Your Reliv Stories Wanted

First of all I want to thank all of our readers of this Blog. I never dreamed that we would have this many visits and I am so grateful for each person who has taken the time to write and share their story.

Sadly I can no longer share my direct email address as I always have as I have been getting loads of spam from different advertisers. So if you have had a negative experience with the Reliv Products or Business, please just post a comment to one of our posts and I will make sure others get a chance to learn from you.

I will never share any of your personal information.

Reliv Unfair / Wrongful Business Practices

One of our readers posted a link and I found this on that website. Thought I would post it here.

"Reliv International is very savvy about getting complaints against it removed from websites by strong-arming, fear-tactics and ominous threats of lawsuits that complainants are liable for ‘defamation of the Reliv brand’ should anything be said that could be deemed negative or against the company, whether online or off.

Allegedly many top level Reliv Ambassadors have been terminated or had their income yanked for posting complaints about the company online, so its not surprising why you won’t easily find complaints against Reliv, they have a track record for going into arbitration to settle all legal battles, which is to say SETTLE OUT OF COURT, and therefore appears “squeaky clean” on the surface, but if you know where to look, you’ll find Reliv International is anything BUT lawsuit-free.

There are however, still plenty of complaints appearing on the web (perhaps too fast for Reliv to sweep them all up) and range from concerned distributors losing results, health discussions about soy and even some “negative testimonials” about Reliv International’s products or the Reliv pyramid scheme.

Many 3rd party reviews about Reliv fall under the inalienable rights and protections under “Freedom of Speech,” and therefore more difficult for Reliv to get deleted or removed from web host servers via threat of litigation.

You will find more than a few complains against Reliv here: http://www.RelivWatchdog.blogspot.com

The blog still appears to be up and running (for the time being anyway.) I suppose Reliv Watchdog is as good a starting point as any, if you’re looking for honest reviews about Reliv International, Inc. or any of its toxic, Monsanto-soy products."

From a post on, http://hiddensoy.com/unhealthy-soy/comment-page-1/#comment-3816

Reliv Dangerous? Does Reliv still make the same products?

I have removed this article due to a lack on info on the topic. I wish someone had some hard facts about Reliv and Monsanto but I have tried and have been unsuccessful. IF anyone has any proof or info on this topic, please contact me and I will re-post this article. I try to keep my info on here as factual as possible and therefore I will remove any article that is not accurate.

Your Stories Wanted - Reliv Negative Stories

Hello Readers - I am constantly getting comments from "pro-reliv" people and I delete them. Many have wrote and wondered why I haven't posted their comments, I did not create this blog for the positive about Reliv. There are many websites and phone calls were you can hear those phony stories. My sole purpose for this blog is to give people a chance to see the other side, the negative side of Reliv without having to wade through all of the other BS posted online or what you hear from a money hungry distributor. So please, if you intend to post something positive, don't waste you time as it won't get posted.

If you have some negative stories or experience, please send it to us so others can learn from your mistakes!

Pushy Reliv Distributors - Reliv Does Not Work

Hi - I just love your blog and how open it is for comments and opinions and others' stories. I have a story I would like to submit, if you would like to publish it.

A friend I've known for years has gotten big into the Reliv scheme over the last 2 years. We have the same health issue and she credits Reliv for helping her get pregnant (though she was also taking fertility pills at the same time....) She knows how badly I want to have a baby and started nagging (and nagging and nagging) at me to try Reliv. I had a lot of questions about it, but she would never answer them - just skirted around it and said we should get together with an old teacher-friend who is really high up on the Reliv pyramid. Every question I asked warranted a 3-way call with the two of them and I was very uncomfortable. This was my first inclination that something wasn't right.

