Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Reliv Problem - It's a Waste of Money

The problem with Reliv that keeps coming up over and over again is something that I found out myself. Reliv is "Vile Tasting" no matter how hard you try to hide it's flavor. Since this time, a friend of mine shipped me some Dr. Organics, which is also powder and I can't get the stuff down. Dr. Organics is MUCH better tasting but just the thought of Powders starts me gagging.

And sadly this person was duped by a church member. I think it should be sin for one church member to prey on another. Church should be a safe place to go to learn about Jesus and the forgiveness of sins but instead, you will hear about how "great" Reliv is or how "much" money you can make. :(

And lastly, this guy used Reliv for more than 1 year. I will have to congratulate him of his effort. He spent 100s if not 1000s of dollars on Reliv and NO RESULTS. But thankfully he did return to something that was helping him, a cheap chewable vitamin. :)

Waste of money
by skydog2 ,Sep 11 '06

Pros: It at least gives you vitamins
Cons: Vile tasting and extremely expensive


My wife and mother-in-law convinced me to start taking Reliv based on the fabulous review it got from a member of our church (who, of course is a dealer). I was skeptical, but tried to give it a fair trial -- I used it (and Arthaffects for more than a year and a half. The stuff tastes vile, regardless of what it's mixed with, and I couldn't tell any difference in health, energy, joint pain, or any other factor.

I went back to my Flintstones vitamins (all you need, chewables are absorbed well by your body, and they're relatively inexpensive) and have been happy and healthy in the 20 months since I gave up Reliv.

My in-laws still swear by it (more power to them), and my mother-in-law has become a dealer. She showed me the materials Reliv gave her, including a tape -- the methods and materials the company uses to get dealers to push the product are truly obscene (and almost cult-like), regardless of how well it works/doesn't work.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

These products are dangerous. Anyone who tries to sell you this toxic substance is only out for your money and does not have your best interests at heart. I am a medical professional (i.e. have spent thousands of hours in the classroom, lab, hospitals). I feel very strongly that these products should be illegal but we can't beat the billions of dollars spent by the supplement industry.

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Thank you Poster for your comments. I wish we could get a little bit more information like this for our readers to read. I am going to post your comments on the main page as well so that they will stand out more for others to read. Thank you again!

Anonymous said...

Toxic substances? I'm guessing that the drugs/pharmaceuticals that "medical professionals" thing people should put into their bodies aren't toxic even with all of those horrible side effects. I don't see what is so toxic about good nutrition. Better stay away from stuff with Folic Acid, B12, and all those vitamins right? Such horrible, horrible stuff.

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hello Poster - It appears that you have been blind sided by Reliv or one of it's distributors. Nutrition in itself is a good thing. B12, Folic Acid, etc are important and needed by the body. But the question is here, what does Reliv use as their source for these vitamins / minerals???

If you will take the time to read through my other posts, you will see that Reliv uses synthetic ingredients in most of their products. Which means they aren't using natural products but chemicals, some of which aren't so good for you when you do the research on them.

Yes yes, I am sure you are going to tell me that Reliv has a wonderful group of Scientists working to make sure everything is "good for you" but these guys are making BIG $$$$ and I doubt they really care that much. We know that the FDA approves things all the time that they claim are healthy but in the end, turn out to be really really really bad.

Anyway poster, in the future I would suggest that you really take a moment to stop and look at what you are ingesting and find out what the sources of these items are. God knows what we are eating today!

Anonymous said...

You sure sound bitter and angry about reliv. What is our hidden agenda?

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hello Poster - Thank you for reading my blog and I hope that you will consider some of what you read.

As far as my agenda, I guess that is a really hard question. Do you think Consumer Reports has a hidden agenda? Or maybe the Better Business Bureau? While these are critical of others most of the time people don't accuse them of having a hidden agenda.

I know people personally have have had their health damaged because they used Reliv. I firmly believe that Soy is dangerous, especially for women.

I guess you could say that my hidden agenda is simply wanting to give people a chance to hear both sides of the story! :)

Anonymous said...

I am so glad I read all this..
my son has aspergers and this product was being sold by sales people at the autism meeting (sem) from 9-5.
I went to the sem, but on the break was faced with t hese products..
I figured I would bring home the brochures and look up info and came across this..
you convinced me not to bother and I will save my money for sure
;)
Thanks
san

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hi Sandra,

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and for taking the time to research Reliv.

This is one of the parts of Reliv or any MLM that I dislike the most. Their distributors prey on those in need.

Should you decide to try Reliv, DON'T sign up. Buy the products on eBay first. This will save you from having to buy into the company, buying products in advance to get the better discount prices, etc.

But there are many other good products out there that don't have such high soy contents like Reliv.

Anonymous said...

shakes always worried me as it was and wondering who came up with this and what exactly the benefit was. Seemed to good to be true so I know usually when it 'seems' that way, it usually is.
Thanks so much for the advice.
I dont think I will be even trying it.
I was unsure as it was and reading this was a def help.
;)
san

Anonymous said...

This is what you need to know. Its all in the fermenting. If you want to really be ticked off about a product, pick on MILK. Or do you like drinking what they make non toxic glue out of. Only Raw foods that are organic are healthy. So if you want milk join a co-op since it is the only way you can get it. As for Reliv (one of a billion producer of soy products) you have to look at the synergistic formulas for thier products like every other supplement. This does not make their products BAD! Everybody has a different body and react differently to products. I have heard of people being healed of illness from thier productd and I have tried their Reverse Age formula with excellent results. If you are looking for a multi try Vitamin Code with Vit, Minerals, enzymes and herbs all organic from plants.

