| In 2006, an elderly neighbor of mine, a very sweet lady | | | | Joon then proceeded to tell all of us how their own |
| I'll call Jane whom I had known for years, invited me, | | | | chronic pain and hypertension were cured in a matter |
| my father, and my wife to a meeting in her home | | | | of weeks by drinking MonaVie. They also told us |
| about a product called MonaVie, an antioxidant fruit | | | | stories of other customers who had gone into cancer |
| beverage that was purported to relieve chronic | | | | remission after drinking the juice for awhile. |
| rheumatism and arthritis as well as help the prognosis | | | | It was a masterful performance - Joon repeatedly |
| of people fighting cancer. Jane gave a bottle to my | | | | thanked Jesus for bringing this wonderful drink into her |
| father, who has had arthritis since his late 20s, saying | | | | life, and Benny even cried during his testimonial. They |
| that it had helped her daughter-in-law with some | | | | showed a 10-minute video which talked about the |
| chronic joint pain and hoping it would do the same for | | | | mystical properties of the acai fruit and the untouched |
| him. While I trust Jane and believe she sincerely had | | | | rainforest paradise in which it was grown. And then |
| my dad's best interests at heart, I am naturally | | | | they hit us with the price: to buy directly from Benny |
| skeptical of any product that claims to produce such | | | | and Joon, we would pay $55.00 a bottle for the juice. |
| results. However, I decided to attend the meeting - but | | | | Alternatively, we could become distributors just like |
| I did a bit of research on the product before going. | | | | them, and that would allow us to "buy from ourselves" |
| MonaVie is a blend of fruit juices and extract from the | | | | at wholesale price - about $40.00 a bottle. What a |
| fruit of the acai palm, a tree native to Central and | | | | deal. |
| South America. It is touted as being chock full of | | | | One important thing to remember about businesses |
| antioxidants and anthocyanins, and at the time the | | | | that are set up like this is that multi-level marketing |
| product's website named those ingredients as | | | | systems rely on interstate sales. Because pyramiding - |
| chemicals that aid the body in fighting off free radicals | | | | receiving commissions or sign-up fees based on |
| (tiny particles which have been linked to cancer | | | | recruiting new salespersons - is illegal under most state |
| development), preventing heart disease, and curing | | | | laws, distributors usually have to travel far from home |
| arthritis and joint pain (they've since toned down their | | | | to get legitimate sales. Travel expenses and product |
| claims). The fruit juice is sold in expensive-looking wine | | | | samples aren't cheap, so these distributors have every |
| bottles with a sleek logo on the label. It has the | | | | incentive to puff up their product in hopes of turning a |
| consistency of cough syrup and tastes like someone | | | | profit. So it's no surprise that although Benny and |
| dropped cocoa powder into a combination of juice | | | | Joon's home was in Florida, they conducted most of |
| concentrates that was mixed up on a dare (believe | | | | their sales meetings in North Carolina, hoping to recruit |
| me - I've tasted it). All that might be fine - if the product | | | | people from the social networks of their family and |
| did what it actually purports to do. | | | | friends. |
| The fact is that while antioxidants are an important | | | | When question and answer time came, I brought up |
| nutritional supplement and may be useful as | | | | the evidence I mentioned earlier, including one piece I |
| treatments for certain neurological disorders, | | | | haven't yet mentioned: Were Benny and Joon aware, |
| antioxidant supplements don't appear to decrease | | | | as I was, that Dallin Larsen, the chairman and CEO of |
| your risk of cancer and heart disease, according to | | | | MonaVie, had previously marketed another product |
| clinical trials. Dietary anthocyanin, once thought to | | | | called Royal Tongan Limu which was seized and |
| increase the amount of antioxidants in the | | | | destroyed by the FDA because it falsely claimed to |
| bloodstream, isn't much more useful; scientists attribute | | | | cure cancer and arthritis? (They said they weren't |
| the boost of antioxidants in blood after taking | | | | aware of any of those things. Go figure.) |
| anthocyanin supplements as a side effect of the body | | | | In the end, I don't think Benny and Joon got many sales |
| filtering those chemicals out. In other words, the body | | | | out of that trip. Jane never mentioned the product to |
| sees the anthocyanin as waste, and is trying to get rid | | | | me or my dad again after that night. But what shocked |
| of it. | | | | me most about that meeting was that I, a recent |
| But even if the health benefits aren't revolutionary, | | | | college graduate, was the only attendee to ask any |
| antioxidants are still a useful dietary supplement for | | | | questions about the veracity of the claims. Many of |
| other reasons, right? Perhaps, but not from MonaVie. | | | | these attendees were very intelligent and successful |
| Acai fruit itself contains less antioxidants than fresh | | | | people in their own right, but the most common |
| strawberries, pomegranate juice, blueberry juice, and | | | | question asked during the meeting was, "Will this stuff |
| red wine. The antioxidant content is further diminished | | | | also help me with another health problem?" - to which |
| when the fruit is processed or freeze-dried; the main | | | | Benny would dutifully answer, "Yes". If I hadn't shown |
| ingredient in MonaVie is a freeze-dried acai puree. In | | | | up to spoil Benny and Joon's juice party, how many of |
| summation, you'll get more antioxidants from eating a | | | | the potential customers would have tasted the |
| serving of strawberries at your next meal than you will | | | | Kool-Aid, and maybe even bought a bottle of it to take |
| by drinking a whole bottle of this sludge. | | | | home? This setup was clearly designed to pull in |
| Knowing all this (and a few more interesting tidbits as | | | | people of an age demographic where joint problems, |
| well) in advance of the meeting, I went to Jane's house | | | | heart disease, and cancer risk are elevated, and then |
| with my notebook of scribblings in hand. What I thought | | | | tap into their fears of those illnesses to sell an |
| would be a few people giving testimonials about the | | | | overpriced product that tastes like garbage and is |
| benefits of MonaVie in their diet and recommending it | | | | about as good for you. These types of scams prey |
| to others was actually a well-orchestrated sales pitch, | | | | upon the elderly and the uninformed, and government |
| conducted by Jane's son and daughter-in-law, whom I'll | | | | regulations need to be tightened to keep it from |
| call Benny and Joon. The other people in attendance | | | | happening over and over again. |
| were all over age 65, recruited from Jane's bible study | | | | In the meantime, if someone wants to sell you a $55 |
| group at church. When everyone had settled in and | | | | bottle of antioxidant miracle juice, save your money |
| the promoters had set up their materials, Benny | | | | and get a bottle of red wine and some strawberries. |
| opened the meeting with a lengthy prayer. Benny and | | | | They're better tasting and better for you. |