Mangosteen

[minton]

Okay so my friend dragged me to a meeting last night for a product called Mangosteen. In case you haven't heard of this product, Mangosteen is a fruit that contains tons of the best antioxidants in the world called xanthones, and the company markets it via a distribution pyramid scheme. I was dragged along for two reasons. One, my friend has money saved up but is gullible and wanted my help protecting her from

[kenlove]

I've had to write a number of things about all of these network marketing super fruit drinks from Acai, goji, pomegranate, mangosteen and a number of others. It's all BS as you found out. The drinks are fine but at $40 a bottle your better off spending $3. for fresh fruit. Being a tropical fruit researcher and celiac I can go on and on about the good and bad in all fruit but these types of scams really bother me almost as much as network marketing. In Japanese that type of pyramid marketing is called nezumi-ko which could be translated as small rat business <G>

The amount of sugar, caffine and probably wheat starch in some of these things can be dangerous even to those not affected by celiac. None of this stuff is magic -- its like Kool-aid for adults with $ to burn.

ken

Okay so my friend dragged me to a meeting last night for a product called Lame Advertisement Mangosteen. In case you haven

[minton]

Does the fruit have any real benefits or is it all marketing BS? I have looked at all the reliable science magazines online and none of them mention mangosteen fruits or xanthone antioxidants at all...kinda concerning...

[Mr.GlutenFree]

I buy a bottle or two Monovie some time and have no problem with it. I like to take a shot of it before i work out or go hiking. Haven't tried any of the other ones yet. I also take vitamins that come with an antioxidant booster every day and my issues with cc have actually gotten better over time. So i don't think having alot of antioxidant effecting our immune system will cause a bigger effect to gluten.

Network Marketing should not scare you away from trying out a product. But you are right they are not supposed to make any claims of a cure for something. That's only cause it's all considered Food even vitamins are considered food. And the medical industry can only make synthetic junk. A screwy thought I think.

[raisin]

Monovie set up my "scam" flags on so many levels.

A very attractive young blonde woman came to my work place and started chatting us up. She talked about how her family members with all sorts of illnesses were miraculously cured just by adding that overpriced drink to their diet. She also went on about how it was a special "buy now or loose out" deal as they could not sell their product online or in any stores. When I started asking her thinks like "how is this more effective than just eating plenty of fruits, berries, and vegetables, in a regular balanced diet?" she started getting nervous and eventually admitted "This is targeted at people who don't work out or eat very well..The only thing that really makes it unique is the acai." Then I pointed out that you can now buy acai juice at your regular ol' grocery store. I also did a quick google while she tried to sell, and promptly showed her the official Monovie store on Amazon. She stammered for a few minutes and said "I Hadn't been told about that. I don't know if its legitimate, actually." etc.

Acai itself bothers me. No one seemed to know anything about it, including the salesgirl. They stated (at that time, part of their marketing) that you cannot eat the berry so juice is your only safe option, while in Monovie they still actually put whole crushed berries in. I later decided to try a cheaper (gluten-free) Acai beverage.. And had a horrible digestive reaction.

[mamaw]

We drink 100% pure Acai with nothing else added. It has never been a problem. We drink it early in the day. We buy it at The Vitamin Shoppe when it is on sale. I don't buy into schemes & ladder selling....many of these so called good for your health products have so much additives, sugar & stuff that it makes them very unhealthy. We found Acai just gives us a little( repeat Little) edge but we did not get that with mangosteen or goji juice.

And I don't think all the hype about weight loss is a true fact either.

mamaw

[Juliebove]

I believe Goji and Acai have benefits. Not sure about Mangosteen. Husband was told to drink it following kidney cancer. I found the cheapest place to buy it (although still not cheap) was Costco.

[minton]

I have to give monovie props. The people selling it to me didn't make wild claims, just that it helped them. Well, my mom and I have given my dad 2 bottles total over the last two weeks and he has improved. But honesrtly, lets consider this. My dad is an obese man in his sixties with a horrible diet and beyond sedentary lifestyle. Granted, he had one knee in such extreme pain that he was looking at replacement surgery. He also lost a finger to a wood saw accident and the stump has bothered him ever since.

We gave him the active stuff which has glucosamine. I have LONG known that liquid vitamins were easier to absorb than pills so its no shock that adding some FRUITS to his diet and liquid glucosamine helped him. He now at least walks his own dog and says his knees have made HUGE improvements. His stump is not so much of an annoyance anymore either. Of that, I am glad. But I think if my mom and I got a juicer, liquid glucosamine, and some good fruits and put them together, he would get the same benefits. For the time being, we are just happy he's doing better. Also, as he is diabetic, we are glad his feet look a bit less purply. He is still on his second bottle.

As for Mangosteen, I did buy a small bottle of combined acai berry, goji, noni, and mangosteen juice. They recomended 1 ounce morning and night. I take 1/2 an ounce every morning and it has aided my energy. It tastes awful but if it gives me the energy to live, I will swallow my 1/2 ounce and smile about it. It has not helped any of my other symptoms though. My mom has bought regular acai juice from the local grocery store and she said it did decrease her appetite a bit. She is also obese and has struggled for years wih various programs, the weight stays. She doesn't drink acai regularly but she does seem to have a bit more energy.

In my opinion, antioxidants in general are just great. Regardless of the source or the strength, we should all try to get more in our diet. Maybe my horrible fatigue is from junk in my body that the antioxidants help take care of. I plan to stick with the mixture I'm already on. It's cheap and quality and I take the minimal dose. Why not?

[Mr.GlutenFree]

Lets think about this people...You need to drink 54 oz of water to 12oz of soda to even your body's pH level out from all the acids in it. That's how bad your body is throw out of wack for just some soda and there are other things our there that we eat that has junk in it. I'm not saying OMG were going to die from this junk. Rather if your going to have bad habits you might as well have good one like taking Vitamins or high antioxidant supplements. I've been Gluten free for 4 years and have been taking Top quality Vitamins for 2. I feel a huge difference not only body and mind but how my body digests foods.

[Rya]

I agree that quality vitamins (especially for Celiacs) and wholesome foods make a big difference in how one's body works.

As for the Mangosteen - it's 30 calories in 1 oz - which means the D you get from it is probably osmotic. Coke has 11 calories per oz, for some comparison.

Antioxidants are a great thing, but remember companies like these that market themselves under the "Supplement" category aren't regulated by anyone. They don't even have to keep their products consistent, and typically don't claim ingredients correctly. BE CAREFUL.

[Pauliewog]

On a trip to Malaysia and Singapore I pigged out on mangosteen. Not for health reasons, but because I love the taste of the fruit. I found out the hard way that there are no toilets in the jungle..... cleaned me out real good!

[kenlove]

This thread is  very old. Some messages from  January 2009.  As a specialist  who travels the world  working with fruit. I can tell you nothing as changed.  Fresh fruit or juice made from it is healthy.  Network marketed  juices with 90% sugar    and some  vitamin c is just hat 90% sugar and garbage. 

 

Buy fresh fruit or frozen fruit or come visit Hawaii or florida or SE asia but  dont fall for the scams