Updated 6/6/24. Carnivora is a health supplement derived from the carnivorous Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) that you may have seen advertised online or heard of during radio commercials (such as Coast to Coast AM with George Noory). Carnivora is said to help the immune system function better, or in the words of one YouTube video I saw, “wakes up the immune system and makes it dominant.” Does Carnivora work?” is the question everybody asks me. I've been curious about this product since I first heard the Coast to Coast AM radio commercial, so in this Carnivora review, I will share what I found when I looked at the research. Let's see what we can discover.
Who Makes Carnivora?
The company is called Carnivora Research International its website is Carnivora.com. The Contact Us page of the Carnivora.com website actually lists the emails of a variety of people within the Carnivora organization ―even the owner/CEO of the company, Richard Ostrow.
That level of transparency is rare in the supplement world, and I actually appreciated seeing this. There is no official address for the Carnivora company. There is, however a PO Box address:
- PO Box 1035 Weston CT 06883-0035
This is the same address listed on the BBB file for Carnivora also.
To contact Carnivora call 866 836 8735.
I was curious where Carnivora was made. I was unable to find this answer.
Carnivora Research International is a Better Business Bureau accredited company since 2009. It had a rating of “A+” when this review was updated. The company has been in business since 1981. See the BBB file updates and more 
Carnivora Research
On the Science of Carnivora page of the product website, there are links to many studies that serve as a testament to the benefits of Carnivora. Most of the links were clickable and linked directly to published peer-reviewed studies. I liked that. I looked at all of the studies listed on the Science of Carnivora page and, after which came to these conclusions:
1. The word “Carnivora” does not appear in most of the studies listed
2. Most of the studies listed are test-tube or mouse studies
This means most of the research is not on the supplement
Many of the studies make references to compounds ―such as something called Plumbagin ―but studies of individual/isolated ingredients (in test tubes or lab animals) are not the same thing as human studies on Carnivora itself.
After looking at the evidence presented on the product website, my question is:
American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society states that in 1985, a German oncologist named Helmut Keller who invented Carnivora in the 1970s (and who holds the patent on it) did a study involving 210 people with various types of cancer. Dr. Keller noted that 56% of people treated with the Carnivora extract experienced either remission or stabilization of their tumors. That's really impressive, but the ACS said the study has not been replicated.
I was not able to locate this study.
Why didn't Dr. Keller replicate his findings?
To be fair, it is disappointing that the American Cancer Society themselves did not attempt to replicate this study. The ACS did say the study was published, so I assume they have read it.
If anyone can show me the published study of Dr. Keller and Carnivora, I'll be happy to update this review.
A study published in 2013 reviews various compounds in Venus flytrap as they relate to cancer. This study covers several mouse and tube research investigations on Venus flytrap compounds. It does not mention human studies. The study does not mention Carnivora by name.
Other Carnivora Research
After writing my review, I was contacted by an information specialist at Carnivora, the conversation of which you can read in the comments below. The person informed me that there was additional research on Carnivora performed in Europe 25 years ago. I was told this research was prohibited in the US. I was also told that to read that information, I would have to provide an email address that was not based in either the US or Canada.
It was an odd request. However, I was intrigued by the possibility that additional research existed, so I complied and received the information a few days later. Below is a summary of the documents I received, along with my thoughts on that information.
1. President Regan and Carnivora. I was sent what appears to be, a small page out of a book, that discusses President Regan's use of Carnivora to treat polyps. If this is a book excerpt, there is no citation as to what that book is. In the January 2011 issue of Dr. Rowen's Second Opinion Newsletter (see below for more info), Dr. Rowen says that President Regan “used Carnivora with success to keep malignant polyps from returning in 1985.”
But, according to the website DrZebra.com, President Regan had his polyps surgically removed in 1987. If they were successfully treated by Carnivora in 1985, why did he have surgery to remove the polyps in 1987? Regardless of who is right on this issue, this book excerpt is not a published peer-reviewed study.
