I'm not familiar with this particular product.

My comment has more to do with the marketing technique. I find that to be an instant turn off also, but at one point in my life I needed potassium and the prescription products tore up my stomach and the rest of my GI tract. A friend sold me a MLM product that supplied the potassium I needed and was also extremely gentle on the GI tract. Three products my doctor had prescribed did not.

All I'm saying is don't count something out JUST because of the MLM. Just remain as skeptical as you would with anything else you buy :)

Oh Pecan! I was just invited to a Mona Vie party. (Oy.....why they call them "parties" is beyond me. Any "party" I've ever wanted to attend did NOT include an opportunity to have products huckstered to me!)

I've heard that it's tasty, and that there are very definite results. However, these testimonials all come from the sales force, so how can you tell?

I too am instantly annoyed when it's an MLM thing. I don't know why it bugs me so much; I know when I go into Target that they're making money from me, I know that every service I pay for includes a profit margin for the seller, but for some reason, the MLMs get me. Maybe I'm just bitter because I get around 5 invitations to Arbonne "parties" per week. Ugh.

Pecan:

What's in the Mona Vie that makes it so special? In fact, what is it? (I tried the link but I couldn't log into the site, so I couldn't read about the product) It looks like wine. Can you describe it in further detail? My mother has RA, so I'm very curious about the contents. Thanks!

It has about 20 different types of berries/fruits in it, some of which are from the rain forest. Lots of antioxidants.

I drank some this morning and won't do it again on an empty stomach- hard on the tummy.

Recommended intake is 2oz twice a day. This would end up being a $240+/- per month supplement. How much would it be if everyone on up the line weren't getting a cut of the purchase price?

I'm with you, Reno. Deliver me from Arbonne! Are we the only two people in the area who DON'T sell it??

Deliver me from Arbonne! Are we the only two people in the area who DON'T sell it??

LOL!! I think we may well be the last holdouts.....

What's Arbonne? I'm in No. Cal.

I buy partylite votives from a wonderful lady, I don't have the parties or go to candle parties but I love the product so I buy it from her. When I called in my xmas order, she started telling me how she lost 35 pounds in 5 weeks; I told her;" how wonderful but that's a mighty rapid weight loss, are you feeling ok ?"

she then proceeded to tell me about this liquid that she now sells.

oy ve. Candles and now this juice that cures all ills and melts fat.

For me, the pyramidal system removes credibility; maybe I'm wrong to be prejudiced but the facts they tell you are often sketchy and rely on blind faith.
I have a few friends who've tried a miracle juice, can't remember the name, it's been popular in the last year, for their arthritis and fibromyalgia, and it had no results at all.

The candle parties haven't made it to the Heartland yet. I suppose that's next!

sjerin, Arbonne is a line of skin care sold by independent distributors who are part of a multi-level marketing arrangement. Think "Avon" from Switzerland.

Pecanpie, Rhuematoid Arthritis?

I'm not big on most mlm type products either, but I can highly recommend Watkins methol camphor salve for arthritis related pain. It's under ten bucks for a container and we use it for everything from cold sores (a dab of salve and the sores are gone in a day or two), to insect bites to muscle aches.

I hope I don't sound like an infomercial, but it really is good stuff-lol

Glad to know about it. I much prefer a recommendation from someone who's not selling anything!

LOL @ Carrie.

Move over Noni Juice, Barley Green, Blue-Green Algae, Calorad, Herbalife, Intra, Mannatech, Microhydrin, Metabolife, Matol / KM, Omnitrition...there's a new kid on the block.....MonaVie!

FEH! I personally subscribe to what Granny ate on the Beverly Hillbillies. She was freakin' old, and healthy as a horse! Remember how she could whup Jethro? Maybe I can market 'Possum Stew supplements!

MLMs disgust me, and the "parties".....don't get me started! Silpada and Southern Living are big here right now. Maybe some nice stuff, but it's all outrageously overpriced. I just don't understand how a friend could feel good about inviting you over with not so subtle pressure to buy overpriced stuff that you don't need in order to make money.

I would LOVE to attend one and just hand the "hostess" ten bucks..."I really don't want anything, but here's your commission." It's cheaper than buying any of the products, and you can sleep easy knowing that your "friend" still got money out of you.