Regrettably, I let her talk me into trying it, and spent way too much money on a starter kit.....to make a long story short, I've been on Classic, Innergize, Fibrestore and SoySentials for over 6 months and have not noticed the SLIGHTEST bit of change in my life. My husband even tried it for a few weeks as well and he agreed there was absolutely no difference in the way he felt, and he takes meds for a couple of issues that our Reliv distributors swore Reliv would all but cure. Never happened. I quit taking it three weeks ago and still can't tell that anything is even missing. This friend harassed (it's the only word that fits) the living daylights out of me every single week, wanting to know what days would be good for me to listen to some "encouraging stories" (never even asked me if I wanted to) or what time would I be there for the weekly conference, even though I never said I would go. I asked many times to hear some stories from people that did not really find any benefit from Reliv, but of course, she did not know of any. I asked several times for her not to call me about phone conferences anymore, but she still did, and I always felt like it was a guilt-trip to get me to listen to another story or another request to buy into the company. It got to the point (and still is) where I couldn't even text her to say hi - the conversation immediately turned to Reliv.

A huge red flag for me to realize this is truly a pyramid scheme is this -- while on the phone with this distributor friend, she asked when I would need to get more product from her and I mentioned that I was set for awhile, b/c I had purchased some on Ebay. She flipped out and basically said that if I wasn't going to buy it from her, she couldn't continue to "help" me anymore. My question was this-- if Reliv is so deadset on helping people "feel better and get healthy" and that is truly their only motive as they say it is, why does it matter where I buy it from? It's simply b/c she was not making the profit on my purchase that she got so upset.

I was asked hundreds of times when I was going to "invest" in the company. I answered the same every time - right now, I do not have that kind of money to throw into something, and I didn't. These distributors are so hellbent on moving up the ladder that they are willing to tell you whatever you need to hear to get your money in their pocket.

I'm skeptical to believe anyone when they say this product cured some ailment they had. I do not believe there is anything beneficial about this product. I will never buy it again and I will never endorse it. It's nothing but a pyramid scheme. It's ridiculously expensive and you'd be better off to buy a bottle of multivitamins for a percentage of the cost.

Does Reliv Rig It's Own Studies? Reliv IS Over-Priced!

Below is an email that I received from one of our readers. I think the answer to their first question is very simple. Most Reliv / MLM distributors don't care about you. They care about your pocket book. This is the ONLY reason they are selling this stuff. MLMs are like gambling, anything that promises to make a quick easy dollar sucks people in and they can't get out until they push it off on some other poor sap. And as far as the research, I would never trust a company that using it's own people / own scientists to "prove" something is good for you. Especially when these same people are making millions.

"Have you ever talked about the sheer cost of Reliv on your website? I added up the cost of one month's supply of Reliv after I found a distributor's suggested regimen on a squidoo site and looked up average prices on ebay (the only place I could find pricing for the stuff without talking to an annoying distributor!). I don't see how the distributors live with themselves selling this stuff for that price if they truly believe it helps so many people!! I calculated a cost of $365/month for one person! That's just for the basic regimen (NOW, Innergize and Fibrestore)!!

I am also wondering why they call this study they did in Italy on the Glucaffect an "independent" study. I thought independent studies were called such because the people/labs/companies who made the product were not involved at all in the study, and yet Carl Hastings is right there in the author's list...."

Help Get The Truth Out About Reliv

Hello Readers!

I just wanted to post this little note and ask if you have had any experience with Reliv Products or Business and have suffered in any way, please take a moment to share your stories with us. I hope that someone else might be saved from making a mistake.

Please don't send me your success stories as this is not the purpose of this blog.

Does Reliv Contain Neurotoxins?

While the following article is about Veggie Burgers, the same info could be true of Reliv or any other products that contain soy.

Which Veggie Burgers Were Made With a Neurotoxin?

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The Cornucopia Institute reports that most non-organic veggie burgers currently on the market are made with the chemical hexane -- a neurotoxin.

Makers of many soy-based burgers submerge the soybeans in hexane to separate the oil from the protein and reduce the amount of fat in the product.

If a non-organic burger contains soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, or texturized vegetable protein, it was likely made using hexane.

Veggie burgers made with hexane include:

• Amy's Kitchen
• Boca Burger, conventional
• Franklin Farms
• Garden Burger
• It’s All Good Lightlife
• Morningstar Farms
• President’s Choice
• Taste Above
• Trader Joe's
• Yves Veggie Cuisine

Alternet notes that:

“Products labeled ‘organic’ aren't allowed to contain any hexane-derived ingredients, but that rule doesn't apply to foods that are labeled ‘made with organic ingredients.’”

