# Anybody here supplement with "Juice Plus" (ala Dr. Sears)?



## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Dr. Sears has this amazing endorsement on his web site for a powdered fruit/veggie supplement which is supposed to be chocked full of vitamins, antioxidants, etc, etc. He says he discovered this product, tried it, and is totally sold on it. But it also seems like it might be *his* product, so I'm trying to figure out if it's legit or just another gimmick.

Anyone here know anything about this?
Thx!

Here's the blurb:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T040500.asp


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## callmemama (May 7, 2002)

I first heard of it from a friend that is a distributor of the product. She's an RN by profession, but has done a lot of research into the link between nutrition and health. I've been giving the Juice Plus chewables (the only vegan version of the product) to my 5yo for the last 2+ years. I don't give him a multi-vitamin and feel better knowing he's getting a little extra fruit and veggies in him.







My friend is pleased because of the number of positive studies in peer-reviewed journals about the results of the product, but I think the studies are at least partially funded by the company that makes it, so who knows... In any case, until my little guy is eating kale and broccoli like there is no tomorrow, I'll probably keep giving him the chewables! :LOL

Here's the link to my distributor's website; there's more info there too...
https://www.juiceplus.com/medical/+lk88480


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## mommyoftwo (Apr 6, 2004)

Wow, I'm not one for too many supplements but those look great. I wonder if you can only buy them online or at Whole Foods? Neither one of my children eat enough veggies even though we really work at it.

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/humannutrit...mely/JUICE.HTM

Article refuting its claims. Basically it says that it can't hurt you but a cheaper alternative is to just eat fruits and veggies (no kidding)


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## loftmama (Feb 12, 2004)

i've been wanting to try these for years. they are so expensive online, though. i've looked at Whole Foods for them but they haven't had them. Of course, the huge Whole Foods flagship store opens in 2 days, so I will look again. I wonder if they can order them. I think online you have to order a lot at once.


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## steffanie3 (Mar 17, 2002)

You have to buy them through distributors or online.


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## AngelBee (Sep 8, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *steffanie3*
You have to buy them through distributors or online.

They sell them at our local natural food store.

They taste great....we tried them at a demo and my kids loved them. I can not afford them however.


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## callmemama (May 7, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mommyoftwo*
Article refuting its claims. Basically it says that it can't hurt you but a cheaper alternative is to just eat fruits and veggies (no kidding)

And thats why I'm giving them to my 5 year old! I know he doesn't get enough veggies







on ANY day, and only on some days does he get enough fruit







!


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## chellemarie (Jan 17, 2003)

I take these supplements. We do eat fruits and vegetables but not as much as we should. Also, organic produce isn't available in our area.

I'd love to have the whole family on JuicePlus+. Our budget only allows for one of us to use it every month. What is nice about JP+ is if I take it, one of my children can take it at no cost. I simply fill out a survey four times a year to keep one of them (my daughter since she's tended to suffer the most illness) on the chewables.

Recently my toddler has started asking for candy and can be pacified with a chewable JP+.

I'm not a distributor but know quite a bit about the product. I'd be happy to try to answer any questions.


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## AmandasMom (Nov 19, 2001)

$150???? Why is it so expensive? Sounds like a huge rip off the price is way to much. I think someone is laughing all the way to the bank.


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## chellemarie (Jan 17, 2003)

WOO! Where did you see $150? I pay way less than that for the fruit and veggie caps. They have many products, but the staple product is no where near $150/mo.


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## Breathe (May 18, 2002)

Looks like you can get 4 mos of the children's chewables for $80, which is $20/month (and I'd probably make them last for twice as long). That's not any more than any other supplement we buy.

Chelle, Do you feel like they help? I ask bc my formerly terrific eater (used to eat chard, kale, asparagus, dates, prunes, you name it) is now in a stage of spitting out almost all veggies, and even fruits! I think it's a texture thing. And this winter he's had 6 colds, as opposed to NONE last year. So I'd love to hear if you think they're actually effective. (I realize this is only an n of 1 . . . any others out there?)


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## chellemarie (Jan 17, 2003)

I can tell you that I started taking it this summer and though I wasn't as disciplined about taking it as I should have been, I've had far fewer colds this season. Each time I feel I'm getting sick, I take an extra for a couple days (since I have extra). I do notice I'm a little more "regular" than before I started taking it.

I can't say I notice a big change in how I feel. I look at taking it as "insurance". It does make me more aware of my diet. As I'm taking them in the morning, I remind myself to add some fruit to my day. At night, I think about how I did for eating veggies. It also reminds me to drink more water. (That could explain the regularity and improved health in and of itself.)

Do I think this should replace fresh produce? No. Do I think this will prevent all illness including cancer? No. But! If it contains what they say it contains (Oprah's mag had an article that stated it does), it can only be helpful.

As far as the price for this "insurance"? I can easily blow the same amount of money on large iced caramel breves every month (and I do!) If I had to trim my budget and only keep one expense - I'd keep the JP+.

If anyone here decides to get their kids between the ages of 5-15yo on JP+, consider buying the capsules for yourself and the chewables for your child.


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## HRC121799 (Aug 8, 2003)

Those look interesting. I'd love a way to get more nutrients into my older ds when he's refusing most fruits and vegetables!

eta..looking at the site that sells them, is it 4 jars for $22 for the gummies? That is about the same price as the gummy vitamins at the hfs, or am I reading it wrong?


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## chellemarie (Jan 17, 2003)

It's probably $22 a month. With most of their products, they send you a four month supply and then you make a monthly payment. I have mine set up to come directly out of my checking account.

If you have more than one child using the Gummies, and you use them regularly (or you eat all the red ones yourself during naptime), you'll have to request more before the quarterly shipment if that's how the Gummies are sold.

The fruit Gummies are AWESOME. The veggie ones - kind of funky but tastier than the chewable veggie JP+.