Mmmm, Carrie! Lips and snouts!

Too funny about Granny's possum stew, weed! As I remember she also had a still in the back out by the cement pond.

Well, after two bottles I don't see a difference in anything. At $45 bucks a bottle it is a really expensive laxative. That's all it did for me, and I didn't need the help. TMI, I know- sorry.

I have a good MLM story- we kept one of DD2's friends over Thanksgiving so her parents could attend her older brother's (college) football game and see him play. We were glad to do it. The mother was very grateful and wanted to do something for us. I kid you not- she said, "I would love to do something really nice for you. Let me have an ARBONNE PARTY at your house for your friends."

What kind of sales guidance do they give these people? It certainly involves no sensitivity training whatsoever. I am still galled.

Oh. My. Gosh. Pecan, are you serious?

Pecanpie,

Have you tried Remicade for your RA? My father was in horrible pain and could barely walk. He nows gets a Remicade treatments every 7 weeks. The only side effect he has had is severe itching when he gets the treatment, but they give him Benadryl in the IV and it takes care of it. After he gets home he sleeps the rest of the afternoon (from the Benadryl), but then he has no RA symptoms.

It is very expensive. I know his insurance covers it.

Some people consider WalMart to be the Evil Force in the world. But I consider MLM schemes to be just as evil, or more so, because they force people to prey on their friends, relatives and neighbors.

reno- I'm as serious as a heart attack. Funny, I had always thought of this woman as a very reasonable, polite, considerate person. Well, I'm a fool!

Sue, I'm in remission right now- have been since early summer. I was diagnosed AFTER I went into remission. Long story. The rheumatologist doesn't want to give me anything if I don't need it, and I don't want to take it. He also does not want to put a diagnosis of RA on my chart. (DH is self-employed so you can imagine our insurance nightmares. At the moment our policy does NOT cover injectables!)

Thank you for the recommendation for Remicade- especially the advice to administer with Benadryl. I will add it to my little file for if/when I need medications stronger than the Relafen I am taking now. I'm delighted it is helping your dad. He's a whole new person now, isn't he?

Fairegold, you don't get any argument from me!

Pecanpie,

Yes, it made a huge difference for my father. He was in horrible pain. My BIL, who is much younger than my father, has RA also. He has no insurance, so he just takes Motrin. 4000mg a day. His RA is worse than my father's. Not having insurance is horribe.

45 bucks a bottle?!?! You can go to the grocery store & get a whole cart of antioxidant foods for that. (Turnip greens are 69 cents a bunch & make a delicious soup with a little ham, onion, & diced potatoes.) Also, I'd like to see a good study that links antioxidant intake with RA relief before I'd spend that kind of money on a bottle of berry juice.

Speaking of Herbalife natural vitamin supplements: several years ago the founder of Herbalife was found dead in his mansion. The NY Times obituary said an autopsy determined that he'd died of...natural causes!

Just curious; how old was he?

My dad and my brother both have RA (my brother had AS and has been using Remicade with success). They both started drinking MonaVie Active (has glucosamine and cetalyted fatty acids...see RA journals for write-ups) 2 weeks ago. I am hoping that people will be open minded if (and when) they have their success stories from the acai blend in MonaVie, even if it was brought to market by an "evil MLM". :) It's so hard to find products that offer relief, I am hoping it works for them! They are also buying it at wholesale which makes them potential "sellers who are also users" which I don't think should preclude them from being viewed as credible. Remember, they both also have RA and if this helps them, then I would think they are sharing it out of a belief it will help others, not because they want to make money. As for the two posts about MonaVie, it seems to me they were helpful and informative...much like the recommendations for Remicade and Watkins menthol camphor. Word of mouth is the way we find out what works. I hope that you don't judge all MLM products because a few friends don't know where to draw the line...is it possible they really do believe their products are the best? :) Here's to health in the new year and I hope that at least a few resolutions have to do with more open mindedness and peace and less with negativity and cynicism. :)

Hi, I attempted to post a comment, but hadn't yet registered, so my apologies if this shows up twice. I've been attempting to find out some information about this product because my elderly parents have been sucked into what I believe is a MLM scam. It is very difficult to find hard information since the internet has been flooded with marketing and PR from the many people selling this stuff. I did find some information on the acai berry which is so cheap in South America that they drink the juice like cool-aid. Seems like they'd be totally pain free there if this were the miracle they claim - it's refered to as "Poor man's juice" there, but here it's ridiculously expensive.

