rodriguez, a compliance officer and health fraud coordinator for FDA’s Dallas district office, testimonials are personal case histories that have been passed on from person to person. Or, the testimony can be completely made up. ‘This is the weakest form of scientific validity,’ Rodriguez says. ‘It’s just compounded hearsay.’ Some patients’ favorable experiences with a fraudulent product may be due more to a remission in their disease or from earlier or concurrent use of approved medical treatments, rather than use of the fraudulent product itself. Be wary of talk that suggests a product can bring quick relief or provide a quick cure, especially if the disease or condition is serious. Even with proven treatments, few diseases can be treated quickly. Note also that the words “in days” can really refer to any length of time. Fraud promoters like to use ambiguous language like this to make it easier to finagle their way out of any legal action that may result.”
http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/1999/699_fraud.html
“Looking to cure a serious ailment? Unfortunately, consumers spend millions of dollars every year on unproven – and often useless – health products and services. Health fraud trades on false hope. It promises quick cures for dozens of medical conditions – from arthritis and obesity to osteoporosis, cancer and AIDS. Fraudulently marketed health products can keep people from the medical treatment they need, and some can cause serious harm. The Federal Trade Commission is targeting false and unsubstantiated health claims on the Internet through Operation Cure.All – a law enforcement and consumer education campaign. This website offers information for consumers on how to recognize health fraud, guidance for businesses on how to market health products and services truthfully, and information about the FTC’s initiatives.”
http://www.ftc.gov/cureall
“Health Fraud Red Flags: To avoid becoming a victim of health fraud, consumers should learn how to evaluate health-related claims. ‘I advise consumers to avoid web sites that offer quick and dramatic cures for serious diseases,’ says David Elder, director of the FDA’s Office of Enforcement. ‘Recognize the red flags and always consult a health professional before using any product or treatment.’ Consumers should be wary of:
- Statements that the product is a quick and effective cure-all or a diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments. ‘Beneficial in treating cancer, ulcer, prostate problems, heart trouble, and more …’
- Statements that suggest the product can treat or cure diseases. ‘Shrinks tumors, cures impotency …’
- Promotions that use words like ‘scientific breakthrough,’ ‘miraculous cure,’ ‘secret ingredient,’ and ‘ancient remedy.’
- Text that uses impressive-sounding terms like these: ‘hunger stimulation point’ and ‘thermogenesis’ for a weight loss product.
- Undocumented case histories or personal testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results. ‘After eating a teaspoon of this product each day, my pain is completely gone …’
- Limited availability and advance payment requirements. ‘Hurry! This offer will not last.’
- Promises of no-risk money-back guarantees. ‘If after 30 days you have not lost at least four pounds each week, your uncashed check will be returned to you.’
- Promises of an ‘easy’ fix”
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2006/606_fraud.html
And there are several more sites that offer similar warnings that are equally applicable to Juice Plus (the first link blow is particularly relevant as it deals with fraudulent supplements targeted at children).
http://web.archive.org/web/20060708192511/http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/features/kidsupp.htm
http://atg.wa.gov/teenconsumer/health_and_safety/quackery.htm
http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/consumer/mdquk204.pdf
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1803699
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2002/202_supp.html
So to all the Juice Plus spammers and hustlers out there, please recognize that your comments are solidly reinforcing the already widely held belief that Juice Plus is garbage and put you and the manufacturer at serious risk of enforcement action by the FDA and FTC. Please stop assaulting consumers with this garbage.
I would just like to point out that nowhere in Wink J’s post of ’sources’ or any of the links that were posted was Juice Plus mentioned. In fact, Juice Plus doesn’t claim to be a ‘quick cure’. In their ‘promotional brochures’ it states that any benefits are developed over time, that there is no substitute for eating fruits and vegetables, and that Juice Plus is a way to get started down the road to better health and well-being.