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## OneCatholicMommy (Jan 21, 2002)

I've found other brands of fruit/veggie supplements. Does anyone have any knowledge of other brands?

And should I be taking supplement in place of a multivitamin, or with one?


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## OneCatholicMommy (Jan 21, 2002)

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?


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## TexasSuz (Mar 4, 2002)

I have a question: Do your kids need to take the fruit and veggie gummies to get the effect or just one? Which one is better? Does it matter? Thinking of ordering some for my non-veggie ds. Do they give samples so I can see if he likes the taste and will take them?


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## just6fish (Feb 28, 2005)

Thanks for all the info! I am just starting some of my family on JP, including dh who has high blood pressure so I appreciate pp! There was a thread on this a few weeks ago with some postitive and some negative. Half my fam is going on JP the other half just the veggie vitamins from Trader Joes and I am trying the Greens First I've heard about.

I guess you need to find what works best for you! We'll see.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Juice Plus is a fantastic product. My whole family is on it and have seen wonderful results. I can't say anything more positive about it. They have research showing what it does for your health, etc. Not many products have the research behind them like Juice Plus does. I did become a distributor to get the discount and so my family could take it too. If anyone has any other questions, PM me.

Lora


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## lisabc311 (May 18, 2003)

Juice Plus is WONDERFUL!

I am a distributor and I am trying to get everyone I know to take this wonderful, whole foods supplement.

We have reworked our budget so that we can afford to all take JP because I really feel it is a wonderful product.

There are other whole foods supplements out there---however, JP has been researched and been published in several medical journals. So that makes me feel more assured that they are as good as they say they are.


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## HealthyForLife (May 6, 2006)

I'm new to this site, but found the thread searching for more info on Juice Plus. We have been eating it for years, and I am always looking to learn more. I love Dr. Sears, and have had his books since before any of my pregnancies. If Dr. Sears loves it and recommends it to his patients, then that's good enough for me. Plus, Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld, from Parade Magazine, recommends it, too, and he isn't even involved with the company at all. My kids all like either the chewables or the gummies, and my husband and I do the capsules. I also do their meal replacement shake every day (along with one or two of my kids), just to get some more extra nutrients from food. I also agree that it's not expensive at all. I spend more than that on one fruit or veggie at the grocery store. So, I don't mind adding the money to our food bill. My husband was able to avoid going on Lipitor (the dr. was trying to get him on it for 6 mos., and he finally agreed that the natural way was working - yay!). My kids are almost never sick, and I have more healthy energy (especially needed for homeschooling days!). My family is happy, and we'll eat it for life.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Here is what seems to be the most definitive scientific commentary on JP gummies. It is not at all favorable.

"Dr. R.J. Stewart and colleagues from the University of Utah published an independent study on JP gummies in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association in 2002 [volume 102:1652-1657]. It was a placebo-controlled study in which 29 kids were given 6 JP gummies a day for 29 days, and using 6 different assay methods, it showed that the gummies provided no antioxidant benefits whatsoever. The authors stated the following: "It is possible that the supplement did not contain enough of the proper antioxidants to make a significant difference or that the antioxidants extracted in the fruit/vegetable extract were not biologically available...We conclude that there was no detectable treatment effect of a phytochemical antioxidant supplement on healthy children's oxidative stress levels as assessed by several indicators." They also showed that the product consisted mainly of 2 ingredients: corn syrup (85%) and beef gelatin (10%), and we all know where gelatin comes from&#8230; the bones, hides, and hooves of cows and pigs (and sometimes horses)."

Food for thought!


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Brenda, Why do you only respond to Juice Plus questions? Are you here to discredit it only? That is a little strange, don't you think?


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## courtenay_e (Sep 1, 2005)

We use JuicePLus+ as well. My dh and I take the reds, greens, and now the purples (vinyards) as well. My kids take the gummies. Since I've been on the JP+ supplements I have not had asthmatic bronchitis or pneumonia, which I have had my entire life, several times a year (the pneumonia I get at least twice a year during the winter). My vision, for the first time in my life, has been getting better for the last three exams, rather than worse with each exam (I was close to legally blind). The only difference in lifestyle (I was active and ate well, just not nearly the dozen or so fruits and veggies called for per day) to which these things can be attributed is the JuicePlus+.

My daughter has been asthmatic since birth. She's not growing out of it. Still needs her meds. However, since she's been taking the juiceplus gummies, she has caught three colds, and none of these three colds required that she take orapred to keep her from pneumonia, which was an automatic given before the gummies. Even when she GOT the orapred, it was a 50/50 proposition as to whether she would end up with pneumonia. I don't feed my kids junk. THey eat fruits and veggies as much as I'll feed it to them...but the extra ooomph couldn't hurt, I thought. And it seems to be the case...in our case, anyway. My kids are also just much healthier in general than most of the kids in our neighborhood now. They may catch something, but it sticks around for a much shorter duration and the symptoms are much less severe. The only thing we can figure is the cause is that they've started taking the gummies.

I've read several of the studies, several medical schools that are well respected have done them, with outcomes that are definately in favor of JuicePLus+. For goodness sake, St. Jude's research hospital gives the supplements to their cancer children. Why would they waste time or money if they didn't believe (through studying the research) that it had a positive effect?

So, I say, yes, give it a try. We garage sale and sell things on ebay to afford the monthly payment for ours. We found a way, because we believe it's important.


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## Dragonfly (Nov 27, 2001)

I'd like to try this for ds as he's very picky about supplements and does not eat anywhere near enough vegetables for my taste. Is there a way to do it without making monthly payments, though? I'd rather do a lump sum as I don't like the idea of a company drawing from my bank account without my overseeing each transaction.


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## 3timesamama (Mar 30, 2005)

Bogus studies are not going to change my mind about juice plus!
During the year that my family has been taking it we've all only caught one minor cold, not even severe enough to keep the kids home from school. Before we were all getting sick every other month!
I am so glad I found it.
Dragonfly, yes you can make a lump sum payment.


