I received the following from one of our reader!
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."
4 comments:
I tend to agree with your comments.I have been approached by an acquaintance that left her position within the science community to work full time as a Reliv "ambassador".She found out that I am a recovering prostate cancer patient-now over 7 years-
and a diabetic and gave me a lecture about the "wonders" of the Reliv supplement.For a person that was trained in the biological sciene field she sounded like an older times snake-oil" salesperson.
Needless to say I did my research and decline her offer to set me up with the "right" supplement to rid my body of all my organic problems.
A Reliev "ambassador" contacted me after finding out that I am a diabetic and a prostate cancer survivor. I read and researched all the literature given to me by this person. None of it gave me the indication that their "magic"
supplements is no better than what I can buy at my local grocery store's vitamins section.
Interesting observation that this company relays heavily on stories of success within the third world countries. I aked for USA success reference stories. None was given
Only referred to people who "knew of other people" that used the products and "became healthy" again.
Funny you should mention the word "cult" to describe Reliv, because that is effectively what it is, in my opinion. And Carl Hastings is their god. Many of the distributors are "church going people" because Carl Hastings is said to be a Christian and "it's a Christian company".
Now granted I only have one distributor in my life, but EVERY conversation we have she can come back to Reliv and how wonderful it is and how I need to sell it because I have so many connections to the Families with Kids with Special Needs groups around here. Dr. Hastings is her god and she preaches nothing but Reliv and how it will CURE anyone who drinks it. (Yes, she actually says "cure".) What really chaps my hide is that she has started in on my kids. She has, in the past, told me I am poisoning my kids with the Rx drug they take for a chronic condition. I am in the health field and read lots of research on lots of different things, so of course, I researched everything I could about this medicine I was putting into their mouths. I told her I wouldn't poison them with reliv and she got WORSE! Last visit, my daughter was staying with her overnight and I told her not to drink any Reliv. She came back the following day and told me that she had offered some to her and my daughter said "No, thanks, my mom said it could be bad for me." And this woman went OFF! She told my daughter how SHE was saving babies' lives with it and how Reliv saves the lives of many many people, including herself. GRR!! Don't try to convert my Daughter by using her soft spot (for babies)!!
Recently on her facebook, she posted about a friend of a friend (hmm, wasn't that mentioned in another comment?! coincidence, I think not! lol) who was CURED OF AIDS by drinking reliv every day! CURED OF AIDS!!! If it cured AIDS we'd be hearing about it on CNN, HLN and FOX and thousands of missionaries would be on their way to Africa with boxes of the stuff!
She said 4 months ago he was dying and today the virus is undetectable in his blood. pfft!!
I could go on and on about this and how I hate it so much because it gives false hope and the FDA isn't doing a danged thing about it.
I worked with a lady over 20 years ago who recently 'found' me on Facebook, and then began hounding me to try the miracle cure they found for all their ailments: Reliv. I had never heard of the product, but being skeptible of all food supplements, did a little online research and found this website. Then I discovered the problems Reliv has had with the FDA. I told her of my skepticism of any food supplement because I believe vitamins or any supplement becomes drugs in our body. She went on and on about the cure they had found, 'try it, you won't be disappointed', yada, yada. I shared with her my concerns, but she had an answer for every one -- all answers annecdotal, of course. When I shared scientific evidence concering soy and cancer, she said she could show me several sites refuting that claim. As with most of these companies, they prey on the fact that one is a Christian, and this product came straight from God! I told her I believed it best to eat good organic fruits and vegietables in the form God gave them to us. But of course she said the soil is poisoned with pesticides. Well, what about the soil their soy is grown in? Of course their soil is different!
I will not try Reliv. I do not believe any one product can be all things to all people -- unless it's the $$$ it generates that makes them feel so much better! They absolutely are 'cult' status. It's so sad that Christians are so susceptible to this. Jesus told us to be wise as serpents; we are not to fall for any and everything that comes down the pike. But it appears to me this is exactly what these people have done. They don't want to examine the evidence. They only want their 'stories', and as far as my friends are concerned, they use their FB page to promote the product and try to build the busines. They have 3 personal websites. It's quite telling to me that the first one listed is not about the Lord, but about 'success' as a Reliv distributor!
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