Dear **********
I very much
enjoyed your discussion on wellness presented at U.S. Foodservice and
conversation with you on the subject. I believe that you were right on the mark
with respect to wellness issues and provided valuable information to the
audience.
You also
provided a positive commentary on the product, Juice Plus. I’ve made some
preliminary investigation on this product and would very much like to have your
support in verifying it’s quality and effectiveness as
per marketing claims. Although everything appears to indicate that this is a
quality product, I want to be certain that the benefits are not overstated.
Juice Plus is a multi-level market product. This is not necessarily a bad
thing. However, it should be known that such marketing practices tend to
inflate the cost of the product in order to satisfy all of the sales cost
requirements. I have endeavored to examine the claims made by this company in
order to determine if this is indeed a unique product that merits its high
cost. Here are some research observations that I’ve made and for which I would
appreciate your addressing.
Juice Plus makes claims as to the quality of their
product by way of laboratory analysis. This is commendable, however, they do
not mention if the work was carried out at an independent lab or done in-house.
Also, no absolute quantities are listed, only comparative values. A true assay
of quantities would provide better support.
The lab analysis compares the Juice Plus product to
other food products. The sources for nutritional information are various food
data banks including the U. S. Department of Agriculture. This is likely not a
problem, but it is important to know that comparisons are being made utilizing
different measurement techniques.
Although ingredients are listed, it is well known that
without standardization, tremendous variability in nutrient quantity can be
realized. What are the quantized standardization values of the ingredients in
this product?
Comparisons are made with items that may not
necessarily be comparable. For example, Juice plus capsules are compared to
fruit juices. Fruit juices contain mostly water and on a per serving basis,
will certainly not contain the equivalent nutrient density to a concentrate as
is found in the capsule. This can be misleading. In addition, commercial fruit
juices contain added sugar. It is worth note that serving sizes of vegetables
often exceed Juice Plus contents for selected nutrients.
A very limited number of nutrients were examined,
principally being selected vitamins, calcium and fiber. The nutrients examined
were not the same nutrients being touted as the principle benefits of this
supplement. The broad spectrum of antioxidants and phytochemicals was not
addressed. Harvard Medicine, the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and
the
Citations from two well-respected journals are used to
indicate the nutrient activity within the body. These studies use this specific
product to demonstrate the immunity and antioxidant capacity. It is worth
noting that one study was funded by the company, Natural Alternatives
International which is in a business alliance with NSA Incorporated, the
manufacturer of Juice Plus. Natural Alternatives International carried out the
second study themselves. The fact that they produced
positive results is no real surprise. In addition, this makes them questionable
as “third-party” researchers. They are not truly independent. If “the most
studied nutraceutical in history” is indeed such, there should be plenty in the
research literature. Cursory searches of the medical literature do not provide such, however, the product may not be specifically
addressed. I would like to have some independent references. This should be an
easy task as this is the “most highly researched product”. I would like to see
some. Please help with this.
A research paper is cited using Juice Plus in a
measure of weight loss. This research paper is published in The Journal of
the American Nutriceutical Association (JANA). Claims are that this is a
peer-reviewed journal, however, the editorial board
does not represent a broad spectrum of researchers in the field, but is limited
to nutriceutical interest. I believe that the research study is somewhat flawed
in its design. Additional variables were introduced in the form of the
initiation of exercise. The study does not utilize double-blind protocol,
baseline caloric determination or, more importantly, crossover study. The results leave
open a number of questions. This is enhanced by the fact that individuals in
this calorie-reduced program were observed to have gained fat-free mass. This
is contrary to most of the voluminous literature on weight loss, even among
athletes.
A citation is made to a publication from the Center
for Treatment of Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, a publication authored by Dr.
Richard E. DuBois, M.D. Dr. DuBois
is an excellent member of the CDC, is well respected in the field, and writes
extensively on the benefits to be gleaned from the addition of antioxidants in
the diet, a principle source being plant chemicals. All of the benefits he
cites are well established in the current scientific literature and apply to
phytochemicals in general. Juice Plus is not mentioned in the article. His tape
solves this concern. I would like to know if he is remunerated in any way.
Why is this product different from other well
respected products in the marketplace at significantly reduced cost. As an example consider the following:
Flora, Inc. Greens Blend: - Suggested Retail Price = $25
Greens: 1.78 g/ 22.3%
Pines™, Barley, Alfalfa, Oat and Rye
Grass powders,** Chlorella, Spirulina.