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

I've never used Juice Plus and don't rely on supplements, but you all got me curious, so I did a quick search in a food article database and this is one of the articles that came up:

***

Title: A mixed fruit and vegetable concentrate inreases plasma antioxidant vitamins and folate and lowers plasma homocysteine in men.

Author(s): Samman S, Sivarajah G, Man JC, Ahmad ZI, Petocz P, Caterson ID
Source: Journal of Nutrition 133 (7) : 2188-2193, 2003

Abstract: Fruit and vegetable consumption is inversely associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. This study determined the effect of supplementation with dried juice concentrates from mixed fruits and vegetables on selected plasma vitamins and antioxidant status. CHD risk was assessed by measuring the concn. of homocysteine, lipids, lipoproteins, glucose and insulin. Men were recruited to participate in a randomized double-blind, crossover trial with 2 periods of 6 wk, separated by a 3-wk wash-out period. Supplementation with the encapsulated mixed extract (Juice Plus) was compared with physically similar placebo capsules. 32 men (13 smokers, 19 nonsmokers) completed the study with a mean compliance of 88%. Compared with placebo, supplementation increased concn. of plasma beta-carotene (0.24 +/- 0.15 vs. 1.12 +/- 0.70 mumol/l; mean +/- s.d.; P < 0.0001), retinol (1.87 +/- 0.33 vs. 2.00 +/- 0.43 mumol/l; P < 0.05), alpha-tocopherol (16.8 +/- 7.3 vs. 19.3 +/- 6.8 mumol/l; P < 0.01), ascorbic acid (72.1 +/- 19.4 vs. 84.1 +/- 13.5 mumol/l; P < 0.002) and folic acid (24.5 +/- 10.0 vs. 44.9 +/- 16.9 nmol/l; P < 0.0001). Plasma homocysteine was reduced (8.2 +/- 1.5 vs. 7.6 +/- 1.1; P < 0.05) and inversely related (r = -0.40, P < 0.001) with serum folate concn. Plasma vitamin C was positively correlated with the resistance of low density lipoproteins (LDL) to oxidation (r = 0.26, P < 0.05) and the plasma ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) tended to be greater after supplementation than after the placebo period (1125.5 +/- 144.1 vs. 1180.3 +/- 158.1 mumol/l; P < 0.065). Plasma glucose, insulin and lipid concn. were unaffected. Responses of smokers and nonsmokers did not differ. In the absence of dietary modification, supplementation with a fruit and vegetable concentrate produced responses consistent with a reduction in CHD risk.

*******

I haven't looked at the others and haven't searched for the one Brenda cited.


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## kater07 (Jan 6, 2002)

We have a holistic pediatrician. He said that only 10% of his clients come in sick of all the ones on Juice Plus. Both he and DS's surgeon highly recommend it. We are planning to start the kids on it this year at some point, but I have to work it into the budget.

Both the docs and my other friends who are all one it say that the longer they've taken the Juice Plus, the more they crave veggies and fruits. Our Ped said that it was really strange that he'd never really liked Beets, but found himself desiring them after taking the supplements for a while.

I have plenty of friends who use it and love it.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *courtenay_e*
For goodness sake, St. Jude's research hospital gives the supplements to their cancer children.

Courtenay, can you provide any evidence from St Jude's to confirm that they routinely use Juice Plus. I find that VERY hard to swallow


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## SimoneRitchie (Apr 26, 2006)

I have posted information about Juice Plus on other topics within this forum, and many people continue to ask how to get product, how the company charges etc, so thought I would give those answers here. And yes, many people are happy with Juice Plus and the effects it has had on their families. Just in case others have not seen my other posts on Juice Plus, I am not a distributor for this company, but I do work for a Chiropractor that highly recommends Juice Plus to his clients and has seen great health benefits in the product. The Chiropractor I work for is also NOT involved with the company, so his recommendation is not financially supported. He works with an area distributor and sends his patients to her to place orders.

Juice Plus is sold in 4 months supplies - the rationale for this is because it takes 4 months for your blood cells to rejuvenate, and for most people to see a postive change, could take anywhere from 1 day to 4 months. Some people don't experience any change at all, but for some, they see changes immediately. Everyone will experience Juice Plus differently.

The company either bills you in one lump sum or will charge credit card/debit card monthly depending on the customers request.

Anyone interested in using Juice Plus can either call the corporate offices (customer service) and give them your address, they will then put you in touch with a distributor in your area to work with. I will also give the information to the rep that my boss uses for his clients as she has been in the business for a long time and has a great amount of knowledge on the product (not to say others don't). Her website and contact information is:
http://www.tryjuiceplustoday.com or email [email protected]

Hope this helps clear up some of the questions about how to obtain Juice Plus and how the company charges for the product. Best of health to you!!!







:


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Actually, Juice Plus is sold in 4 month supplies so that NSA can haul in more money from their customers, not because there is a valid physiological reason. “Blood cells” do not have a 4 month turnover; "red blood cells" have a 4-month turnover but most white cells turnover in 24 hours. White blood cells are involved in immunity and are relevant to free radicals and antioxidants while red cells are not. Any chiropractor who refers a patient to a wellness coordinator gets a kickback on sales, so it is inaccurate to portray such individuals as not having a financial interest. People seem to be making a lot of unnecesary noise over this glorified but second-rate multivitamin. If one is seeking an overpriced, deficient multivitamin that contains artifically added vitamins and a trivial amount of fruit and vegetable powder (less than a half serving of a single piece of fruit or vegetable) than by all means consider JP!