History of the Bean
Soybeans come to us from the Orient. During the Chou Dynasty (1134 - 246 BC) the soybean was designated one of the five sacred grains, along with barley, wheat, millet and rice. However, the pictograph for the soybean, which dates from earlier times, indicates that it was not first used as a food; for whereas the pictographs for the other four grains show the seed and stem structure of the plant, the pictograph for the soybean emphasizes the root structure. Agricultural literature of the period speaks frequently of the soybean and its use in crop rotation. Apparently the soy plant was initially used as a method of fixing nitrogen.3 soybean did not serve as a food until the discovery of fermentation techniques, sometime during the Chou Dynasty. Thus the first soy foods were fermented products like tempeh, natto, miso and shoyu (soy or tamari sauce). At a later date, possibly in the 2nd century B.C., Chinese scientists discovered that a puree of cooked soybeans could be precipitated with calcium sulfate or magnesium sulfate (plaster of Paris or Epsom salts) to make a smooth pale curd - tofu or bean curd. The use of fermented and precipitated soy products soon spread to other parts of the Orient, notably Japan and Indonesia. Although the highly flavored fermented products have elicited greater interest among scientists and epicures, it is the bland precipitated products that are most frequently used, accounting for approximately 90% of the processed soybeans consumed in Asia today.4 The increased reliance on bean curd as a source of protein, which occurred between 700 A.D. and the present time, has not necessarily been a beneficial change for the populations of the Orient and Southeast Asia.

Fit for Human Consumption?
The Chinese did not eat the soybean as they did other pulses (legumes) such as the lentil because the soybean contains large quantities of a number of harmful substances. First among them are potent enzyme inhibitors which block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. These "antinutrients" are not completely deactivated during ordinary cooking and can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals, diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas, including cancer. The soybean also contains hemaglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Trypsin inhibitors and hemaglutinin have been rightly labeled "growth depressant substances." They are deactivated during the process of fermentation. In precipitated products, enzyme inhibitors concentrate in the soaking liquid rather than in the curd. Thus in tofu and bean curd, these enzyme inhibitors are reduced in quantity, but not completely eliminated.

Soybeans are also high in phytic acid or phytates. This is an organic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all seeds, which blocks the uptake of essential minerals-calcium, magnesium, iron and especially zinc-in the intestinal tract. Although not a household word, phytates have been extensively studied. Scientists are in general agreement that grain and legume based diets high in phytates contribute to widespread mineral deficiencies in third world countries.5 Analysis shows that calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc are present in the plant foods eaten in these areas, but the high phytate content of soy and rice based diets prevents their absorption. The soybean has a higher phytate content than any other grain or legume that has been studied.6 Furthermore, it seems to be highly resistant to many phytate reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking.7 Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content of soybeans. Thus fermented products such as tempeh and miso provide nourishment that is easily assimilated, but the nutritional value of tofu and bean curd, both high in phytates, is questionable.

When precipitated soy products are consumed with meat, the mineral blocking effects of the phytates are reduced.8 The Japanese traditionally eat tofu as part of a mineral-rich fish broth. Vegetarians who consume tofu and bean curd as a substitute for meat and dairy products risk severe mineral deficiencies. The results of calcium, magnesium and iron deficiency are well known, those of zinc are less so. Zinc is called the intelligence mineral because it is needed for optimal development and functioning of the brain and nervous system. It plays a role in protein synthesis and collagen formation; it is involved in the blood sugar control mechanism and thus protects against diabetes; it is needed for a healthy reproductive system. Zinc is a key component in numerous vital enzymes and plays a role in the immune system. Phytates found in soy products interfere with zinc absorption more completely than with other minerals.9 Literature extolling soy products tends to minimize the role of zinc in human physiology, and to gloss over the deleterious effect of diets high in phytic acid.

Milk drinking is given as the reason second generation Japanese in America grow taller than their native ancestors. Some investigators postulate that the reduced phytate content of the American diet—whatever may be its other deficiencies-is the true explanation, pointing out that Asian and Oriental children who do not get enough meat and fish products to counteract the effects of a high phytate diet, frequently suffer rickets, stunting and other growth problems.10 The current climate of medical opinion in America has cast a cloud of disapproval on tallness. Parents would do well to ask their six-year-old boys whether they would prefer to be six-foot-one or five-foot-seven when they grow up, before substituting tofu for eggs, meat and dairy products.

Marketing the Soybean
The truth is, however, that most Americans are unlikely to adopt traditional soy products as their principal food. Tofu, bean curd and tempeh have a disagreeable texture and are too bland for the Western palate; pungent and musty miso and natto lose out in taste tests; only soy sauce enjoys widespread popularity as a condiment. The soy industry has therefore looked for other ways to market the superabundance of soybeans now grown in the United States.

Large scale cultivation of the soybean in the United States began only after the Second World War, and quickly rose to 140 billion pounds per year. Most of the crop is made into animal feed and soy oil for hydrogenated fats- margarine and shortening. During the past 20 years, the industry has concentrated on finding markets for the byproducts of soy oil manufacture, including soy "lecithin", made from the oil sludge, and soy protein products, made from defatted soy flakes, a challenge that has involved overcoming consumer resistance to soy products, generally considered tasteless "poverty foods". "The quickest way to gain product acceptability in the less affluent society," said a soy industry spokesman, " ... is to have the product consumed on its own merit in a more affluent society."11 Hence the proliferation of soy products resembling traditional American foods-soy milk for cows milk, soy baby formula, soy yogurt, soy ice cream, soy cheese, soy flour for baking and textured soy protein as meat substitutes, usually promoted as high protein, low-fat, no cholesterol "healthfoods" to the upscale consumer increasingly concerned about his health. The growth of vegetarianism among the more affluent classes has greatly accelerated the acceptability and use of these ersatz products. Unfortunately they pose numerous dangers.