Defatted seed and fiber:
4.35 g/ 54.4%
Brown flax seed** sesame seed,*
sunflower seed,* oat bran, rice bran, golden flax seed (whole),* psyllium husk.
Food Concentrates: 1.0 g/
12.4%
Carrot, Soyforce™
powdered sprouted soybeans,** tomato, beet powder, broccoli, kale, parsley,
Udo's Choice® Digestive Enzyme Blend powder (amylase, lipase, protease, cellulase, glucoamylase, invertase, malt diastase, lactase, pectinase
(with phytase) and bromelain
in a base of beet root fiber.
Phytonutrients blend: 0.87 g/ 10.9%
Cinnamon bark, ginger root,
peppermint leaf, bilberry leaf, burdock root,* licorice root, bee pollen
powder, hawthorn berry, milk thistle seed, dulse
powder, kelp, red clover lossom,* chrysanthemum
flower, yucca root, lemon grass, American ginseng root, artichoke leaf,
standardized ginkgo biloba leaf extract 24:6,
slippery elm bark, dandelion root and leaf*, rosemary leaf, sage leaf, thyme
herb, standardized grape seed extract.
Free
of wheat, dairy, yeast, animal & genetically modified ingredients.
Certified organic
Jarrow
Formulas Green Foods
Yaeyama
Chlorella
500 mg
(chlorella vulgaris, a single cell, fresh water
algae)
Spirulina (Spirulina microalgae,
Organic)
500 mg
Wheat Grass Juice (Triticum vulgare,
Organic) 400 mg
Barley Grass Juice (Hordeum distichon,
Organic) 400 mg
Green Kamut Juice (Triticum
durum, Organic) 420 mg
Quinoa (Chendopodium
quinoa,
Organic)
300 mg+
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea,
Organic)
100 mg
Broccoli (Brassica oleracea,
Organic)
100 mg
Parsley (Petroselinum sativum,
Organic)
300 mg
Kale (Brassica
species)
80 mg
Botanicals
Green Tea
Extract
30 mg
(45% polyphenols, 30%
catechins)(Camellia sinensis)
Milk Thistle
50 mg
(80% Silymarin, Silybum
marianum)
Grape seed extract
100:1
20 mg
(95% polyphenols, Vitis
vinifera)
Ginkgo Biloba
Extract
30 mg
(50:1, 24/6 ginkgoflavoneglycoside/terpene
lactose, <5 ppm ginkgolic acid)
Bilberry
Extract
20 mg
(100:1, Vaccinium myritillus)
Licorice Root
Extract
50 mg
910% Glycyrrhizin, Glycyrrhiza glabra)
Photonutrients:
Inulin-FOS
200 mg
(chicory extract, Cichorium intybus)
Bioflavonoids
(35%)
25 mg
Lecithin
500 mg
Others Nutraceuticals:
Rice Essence (rice bran solubles)
500 mg
Beet (Beta vulgaris,
Organic)
200 mg
Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum,
Organic) 300 mg
Apple Fiber (Malus domestica)
800 mg
Ginger 50:1 (Freeze-dries)(Zingiber officinale)
30 mg
Probiotic Bacterial Metabolites and Cells:
Metabolin (Propionibacterium
shermani
100 mg
metabolites and cell walls)
Suggested Retail Price: $24.95
As you can see in these two examples,
they essentially contain the same ingredients as Juice Plus and then some. In
addition, specific amounts and concentrations are provided. Each of these
companies have extensive research support and, in addition, have the track
record of living up to label claims by independent labs which do not get
support in any way from these companies.
In summary, although I have
no reason to believe that Juice Plus is not an excellent product, however,
these are questions that need to be addressed prior to making any
recommendations. The parent supply company, Natural Alternatives is well
supported by manufacturer credentials. My only point is that, although the
benefits gleaned by fruit and vegetable extracts are truly exceptional, such
extracts are manufactured by many very reputable companies and are available in
stores at a significantly reduced cost. There is nothing that I can determine
immediately that is particularly special worthy of this product that merits the
high cost. Often, the quality of the product is inversely I hasten to add that
much is still being learned about various plant nutrients and getting as much
nutrition as possible from the source, rather than an extract, might prove more
advantageous in the long run. Supplementation with a high quality
vitamin/mineral supplement along with such extracts should serve to be viewed
as insurance to as high quality diet as is possible.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mike Jezercak