2. German Cancer Therapies: Natural and Conventional Medicines that Offer Hope and Healing. This is a book by Dr. Morton Walker, a freelance writer and retired podiatrist, and was published in 2003. I mentioned Dr. Walker in the section about Carnivora and HIV, so see that section also. Chapters 3, 4 
and 5 of that book discusses Carnivora. That said, book chapters sent to me did not contain any peer-reviewed studies to substantiate the claims made in these chapters. As such, we can't tell anything about them.
Remember, I had to provide a non-USA-based email address to receive all of the information discussed in this section. I don’t see why I had to do this because this book is available on Amazon.
3. Comments of Dr. Daniel Kinner, OMD, L.Ac. On His Personal Clinical Experience Using Carnivora, Venus Flytrap Extract. This appears to be a letter dated March 8, 2000, from Dr. Kinner to Carnivora Research International. According to his website, DanKennerresearch.com, Dr. Kinner holds a Ph.D. in Naturopathic Medical Science and is an Oriental Medical Doctor (OMD). He is also a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac).
In the letter, Dr. Kinner speaks of the experiences of his patients who used Carnivora. All the experiences were positive. But, since this is just a letter, it is not a published peer-reviewed study and amounts to just a testimonial, in my view.
4. The Townsend Letter for Doctors. This appears to be an alternative medicine newsletter (published in the US) and the issue that was sent to me is dated May 1992. I am not sure who wrote this article. There is a reference circled in the document, which I imagine is proof of what is stated in the newsletter. The reference circled is titled:
Kreher B, “Structure elucidation of plumbagin-analagues from Dionaca Muscipula and their immunomodulating activities in vitro and in vivo. International Symposium: Molecular Recognition, Sopron, Hungry, August 24-27, 1988.”
From the title, it appears this citation represents a study that was presented at a science convention. While presenting information is good in that it helps disseminate information to the scientific community, it does not mean that the information has gone through the peer-review process.
Regardless, this is not a human study. I was not sent any peer-reviewed studies of this information either, so it appears that this investigation was never peer-reviewed. Why was this information never published in a medical journal?
5. Dr. Robert Rowen's Second Opinion Newsletter, dated August 2004. This is just a newsletter where a doctor discusses what he knows and has observed about Carnivora. It also mentions Dr. Kenner (see point #3). Unfortunately, there are no peer-reviewed references in the attached newsletter either.
6. Dr. Robert Rowen's Second Opinion Newsletter, dated July 2009. In this issue of the newsletter, Carnivora is also discussed but it doesn’t say anything new. It just appears to be a rehash of Ronald Reagan and other people who said they were helped by Carnivora.
7. Dr. Robert Rowen's Second Opinion Newsletter. This newsletter is dated January 2011. Again, this is just a newsletter.
8. Molecular Recognition: Carnivora a New Discovery. This document is dated 1988. In the email I received, I was told that this is a clinical study. But, there is no author and no citation about where this is published. I don’t know if “Molecular Recognition” is the title of a journal or a chapter in a book or a private, internal document. This does not look like any published peer-reviewed study I've ever seen.
9. Comparison of lymphocytes subpopulation in various cancer therapies. This document is said to be a European clinical study, however it is not peer-reviewed and does not appear to be published in any medical journal. While it has a couple of graphs, the document appears for the part, to be a letter dated February 13, 1995, written by someone (who, I don’t know) to Dr. Helmut Keller.
There were other documents sent to me also that were said to be “European studies” however they don’t appear to be published in any medical journal.
Unfortunately, none of the documents sent to me are to the level that I would accept as “proof”, which is published, peer-reviewed research.
Carnivora and Dr. C. Joe Schneller
One YouTube video about Carnivora features Dr. C. Joe Schneller who said he is doing a study of how 3 capsules a day of Carnivora “wakes up the immune system and makes it dominant.”