Sources:

Alternet April 13, 2010

The Cornucopia Institute May 18, 2009

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

First of all, you probably know that I am not a major fan of non-fermented soy, which is the primary protein most of these burgers are made from.

Over 91% of soy in the United States is GMO, which means it is LOADED with pesticides because that is why it is GMO in the first place -- so Monsanto can sell loads of their toxic Roundup pesticides to kill the weeds around the GMO soy, but the GMO soy survives as it can tolerate the pesticide. It is loaded with it when it is finally harvested.

However the pesticide issue is only one of my concerns and if you haven’t reviewed the hundreds of pages I have compiled on the dangers of soy, you can do so when you have some free time.

However, there is a recently discovered additional concern about veggie burgers in general that I need to bring to your attention.

Many health-conscious consumers are being misled with every veggie burger that passes through their lips. Most are contaminated with hexane, a noted neurotoxin that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also classifies as a “hazardous air pollutant.

This chemical is not only used as a cleaning agent and solvent for glue and varnish, it’s also used to extract oils from soybeans, peanuts, corn and other seed and vegetable crops. This latter use is actually the primary one, and The Cornucopia Institute reports that grain processors (including soy processors) account for more than two-thirds of hexane emissions in the United States.

In their “Behind the Bean” report, the Institute calls “the widespread use of a toxic and environmentally damaging chemical, hexane, in the manufacturing of “natural” soyfoods such as vegetarian burgers, nutrition bars, and protein shakes” a “dirty little secret.”

What are the Risks of Eating Hexane-Tainted Food?

Hexane is a known toxin, although most of the research is on exposure via inhalation, which is thought to be the primary route of exposure. The EPA reports:

“Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to high levels of hexane causes mild central nervous system (CNS) effects, including dizziness, giddiness, slight nausea, and headache.

Chronic (long-term) exposure to hexane in air is associated with polyneuropathy in humans, with numbness in the extremities, muscular weakness, blurred vision, headache, and fatigue observed. Neurotoxic effects have also been exhibited in rats.”

Health effects beyond these, including those that occur from eating hexane, are unknown, simply because the research has not been done. The Cornucopia Institute reported:

“The effects on consumers of hexane residues in soy foods have not yet been thoroughly studied and are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Test results obtained by The Cornucopia Institute indicate that residues—ten times higher than what is considered normal by the FDA—do appear in common soy ingredients.”

Beware: Hexane is Even in Organic Infant Formula!

By definition, foods that are 100 percent organic should not contain hexane, but there is a loophole that many food manufacturers are taking advantage of. If a food is labeled “made with organic ingredients” it may contain the chemical.

Further, the National Organics Standard Board has allowed certain ingredients that are hexane-extracted to remain on the list of approved substances for organics “if the organic version is commercially unavailable and it is deemed safe.”

One of these is a form of soy lecithin, which is produced using hexane and acetone, another toxic chemical. Outrageously, another example is a form of DHA and ARA oils that are commonly used in organic infant formulas! According to the Cornucopia Institute’s report:

“Other hexane-extracted ingredients that many industry experts believe should not be present in organic foods, especially organic infant formula, are algal DHA and fungal ARA oils.

These oils—nutritional supplements containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids—are produced by Martek Biosciences Corporation by way of a process that immerses fermented algae and soil fungus in a hexane bath.

The Cornucopia Institute is especially concerned with evidence obtained through a Free dom of Information Act request with the FDA that these DHA and ARA oils, when added to infant formula, are linked to serious health complications experienced by some infants. Organic foods should be a refuge from chemically processed additives in foods: consumers expect nothing less.”

So if you eat non-organic or even some organic varieties of processed soy foods, you can be fairly certain you are also eating hexane residues. This chemical is also likely present in virtually every processed food that contains edible oils from soy, peanuts and corn (which would be the vast majority of processed foods on the market).

More Reasons to Ditch Veggie Burgers and Other Forms of Processed Soy

When you add up all the health risks of processed soy, trying to find a hexane-free veggie burger becomes a moot point (unless you can find the rare variety that may also be soy-free).

The truth is that even without the hexane issue, any soy that is unfermented -- soy milk, tofu, soybean oil, soy veggie burgers, soy infant formula and all the other processed soy products out there all belong to this category -- is not a health food and in fact is not a food I would advise eating at all. This is true whether it is “organic” or not.

