- For other companies with similar initials, see NSA (disambiguation)
Juice Plus is a line of dietary supplements containing extracts of concentrated fruit and vegetable juice fortified with added vitamins and nutrients. It is produced by Natural Alternatives International from San Marcos, California, for National Safety Associates ( NSA ; Collierville, Tennessee). Introduced in 1993, supplements were distributed by the NSA through multi-level marketing.
The Juice Plus effect study has yielded contradictory and controversial results. Although Juice Plus claims the efficacy of its products is supported by research, critics argue that there is no scientific evidence that Juice Plus offers significant health benefits and that deceptive claims are used in product marketing information. Many marketing claims made about Juice Plus products are wrong or misleading.
Video Juice Plus
History
Foundations and initial marketing
National Safety Associates was founded in 1970 by Jay Martin, an entrepreneur-turned teacher who continued as CEO in 2012. The NSA initially sold home fire protection equipment through door-to-door vendors. In the late 1970s, they developed into a water filtration product. In 1986, they started using multi-level marketing, then expanded their product line into air filters and educational games for pre-school children. In 1991, it was claimed that their sales structure was a ponzi scheme.
The NSA encountered several legal issues in 1993, when the US Attorney General's office followed up complaints that the company blindly required new distributors to make major up-front purchases for air and water filters. Each of the 32,000 distributors in Florida buys an average $ 7,000 water filter, and many of these distributors can not sell it all. Business firms in the United States declined that year, requiring a layoff of dozens of employees.
The company has expanded its business outside the United States, and according to the NSA, sold the product in 33 countries in 2000. NSA suspended production and marketing of its water filter product line in 2007.
Nutritional products
Juice Plus is NSA's first nutritional product, launched in 1993. The main products in the Juice Plus line are "Orchard Blend" and "Garden Blend" capsules, which are sold together in a four-month package at a cost of about $ 167 USD (2009). Other supplement products available in the Juice Plus line are (in 2011) Vineyard Blend capsules (Juice Plus Complete), Juice Plus Chewables (Orchard and Garden Blends), and Juice Plus Chewables ( Vineyard Blend). Halted products include Juice Plus Gummies, Juice Plus Thins (wafers), chewable tablets, and vitamin formulations for dogs and cats.
Maps Juice Plus
Manufacturing
The main ingredients in Jus Plus Orchard Blend and Garden Blend (vegetable and fruit juice) capsules are reduced to powder through a process of ownership by unrelated suppliers, and then mixed and packaged by NAI, which produces the finished product. The capsule of Juice Plus is "fortified with pure? -carotene, ascorbic acid, vitamin E, and folic acid". According to the manufacturer it is added to restore lost micronutrient levels during processing and to ensure uniformity. "Two studies sponsored by the NAI mentioned that vegetable fruits and vegetables in Juice Plus include a natural standard level? -carotene derived from Dunaliella salina and soybean d -? - tocopherol (vitamin E), supplied by Henkel Corporation (now doing business as Cognis Corporation), and ascorbic acid derived from acerola cherry, supplied by Schweizerhall Pharma.
Reception
Juice Plus Garden Blend has been tested by ConsumerLab.com at Multivitamin and Multimineral Supplements Review of 38 leading multivitamin/multimineral products sold in the US and Canada. The tests include the number of selected index elements, their ability to crumble in solution per US Pharmacopeia guideline, the lead contamination threshold is set in California Proposition 65, and meets US Food and Drug labeling requirements (FDA).
Garden Blend failed the ConsumerLab test because it contained only 76.4% of the claimed calcium, which was low to start (labeled only 4% of Daily Value per portion.) On June 23, 2011, ConsumerLab was notified of incorrect information distributed by Distributor Juice Plus incorrectly states the variation is due to the analytical method used. ConsumerLab responds that their analytical method used is ICP-MS (Plasma Inductive Plasma Mass Spectrometry), a "very precise and sensitive calcium-testing method". ConsumerLab also noted that calcium deficiency in Juice Plus was confirmed by this method in two independent laboratories prior to the publication of their Review.
