Newsweek Article: A Drink’s Purple Reign
It’s all about Mona Vie – a multi-level marketing product that’s really just expensive fruit juice. I don’t doubt that it’s nutritious or contains some useful antioxidants, but natural products almost invariably need to be taken in either a) highly concentrated form or b) in volume for the user to obtain significant amounts of the active compounds. Drinking a glass of orange juice, for example, will supply significant amounts of vitamin C, potassium, and folic acid. Drinking a couple of ounces (a typical Mona Vie serving), on the other hand, isn’t nearly as effective.
Acai is very chi-chi in Brazil, and the pureed pulp (not really juice per se) is served up in much larger amounts than are provided for in US supplement versions. Yet even in articles like this one, which fully credits the Brazilian mystique, there’s no hint that that the locals view it as a miracle cure for any major illness. And in Brazil, it’s consumed fresh or frozen, in amounts considerably larger than what you might get in a serving of Mona Vie (which isn’t straight acai, but a blend of a number of different juices).
It’s just like Paul pointed out earlier:
Fact is, many of these miraculous juices are much less about delivering health benefits, and much more about making money.
Consider that next time you hear about some “miraculous” new product marketed through a pyramid scheme.
Ain’t it the truth?
August 4, 2008
Spoken like a true idiot!!
Have you even tried the juice. I suggest before you open you mouth to let bad things out, try opening your mouth to let good things like MonaVie in for at least a month! Then comment from a much more intellegent perspective.
Take care.
August 5, 2008
Reg, even if Elissa did try Mona Vie, and even if she did experience miraculous results (which I highly doubt), that would not constitute evidence that the product works as described.
Personal commentaries are always anecdotal — that’s why the double blind, placebo controlled, peer-reviewed study is the true measure of any product’s effectivenes. When you have one of those to provide to our visitors, please feel free to post it here.
And of course, there’s always the placebo factor — you’re aware of that, surely? And as with most MLM products, testimonials are highly suspect, since it’s often those who are consuming the products that also have the most to gain financially from its success.
August 5, 2008
Nope: spoken like a true University of California trained food scientist, author and co-author of peer-reviewed scientific research and proud owner of a set of abs that “health” hustlers like you would kill for.
Oh, and next time around, feel free to consult a dictionary before you criticize me for my lack of an “intellegent” [sic] perspective. ROFLMAO!
I edited your comment to remove the links to your MLM site (needless to state, I wasn’t surprised to see you’re selling the stuff). Nice try Reg, but sorry, no spam allowed. Go peddle your overpriced fruit juice some place else.
August 5, 2008
LOL – I seriously doubt I’d experience any “miraculous” results from consuming Mona Vie. Wanna know why? Because I already include a number of antioxidant-rich foods in my diet, like spinach, cocoa, blueberries, red wine, broccoli sprouts, green tea, and so on. I can run rings around the Reggies of this world – both physically AND mentally – so it would take more than just a shot glass of liquified fruit sludge to improve on that.
Can certain fruit juices offer antioxidant and therapeutic benefits? Absolutely (see this, this and this for example). Thus, it’s not surprising that some people with degenerative, lifestyle-related conditions feel they’ve derived some benefit from Mona Vie…especially since the high price and hype virtually guarantee that they consume it every day. Some source of phytonutrients is better than no source, after all.
But does that justify the cost? No way: there are plenty of high-quality, more cost-effective products on the market. For example, why in the world should I bother with the watered-down acai in Mona Vie, when I can buy frozen, 100% acai pulp, packaged and produced in Brazil, at my local grocery store? Even a so-called “good” product can be a rip-off, if it’s overpriced (or of inferior quality) relative to the competition.
August 6, 2008
Reggie Your first five words in your post are harder to swallow than anything. You convinced no one with that stale old name calling rhetoric.
Remember there are a lot of people watching this site and if you have followed what the moderators here are doing, you have to appreciate where they are coming from. The knowledge they share is very helpful to people who just want honest answers.
If indeed you are selling a product like the one you are defending thats fine. I just ask how are you going to convince someone like me that I need it?
Here’s my personal challenge to you. Send me a link to my email address [email protected] so I can see what you have to sell. I will check it out and make my own report to this blog.
I’m not a moderator here nor do I have any financial interest in this site. I do have some certifications too (blah blah) and pictures to prove that what I do has worked well for me. Do you?
Now Reggie, people are watching. If you don’t respond in a weeks time I will post again that you didn’t accept the challenge and will let all onlookers know. Do you want to make that impression too?
August 10, 2008
I agree to some extent. I do enjoy reading your blog though. First time I posted, but I’m a lurker for sure!
I would agree with the entire post except maybe the second paragraph.
August 10, 2008
Not sure what there is to disagree with in the 2nd paragraph of the original post: according to the linked article, acai is popular in Brazil – it’s a staple food in some areas and is certainly nutritious. I have yet to see any credible reports of unusual good health or miraculous cures from diseases, however, despite the fact that it’s consumed in comparatively large amounts in a minimally processed state. This seems like a pretty uncontroversial point to me.
If, however, you’re actually referring to the second comment: well, what can I say? People are completely free to disagree with me as much as they like – provided they do it civilly. I don’t take kindly to being called names.
August 14, 2008
OK, it’s been a week and I have nothing to report but dead silence from Reggie. Hope he isn’t just a one hitter and at least is getting something beneficial from all these great articles and reports found on UFB’s as a lurker.
August 14, 2008
Oh, I doubt we’ll hear anymore from Reggie. 🙂
August 20, 2008
This is Reggie,
my bad, I posted my comments before I was able to view the entire article. The first time I visited this site I was only able to view a couple of lines. After reading it in its entirety, it was obviously too late to take back what I said. I thought the article was fair under the circumstances even though I have my own opinion about MonaVie based on my own personal experiences. I love the product and the company.
October 1, 2013
Hi everyone,
Can I just ask the ones who haven’t tried the Monavie juice or EMV to give it a go. Surely after you wake up in the morning for a few days in a row and feel the energy you got which is a completely different thing of what you usually feel on a normal day without an intake of antioxidants. There is actually a physiological effect and definitely not a placebo.