Processing Denatures and Dangers Remain
he production of soy milk is relatively simple. In order to remove as much of the trypsin inhibitor content as possible, the beans are first soaked in an alkaline solution. The pureed solution is then heated to about 115 degrees C in a pressure cooker. This method destroys most (but not all) of the anti-nutrients but has the unhappy side effect of so denaturing the proteins that they become very difficult to digest and much reduced in effectiveness.12 The phytate content remains in soy milk to block the uptake of essential minerals. In addition, the alkaline soaking solution produces a carcinogen, lysinealine, and reduces the cystine content, which is already low in the soybean.13 Lacking cystine, the entire protein complex of the soybean becomes useless unless the diet is fortified with cystine-rich meat, eggs, or dairy products, an unlikely occurrence as the typical soy milk consumer drinks the awful stuff because he wants to avoid meat, eggs and dairy products.

Most soy products that imitate traditional American food items, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk, are made with soy protein isolate, that is the soy protein isolated from the carbohydrate and fatty acid components that naturally occur in the bean. Soy beans are first ground and subjected to high-temperature and solvent extraction processes to remove the oils. The resultant defatted meal is then mixed with an alkaline solution and sugars in a separation process to remove fiber. Then it is precipitated and separated using an acid wash. Finally the resultant curds are neutralized in an alkaline solution and spray dried at high temperatures to produce high protein powder. This is a highly refined product in which both vitamin and protein quality are compromised-but some trypsin inhibitors remain, even after such extreme refining! Trypsin inhibitor content of soy protein isolate can vary as much as 5-fold.l4 In rats, even low level trypsin inhibitor soy protein isolate feeding results in reduced weight gain compared to controls.15 Soy product producers are not required to state trypsin inhibitor content on labels, nor even to meet minimum standards, and the public, trained to avoid dietary cholesterol, a substance vital for normal growth and metabolism, has never heard of the potent anti-nutrients found in cholesterol-free soy products.

Soy Formula Is Not the Answer
Soy protein isolate is the main ingredient of soy-based infant formulas. Along with trypsin inhibitors, these formulas have a high phytate content. Use of soy formula has caused zinc deficiency in infants.16 Aluminum content of soy formula is 10 times greater than milk based formula, and 100 times greater than unprocessed milk.17 Aluminum has a toxic effect on the kidneys of infants, and has been implicated as causing Alzheimer's in adults. Soy milk formulas are often given to babies with milk allergy; but allergies to soy are almost as common as those to milk.18 Use of soy formula to treat infant diarrhea has had mixed results, some studies showing improvement with soy formula while others show none at all.19 Soy formulas lack cholesterol which is absolutely essential for the development of the brain and nervous system; they also lack lactose and galactose, which play an equally important role in the development of the nervous system. A number of other substances, which are unnecessary and of questionable safety, are added to soy formulas including carrageenan, guar gum, sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), potassium citrate monohydrate, tricalcium phosphate, dibasic magnesium phosphate trihydrate, BHA and BHT. Nitrosamines, which are potent carcinogens, are often found in soy protein foods, and are greatly increased during the high temperature drying process.20 Not surprisingly, animal feeding studies show a lower weight gain for rats on soy formula than those on whole milk, high-lactose formula.21 Similar results have been observed in children on macrobiotic diets which include the use of soy milk and large amounts of whole grains. Children brought up on high-phytate diets tend to be thin and scrawny.22

Fabricated Soy Foods
A final indignity to the original soy bean is high-temperature, high-pressure extrusion processing of soy protein isolate to produce textured vegetable protein. Numerous artificial flavorings, particularly MSG, are added to TVP products to mask their strong "beany" taste, and impart the flavor of meat. Soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are used extensively in school lunch programs, commercial baked goods, diet beverages and fast food products. They are heavily promoted in third world countries and form the basis of many food give-away programs. These soy products greatly inhibit zinc and iron absorption; in test animals they cause enlarged organs, particularly the pancreas and thyroid gland, and increased deposition of fatty acids in the liver.23 Human feeding tests to determine the cholesterol lowering properties of soy protein isolate have not shown them to be effective.24 Nevertheless, they are often promoted as having beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.

Cancer Preventing or Cancer Causing?
The food industry also touts soy products for their cancer preventing properties. Isoflavone aglycones are anticarcinogenic substances found in traditionally fermented soybean products. However, in non-fermented soy products such as tofu and soy milk, these isoflavones are present in an altered form, as beta-glycoside conjugates, which have no anti-carcinogenic effect.25 Some researchers believe the rapid increase in liver and pancreatic cancer in Africa is due to the introduction of soy products there.26

The fatty acid profile of the soybean includes large amounts of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids compared to other pulses (legumes); but these omega-3 fatty acids are particularly susceptible to rancidity when subjected to high pressures and temperatures. This is exactly what is required to remove oil from the bean, as soybean oil is particularly difficult to extract. Hexane or other solvents are always used to extract oil from soybeans, and traces remain in the commercial product.