The video was uploaded on June 16, 2011, but it appears to not yet be completed or published, as it is not listed on the Carnivora website or listed in the National Library of Medicine. Likewise, when I did a Google search for:
“Dr. Schneller Carnivora study,”
No study was revealed. I will update this review with his study and its results if it gets published.
Let's next look at some of the major reasons people might be interested in Carnivora and attempt to find clinical studies for those uses. That way, those interested in specific issues can get an idea of whether Carnivora might be right for them.
Carnivora and The Immune System
Carnivora is primarily marketed as something that can improve/modulate the immune system. Ironically, when I searched the National Library of Medicine for “Carnivora” no relevant studies showed up. So, I searched the National Library of Medicine for these specific words to see if there were any research:
- Venus flytrap immune
- Venus flytrap immunity
- Venus flytrap immune system
- Venus flytrap phagocytosis (refers to how some immune cells work)
- Venus flytrap antibody
- Venus flytrap B cell (B cells are a type of immune cell)
- Venus flytrap T cell (T cells are a type of immune cell)
- Dionaea Muscipula immune
- Dionaea Muscipula immune system
- Dionaea Muscipula immunity
- Dionaea Muscipula phagocytosis
- Dionaea Muscipula antibody
- Dionaea Muscipula B cell
- Dionaea Muscipula T cell
No studies showed up for any of these search terms.
This may mean Venus flytrap/ Dionaea Muscipula might not have been specifically studied for its effects on how it improves the immune system.
So why is it being marketed to boost immunity?
One of the compounds in the Venus flytrap is called Plumbagin. Some websites even claim that Plumbagin is the active ingredient in Carnivora.
Plumbagin does have some research. For example, Plumbagin has been studied for its possible anti-cancer effects. When I searched the National Library of Medicine for:
“Plumbagin immune” (click the link to see the studies) I saw a lot of studies, but most of them were conducted in test tubes or used lab mice.
What I didn't see was a study showing that Plumbagin (oral or injected) prevented the flu or improved arthritis symptoms ―or improved any other immune system-related condition ―in humans.
Carnivora and AIDS
Since Carnivora is touted to improve the immune system, a logical question would be Does it help HIV/AIDS? On one website that discusses this topic, a 1994 magazine article titled, The Carnivora Cure for Cancer, AIDS and Other Pathologies” published in Immune Perspectives, is mentioned. In this article, it's said that Carnivora caused the ” total elimination of the HIV virus.”
I tried to locate this article but I could not find it.
Additionally, I was not able to find a peer-reviewed journal called “Immune Perspectives” either. In fact, I could not find ANY magazine called “Immune Perspectives.”
The author of this article was Dr. Morton Walker, whose website is DrMortonWalker.com. I believe this is the doctor associated with the Immune Perspectives article. However, when I searched his site for the article it does not appear there either.
I then searched the National Library of Medicine for these words:
- Venus flytrap AIDS
- Venus flytrap HIV
- Dionaea Muscipula AIDS
- Dionaea Muscipula HIV
This search revealed no studies either.
I did locate a 2002 study titled Inhibitory effects of quinones on RNase H activity associated with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase that noted that Plumbagin (one of the compounds in Venus flytrap, as well as other plants) inhibited an enzyme that is needed for HIV to replicate. While this is interesting, the study was over a decade ago and was basically just a test-tube study.
Because of the lack of published research on this topic, I am unfortunately forced to conclude for the moment that there is no good proof that Carnivora or Venus flytrap extracts improve immune function in those with HIV/AIDS.
Some say black seeds can cure HIV. Here is a video I created about that research
Carnivora and Cancer
Can this supplement help people with cancer? I searched the National Library of Medicine for “Carnivora Cancer” but didn’t see any studies that specifically investigated Carnivora―itself― for how it might help cancer.