Sales
Juice Plus products are marketed by individual distributors who receive 6% sales commissions (to register five customers in 30 days) up to 14% (to register 20 customers within 30 days). Detailed sales figures for Juice Plus are not available to the public, but NSA representatives claim that Juice Plus achieved monthly sales of $ 6 million USD in 1993 and it is the most successful new product. According to NSA vice president John Blair, sales of Juice Plus in 2008 "close to 300 million but have subsided due to economic factors."
Product research
National Safety Associates, owner of Juice Plus, claims that it is "the next best thing to eating fruit and vegetables", which contains "the nutritional essence of 17 different fruits, vegetables, and grains" with key phytonutrients and that the product is absorbed by body, reduce oxidative stress, improve cardiovascular health, support a healthy immune system, and help protect DNA. Various studies have produced results that conflict with the truth of this claim. Doubts have been raised about the advertised benefits of Juice Plus by the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, the University of California Berkeley, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and other sources. This product has been criticized on the grounds that: its marketing is not supported by research data, it contains too few fruits and vegetable powders to offer significant clinical benefit, its effect can be attributed to the inclusion of additional exogenous vitamins and micronutrients, and that is an exorbitant price compared to its potential benefits. The Sloan-Kettering Cancer Clinic Memorial refers to Juice Plus as an "expensive supplement" that is "distributed through a multi-tiered marketing scheme with value and excessive cost."
From peer-reviewed studies published on Juice Plus products, mostly funded and/or written by manufacturers, Natural Alternatives International (NAI); or a major distributor, the NSA.; and two are funded by individual Juice Plus distributors.
Nutrition and phytochemicals
Concern has been raised that the nutrients in Plus Juice capsules may not be biologically available or effectively absorbed by the human body, and that some of the nutrients claimed to be in the product may not be present in significant quantities. Studies on nutrient absorption suggest that subjects who consume Juice Plus have elevated levels of folate and blood-carotene, but the effects on vitamin E and vitamin C levels in the blood are not consistent. Several studies have shown a significant increase in vitamin E and C levels, while other studies show many weaker effects on vitamin E and C levels, and that vitamin E and vitamin C levels did not increase significantly. Juice Plus was found to increase blood lycopene levels in some studies, while other studies have shown that Juice Plus does not increase levels of lycopene or other phytochemicals in fresh fruits and vegetables such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and -cryptoxanthin.
Concern has also been raised about the accuracy of product labeling. Three studies that included chemical analysis of Juice Plus have shown the amount of nutrients that differ from the amount listed on the product label.
According to Consumer Reports , in 2005, National Safety Associates used ads featuring Dr. William Sears (distributor of Juice Plus products), which implies that Juice Plus Gummies is low in sugar and an alternative nutrient for fruits. and vegetables. These claims resulted in consumer complaints to the National Advertising Division of the Bureau of Good Enterprises (NAD). BBB issued a complaint that the NSA claims were misleading, and as a result, the NSA promised to modify its ads and stopped calling Gummies "the next best thing for fruits and vegetables". Homepage Juice Plus continues to advertise Juice Plus as "the next best thing for fruits and vegetables"; Gummies products have been discontinued; "Chewables" products have been introduced.
In December 2007, the Center for Science of the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a complaint with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to "stop marketing of NSA Juice Plus Orchard Blend and Garden Blend capsules because the product appears to be contaminated and misbranded." CSPI says "concerned that product claims', 'the next best thing for fruits and vegetables,' could lead consumers to believe the pills are closer to the actual fruits and vegetables than might be the cause." According to CSPI, the label says the capsules contain high levels of vitamins A and C and folate naturally, but "do not disclose that these vitamins and minerals are added to the capsule during processing and are only nutrients from native fruits and vegetable sources."