Soy Protein Is Not Complete
While fermented soy products contain protein, vitamins, anti-carcinogenic substances and important fatty acids, they can under no circumstances be called nutritionally complete. Like all pulses, the soybean lacks vital sulfur-containing amino acids cystine and methionine. These are usually supplied by rice and other grains in areas where the soybean is traditionally consumed. Soy should never be considered as a substitute for animal products like meat or milk. Claims that fermented soy products like tempeh can be relied on as a source of vitamin B12, necessary for healthy blood and nervous system, have not been supported by scientific research.27 Finally, soybeans do not supply all-important fat soluble vitamins D and preformed A (retinol) which act as catalysts for the proper absorption and utilization of all minerals and water soluble vitamins in the diet. These "fat soluble activators" are found only in certain animal foods such as organ meats, butter, eggs, fish and shellfish. Carotenes from plant foods and exposure to sunlight are not sufficient to supply the body's requirements for vitamins A and D.28 Soy products often replace animal products in third world countries where intake of B12and fat soluble A and D are already low. Soy products actually increase requirements for vitamins B12 and D.29

Are soy products easy to digest, as claimed? Fermented soy products probably are; but unfermented products with their cargo of phytates, enzyme inhibitors, rancid fatty acids and altered proteins most certainly are not. Pet food manufacturers promote soy free dog and cat food as "highly digestible".

Only Fermented Soy Products Are Safe
To summarize, traditional fermented soy products such as miso, natto and tempeh-which are usually made with organically grown soybeans-have a long history of use that is generally beneficial when combined with other elements of the Oriental diet including rice, sea foods, fish broth, organ meats and fermented vegetables. The value of precipitated soybean products is problematical, especially when they form the major source of protein in the diet. Modern soy products including soy milks and ersatz meat and dairy products made from soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein are new to the diet and pose a number of serious problems.

Another Look at Milk
What then about dairy products? A few studies have linked modern commercial milk products with serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes and arthritis; but natural milk products have a long history of conferring good health in many parts of the globe. Dr. Weston Price, a pioneer in the science of nutrition, studied isolated population groups during the 1930's. He found that milk products were the principal food of many supremely healthy populations including isolated villagers in the Swiss Alps, the Masai and related tribes in Africa, and Arabic peoples in the Middle East.30

Of the three areas in the world noted for the longevity of the local population -the Caucasus Mountains in Russia, the village of Vilcabamba in Ecuador and the land of the Hunza in northern India- all three use whole milk products. The people of Hunza and Kashmir consume whole fermented goat milk products; inhabitants of Vilcabamba consume raw cows milk which they usually separate into cream cheese and whey; and the centenarians of the Caucasus Mountains eat whole milk yogurt and other dairy products.

Milk products form the backbone of the Hindu diet, with clarified butter (ghee) and fermented curds eaten with every meal. "The cows are our friends, they give food, they give strength, they likewise give a good complexion and happiness," said Gautama Buddha. While the Japanese have the longest life span of the civilized world on a diet containing few milk products, the Swiss are a close second in the longevity stakes with a diet just loaded with rich milk products like butter, cream and cheese. Tied for third and fourth are the Austrians and the Greeks. Both these populations consume whole milk products, especially cheese. Milk products are even found in some parts of the Orient, from water buffalo milk in Southeast Asia to cows milk in northern China. The longest living man in the West was Old Par, an English peasant who labored in the fields until his death at 152 years. His diet consisted almost entirely of raw goat milk products-milk, cheese and whey.31

Processing Is the Problem
The path that transforms healthy milk products into allergens and carcinogens begins with modern feeding methods that substitute high-protein, soy-based feeds for fresh green grass; and breeding methods to produce cows with abnormally large pituitary glands so that they produce three times more milk than the old fashioned scrub cow. These cows need antibiotics to keep them well. Their milk is then pasteurized so that all valuable enzymes are destroyed-lactase for the assimilation of lactose; galactase for the assimilation of galactose; phosphatase for the assimilation of calcium. Literally dozens of precious enzymes are destroyed in the pasteurization process. Without them milk is very difficult to digest. The human pancreas is not always able to produce these enzymes; overstress of the pancreas can lead to diabetes and other diseases.32

Non-fat dried milk is added to 1% and 2% milk. Unlike the cholesterol in fresh milk, which plays a variety of health promoting roles, the cholesterol in nonfat dried milk is oxidized and it is this rancid cholesterol that promotes heart disease. Like all spray dried products, non-fat dried milk has a high nitrite content. Non-fat dried milk and sweetened condensed milk are the principal dairy products in third world countries; use of ultra high temperature pasteurized milk is widespread in Europe

Anonymous said...

Not sure Why somuch of comments passed on Reliv. I am not a dealer of this product. I have purchased this product throguh my friend since i had joint pains and body pain. Just started taking this, As per my friend advise i need to have this for a month. Will update once i complete this 1 mont course..

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hello Poster!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I encourage you to read through all of the articles so that you clearly understand the risks in using the Reliv products. Sometimes the risks out way the benefits.

I would be interested in hearing back from you after you have taken the products for one month. But even if you don't have results, your friend will then tell you that you need to "take more products" or "take them for at least 90 days" but most likely they will tell you that you need to do both. So while you are trying the products you are adding money to their pockets and those in their upline. :) Welcome to MLM!

I hope that you friend is selling the products to you at her price, if she is then WONDERFUL!! If not, then I would suggest that you buy your products on eBay. Usually you can save a lot of $s this way.

While Reliv does work for some, consider the dangers and other possibilities before you take the product for too long.

Anonymous said...

For the past 4 years, I have been trying to find a cure for my daughter's eczema. After going the traditional route via the dermatologist, we were told she would have eczema the rest of her life. None of the medications worked and we were left to deal with the eczema( severe itching, scabbing and bleeding due to scratching), and numerous staph and strep infections on her legs and arms from all of the scratching.