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Well, EVERYONE knows that anything natural takes time to work. It is not going to work overnight. It is not like Aleve or Tylenol, etc. There is no reason to say that the company is selling more product by shipping it in a four month supply because they offer a 100% money back guarantee on any unopened box. MOST people who start taking Juice Plus continue taking it because they like what the see. They like the fact that it is not something manufactured in a chemical lab like a pharmacetical and they replace their vitamin with it. There results show that your antioxidants go up. There is another company that has a "antioxidant" scan to show their vitamins work (which are about 4 times the cost of Juice Plus), and the people who take Juice Plus are the only ones other than their customers who test high on their machines. This is significant to most people.

The cost of shipping, etc., also comes in to play with Juice Plus. It is being shipped fresh from the company. If people want to have it long-term, like most do, BTW, then shipping out monthly shipments is a mind boggling thought. They ship it in four month boxes and charge the customer monthly.

OBVIOUSLY Brenda is out to knock Juice Plus, since these are the ONLY posts she posts too and has nothing positive to say about it. That is her perogative, but it is unusual activity, don't you think? There are a TON of wonderful experiences that have been shared here on the forums, so read those and make your own choices everyone.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Brenda Damachuk*
Any chiropractor who refers a patient to a wellness coordinator gets a kickback on sales, so it is inaccurate to portray such individuals as not having a financial interest.

Who said that this distributor was a wellness coordinator for this chiropractor. There are a ton of chiropractors that recommend Juice Plus that do not have a distributorship or financial interest in it at all. They have someone in the community that they send people to to get the product. I have met many that do this, so don't make assumptions here Brenda.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

And so you know that the studies that Juice Plus distributors are saying are really underway, here is the link to the study from MD Anderson.

http://www.mdanderson.org/department...9B6F1648607D7E

Midway down the page you will see "Juice Plus"......


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## SimoneRitchie (Apr 26, 2006)

Brenda, unless you are with the company, you have NO idea what their rationale is for selling a product in the qty's they do. Red blood cells do in fact take 4 months to turn over. If you are not feeding your body properly before a product like Juice plus, the nutrients are not being absorbed, or carried effectively in the blood stream (unless you are eating a very well balanced meal of about 75-80% plant based). When people start to take Juice Plus, it takes that long for the blood cells to rejuvenate including the nutrition in adding supplementation (or eating a whole food balanced meal). Also, the distributor that my chiropractor uses is not a wellness coordinator for him, don't make claims about a person or a healthcare practioner you have NO business making comments about. I personally take care of his finances from the business, and he has never received a kick back from this distributor or the company for recommending Juice Plus. He orders from this distributor and recommends her because of her knowledge of the company/product. If I was not personally involved with the financial aspect of this chiropractor's business, then I could also agree that perhaps there was some kick back. But I know for a fact there is not. Also, when we met with this distributor in person to set up a program at our practice, we did not fill out any sort of paperwork from her or the company that showed he would be paid from her or the company. Obviously if there was some sort of a "kick back" coming to him, there would have to have paperwork involved signing that he agreed and there was never any paperwork passed.

You obviously are against Juice Plus and that is fine, we are all entitled to our opinion, but a LOT of what you are stating is absolutely not factual, please start responding to posts with some facts before you fire off at the mouth and make accusations you have no idea what you are talking about. People are going to be more apt to listen to what you say if you are not making accusations and false claims and pretending you know what is going on with situations from other posters when clearly you do not.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

To illustrate how truly scientifically unjustified it is to sell JP in 4-month supplies, let me just ask 2 questions: (1) Why don’t produce vendors refuse to sell fresh fruits and vegetables in anything less than a 4 month supply, and (2) Why are other vitamin supplements not also sold in 4-month lots. These questions are applicable because JP is viewed by some as a fruit and vegetable supplement, and by most others, as a low grade vitamin. The rationale presented by NSA is simply ridiculous but apparently some people will believe anything they are told. If Simone’s chiro is not getting kickbacks (and I am not at all convinced that he isn’t), then he is one of the few who is not. Almost all healthcare professionals who push JP on their clients are participants in the JP Professional Support Program, which most definitely provides kickbacks on all client purchases. As for the BS about red blood cells, please tell me a single JP study that measured nutrient concentrations in RBCs, and then maybe you can justifiably claim that I don’t have the facts straight. If not, then stop shoveling so much NSA propaganda at us.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

That’s all well and good that MDC is doing a JP study. I wonder how you guys will discount or ignore that study if it shows that JP has no effect.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FLDoula*
There is another company that has a "antioxidant" scan to show their vitamins work (which are about 4 times the cost of Juice Plus), and the people who take Juice Plus are the only ones other than their customers who test high on their machines.

The antioxidant screening test that FLDoula referred to is made by a company called Spectrox. The test does NOT measure overall antioxidant status, it measures only carotenoids (e.g. beta-carotene) and it doesn't even do that very well. It should come as no surprise that people who take JP have high carotenoid levels; the product is spiked with a lot of added beta-carotene, which doesn't come from the fruits and vegetables -- it comes from Dunaliella salina, which is ALGAE&#8230;just out of curiosity, do you consider algae a fruit or a vegetable? Food for thought huh?


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## SimoneRitchie (Apr 26, 2006)

Brenda, you need to stop shoveling your personal issues with Juice Plus on this forum. You are only replying to Juice Plus topics on this forum, so obviously have a personal issue on sending a wrong message and forcing your opinions on others by making false statements and making claims about things like my chiropractor when you have no idea what you are talking about. Did you even realize for a moment that holistic healthcare practitioners and chiropractors of the like don't believe on pushing products on people, unlike mainstream doctors that don't think for a moment about pushing a pharmaceutical on you when you come in with a symptom? Medical doctors are NOT educated at all in med school about nutrition (other than the very simplictic courses). Holistic practioners and Chiropractors are in fact educated in this arena, because it has so much to do with holistic healing of which they strongly believe in. Most chiropractors and holistic healthcare providers do not believe in getting paid to promote a product and FLDoula is correct that many of these healthcare professionals recommend products (not just Juice Plus necessarily), but are strongly against getting compensated for it. I attend several holistic healthcare conferences in the northeast and have met many holistic healthcare providers that recommend products but never get involved with the company because of their own personal beliefs of not recommending a product they make money off of. So to put all of them in a fish bowl and make a claim (like you know what you are talking about), is downright laughable because you don't know this side of healthcare just based on the stuff you are throwing out at this forum. Come into my world and educate yourself a bit on how these practioners deal with their patients on a daily basis and understand their oath of ethics (which are VERY different then mainstream providers) and then you can understand why I stand behind what I said that the chiropractor I work for gets no kick back what so ever from recommending Juice Plus and there are many of them out there. I would like to know why you state all healthcare professionals that recommend JP get a kick back. I would like to know from you, that you personally have discussed their financial interest with all 20,000 providers that recommend Juice Plus... I highly doubt it. Your credibility on this forum is going down the tubes very fast Brenda!!