This is ironic because many websites relate the story of how former President Ronald Reagan used Carnivora to prevent cancer. Mr. Reagan still had part of his colon removed because of colon cancer. So, if he did use Carnivora, how significant of an effect did it have on his cancer?
Regardless, some of the compounds (such as Plumbagin) in Venus flytrap have been studied for how they might affect cell growth. But, in these studies, Plumbagin is used as an isolated compound (which is different than Carnivora which contains a variety of compounds). Also, most research on Plumbagin appears to be in the form of test-tube/Petri dish studies or lab animal studies.
I'm not aware of any studies in humans showing that Plumbagin cures cancer or slows cancer growth.
Also, how much Plumbagin is in Carnivora? I don’t know, but either way, it's irrelevant at this point because of the lack of published studies on humans.
For a more in-depth discussion, see this 2013 review titled Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula Solander ex Ellis) Contains Powerful Compounds that Prevent and Cure Cancer. When I read this study, I noticed that it never mentions the name Carnivora or the name of Dr. Helmut Keller, the creator of Carnivora.
Carnivora and Arthritis
I did a Google search for “Carnivora and arthritis” and noticed that some websites mention that Carnivora has been used in Germany as a treatment for arthritis. But, when I looked at the various websites that discuss this issue, none that I saw included any studies to substantiate that Carnivora helps arthritis. They show no proof.
Likewise, I could not find any evidence when I searched the National Library of Medicine either. Maybe it helps or maybe it doesn’t but until studies are published, I believe the idea of Carnivora helping arthritis is open to speculation.
What About GI Issues?
Proof that the supplement improves digestion or helps people with intestinal problems could not be located.
Carnivora and Lupus
I searched the National Library of Medicine for these words:
- Carnivora lupus
- Dionaea Muscipula lupus
- Venus flytrap lupus
- Plumbagin lupus
No studies showed up. Unfortunately, it appears that there is no good proof, as yet, to determine if Carnivora helps lupus.
Carnivora and Fibromyalgia
Some websites discuss Carnivora as a possible treatment for fibromyalgia pain, but those sites provide no good proof of this. Likewise, when clinical databases were searched, no proof could be located.
Carnivora and Lyme Disease
Various websites discuss that the supplement might help Lyme disease but when proof of this cant' be located. Until that research is conducted, it's impossible to say if it helps or doesn’t.
Carnivora and Alzheimer's
Is there any proof this supplement helps dementia? Evidence cannot be located. I can't find any good proof that the Carnivora improves memory or helps people with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
Carnivora and Cats
Some clinical evidence suggests Carnivora can help cats with Feline Herpes Virus 1 (FHV-1), a viral infection that can cause respiratory problems in cats. Researchers in 2016 published titled Effects of Administration of Carnivora on Clinical Signs in Cats After Repeat Challenge with Feline Herpesvirus 1 (click to read pdf).
This investigation appeared to show cats treated with Carnivora had fewer upper respiratory symptoms than cats treated with a placebo. Here is a summary of the study and the results:
Study Summary
- The study involved 16 young adult cats (2 years of age).
- All the cats had FHV-1 for one year before the study.
- The cats were randomly split into a group that took Carnivora for or a placebo for 56 days.
- After treatment, all cats were exposed to the FHV-1 virus.
Study Results
- Cats treated with Carnivora were observed to have fewer upper respiratory tract symptoms than the cats that received the placebo.
Interestingly, the researchers also noted that “no clinically significant differences when comparing serum biochemical values from the Carnivora treated cats before and after treatment.” If I understand this correctly, it seems even though Carnivora appeared to reduce FHV-1 symptoms, it did not kill the virus.
The study does not specifically mention any effect on the immune system cells. That is unfortunate, given the immune-modulating reputation of Carnivora.
The authors state the study was supported by the makers of Carnivora, but that the company did not take any part in the study. That is good. I'm glad they are sponsoring research.
Does It Detox Your Body?
Some websites advocate Carnivora as part of a detox or “cleanse” to rid the body of harmful parasites and waste. These websites, however, give no good proof the supplement does this.