Unlike the Asian culture, where people eat small amounts of fermented, whole soybean products, western food processors separate the soybean into two golden commodities -- protein and oil. And there is nothing natural or safe about these products.

Says Dr. Kaayla Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story:

“Today's high-tech processing methods not only fail to remove the anti-nutrients and toxins that are naturally present in soybeans but leave toxic and carcinogenic residues created by the high temperatures, high pressure, alkali and acid baths and petroleum solvents."

Dr. Daniel also points out the findings of numerous studies reviewed by her and other colleagues -- that soy does not reliably lower cholesterol, and in fact raises homocysteine levels in many people, which has been found to increase your risk of stroke, birth defects, and yes: heart disease.

Unfermented soy products have been linked to everything from reproductive disorders and infertility to cancer as well.

Further, unfermented soy contains isoflavones that are clearly associated with reduced thyroid function. Eating unfermented soy products is likely the single largest cause of hypothyroidism in women.

Another major problem with unfermented soy is that it contains natural toxins known as “antinutrients.” This includes a large quantity of inhibitors that deter your enzymes needed for protein digestion. While a small amount of these antinutrients would likely not be a problem, the amount of soy that many Americans are now eating (and drinking in the form of soy milk) is quite significant.

The result of consuming too many of soy’s antinutrients is extensive gastric distress and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake, which can result in pancreatic impairment and cancer.

Unfermented soy is also loaded with phytoestrogens (isoflavones) genistein and daidzein. These compounds mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen, and have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues.

Drinking even two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman’s menstrual cycle, and although the FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, no warnings exist on soy or soy milk. Soy phytoestrogens are also known to disrupt endocrine function, may cause infertility and may promote breast cancer in women.

Why You Want to be Very Careful With Veggieburgers

Given the fact that most veggie burgers on the market are made with processed soy and contaminated with hexane, I do not recommend you eat them.

You might want to try tempeh, a fermented soybean cake with a firm texture and nutty, mushroom-like flavor. Even though tempeh is a form of soy, it is a healthy form because it is fermented.

After a long fermentation process, the phytic acid and antinutrient levels of the soybeans are reduced, and their beneficial properties -- such as the creation of natural probiotics -- become available to your digestive system. It also greatly reduces the levels of dangerous isoflavones, which are similar to estrogen in their chemical structure, and can interfere with the action of your own estrogen production.

The vast majority of the soy sold in the natural food industry is most likely non GMO. Please be aware however, that this doesn't necessarily apply to the oriental market. It's possible that no one knows for sure. Unless you can confirm that the source of the soy is non GMO, would probably be best to avoid it.

Is Reliv a Placebo?

I received the following from one of our reader!

"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 my 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."

WARNING - Reliv SoySentials Ruined My Health

I really don't have much to say about the story below. I think once you read it, you will understand. Though I have heard many other stories about SoySentials causing problems for women. It is really too bad the FDA does not do more checking but please send me your stories so that others don't have to repeat these problems.

Reliv and Soysentials"
Posted by Rondi on 06:01:31 2/15/2006

I sold Reliv several years ago. I also started using the products Classic and SoySentials. To make
a long story short, At first I felt that Soysentials had helped me with my menopausal symptoms. I took it for almost 11/2 years give or take. The longer I took it the worse I started to feel. My hair started falling out, my nails were breaking, terrible brain fog, memory loss, anxiety attacks, joint pain especially in my hips, vision problems, rash on my upper eyelids, eventually I had to
stop working which was very traumatic for me. Upon going to my doctor he informed me that my thyroid numbers were the worse they had seen, not to mention I had developed osteoporosis and a blood clotting condition. In the process of seeking knowledge about my new condition I came across many sites talking about soy and thyroid. Everything I read sounded exactly like me. It wasn't hard to figure out the reason for my rapidly developing health issues! Recently I met a women who is much worse than I, she too had faithfully used Soysentials from Reliv. This is my story, I will not make any money by saying this, I have nothing to gain from spreading this information, except peace of mind that maybe I can stop someone from having to suffer like I have. Check out the website westin.a.price.com or just punch in soy and thyroid. Good Luck and be careful!