I decided to go to a naturopath for a while. She did some accupressure treatments for my daughter's many allergies. After 6 months of treatments, my daughter was improved, but still have some eczema. I have a friend who sold me a two month supply of Reliv. She is not in it to make money, so there was no pressure. I have been approached by other Reliv distributers and felt pressure to sign up. Anyway, my daughter choked it down twice a day religuosly for two months. A couple of weeks after she finished the two month supply, we noticed that all of her eczema was gone. It has been completely gone for 5 months now. I can't say for sure that this was due to taking Reliv, but I do know that she had never been free of eczema in the past four years.

I didn't make her continue the Reliv because it did taste horrible. She is better now. After reading the comments on this page, I am glad that I did not get wrapped up in the whole Reliv thing. I don't regret giving my daughter the Reliv, but I am not so sure I would have her use it again after reading the comments about the product ingredients. When I went to a Reliv meeting, the presenters focused mainly on the money side of the business. I wanted to know what was in it. I was not given any information on that other than that it had "everything you need" in it.

Anonymous

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hello Poster - Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I hope that you found this info helpful.

It is good to hear that Reliv helped your daughter. I will be the first to say that Reliv does help some people. But along with this help you need to weigh the dangers as well.

There are many other products on the market that are similar to Reliv and should you or your daughter decide to continue a product I would encourage you to try one of these others first.

Anonymous said...

I will certainly investigate safer options if we ever have a problem again.

Anonymous said...

I went to a Reliv meeting Tues. night not having any idea what it was all about. As soon as I saw the MLM design I wanted to run out of there but I sat through it to be considerate. I have heard in the past that soy is toxic for human consumption and it astounds me that it is still on the market. But as mentioned above, there's lots of stuff on the market that is toxic for you.

To me it seems that even though we attempt to educate proper nutrition, there are multi-million $ corporations that want to keep making the mighty $$$. With some foods being so cheap, but bad for your health, a lot of people look no further than what is going to be cheap and fill me up. That is a horrible decision. Others look to these corporations that say they want to make you healthy but are going to sell you this product. Well, that could be a better solution with the right product but there is something that I have come to realize recently. It's all about proper nutrition. "Of course it is" you say but here's the kicker. You can do it yourself.

Here's where I go off on a little tangent but if you stay with me, it could be of great benefit to you and the best thing is that in the end you have the power to improve your life and there is no PRODUCT that you have to buy. How's that for a run-on sentence?

There has been a lot of research of bacterial and viral infections and there is one more that is just as important and could be considered to be a greater danger since it has been so overlooked. It is something that can actually be kept in check with proper NUTRITION. What is it? Fungus, molds...FUNGI! Why did the research stop? Antibiotics were developed. Antibiotics kill bacteria but they don't kill fungus. Inadvertently, fungi got pushed to the side and considered not a real threat...?

It may sound ridiculous at first but is definitely something to consider. I only want to introduce the idea because the amount of varying mycotoxins (or a toxins produced by a fungus) that fungi give off can have a wide variety of effects on the human body internal and external.

One example would be ezcema...

follow this link:

http://www.squidoo.com/skin-fungus

Other conditions such as allergies, arthritis, digestion respiration, mental health, heart health, woman's health and pain may be symptoms of having a fungal infection and I would like to direct you to another web page where this man has been trying to educate the danger of fungi in the human body.

Before I list the link, let me tell you about my personal experience.

As of the past few weeks I have modified my diet to promote an anti-fungal diet. I have more energy, I can think more clearly, and I had a lower back pain that would never really go away that is now gone. In the past I would eat smaller portions of food but had a minor problem with weight and wondered why it would never come off even with exercise. I am currently eating more and I'm slimming down. I'm not dropping a ton of weight but it's coming off at a good moderate but healthy pace.

PROPER nutrition, avoiding certain foods, moderate exercise and staying away from SUGAR is pretty much all you really need. The only catch is that you have to educate yourself. Maybe you know somebody that has one of the books and I recommend borrowing it if available. I'm currently passing around the copy that I bought to my friends. My expense will hopefully be their gain. The book is called "The Fungus Link."

Yes, you may have to actually buy the book but in the end there is no PRODUCT that you have to buy. Knowledge is power. But before you decide to buy the book or not, check out this web site first. I suggest running your cursor over the "SHOWS" menu and click on "Today's Show - Now Streaming!!" Or just check it out however you like.

Here the site:

www.knowthecause.com

The point of all my babble is, educate yourself and put the proper nutrition in your body that it requires.

To wrap it up, I am personally going to stay away from Reliv and soy products and I am feeling perhaps the best I ever have in my life which I contribute to eating the proper foods that I buy at the store, not some powder.

Anonymous said...

My sister-in-law is really into reliv and followed me around the house, while visiting, trying to convince me to try it (I have started to have arthritis in my thumbs and was taking an anti-depresant). I faithly gagged down the shakes for 6 months, and the only changed I noticed in my body was abdominal bloating and nausia (especially after drinking it). She was shocked that I wasn't "cured" and feeling great. She had only great changes to tell me about her and her family, but it was not something that helped me at all.

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hello Poster - Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Sadly as you have already discovered Reliv does not help everyone and is not the miracle cure it's made out to be. Thankfully it sounds like your sister-in-law isn't too hard yet as normally when Reliv does not work for a person they tell you to take even higher doses, sometimes 4x what is recommended on the can.

My wife has arthritis in a few of her fingers and she has had really good results from, NEW CHAPTER Zyflamend 120 soft gels. This is a natural product that you can buy either from your local health food store or from the internet. I buy many of my products from, www.allstarhealth.com as they are usually cheaper than everyone else.