If Carnivora did boost the immune system, then I could understand how an enhanced immune system might be better at killing off bacteria/viruses. But, we will need clinical studies on this topic to know for sure.
Carnivora Side Effects
In healthy people, I believe Carnivora is safe. The Carnivora.com website states “There are no known contraindications using Carnivora with any prescription drugs (or other dietary supplements).” This doesn't mean there aren't any side effects. It just means the company isn't aware of any.
While it probably is safe, here is a list of things to consider when taking this supplement. This list is not complete.
- Speak to your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The company also mentions this and specifically says the supplement “is contraindicated for mid to late-term pregnancy.”
- Stop taking at least 2 weeks before having surgery. This is sage advice for all supplements too.
- Start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you respond.
- If you take blood thinner drugs, speak to your doctor/pharmacist. The product website also mentions this although they seem to not like blood thinners at all, calling them “toxic.” I'm not sure I'd go that far. The website also states blood may become too thin if taking combining blood thinner meds with high doses (20+ per administration) of Pure Extract drops.
Doctors in 2014, reported the case of a 30-year-old man with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (a type of cancer) who developed kidney failure after using the supplement for about a year. This seems to be the first case of this ever reported.
The supplement website used to discuss the possibility of a Herxheimer reaction occurring if people use too much too soon. The herxheimer reaction refers to a temporary increase in adverse symptoms. This is said to be the result of the Venus flytrap extract killing the infection. The condition was originally attributed to the treatment of syphilis with antibiotics, but it might occur with other conditions as well.
Amazon Reviews
Looking at Amazon reviews, the supplement had a rating of 4.3 out of 5-star rating with over 1500 ratings. Over 60% gave it a 5-star rating and 14% gave the
supplement a 4 star rating. Most reviews are those who made verified purchases.
How Much Extract Per Capsule?
Each bottle contains 100 capsules. Each capsule has 125 mcg of carnivore extract. The website for the supplement lists 125 mcg, taken three times per day, as the optimal intake for preventive uses.
How Much Does Carnivora Cost?
When I checked the product's website, each bottle, which contained 100 capsules, was $39.95 + shipping. The shipping options are:
- Priority Mail: $8.09
- FexEx 2Day: $28.64
- FedEx Standard Overnight $37.55
This would be in addition to the cost. Here are the available price options:
- 2 bottles: $79.90
- 3 bottles: $107.85
- 4 bottles: 143.80
- 5 bottles: 179.75
- 6 bottles: $215.70
- 7 bottles: $251.65
- 8 bottles: 287.60
- 9 bottles: $323.55
- 10 bottles $359.50
Purchasing 3 or more bottles entitles ou to a $4 discount per bottle. A free bottle is included as a bonus for those who purchase 5 or more bottles.
Each bottle of liquid Carnivora extact is $44.95. Each bottle contains 1 oz (30 ml).
Where To Buy Carnivora
The official company name is Carnivora Research International, and the website is Carnivora.com. It can be purchased directly from the company.
This supplement is not sold in stores like Walmart, CVS, Walmart, Costco, Walgreen's, or CVS. It is sold on Amazon.
Carnivora vs. The Competition
It should come as no surprise that when something gets popular, others will pop up with their own Venus flytrap supplements. There are others out there. However, there is no research comparing the benefits of Carnivora to other Venus flytrap supplements.
To the company's credit, they have sponsored some research on their supplement. That gives them an advantage over other similar venus fly trap supplements.
It's unknown how the supplement compares to other immune boosters such as Dr. Zelenko's Z-Stack vitamin formula or the ever-popular elderberry.
Carnivora Pro & Con
| Pro | Con |
|---|---|
| Very good better business bureau rating | Limited clinical research |
| BBB accredited business | Lots of internet hype |
| company CEO engages with customers |
Research I'd Like To See
1. Randomly give the supplement -or placebo – to 10 people before and after measuring concentrations of various white blood cells. Let's see if anything changes.