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Brenda Damachuk*
That's all well and good that MDC is doing a JP study. I wonder how you guys will discount or ignore that study if it shows that JP has no effect.

And I wonder the same back to you. What will all of you "nay-sayers" that are spending so much time discreding Juice Plus when there are much bigger fish to fry (ie aspartame, fast food, high fructose corn syrup, etc.) will say when it does show there is an effect.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

The study at MD Anderson is just one of many studies being done on Juice Plus. The results may take time to get, but these are reputable organizations/schools that are doing the studies and THEY are the ones wanting to do the studies. Maybe the research done at first by NSA was not the best of the best. There are people who discredit it because it is paid for by NSA. However, this is how ALL research is paid for. These places like MD Anderson, University of Sydney, Brigham Young, Vanderbuilt are not going to do things for free. That is a ludicrous thought. If you go to the MD Anderson center website, there is a FAQ page. On it it states who pays for the studies.

One of the great things about one of the studies being done on Juice Plus is that it is being funded by the National Institute of Health, NOT NSA and is being conducted at Wakeforest University.

The other thing to contemplate is that Juice Plus is a natural product. It may not work the same on everyone. Just like the way any natural product is done. That is the same premise as homeopathy - you have to find the right one for the person. The majority of people who take Juice Plus do love it, but there are some that don't. Please listen to the majority of people here that are talking about Juice Plus and make a choice for yourself. Don't just believe what others say. The more people talk about something the more they fear it, most of the time. Natural medicine is the wave of the future and it is scarring the pants off the pharmaceutical industry because thousands of people are turning to naturopathy, chiropractic, homeopathy, etc., and away from the BIG BUSINESS of KEEPING people sick.

And, FWIW, those docs that we all "love" and "trust" to take care of us.....THEY are getting BIG TIME kick backs from the pharmaceutical companies if they prescribe their medicines. The pharmaceutical companies get a list every week or month of the # of prescriptions written for their product and they REWARD appropriately.

Now that is food for thought.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Brenda Damachuk*
The antioxidant screening test that FLDoula referred to is made by a company called Spectrox.

Actually, that is wrong. The I was talking about was the BioScan by Pharmanex.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FLDoula*
Actually, that is wrong. The I was talking about was the BioScan by Pharmanex.

My mistake...the comments stand but I was refering to Phamanex. Spectrox markets another lame assay....more later.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

My point in stating what I said about the antioxidant scan is that Pharmanex consumers and Juice Plus consumers are the only ones that consistently test high on their machines, which says something to me.

As far as what your question was on the D. Salina - the definition of algae is basically a microscopic plant. It is not a mineral or artificial or an animal product. Juice Plus is a whole food based supplement that has many fruits and veggies in it, and then they add in acidophilus and other ingredients for enzymes, etc. It is a whole food supplement and actually the capsules have a "nutrition" label on them because they are a FOOD not a supplement, as per the FDA.


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## apple_dumpling (Oct 20, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FLDoula*
OBVIOUSLY Brenda is out to knock Juice Plus, since these are the ONLY posts she posts too and has nothing positive to say about it. That is her perogative, but it is unusual activity, don't you think? There are a TON of wonderful experiences that have been shared here on the forums, so read those and make your own choices everyone.

Actually, her negativity made me want to try it even more and I just ordered the combo for myself and the chewables for dd







I figured it must be worth a try if someone is trying so hard to defame it!







So, I guess she backfired, at least where I am concerned, because all she did was make me research it more and the more I did, the more impressed I was and decided to try it.

On a slightly different note, my dd is 16 months old... I'd love to start her on the chewables (and she is very good at chewing stuff) but how big are they, would I need to break them in half or in quarters? Is 16 months too young for the full dose of a chewable? I'd love to hear from other mama's who are giving it to their younger kids... and at what age did you start.

I am excited personally. I have never been able to eat enough veggies and my health is going downhill lately... I need a pick me up and I am super ready to try this.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

My point about the Pharmanex test is that all it is measuring is the beta-carotene that is added to the product. Should it be a surprise that people who take megadoses of beta-carotene wind up with high beta-carotene levels in the skin (which is all the Pharmanex test measure…carotenoids in skin, not ANY other part of the body). You can take any old supplement with ADDED beta-carotene and expect exactly the same results. I don’t care if someone wants to consumer cheap algae, but most Juice Plus customers are not told that and would be very surprised to hear it. They don’t show any algae in those NSA brochures that show baskets of fruits and vegetables do they? If the capsules actually contained adequate amounts of nutrients, it wouldn’t be necessary to add them, but as was confirmed by one of NSA study leaders, the nutrients are added to restore nutrients LOST DURING PROCESSING (that is a quote). As for discrediting JP research, the fact that NSA sponsors it is only one of many criticisms. The biggest criticism is that the research was poorly designed and very misleadingly presented by NSA. Despite what NSA says, the majority of the studies showed that JP DID NOT HAVE ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS. NSA and JP distributors are not forthcoming in discussing NSAs sponsorship of the research (they still misleadingly refer to it as independent third party research), and in every case, it has been NSA that has approached these researchers to conduct JP studies on the company’s behalf, not vice versa. And NSA continues to fund the majority of these studies, including the one being done by Katz – he received over $200 K from NSA. I think it a joke to call JP a “natural” product, unless you consider it natural to combine a fleck or two of nutritionally inert fruit and veg dust with algae and added vitamins and put into a gelatin capsule. Rather than natural, I think it is a freakish abomination. Don’t kid yourself into thinking that this is a debate between “conventional” vs “alternative” medicine. Juice Plus is pure crap no matter which angle you approach it from, and there are many professionals on both sides (even including Andrew Weil) who think the product is overpriced garbage. But it’s very convenient for NSA to have JP defenders tell people that they should ignore valid criticism and buy the product anyway.