Monaskid said...

Thank you so much for your website! I am so glad I found it!
This is a long post...please bear with me! :)

My mother has been involved with Reliv for about 10 years now.

At first it helped her with some health problems and nutrition, then she became a distributor.

She got the rest of the family to at least give the product a try. I think it interfered with some of my meds I was taking(I no longer take Reliv, just eat healthy and take a multiple vitamin and feel great...no health problems yet). And yes, the taste is horrible!!!

The main thing I would like to know, has anyone found anything in the product to be addicting?

My mother and father swear by the products and even though they both have health problems and continue to have them...they are convinced that they are healthy by taking Reliv!!!

My Mom's testimonial, is pretty much a lie, but she doesn't see it that way. She thinks the rest of us are unhealthy and that she really is cured! She is the one who is constantly unhealthy and sick, but she takes more than the recommended amount of Reliv and just "knows" that her health will be better soon!!!

Some of our relatives are recovering alcoholics and can't stop taking the Reliv once they start. Again, is their an addicting substance to it?

My parents claim it is a Christian company and feel they are doing the LORD's work by distributing it and sharing it with others! (My mom has been successful in the business, but has had ups and downs and not consistent(although she would never admit it) They are having more financial problems than when they started, including bankruptcy, but won't see the reality of it all.

Being a Christian myself, all I have witnessed in their involvement with the company is a personality change. They are very difficult to talk to now, and they have been involved in New Age things such as hypnosis, biofeedback..etc. They are vary distant from our family and usually only associate with Reliv people or relatives that take the product.

They have joined and left various churches in the past few years and their religious beliefs have changed from having a strong faith in Christ, to just getting by with as little of God's Word as they can in order to promote themselves as Christians, but mainly promote Reliv. As long as someone from the Reliv community recommends a treatment for an illness or church, they listen without hesitation!

My mom has even stopped getting medical treatment because the doctor wanted her to stop the Reliv for one week to do some testing. She never went back to the doctor again and never got treatment. Now she only goes where Reliv people recommend she goes for health care so she can continue to use her Reliv! Scary!!

I am a Christian and have also been involved with direct selling companies. They do have a cult like behavior and the most successful workers usually are those who buy into the mentality and brainwashing! While I enjoyed my customers and consultants, and was successful, I thankfully got out of the business before it got me. :)

Has 20/20 or dateline done anything about RELIV? Is there any medical investigations on the product...There are alot of vitamins that are in the product and the dosage is way beyond what is recommended for a daily allowance...combine that with taking higher than the recommended dosage, and you have a deadly combination.

Thanks for letting me post and thank you to everyone else out there for sharing....I thought our family was alone with this.

Any suggestions how to get my parents out of this? :)

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

HI Monaskid - Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I am thankful that you have found it and posted your thoughts.

I have heard from a number of people that Reliv's products are addictive. I am not sure why but it does happen. We even had one person that literally went through withdrawals when she tried to stop. In the end, she continued taking the product as she could not function without them.

I think at this point, Reliv is too powerful of a company and pays the top people too well. And currently the FDA does nothing about "natural products". And so no one has challenged the company.

Sadly I have no suggestions on how to help your parents. They are being blinded by the mirage of the MLM, making money and being cured but sadly it's nothing more than a mirage. The best thing you can do is pray for them that they will see the light.

Anonymous said...

I worked for Reliv for 6 years in the wiegh-out department, I know every single ingredient that goes in every product. First off they use expired ingredients all the time, they just change the expiration date and say it's ok to use, second, as far as the vitamins and minerals they use, well, as small of an amount as they put in the product you are lucky if you are getting any in your can.

Their Quality Control department is a joke, quality is the farthest thing they are concerned about. All they want is to get the product out as fast as they can.

I was wrote up by Reliv for pointing out the fact that one of the essential herbs, as they call it, was never sampled and I did not want to use it cause it may not be safe. So I was told don't worry about stuff that don't concern you.

They have trouble with mold in their product after it is put in the cans and all they do is let it sit in the warehouse for a few weeks and then sell it.

Quite a few years ago they also had salmanila in the Classic, they actually allowed this product to be shipped out saying the levels were accetpable.

I was reciently fired because I pointed out the fact they were having us falsify documents because they don't keep up with documents and the TGA, Theraputic Goods Association, of Australia was coming in for their inspection. I emailed the TGA so they could check into it.

I would not recommend this product to anybody.

I worked the International Conference every year and you would not believe the way those Distrubitors lie, from asying it cures cancer, to it made me walk again and so on. It is a giant cult.

FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, DO NOT TAKE THIS PRODUCT. I know first hand how bad the quality really is and how they only care about the almighty dollar.

Anonymous said...

I just had a Reliv appointment/consultation a couple days ago... I only went because I go to school with a friend of mine who's been really sick and she said that the Reliv powder shake has really helped her. She is a friend so I didn't think she would lie to me.

And first off, I want everyone to know that I am a real person who is very neutral on this subject of Reliv.

So during the meeting, they called some people and I had to sit through a bunch of "stories" about how Reliv cured their diseases or helped them with it. Then they sat down with me and opened up a booklet with how I could become a distributor! I was like... WHAT?!

So I kept asking them "what is in Reliv and how does it work?" and they kept on going with the distributor thing... They kept telling me that Reliv gets you on the "cellular level" and lets your body "absorb" more of the vitamins in Reliv than any other vitamins because of the "balance" made by that Greek doctor... I forgot his name... Yargoi or something like that...