My concern is that anything that has this immediate effect (if it really does, and my parents claim it does) has to be some kind of narcotic or an incredible placebo. I don't believe that all of the major drug companies would have passed up this great an opportunity to make big bucks if there were anything to it. Trouble is, my parents have been suckered right into it. There isn't information on the bottle other than a list of the juices. I can't believe that in a country that regulates most foods and drugs, something like this can be sold with no FDA check at all. It's criminal.

A reporter I talked to suggested a call to the AG in FL, so I've asked my brother who lives there to do that. But I'd love to know if anyone has found a good source of information anywhere. Surely someone must have had a lab analyze this stuff?

It's their money, if they want to throw it away, but I do worry about what they might be doing to their health.

The FDA does not check food "supplements" which is why the scamsters are so active in the market. They cannot make medical claims, but they certainly can word their ads to make it sound like something real and scientific.
You can blame it on the FDA.

And I consider myself very open-minded, which is why I prefer to see repeatable scientific trials instead of basing my thoughts on testimonials or company-based screed. Note that a number of diet pill manufacturers have recently come up against the law, thank goodness.

Stefb, you are wise to worry about the potential health problems. For ages, people were proclaiming that some Chinese herbs ("natural" of course) were the miracle cure, but it turns out that it's a derivative of ephedra, and very potent and potentially dangerous.

Here is a link that might be useful: Quackwatch.com

Forgive me ladies but what is up with these home party/sales arrangements?

If a man would approach me, even someone as esteemed as BillV, and said "I'd like to share something with you. I'm hosting a power tool party on such and such a date. Can I count on you to come?", I'd bust out laughing and respond with a rather rude comment.

Maybe it's just me. . .

Prayers to all with any ailment. It's hell to be sick.

I can relate to the Arbonne, unfortunatley.

My DS (3yo) had a playdate (from his music school) over, along with his mom who sells Arbonne, you know, the Mercedes and all, and I was PRAYING she wouldn't start on me, as my DS really likes her son. Well...wouldn't you know, 2 hours later and she's still trying to talk me into it. Now I feel so uncomfortable when I see her at school. She really turned, what could have been a good friendship, into a sales speech. This is the 2nd friend that has done this to me.

I heard Dave Ramsey on the radio once tell a listener that anyone who sells any MLM, turns their friends/family into a business deal and it really puts a wall between the relationships. So he was pretty much against it.

I could never be that way, pressuring people, especially friend and family into selling stuff to make me money.

If you are that kind of person, and you haven't heard of Arbonne, it probably hasn't made full blown to your state yet, like it has here. And, there is A LOT of money to be made. The friend that was over the other day makes about $8000.00/mo and the other is $30,000.00 month. Also, if you get to a certain level, and she is, that's how much you make, approximately. I know the latter is true because I have the same housekeeper as her and she told me. (LOL)

But, for me, NO THANKS!

Actualy, Olliesmom, it's a pyramid scheme, because like all MLM schemes those high levels of income require you to recruit new people, and then take a part of their revenue. The scheme only works to a certain level, and once it saturates the community, people start to lose money as the people willing to buy in say no thank you.

I guess I am out of the loop because most of the above posts are unfamiliar to me. But for my advanced arthritis and Degenerative Disk Disease I take Glucosamine and Chrondrotin and I rarely have any pain any more. I buy both at Sam's Club it is is not expensive. You will have to take about 1500 mgs a day for at least 3 weeks before you will notice a difference.

doc, I'm only guessing, but perhaps support of these sales 'parties' has to do with women supporting and validating other women's attempts to work from their home, balancing work and children. I'm all for women supporting women- but not at the expense of purchasing an unneeded or unwanted item.

olliesmom, what an uncomfortable position to be in! Your son's friend is like an annoying teenager wheedling permission for a forbidden purchase. How could you pester someone for two hours trying to talk them into spending $$ on something they clearly don't want? What part of NO doesn't she understand? My SIL got an Arbonne woman off her back by telling her she was (and she is) allergic to citrus. Apparently their products contain citrus oils.