Two nutrition specialists commented that "promotional literature for Juice Plus, which is billed as a whole food concentrate, is a faulty mix of misinformation, misleading health claims, and nonscientific jargon" and concludes that "Juice Plus may not harm you , but it can damage your wallet. "Others have given the same skeptical judgment about Juice Plus.
In November 2007, the Panel of Complaints Settlement for the Therapeutic Therapeutic Item Code of Service Board ruled that the statement on the Juice Plus NSA website violated the Therapeutic Australian Therapeutic Code of Conduct. According to the panel, the "clear message" in the advertisement is that the Juice Plus tablets/capsules are "the equivalent of fruits and vegetables" and that "consuming Juice Plus tablets will help Australians consume the recommended 5-7 servings of portions and vegetables ". The NSA is sanctioned by the Council to revoke the statement that products "are equivalent to fruits and vegetables or that their consumption may be helpful in meeting dietary recommendations related to fruit and vegetables."
Antioxidant activity
The NSA claims that Juice Plus is an effective antioxidant, and cites a study showing a 75% reduction in lipid peroxidation (a marker of oxidative stress) in subjects who consume Juice Plus for 7 to 28 days. The report is criticized as "a very poor study" by nutritionist Rosemary Stanton in the Australian journal, The Skeptic . Other studies have also reported decreased lipid peroxidation and DNA oxidation. All three studies were not blind or placebo-controlled, including some participants (in one case not more than 15), and excluding monitoring or control of participants' dietary intake. Other studies conducted under more rigorous conditions (randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, longer duration and with more subjects), found no significant reduction in lipid peroxidation, DNA oxidation, or other oxidative stress markers.
One study, measured in vitro antioxidant activity, found that 1 g of Juice Plus Orchard Blend (500 mg of each combined) Juice Plus Orchard blend had an appropriate antioxidant capacity of about 10 g (fresh weight) of fruit or vegetables, of 30 g (about one third of one serving) per four capsules. The antioxidant activity test of polyphenols (such as those present in Jus Plus capsules) in vitro may show higher results than the negligible antioxidant activity in vivo after ingestion and oral digestion.
One placebo-controlled study conducted in 2002 found that Juice Plus Gummie candy did not significantly improve the antioxidant status of children, as demonstrated by the negative results of 6 different antioxidant tests. The authors explain this by saying it's possible that the supplements do not contain enough of the right antioxidants to make a significant difference or that the antioxidants extracted in fruit/vegetable extracts are not bioavailable. The study was originally sponsored by the NSA, but because the results were disappointing, NSA officials chose to remove the company name from published articles.
Jim Sears, a pediatrician and distributor/spokesperson for Jus Plus who hosted the syndicated daytime television talk show The Doctors, claimed on the 27th February 2009 episode of the Juice Plus program "help fight cancer". In October 2009, Dr. Barrie R. Cassileth, Chair and Head of Integrative Medicine at the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, warned that while Juice Plus is being "aggressively promoted to cancer patients based on antioxidant effect claims", supplements should not be taken by patients as they may interfere with chemotherapy, may be considered as a substitute for fruits and vegetables.
Cardiovascular system
Several studies have examined the effects of Jus Plus capsules on biochemical parameters associated with cardiovascular function, again with conflicting results. In October 2009, Dr. Barrie R. Cassileth, Chair and Head of Integrative Medicine at the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center, notes that the results of the Juice Plus study on plasma homocysteine ​​levels can not be reproduced, and that studies on cardiovascular effects, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, can not be concluded.
The effects of Juice Plus on blood levels of homocysteine ​​have been reported in five studies, all done on subjects with normal homocysteine ​​levels (15 μM/L). A baseline study, which was not double-blind or placebo-controlled, reported a 37% decrease in homocysteine ​​levels in subjects taking Juice Plus. A more rigorous study, including three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, found that homocysteine ​​levels did not decrease or decrease to a much lower rate than reported.