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## TexasSuz (Mar 4, 2002)

You know despite everything said on both sides, iIhave decided not to try Jp because of the selling practice of only making it availavble through individual suppliers and only selling it in 4 month supplies. If the product was so great then they would not need to make it difficult on a working family to afford it or have access to get it. The combination of the two makes me wonder.

Also, everyone I have ever talked to who liked JP was also a distributor of it thus making their opinion biased.

Not buying it...


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

TexasSuz: I am sorry that you are not willing to give JP a try. There have been people on these boards who have talked about JP and the results they have seen, and they are NOT distributors. They have great stories to tell. If you ask other distributors, I am sure they could give you names of their customers who are happy on JP and they would talk to you. I have customers that tell me they love it and there are many more out there. In fact, 85% of the people taking Juice Plus are customers and NOT distributors.

As far as they way it is marketed, it is affordable in that you only have to pay for one month at a time even though they send you a four month supply. The company trusts you that you will make those payments for the product, which is very generous and gracious , if you ask me. The company has been in business since the 1970s and Juice Plus has been on the market for more than 13 years. That should tell you something about what kind of company and what kind of product it is. There are VERY few products that are still on the market after 2 or 3 years from conception because they are a fad, whereas Juice Plus is something that people take and love for MANY years. It is marketed in a direct distributor type of way like most products that are nutritional today. There are basically two ways that nutritional products that are any good are provided to the public - health food stores and direct marketing (with the exception of a few that are for health care professionals only). With health food stores you are paying multiple people to provide you with that product from the delivery and production of it to the stocking of the shelves and the cashiers, etc. This is all absorbed in the price. With direct marketing you are paying for it in a different way, HOWEVER the products that are sold via direct marketing if they were on the shelves would have a MUCH greater inflated price because of the delivery costs, cashiers, managers, etc.

Think of the many products that are out there - Mary Kay, Avon, Natures Sunshine, Partylite, Princess House, Pampered Chef, Pharmanex, MonaVie, Noni Juice, Arbonne, Juice Plus, etc., etc., etc. All of these are products that choose to deal with distributors instead of big corporations to do business. It is a business choice, but does not make the product any less valuable. In fact I think that most of us have done business with one or more of these companies without thinking twice about it.................

So, my advice to you is to think about it. Remember that JP has a money back guarantee on any unopened product. And some JP distributors will sell you a one month supply to "try" if you choose, but this is not the norm because of the money back guarantee.

Just my thoughts.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *apple_dumpling*
Actually, her negativity made me want to try it even more and I just ordered the combo for myself and the chewables for dd







I figured it must be worth a try if someone is trying so hard to defame it!







So, I guess she backfired, at least where I am concerned, because all she did was make me research it more and the more I did, the more impressed I was and decided to try it.

On a slightly different note, my dd is 16 months old... I'd love to start her on the chewables (and she is very good at chewing stuff) but how big are they, would I need to break them in half or in quarters? Is 16 months too young for the full dose of a chewable? I'd love to hear from other mama's who are giving it to their younger kids... and at what age did you start.

I am excited personally. I have never been able to eat enough veggies and my health is going downhill lately... I need a pick me up and I am super ready to try this.

I am glad you decided to try the product. I put my younger son on it at 1 year of age. He took 1/2 of a capsule until he was able to chew and then I put him on one chewable. Here is the rule of thumb.......an adult would take 2 of each capsule, 4 of each of the chewables. A child probably after about age 3 would be on a regular child's dose, which would be two of each of the chewables. Your 16mo taking one of each of the chewables is a great start. There is a pediatrician in the Orlando area that has seen an 80 to 90% reduction in sick visits and antibiotic use when his patients take Juice Plus, which is significant. He recommends they start with a half of a capsule of each of the fruits and veggies starting at 6 months of age.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

As far as the research done on the product, NSA funding it does not make the results invalid. If you ask a pharmacy rep about the research done on one of their products, they would say it was independent also, because that is what it is. They test the product and the publish the results. Nothing more. Of course there are critics on both sides of the issue. There are those that think Juice Plus is fabulous and those that don't. That is why we live in a free country able to express whatever our opinions are.

There are people like Dr. Isadore Rosefeld from Fox News that do not recommend taking vitamins because they are isolated and produced in a pharmacy, yet he does recommend Juice Plus. He is considered a "doctor's doctor" because people trust his opinions and doctors go to him for advice.

And as I have said before, maybe the studies done on JP previous to this were not as good as they could have been. They were done a number of years ago, and science and technology have stepped up and said that we need to have more rigid standards for testing. This is why the NEW research being done on Juice Plus is double blind, placebo controlled, randomized. That is what counts.

And putting research aside, there are many people that say they don't care about the research they care about they way they feel and the results they have seen in themselves and in their families. That is the true test of the product.

I had a personal story with the bioscan........I was taking handfulls of vitamins every day from health food stores, including beta carotene. My tests were no where near what they should have been based on their machine. When I started taking Juice Plus within a few months they were above the 30,000 mark where they state it should be. SO the beta carotene I was taking was not affecting my antioxidants and Brenda stated.