2. Give the supplement or a placebo to 10 people with fibromyalgia and measure their pain levels before and after treatment.
3. Randomly give the supplement or placebo to 10 people with arthritis and measure their pain levels before and after treatment.
Each of these questions could be answered in a few months. It wouldn't cost much to do either. Hopefully, I just gave graduate students an idea for a dissertation topic (hint, hint).
Does Carnivora Work?
I don't know if Carnivora works or not because I don’t see human research either way. The research I found supporting one of its main ingredients (plumbagin) appears to be limited to lab animals or test-tube studies. While I remain skeptical, it's probably safe for most people, and I'm intrigued enough to hope future studies are conducted to understand this supplement better.
Could it be that the kidney failure that developed in the person with lymphoma who had taken Carnivora for one year be a result of mainstream medical treatment, radiation and chemo?
Tchirnin, Im not sure. it appears the kidney issues developed before chemo occurred. He was taking other medications also and that may have contributed to the kidney problems. The good news is that this appears to be an isolated incident. I highly doubt it would occur in a healthy person.
Thanks Joe for letting me use your page
Joe, I have some unopened bottles of Carnivora for someone who s using it. They can have them for the cost of postage
Mr. Hall, I’ll take you up on your kind offer.
How about me sending you a money order for $10.00?
Just let know where to mail it.
TIA.
roywunderlich@mac.com
I’ll take those unopened bottles, for the cost of shipping
contact me with details. drbrucemac@hotmail.com
Sorry to all those who want the pills but they have be spoken for. First come, first serve.
Brian, glad it all worked out.
To the Author, If you are at all ‘smart’ you’d understand that Carnivora is a natural plant, and cannot be FDA approved. When it is not “FDA” approved, it is illegal to state claims of cure, honesrly. That’s how the crooked government has things set up. Therefore, you will Never see the things you’re looking for.
Hi Jessie, correct under the DSHEA law supplements do not have to be approved by the FDA (unless they deem it to contain a “new dietary ingredient”) but that doesn’t mean one can’t do clinical research on products.
What gets me crazy about these ads are how edited they are. If you remember from a few years ago, the ads were just people talking. Now they add some background music. But why?
It’s because, IMHO, that it helps hide the fact that these ads, which seem to be statements from users, are REALLY edited. They’re edited, for example, to remove why the person was taking it…”I stopped worrying about the anticipation of having ” (paraphrase).
This is very easily heard when listening to the ads with headphones online, like on iHeartRadio. You can hear the edits. You can hear when there’s a cut in the seemingly continuous sentence..many times, there’s several edits.
Then there’s the add that says back in 198? and then say the number of years since then…but it’s really 3 years later now, so the ad was created 3 years ago, and they still run it.
So, if I don’t know what these people have, or how this product’s supposed to help. But buyer beware!
Edits probably done to conform with FDA standards, as they cannot legally say their product is intended to prevent, treat or cure any disease.
i have cancer and am willing to try supplements. i researched cottage cheese and flax seed oil. it has studies but i can’t believe this will cure cancer in 6 weeks. i would try Carnivora but you have cast doubt on its usefulness. by the way venus fly traps grow in a small region of north carolina.
Hi Dave, I will say a prayer for you today that you beat cancer. Do stay positive. There have been great strides in cancer treatment. If you do decide to try Carnavora, I truly hope it helps you.
Hello from a hospital pharmacist in Canada. Please be aware that I have a young, healthy, active patient on no medication who started taking Carnivora and is now in Heart Failure. Has anyone heard of similar cases?
Hi Alison, I have never heard of that happening to anyone.
I’ve also heard the radio ads and they drive me crazy — I worked in law for a dozen years and can hear how they push their product with ZERO specificity; I thought the addition of “Used successfully by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s” was a particularly brash and useless statement, and sure to boost sales by invoking the name Reagan.