Two placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind studies have examined the effects of Juice Plus on serum cholesterol and LDL levels. One study found that Juice Plus had no significant effect; others found a slight decrease in cholesterol (6%) and LDL (9%) in subjects who took Orchard/Garden Blend, but no reduction among subjects took a mixture of Juice Plus Vineyard in addition.
A study reported that the combined regimen of Juice Plus Orchard Blend and Garden Blend significantly decreased the decrease in vasoactivity of the brachial artery caused by high fat foods in healthy subjects. The addition of the Vineyard Blend product to this regimen has no additional effect on brachial artery vasoactivity and results in an increase in total lipoprotein and LDL compared with Orchard Blend/Garden Blend alone. The study also found that Juice Plus had no effect on blood pressure.
In a randomized, placebo-controlled study, crossover in adults with metabolic syndrome, 8 weeks supplementation with Juice Plus had no significant effect on vascular endothelial function, serum insulin, blood glucose, weight, total cholesterol, or LDL cholesterol. The study, which began in 2004 and published in 2011, is headed by Jus Plus spokesman David L. Katz who received a $ 200,000 research grant from the NSA.
Immune system
Non-randomized, non-blind, uncontrolled studies on both old- and non-smoker smokers examined the effects of Juice Plus Orchard Blend and Garden Blend on 9 immunologic parameters, including the production of stimulated T-cell cytokines (IL-2, IL-6, TNF - and IFN-?) And the activity of various immune cells (peripheral blood monocytes, natural killer cells [NK], T-helper cells, and cytotoxic T cells). Juice Plus significantly increases the proliferation of peripheral blood monocytes and NK cell cytotoxicity in non-smokers but not in smokers, and increased production of IL-2 in vitro by stimulated monocytes in both smokers and non-smokers. Juice Plus has no significant effect on the number of cells (NK cells, T-helper cells, or cytotoxic T cells) or at IL-6, TNF-?, Or IFN- levels? both smokers and non-smokers. The Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center notes some mistakes with the study including that it lacks placebo control and is not blind, that the outcome is not always correlated with increased overall immunity, and that it would be more informative if clinical parameters had been measured. , such as whether fewer patients become sick.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of Juice Plus Orchard Blend and Garden Blend on T cell counts, lymphocyte cytokine production, Epstein-Barr virus epidural titre (EBV), and disease incidence in healthy subjects. Percentage of circulating - CD3 T cells and T-CD3 cells did not change significantly in subjects who consumed Juice Plus; However, at the end of the supplementation period, subjects taking supplements had a higher percentage of CD3 T cells (7.2%) than placebo (5.4%). IFN-? produced by stimulated in vitro lymphocytes reduced in Juice Plus (68%) and placebo groups (41%), but statistically significant reductions were only in the Plus Juice group. Other levels of cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, TGF-?) Are unchanged and Juice Plus has no significant effect on the incidence and symptoms of the disease or on the antibody titer of EBV.
A 28-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study examined the effects of Juice Plus (two capsules per mixture of Orchard Blend, Garden Blend, and Vineyard per day) on cytokines (ie, IL-6 and TNF-?) Levels, and on the incidence of the disease. Subjects taking Juice Plus have lower TNF-? rates of the placebo group at later time points in the study (weeks 16 and 28) but overall the effect was not statistically significant. Juice Plus was found to have no significant effect on IL-6 levels or on disease occurrences during the study period.
In one early human study, Juice Plus consumption was associated with a 20% reduction in the number of days of moderate to moderate flu symptoms, while the number of days with cold symptoms remained unchanged. The study was funded by the NSA, owners of Juice Plus and sponsors participating in the research design.