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## SimoneRitchie (Apr 26, 2006)

Hi Apple, welcome to our Juice Plus discussion (LOL). I'm glad that you decided to try Juice Plus even based on the not so factual information given by Brenda. FLDoula has done a GREAT job at setting the record straight. Brenda obviously has no idea how the internal struction of NSA works, how the research is actually funded (other than stating NSA funded it, which is again INCORRECT, NAI is the funder, they are the company that encapsulates Juice Plus, not the ones that market it). So, to listen to someone put information on a post to try and get others to believe, is what makes people scratch their heads about natural/alternative products. But, the world is full of them, including like FLDoula stated, the people that are backed by the big pharmaceutical companies. Also for a comment on the "research" about Juice Plus, I personally want to hear the good, bad and average results of Juice Plus. I wouldn't expect all research to be 100% showing favorable results from any product. There is no golden pill out there, so if a product shows favorable results in cardiovascular health for example, I think that is noteworthy enough to educate the public on, and vise versa, if it didn't show that great of results, I think the public should be advised also. Unfortunatley, any study (even early on), that showed not so favorable results about Juice Plus are being thrown in peoples faces by nay-sayers saying, see see see, I told you Juice Plus was "crap" when in fact, I would look at it as well Juice Plus doesn't necessarily show good results in this aspect of health. Again, Juice Plus is NOT a golden pill to cure, treat, make you skinny, cure all solution. It is simply away to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet if you are not going to do that the regular way. And in ALL of their literature, including their website, Juice Plus first and foremost states, this is NOT a substitute for fresh fruits and vegetables. So if this company was out to "get" the public, why would they make sure to remind you, this is not the way to get your recommended nutrition everyday, but will fill in the gaps when you cannot or will not eat the recommended amounts. With comments from Brenda, I think it is easy to see this is a nay-sayer, without knowledge or facts trying to sway you on her own personal beliefs of a product that is highly recommended by over 20,000 healthcare professionals (and not all of them are distributors or making profits off their recommendations), continues to be addressed from leading universities, teaching hospitals and other research facilities, wanting to set up research and trials of this product (at their request, not NSA's/NAI's) and hundreds of thousands of happy, healthy customers that repeat their orders because Juice Plus DOES work for them. It won't necessarily work for everyone, but for those of us that it does, that is why we are passionate about getting the CORRECT message out to you to make an informed decision, not try and cram down your throat our own personal beliefs just to sell the product. When we see blatnely WRONG information being given, those facts need to be corrected, and people like Brenda, that bring WRONG facts to a forum, it needs to be set straight instead of her trying to make you believe what she is stating is correct to steer you away, just because she doesnt' believe in Juice Plus. Again, her credability should be quickly being disolved because of all of the wrong information she is giving and remind everyone, that she has only posted negatively to any topic on this forum about Juice Plus (no other posts), so she obviously has her own agenda.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SimoneRitchie*
Brenda obviously has no idea how the internal struction of NSA works, how the research is actually funded (other than stating NSA funded it, which is again INCORRECT, NAI is the funder, they are the company that encapsulates Juice Plus, not the ones that market it).

I personally want to hear the good, bad and average results of Juice Plus. I wouldn't expect all research to be 100% showing favorable results from any product.

Unfortunatley, any study (even early on), that showed not so favorable results about Juice Plus are being thrown in peoples faces by nay-sayers saying, see see see, I told you Juice Plus was "crap"

With comments from Brenda, I think it is easy to see this is a nay-sayer, without knowledge or facts trying to sway you on her own personal beliefs of a product

It won't necessarily work for everyone, but for those of us that it does, that is why we are passionate about getting the CORRECT message out to you to make an informed decision, not try and cram down your throat our own personal beliefs just to sell the product. When we see blatnely WRONG information being given, those facts need to be corrected, and people like Brenda, that bring WRONG facts to a forum, it needs to be set straight instead of her trying to make you believe what she is stating is correct to steer you away, just because she doesnt' believe in Juice Plus. Again, her credability should be quickly being disolved because of all of the wrong information she is giving and remind everyone, that she has only posted negatively to any topic on this forum about Juice Plus (no other posts), so she obviously has her own agenda.

I am taking a wild guess that I know a lot more about JP than Simone does, but in contrast, I am willing to share the truth about the product. Simone essentially called me a liar but doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Regarding the funding of Juice Plus research, I have 3 quotes for you all. The first is from page 10.14 of the JP distributor's manual. It states: "Why did NSA commission research on Juice Plus? In order to replace "testimonials" as a selling tool". The second quote is from the JP study by Kiefer et al (J Am Coll Nutr 2004): "This research project was supported by NSA International, Memphis, TN". The third quote is from David Katz of the Geffen Center who is currently conducting an NSA-funded JP study. He was quoted as follows: "Katz met with the NSA Corporation at a nutrition conference and was asked to conduct a study analyzing the health effects of Juice Plus. NSA provided a grant of around $200,000 for the study, Katz said." So clearly I was telling the truth about NSAs funding of projects. However, even if the manufacturer (NAI) sponsored and co-wrote some of the studies (which they did), that still makes the credibility of the studies questionable, and the fact that NSA and the distributors always try to hide these facts is most revealing.

Furthermore, if the existing research has shown bad results in many cases (and it did), how is it naysaying to accurately relay that information to people? Shouldn't Simone and the JP distributors be telling people the truth in the first place instead of withholding what the research actually showed? Their failure to do so strikes me as very deceptive.

As for Simone's accusation that I am trying to cram a message down people's throats, I have the following to say. First, I don't care if someone wants to or does not want to try the product, but I do care that they have enough reliable information to make an informed decision, and they apparently aren't going to get it form Simone or FLDoula. Second, Simone and FLD both encouraged people to make their own choice about JP, but when someone actually decides not to try it, like Texassuz did, FLD continued to try to sway them to try the product. What happened to respecting personal choice? That seems very disrespectful, not to mention hypocritical.

