Reliv?
 

Has anyone ever heard of Reliv? It's a supplement that my BIL/SIL are trying to get us to try, but of course, I am very skeptical of any supplements. I looked on their website, most of the ingredients don't sound too harmful.

Just curious - Thanks!

From what I could tell it was mostly based on pyramid marketing and not so nutrionally driven. In fact the whole marketing thing rang of Mannatech. Plus it was short on success with the product stories on the weightloss end, mostly showing people with immune deficiencies. I would be very wary especially if they want a big money investment.

Miss Chris

I'm always skeptical of any MLM supplement. The products aren't really any different than anything else on the market, but they have a different way of marketing, since their #1 goal is money and not health, so their prices are always higher.

You didn't say which product you were looking at, so I'll guess it's the weight loss forumla meal replacement.

Their site says:

CLA: Clinical trials have been successful in mice, but none have proven weight loss in humans. However, CLA has been shown to help KEEP the fat off once your goal has been reached.

L-Carnitine: The average diet contains a small amount of carnitine. However, the body produces this amino acid naturally in the liver. The body cannot use more than it needs, so taking additional amounts of this supplement will have no impact on fat oxidation.

CitriMax: Also known as garcinia, or HCA. Studies on animals suggested that HCA might affect the way the body burns carbohydrates and stores fat. However, no studies have shown similar effects on humans. An extensive study by JAMA concluded: Garcinia cambogia failed to produce significant weight loss and fat mass loss beyond that observed with placebo.

Is HCA safe? According to Berkeley Wellness: no one knows if HCA has any long-term adverse effects; some animal research found that it's toxic. It may be combined with other diet compounds, and the safety of such products—witch's brews of herbs and chemicals—is certainly questionable. The PDR for Nutritional Supplements states that pregnant or nursing mothers, and those with dementia syndromes such as Alzheimer's disease should avoid HCA. They also state that those with diabetes should be cautious with it.

There is no evidence to show that HCA is beneficial for weight loss, and it can be harmful in some cases. It is better to wait and see what future research shows before taking it.

Advantra Z Also known as Citrus Aurantium. What is citrus aurantium? Orange bitters. Citrus aurantium also contains synephrin, which is used in nasal sprays.

According to the New York City Consumer Affairs statement on weight loss scams, "Synephrin, an active ingredient commonly found in nasal sprays, has never been tested in humans for weight-loss."

We did find one study of the effects of citrus aurantium on weight loss in rats. Repeated dosages of this supplement did in fact result in weight loss. It also resulted in death. "Our data indicate that, in the rat, antiobesity effects of C. aurantium are accompanied by toxic effects probably due to cardiovascular toxicity." No wonder it hasn't been tested on humans in this capacity.



The soy protein in the mix IS good, but can be purchased without all of those 'other' ingredients, and at a much lower price.

The Reviv label recommends taking Relìv Cellebrate along with the meal replacement. The active ingredient in it is more CitriMax.

Thanks for the replies. They've been telling us how much energy they have, and how her depression is so much better. DH has MS, and supposedly this will help with his fatigue. Yeah, right. If I wanted the soy protein there's lots of other places I can get it, and it doesn't sound like the other ingredients have any backing.

I appreciate the info!

I lost 65 lbs.
 

Hi Sarah and everyone else,

I'm new to the forum and saw the question on Reliv. I've actually taken the products 3 years ago for 2 years and I lost 65 lbs and kept off the weight. I have 4 children and was a single parent at the time. I had no hunger issues, I had tons of energy and I felt great. I lost the weight between June 2001 and December 2001. That is when I met my husband and we were married in May 2003. I am now enjoying married life, still 65 lbs thinner and I actually just started taking Reliv again for some health issues I was experiencing and I'm hoping to loose a little more weight too. :)

Just wanted to share my personal experience.

-Ruth

It's not about the money
 

Hi Suzanne,

I'm sorry but I have personal experience with taking Reliv products and I have had life changing results and I can attest that their biggest thing was not to make money. Reliv people are so nice. They really do care about helping people and that is the companies mission to nourish our world. It is so not about the money. Just my thoughts.

-Ruth

Well this was an old post, lol. I just checked their website and I'm still not impressed. They have a link to a page that supposedly contains all the latest news and most popular pages of their site, and not surprisingly, they are all about sales tools and bonuses. Why aren't pages about the success of their product popular? :?:

Since this topic was originally posted last year, more news about one of the ingredients has come to light. What Reliv refers to as Advantra Z is citrus aurantium, or orange bitters, as we stated before. Since then, this ingredient has appeared on the Consumer Reports Dirty Dozen list of 12 most DANGEROUS supplements.

If someone prefers to drink a calorie controlled meal instead of eating it, then Slimfast with Soy is a much better alternative to a product like this. It's still low in calories, so it qualifies as the same low cal meal replacement, but it doesn't contain anything "iffy" which would be foolish for anyone with a health problem to take. Any weight loss you achieve through this product can be achieved through any other weight loss method, but will probably be safer.

Regarding these products helping with any health problems, the don't and they can't. The text on their site is very carefully worded so that they hint at benefits, but don't actually claim them. Why? Because they cannot legally state that they can cure or treat conditions if they do not have evidence proving it.

This is from their dist agreement:
This is probably all that stands between them and the FTC.

Our health is the most precious thing we have, and it's not worth it to take risks with these products. There are so many products just like this. They all contain roughly the same ingredients, have the same sales pitches on their sites, are trained the same way, and they are all overpriced. And as always, we don't hear about these products from our doctors, hospitals, they aren't in the news, or recommended by any reputable medical establishment.

My previous opinion still stands. A balanced diet and exercise program will always be the best way to lose weight and get healthy. That's something else that never changes :)