The whole booklet is all about how to "get rich" and I kept asking them to explain how the stuff in Reliv is absorbed better than any other multi-vitamin that I can buy at Walmart for $8 - $10. They wouldn't answer me...

To me, it's a scam. I'm sure the shakes might help you feel better because it is chalk full of vitamins and such, but I'm skeptical. I didn't buy anything and I'm glad now after reading the previous post about an actual WORKER of Reliv saying how unclean and dishonest it was. Thank you ex-worker of Reliv!! For posting your comments.

I might still buy a can and see if it magically heals my lower back and come back and post what happened. I really need someone to tell me if this is a scam or if it really works! But I guess the only way to find out is to do it myself. I'll guinea pig myself for a month or so and report back. ;)

Thank you all for your comments and they guy with all the SOY talk... GEEZ.. We aren't talking about soy here... I know it's in Reliv but get off the soy soapbox. :)

Anonymous said...

I got the spiel from someone today. ;) Naturally, I was curious to find out more about this product, and to my surprise, I found very little. You can't just simply buy it online or at a store- you have to go through dealers and all sorts of shady ways.

What bugs me the most is how people hustle it- it all seems like a cult-like pyramid scheme for which they use a tender name like "word-of-mouth marketing." ;)

Thankfully I asked for the price up front- $80 CDN for a months supply (2 tins) certainly doesn't fit into my monthly budget.

I won't knock on the product, because I haven't used it- and I'm surprised that Reliv has a large lineup of products- but they make it seem like too much work just to buy overpriced baby formula. But hey, it's all in the advertising. ;)

kathy said...

Thank you for taking the time to create this blog and help people realize the underlying efforts to deceive the public on Reliv.

I was approached by a friend of my daughter's, same m.o. Christian type with the praise of "Reliv goes to the cellular level whereas vitamins don't get absorbed" So, being supportive of anyone trying to make it in small business I agreed to try some. As a marathon runner, and one who takes whole food supplements in pill form, especially spirulina I thought, "why not?" It can't hurt.

So, I took the classic, the special fiber one, and most recently the Soy Essential. The other's caused a lot of bloating, and of course, the gagging in just getting it down. The Soy point blank made me sick. I immediately got a headache, felt dizzy and nausea. Stomach cramps worsened by the 4th day and I have since stopped.

The "nice" distributor has invited me to the annual seminar, and is pushy about me putting these products in my alternative healing practice. I have done neither.

Since the hexane truth has made it to the forefront news, another reason to stay away from soy isolate, and reading some earlier posts has helped back the idea that this is just another synthetic factory trying to make a buck by abusing the relationship with easily conditioned religious folks.

I don't care what one's spiritual underpinnings are, but to take advantage of this sect of the population and push Reliv like the proverbial bible at my front door is inexcusable.

Needless to say not a product worth your time, money or energy. Stay away from this cult like tactics, and I will be sure to let this distributor know what she has gotten herself into.

Anonymous said...

Something that should just stop all this arguing is the fact that besides the cult like community of Reliv, if you look at the ingredients for the products pretty much every last ingredient is the same as a multi-vitamin. So in my mind it is just stupidity to pay so much money for a product that can be found in just the same way as a 10$ multi.
I realize that Reliv claims to have made their product into something that is more "digestible" but after having been in the Nutrition science and dietary world, I know that this is just a ploy to get people to buy. It is the same with some other similar supplement companies. I don't know about the intentions of Reliv corporation but I common sense and intuition tells me they are preying on the trusting people of this world... have you not noticed that a good number of the distributors are church going members? All of my experiences have been with such. I guess that makes me a skeptical Christian haha. Anyways my suggestion is do good research, do not think that anything will magically take your pain or disease away because it won't. Placebo plays a big role as well as real medical science. Be smart and be informed.

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Anonymous said...

i am a woman who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and have heard many positive stories by relive users and distributer about the value of taking the product. while i am not totally convinced that there isn't a placebo or multiple effects associated with reliv sucesses, i have started an intensive regime of taking the supplements in the hope that it will help with my condition.
i will keep you posted on what happens

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

PLEASE STOP taking Reliv and ALL soy products until you have had a chance to talk with your Doctor. Soy can be deadly for you with certain types of Cancers. So please stop until you have taken a can of Reliv with you and asked your doctor.

http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/04cancer.htm

Tracey said...

I am so glad I found this Blog! I am not even going to bother trying it now! And I also learned alot about SOY......not being good for us....Thanks again and keep up the good work! You are doing a good thing here!

Jodinkas said...

I appreciate this blog and the attentiveness to the Reliv WatchDog. I wish I could read through all the posts, but I can't at the moment and I'm trying to find if using Reliv has caused anyone severe digestive problems. I have a friend who's used it and has ongoing problems that so far the doctors haven't been able to treat effectively. Thanks for your help.

Jodinkas said...

I appreciate Reliv WatchDog's attentiveness to posts and all the topics covered. I wish I could read through them all, but can't at the moment. I'm looking to see if anyone has used Reliv for a while and had digestive problems. I have a friend who's used it for about a year and has developed problems that the doctors can't seem to treat effectively. I don't know if they're related, but I'm trying to find answers. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

Anonymous said...

Am I ever GLAD I decided to look into Reliv before agreeing to go to a meeting. I appreciate the information and will refrain from becoming involved. Thank you so much for your diligence.

Vivi

Anonymous said...