Lastly, Simone repeatedly makes the accusation that I am only posting about JP, yet almost all of her posts on this forum have been about JP, and more importantly I have seen her posts on 3 other health forums where all she did was plug JP. And even though Simone says she is not a distributor, she is always driving traffic to the same JP distributor, Kimberly OConnell. What does that say about her agenda and impartiality?


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

It is odd how many people are on this thread who are not active members of the MDC community.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

TexasSuz was stating that she did not want to try Juice Plus because of the way it was sold by distributors and how they do it in four month supplies. All I did was clear up the reasonings behind both of those, nothing more. I am not being hypocritical. I want her to make a choice based on the product itself and not based on what she did not know about the business practices.

I think that it is VERY odd Brenda that you have ONLY posted about Juice Plus on this web board. I have been a member here for a long time. I have read the posts for many months, but most of the time do not answer or question. That is just me. What I wonder about is WHY are YOU here? If you are on other health boards and know about SimoneRitchie talking to people about Juice Plus on those boards, then you MUST have your own agenda against Juice Plus. Why, I don't know. Just does not make sense that you apparently are only posting negative findings about Juice Plus and nothing else. At least SimoneRitchie has other topics she has posted on here, unlike you.

And again, all research is funded by someone, usually the manufacturer of the product (although there are two cases I know of that this did not happen with Juice Plus - money was from other sources). When the makers of Celebrex, Fosamax, Claritin, etc., wanted their products tested THEY had to pay money to see what happened with them. There is NO issue with NSA funding their own studies. At least they are studying the product, unlike most natural products out there. And the results are being published no matter what the results. Again, some people see results and others do not. I am more apt to believe what others have seen in their family and try it for myself than to discredit a product because someone says the results show XYZ and in this study they did not show XYZ.

My suggestion is to try it for yourself if you want to or don't try it. No big deal either way. Many people are happy with the product, just like there are people who take MonaVie, Gogi Juice, Noni Juice, Xango Juice, etc. Everyone has to choose what they want to take and be happy with their choice. Everyone will find their own product they like. It is up to them.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *FLDoula*
Just does not make sense that you apparently are only posting negative findings about Juice Plus and nothing else.

Actually, it makes perfect sense given that there is no merit whasoever to this product. But I'll indulge and say something positive...the bottle labels look nice!


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## apple_dumpling (Oct 20, 2004)

Actually, I did a little bit of research on it when I saw this thread before I decided to try it.

Yes there are positive and negative things about it... some studies claim it works, others don't... but how is that ANY different from ANY other vitamin/med/etc out on the market today? there are always going to be people who swear by stuff, and people who say it doesn't work. That's life and we are all different.

I decided to try it because since I have been sick (RA) my diet hasn't been great, I just can't eat very much.. my medicine and my illness cause a lack of appetite, and I really do want to try and get some nutrients in. Yes I know that eating fresh fruits and veggies is the best... but in my case I just can't do that all the time.

You know, if you look at any pharmaceutical med, there are studies claiming that it works, studies that say it causes cancer, ulcers, etc... and people on both sides of the spectrum. For some medicine saves lives... for others, it causes more problems. You just have to do the research and decide for yourself if you are willing to take the risk or not.

I don't see juice plus as a "risky" thing for my health. Sure, it may not work... and yes it's kind of expensive, but if it DOES work for me it will be money well spent. And how will I ever know if it works for me or not unless I try it.

I could care less how it is sold... like a pp mentioned there are lots of companies that do business this way... I have a friend that I buy avon from once in a while.. I don't hold it against her that I can't buy it from a store or something... it's just the way the company is run, and that's whatever floats their boat...as long as I feel I am getting value for my money (or in the vitamin case, if it is improving my health) then I am happy.

I just don't see the point of all the arguing.... I think most people are not going to take one positive review, or one negative review, and base their decision on that. We are all smart women (and men too







) and we know not to take one person's word on something... we need to research for ourselves and make our own decisions.


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## FLDoula (Mar 16, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Brenda Damachuk*
Actually, it makes perfect sense given that there is no merit whasoever to this product. But I'll indulge and say something positive...the bottle labels look nice!

Actually, it sounds like you are trolling around message boards to discredit one product. There is a point behind the mothering.com community discussion boards, and it is not to hunt out those questioning a product and bring to light everything you find against it. Yes, it is good to have both sides of the story, but it seems odd coming from someone who is here for nothing else!

As far as cost, I agree that it is all in how you feel taking it as to if it is expensive or not! In comparison to some of the many other products on the market, it is reasonably priced. Most of the "miracle" juices on the market (marketed by testimonials only) cost about $40 a bottle and you need 3 a month per person, and then you get the "if you sell it you can make money and it is only $25 per bottle". Still that costs $75 per month! A lot of money, if you ask me, and that is not something I can reasonably afford, even if I was a distributor and loved their product.


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## SimoneRitchie (Apr 26, 2006)

Brenda, I am not on other boards "promoting" Juice Plus. I have probably 1 or 2 other boards that I came across that I have posted the EXACT same message on those boards as I did here. I have never stated to buy from the distributor that we use, only giving an avenue because many people have not heard about Juice Plus or where to find it. We use this distributor based on what I have already stated. I have also very clearly stated in those posts that if a person was not interested in using our distributor to call the corporate offices and give your address, and they will assign you to a distributor. How is that impartial???? I'm simply answering a question and providing details, I'm not making any statement that our distributor has to be used. You are way out in left field my dear and it is scarey that you are actually believing the BS you are flinging on this forum. I back everything I say on this forum or the forums I have commented about Juice Plus on. And I highly doubt very much (and it shows in most of your answers on this form), that you know more about Juice Plus then me because the information you are giving shows your ignorance on the product and how the business is run.


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## Brenda Damachuk (May 14, 2006)

Whatever! The facts are on the table...let the chips fall where they may.


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