Pecan, what a great idea your SIL had! I will have to tell people about that, that hasn't yet been pestered by the "Arbonne Lady"! I already told her that I wasn't interested and in a nice way-don't bother me again.

pecanpie, was just thinking of you re the weather. Hope all is ok in re that and you guys aren't frozen.

Sorry to hear there's other med stuff but glad you're feeling better.

FWIW I never heard of any of that stuff. Now I'm wondering what I've been missing. LOL

rococogurl, after reading that 'original poster' thread, I checked this one. I overlooked your post and I'm sorry!

We were not in the corner of the state hardest hit, although we had 6" thick ice. Strange to be able to drive a car across one's front yard and leave no trace. The kids were out of school for days...

I believe we've passed cold weather on up your way- bundle up!

Ditto msafirstein...Chond/Glucosamine/MSM does it for me, liquid form from Costco. A shot(glass) a day keeps the Dr. away, literally! C/G recommended by an orthopedic surgeon 6-7 years ago as a palliative (sp?) to future knee surgery. Not sure what the MSM does, but I need the liquid, so be it. Case in point, DH and I just hiked 5 miles today in the redwoods (moderate up and down), calves are somewhat achy due to the mud, but otherwise everything feels great!

Not familiar with the Arbonne product, but if you want antioxidants, just take a stroll through your local natural foods store supplements aisle, or the veggie dept. if you're inclined to prep/cook. I bet $45 will go a very long way to maxing out whatever antioxidants you're seeking.

mtnwomanbc, MonaVie is not an Arbonne product--they're both multi-level-marketing. Sorry for the confusion, but glad to know about the liquid Cond/Glu/MSM from Costco. Is it nasty tasting? Should it be taken with food?

We do not have Costco, but we do have Sam's Club. I will look for a similar product next time I'm there.

Doc, you are funny! That is so true...

Actually, my husband WAS approached by a friend who started out casually mentioning this wonderful stuff he was drinking - how much vitality it was giving him, how he was staying healthy through the winter, yada yada yada. Then, of couse, he generously offered to share some with my husband for something outrageous like forty-two bucks a bottle! It may very well have been Mona Vie, tho I'm not certain. But guess what - Husband took the bait! He now has half a bottle of very expensive "juice" that's been sitting in his office for weeks., He refuses to drink it because he says it tastes horrible and he got the flu anyway. Recently found out the same friend got out of the sales biz because he didn't feel good about the sales tactics that were being required. He called and gave my husband a, "Hey, sorry, man," phone call just 2 nights ago!

My husband and i have been using Mona Vie for about 6 weeks. He had a stroke 4 years ago and I was hoping he may have relief from his many aches and pains. Ater 2 days we both noticed we were awake in the morning, rather than still tired and dragging. After 2 weeks DH said he wasn't aching as much. I also noticed he was much more active. His stroke slowed him down and normally he would rest for several days if he did work around the house. Now I need to remind him it's midnight and he can't be outside scrubbing down the fence or trimming branches, as he's making too much noise.
I have had leg pain for over 2 years that the doctor has not been able to diagnose. After the 1st week using the juice I have not had the pain. (I used to have it several times a week)
I was able to purchase the juice @ 2 for $45 as a "try it" price. I continue to buy it as it has been beneficial to my husband and me.
My understanding is the antioxidant level of the acai berry that is in the juice has an orac value of oveer 1000. That is very high. Also, a doctor on Oprah said the acai berry is a superfood. If you research each individual fruit from the juice, there are many nutritional benefits. I wish the price wasn't so high, but for now I will continue to use it.

My 20 yr old daughter was approached by a Mary Kay consultant in a coffee shop. Guess she thought my DD was a good target for the get rich pitch because she was brown bagging it! Anyway, she came home all flattered that she had "networked" with someone, who later called DD on her cell to invite her to a luncheon where the top Mary Kay rep in the world went on and on about her income and island in the Bahamas. She was grateful for the free lunch, but a little sickened when I explained (my understanding of) this type of marketing. One of her sorority sister's is a Mary Kay rep so I told her to ask her about the business model. My concern, too, is about saturation. Is there anyone in America who hasn't been asked by a Mary Kay rep to have a free makeover? The pitch included projections of tremendous growth, but if most of that is coming from their international reps, what good could that be to a college kid in Indidana?