I already decided to take a pass after getting a hard sell to be a distributor and little real information on the product. The idea that a sales call would start out with listening to a recording or talking to someone on the phone set the bells off but when I asked if the product was regulated in any way, this person couldn't say. I have lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and the thought of a "miracle product" that would help reduce the inflammation and give me energy was enticing. But in the end, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well, it's a duck. This product has a bad stink. I want to thank the person responsible for this site for putting out a very important message to help others from falling prey to these snake oil salespeople. Thank you for a great service!

Anonymous said...

I already decided to take a pass after getting a hard sell to be a distributor and little real information on the product. The idea that a sales call would start out with listening to a recording or talking to someone on the phone set the bells off but when I asked if the product was regulated in any way, this person couldn't say. I have lupus and rheumatoid arthritis and the thought of a "miracle product" that would help reduce the inflammation and give me energy was enticing. The reality is that this is just the thing that could have made my condition much worse and set off major flare ups.

But in the end, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, well, it's a duck. This product and company has a bad stink. I want to thank the person responsible for this site for putting out a very important message to help others from falling prey to these snake oil salespeople. Thank you for a great service!

Anonymous said...

I just want to start off with a THANK YOU! i never heard this product before, and actually went to a meeting yesterday about it. the Testimonials seemed very believable! however the people seemed a bit odd in some way. Anyways i decided i shouldnt make any decisions until i tried it. i got a sample didnt see any real energy. I talked to my bf and told me it was probably a scam. thats when i went on and found you!! now i am 100% confident that this is some BS! im so glad i didnt waste my money and any more time listening to peoples bs story!...once again thank you.

Debeez Blog said...

I'm so glad I saw all of this.. A Catholic radio show host(ess) whose opinion I highly respect has been referring to "nutritional supplements" on her show.. she advises to email her and she will send the information.. I emailed her and her husband emailed me about it. It is definitely MLM and regardless of whether or not it works it's very expensive and you probably can get equal quality supplements for less. It turns out that she and hubby are "Ambadassors" for the product.

Anonymous said...

I have drank a Frapp laced with Reliv Now everyday for the last five years. This past summer I was admited into the hospital with pancreatitus and no I do not drink alcoholic beverages. I continued to have this dull ache in my abdomen therefore I began to eliminate foods that may be the culprit of my poor health which has included Reliv for the last 6 weeks. Now 8 months later upon changing foods I began drinking my frapp again and UGH!, the ache is back instantly. IT'S THE FREAKIN RELIV! Now I will begin my agonizing search for a new vitamin that does not contain minerals.

Anonymous said...

A reliv distributor in Atlanta approached me as I was leaving a massage appointment about 4 years ago. She noticed that "I could lose a few pounds" and suggested I try Reliv and especially the supplement 'Glucophage' to lower blood sugar and lose weight. She invited me to her house to hear a presentation. I listened to the stories and the entire room had a 'cult-like' atmosphere to it. All the cars outside has 'reliv' stickers all over them. All I wanted to do was taste the stuff. I told her that it didn't matter how good it was, if it tasted 'vile', I wasn't going to drink it. All those people and all those canisters of product and she would not let me taste it. Later, after I tried it, I figured out why. It's chalky and horrible and taste like chemicals. I mixed it with juices and tried to make it better, but eventually I sold what I had purchased on Ebay. They insist you have to give it 90 days - and of course, by then, the money-back guarantee has expired. Never again....never again...never again.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for seeing all this! I had this woman yesterday taking about how the company started and how quick you can earn good money but not explaining what the product actually does. she wasnt giving me time to ask questions but was more interested in making me sign up. I was totally "hypnotised" if I may say and all I kept hearing was you will earn an extra bla bla. I was put uner a lot of pressure. I was even asked at one point what is it that you want to research? thanks God I found you guys and I am not going to let her pressure me!

Anonymous said...

I heard about this infamous product today from a friend who happens to be a distributor. I feel strongly anti-Reliv at the moment. Thanks for your blog.

Anonymous said...

I cannot afford reliv for myself let alone my family so i immediately decided not to try, buy, or sell. I even lost a, "friend" because I wasn't interested. I'm glad I'm not alone. Also, the reason it's so expensive is clearly so the distributor can profit a large amount of what you paid.

Anonymous said...

So is there anything out on the market that is cheaper and that is good for you to take, besides a multivitamin...

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

For a good quality vitamin there isn't too much that's cheaper. I have started using vitamins made by Youngivity (sp?). But it runs about the same price just without the soy and I believe better quality. Sadly they are also a MLM but I buy mine from a friend so I don't have to sign up and I don't push them but still get them cheaper.

But other product that I tried is called, Bio-35. It's made by a company in Utah and it's not MLM, they are sold in stores in Utah but you can also buy them online directly from the manufacturer.

But if you want to do the research, you can also go to one of my favorite websites, www.allstarhealth.com and they have lots of options.

Anonymous said...

I'm always skeptical to these types of products that make claims that sound too good to be true. BUT... I question Reliv Watchdog's motives because it seems like the blog is pushing the use of another product.

The_Reliv_Watchdog said...

Hi - I have recommended a few products in the past and I have allowed a few other people to make recommendations but I am not nor will I ever be part of another MLM company. And anything that I do recommend, I get nothing from, it's purely because I believe they might have a good product.

Unknown said...

That was the same experience that I had. All about the money side, and could not tell me anything about the nutrition it was based on. This made me very skeptical to say the least.

Unknown said...

Read above your post. A past employee tell of the mold and expired vitamins thgy allow and all the dangers. Then you will know that it can make you sick, and I would never use it after reading that post, especially! The date of that post was Feb 19, 2010. Check it out.

Unknown said...

I did not notice that they had any agenda. Has any else?