After reading through all the ’sources’ that were posted I noticed that Juice Plus meets none of the red flags mentioned.
I would like to reiterate what Wink J said, ‘Do your research.’
Lynn, you must be cognitively impaired or just another lying Juice Plus shill (the two seem to go hand in hand) because the product clearly meets most if not all of the red flags listed in my previous post; and I never remotely implied that any of the consumer warnings specifically mentioned Juice Plus; only that Juice Plus met all of the health fraud red-flag criteria. Just so that there is no confusion, let’s review:
1. “Statements that the product is a quick and effective cure-all or a diagnostic tool for a wide variety of ailments. ‘Beneficial in treating cancer, ulcer, prostate problems, heart trouble, and more’…”
Yes, Juice Plus raises this red flag. We have seen numerous examples of cure-all claims for Juice Plus on this very forum. The “miraculous” claims made on this forum included cancer, Crohn’s disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, neurological disorders, IBS, visual disorders, headaches, joint pain, PMS symptoms, leukemia, and infertility…and that’s just on this one forum!
2. “Statements that suggest the product can treat or cure diseases. ‘Shrinks tumors, cures impotency”
Yes, Juice Plus obviously raises this red flag. See comment above
3. “Promotions that use words like ‘scientific breakthrough,’ ‘miraculous cure,’ ‘secret ingredient,’ and ‘ancient remedy’.”
Yes, Juice also raises this red flag. Promotional lingo alluding to Juice Plus as a scientific breakthrough abounds, not to mention the bandying of the term “phytonutrient” as the secret ingredient in Juice Plus.
4. “Text that uses impressive-sounding terms like these: ‘hunger stimulation point’ and ‘thermogenesis’ for a weight loss product.”
Close enough. Juice Plus doesn’t use these terms specifically but promotional materials are rife with pseudoscientific jargon and misinterpretation of scientific terminology
5. “Undocumented case histories or personal testimonials by consumers or doctors claiming amazing results. ‘After eating a teaspoon of this product each day, my pain is completely gone’.”
Yes, red flag raised. Jeez, this one is so obvious I can’t believe Lynn would even attempt to discount it. Just read the comments from the various Juice Plus spammers on this forum. Also, the cornerstone of Juice Plus marketing is the testimonials from hacks doctors and PhDs like Mitra Ray, Doug Odom, Susan Silberstein, Delia Garcia, Nyjon Eccles, Richard Dubois, etc., all of whom have a finacial interest in the product. Here’s a sample of their testimonials. http://www.juiceplus.com/nsa/pages/HealthProfessionals.soa
6. “Limited availability and advance payment requirements. ‘Hurry! This offer will not last’.”
Yes, Juice Plus demands advance payments, although they don’t claim limited availability. They lock you into a payment plan that requires you to pay for a 4-month supply of the product up front or in monthly installments. Honest companies sell their supplements one bottle at a time with no obligation
7. “Promises of no-risk money-back guarantees. ‘If after 30 days you have not lost at least four pounds each week, your uncashed check will be returned to you’.”
Yep, this one too. Many Juice Plus distributors offer a money back guarantee (not sure how often they actually live up to the promise though)
8. “Promises of an ‘easy’ fix’.”
Yes, this one too. All of the Juice Plus promotional materials imply that their product is an easy fix but aside from implicit claims, one of the Juice Plus promotional DVDs (featuring Delia Garcia) is actually called “An Easy Solution”. Here’s’ a Juice Plus flyer bearing that same title http://raftersfastpitch.com/DrGarcia.pdf
These are only examples of inappropriate and misleading practices based on the FDAs red-flag criteria but there are dozens of additional examples of questionable Juice Plus marketing that should immediately raise concern and suspicion for consumers, many of which have been mentioned on this forum and in the commentaries of various experts and organizations, all of which ripped Juice Plus to pieces.
Gullible, uninformed idiots are a Juice Plus distributor’s best friend. Don’t be one of them.