Old thread, I know, But my dh has recently become fascinated with Mona Vie. I despise the mlm more than any other sales tactic. Still, the meeting I went to last night was ok and the juice is making me feel better- I've been taking it for about 2 weeks.
It's hard listening to all the rich ones talk about how easy it is to make money, I'm not poor but boy did I feel like it afterwards! But I would never ever hit up my friends and family! Even if I do think the stuff works.

Look, if the stuff works, you'd be able to buy it at Walgreen's and every company would have their own version vying for store shelf space. 'Nuff said!

If you want more antioxidants in your diet, why don't you just eat more fruits & vegetables? You'd also get the fiber benefit, something you don't get by drinking sugary fruit juices. (Even if sugar isn't added, fruit juices are still sugary.) Sorry, but the hype over MonaVie sounds like garbage nutrition to me.

I posted about Monavie about 2 months ago and DH and I are still using it.
It bothers me that so many people can judge a product when they know so little about it. There is a ton of information about it on the Web and some of it is from well known doctors and studies independant of the Monavie company.
The reason it isn't sold at Walmart is the product has a patent pending. There are many products coming to retail that contain the acai berry, but none are processed by freeze drying. It is a very expensive process, but the only way the product retains most of its nutritional value.
The product isn't cheap, but DH and I are probably saving money, as we no longer need other vitamins, Omega oils, etc, as Monavie is a complete food that has all essential vitamins and more antioxidants than any other product in the world.
Also, this is not a pyrimid company, as it is possible for people on lower levels to make more money than the people above them.
I know the product has helped DH and I a lot and I will continue to use it.

joyjo, glad it's helping you. Are you selling it now or just purchasing it from someone in the pyramid?

Interesting that this thread should resurrect almost a year later!

Now (unfortunately) out of remission and with active RA, I am (fortunately) on medication and feel better than I have in years. Apparently until one isn't in pain, one doesn't realize how much pain one was in...

I am on two meds, tapering off one over a period of months, and my total cost for both (generics) is $8/month. Mona Vie would be, as I indicated above, $240/month for recommended dosage.

Even if the product were effective re: the autoimmune aspect of the disease, ie: preventing further, silent joint damage, replacing my current protocol with Mona Vie would not be cost effective.

I'm fairly open-minded about alternative treatments, but modern medicine has me doin' the Happy Dance- and shakin' it all around!

Pecanpie: I'm sorry your remission ended, and I'm very glad that 'modern medicine' has you 'doin the Happy Dance' -- LOL!

As to the rest, the older I get the more skeptical I become. People can convince themselves of anything (hence the placebo effect), including that they are doing their friends, family and neighbors a favor when they press these MLM schemes on them. It's not, however, that they are bad people, though -- it's the insidious effect of self-interest that blinds them to the truth. I don't RSVP to these things anymore -- hoping that people will get the hint.

I agree that the drug companies would be all over this if there were anything to it -- there might be a patent "pending", but there are a million and one ways around those. Fortunately, however, its a free country and we can all spend our money (or not) exactly as we choose.

I've been drinking MonaVie for about a month now and having some great results. I signed as a distributor so that I could get the juice wholesale, just like a Sam's club only it was free.

I'll be happy to try to answer any other questions about the products. There are 4 blends of the juice now.
Original, Active with Glucosamine, Pulse with resveratrol, and Kosher.

Recommended intake is 2oz twice a day. This would end up being a $240+/- per month supplement.
Actually recommended 4 oz daily, cost $140.00 mth. or about $5.00 per day. Can't buy 13 servings of fruit per day for that price anywhere, especially the fruits that are in the juice.

For me, the pyramidal system removes credibility;
Actually, if you look at retail businesses, they are pyramids.
Cashiers at the bottom never have the opportunity to make more money that the higher ups.

there might be a patent "pending"~
they now have the patent on the acai process

Not a juice salesperson, just a MonaVie believer!