Adverse effects
Side effects of Juice Plus have been mentioned in three studies, No monitoring of adverse events was reported in other published Juice Plus studies. The first of these studies (in 2000) reported adverse events (upper respiratory, urinary, and musculoskeletal) in about a third of participants who took the product for 7 days; This event was resolved spontaneously and is considered unlikely to be derived from the use of Juice Plus. The Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center noted that in both of these studies, some subjects who took Orchard Blend and Garden Blend developed a nest-like rash. In the third study, from 2007, some subjects were interesting because of indigestion, probably due to the Juice Plus regimen (a combination of Orchard Blend, Garden Blend, and Vineyard Blend). In addition, a medical case report was published in which Juice Plus was identified as a possible cause of liver toxicity (liver inflammation) in a 51-year-old female patient with endometrial cancer. The liver injury is reversed after the termination of Juice Plus.
Conflict of interest in the study
In a critique from Juice Plus, the consumer health advocate and alternative medicine critic Stephen Barrett of MLM Watch told an earlier association between two authors of the Jus Plus 1996 research study and the United Sciences of America, Inc. (USAI), a multilevel marketing company. who sell vitamin supplements with illegal claims that they can prevent many diseases. In 1986, lead author John A. Wise, who later co-authored several other Juice Plus research studies, was Vice President of Research and Executive Development of USAI; and second author Robert J. Morin is a scientific advisor who helps design the product. State and federal enforcement actions pushed USAI out of business in 1987. Wise became a consultant for Natural Alternatives International (NAI) in 1987 and a corporate executive (Vice President of Research and Development) in 1992. Barrett noted that Wise is also a NAI shareholders and that Juice Plus production for National Safety Associates (NSA) is responsible for 16% of NAI sales in 1999.
The NSAs Juice Plus website cites various research articles to support the company's marketing claims about the biological effects of Juice Plus, maintaining that "this study was conducted by independent researchers" at various universities. Several studies were co-authored by Wise and Morin.
O.J. Simpson
Health Letters University of California Berkeley and MLMWatch also commented on the unreliable testimonials Juice Plus provided by former professional athletes O.J. Simpson. Simpson, commonly known as "O.J." and "The Juice", signed a multi-year multi-year contract with the NSA in January 1994 and became the official celebrity endorser Juice Plus. In March 1994, Simpson recorded some 4,000 Juice Plus distributors at a sales meeting that the product cured his inflammation, improved his golf game, and relieved him of the use of anti-rheumatic drugs. However, regarding the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and his friend Ronald Goldman, of which Simpson was tried and acquitted, Simpson stated in his defense that he was too paralyzed by arthritis to commit murder and continued to take sulfasalazine anti-inflammatory drugs. As a result of the controversy surrounding Simpson, the NSA canceled its support contract and stopped using Simpson's videotape to promote Juice Plus.
Children's Research Foundation Juice Plus
The Children's Research Foundation Juice Plus (JPCRF), founded in 1997, is a non-profit medical research organization (NTEE code H99) which states its goal is to start and/or support programs that advance the principle that improved nutrition leads to a healthier lifestyle and better overall health in children. The foundation is chaired by National Safety Associates executives and operates from corporate headquarters in Collierville, Tennessee. In fiscal year 2007, most of the funds donated to the foundation were channeled to Volunteers of America and to Boys & amp; Girls Clubs of Memphis.
The Foundation website shows the results of an ongoing customer survey (The Children's Health Study The Juice Plus) which shows the relationship between Juice Plus consumption and the general improvement in diet and lifestyle habits. The Health Letters of the University of California Berkeley and Stephen Barrett of MLM Watch question the scientific value of the survey, claiming that the Foundation is used primarily as a marketing tool to get families to buy Juice Plus products. The Barrett organization Quackwatch includes JPCRF among the list of "Questionable Research Entities".
See also
- Ineffective list of cancer treatments
References
External links
- Juice Plus - the official website
- Superintendents in Three: Are these health supplement claims increasing? - BBC (video)
- The NSA Sparkling Water System, a home carbonation system previously manufactured by the NSA
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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