However, lately I’ve been researching an off-label prescription my son has been taking for his recently diagnosed autoimmune disease (Still’s), known as Low-Dose Naltrexone (LDN), and I recognized many of the statements by Carnivora closely echo the purported benefits of LDN. This is why I actually looked up Carnivora, to see if they used LDN (apparently they do not); at least there are ongoing studies and measured reports of LDN’s mechanism in the body’s reaction to this drug.
But because of Carnivora, I know cringe every time I hear “Immune modulation.” I do hope the product helps people, but I wish it would be studied. I wouldn’t touch this stuff without better research. Thank you, Joe, for doing all this research for people! 🙂
Heidi, you are very welcome and thank you for sharing.
Recently there is a lot of advertising for carnivora on the radio. Like yourself, I tried to find additional information either proving or disproving its effectiveness. Unfortunately, I could not find any. That being said, I decided to try it anyway and also I have a small dog who has had a tumor removed that seems to be the first stage of cancer.
I communicated with the company and they sent me a separate sheet going over the dosage for the dog. I will start her on it this week and it will be interesting to see if her white blood count goes up after its use. She will see the vet in June so I will provide an update at that time.
Thank you Bruce. I hope your dog improves.
I’m currently trying Carnivora because of severe arthritis pain in my fingers. I’m in my third week and I think it is really helping. I too am concerned that there is so little information on this product, but I only got a small amount of relief by cutting gluten and dairy from my diet (though I admit I do cheat a little).
My arthritis pain has decreased 80% over the past two weeks, and now into the third week (3 capsules, 3 x per day) I am VERY happy. Finger swelling is way down and a joint cyst disappeared after the first week on the product. Is it the Carnivora? It well could be.
Pauline, thanks for sharing. I am happy that you are getting some relief from it.
I have been told by a nutrition expert that the product is good for some people. I don’t like their prices, probably due in part to their heavy advertising, which is kind of fraudulent. For example, they were running an ad that referred to President Reagan’s and muted the word cancer 2 times in the ad. They may have done that because of legalities.
I called the company one time and got very bad vibes when speaking to an executive there. I have been trying to find Venus Fly Trap from another source. Please let me know if you know of someone selling it for a more affordable price.
Gordon, was the nutrition expert you spoke with a dietitian? Just curious because titles like “nutritionist” and nutrition expect are a bit vague and almost anyone in the US can use these titles. Again, Im just curious.
Other than Carnivora, I’m not aware of any other venus fly trap products.
I see you deleted my link to my post over at my blog concerning “Carnivora”. I am not “Anti” anything, except, perhaps the Carnivora product since I regard it as a fraud perpetrated on consumers. It is heavily marketed and people can believe what what they will.
My blog host absolutely NO malware and the reason that it has a agree and consent gateway is because I host some “Adult Content” on some of the posts, not suitable for minora and I do tend to use adult language to make my point in some cases.
Supplement Geek is a great resource and I really enjoyed this fine article on Carnivora and the hours of research spent on getting to the bottom of this product. Thank you for your time and I did not mean to offend anyone with my “opinions”. They were just that, “opinions”.
Please do not click on that link by “Warrior” if you are using ipad (just don’t click on it, period). The link is a scam. Joe please edit out that link or just delete that post.
If anyone on ipad click on that link, please do not click on any “pop-ups”. Hit the home button to get out of Safari, go do this on your ipad..
Settings -> Safari -> Clear History and Website Date (click on this)
..now can go back into Safari and everything will be cleared.
John S.
John S, really. I had no idea. I went to the site and didn’t have any issues -other than having to say i was over 18. I didnt click on anything. I’ve removed the site from his comment.
I read this and didn’t feel this gentleman had any agenda but the truth. Rather than be disappointed with him, it seems a “thank you” is more appropriate. I left his article with no bias for or against carnivora. I am thankful for his efforts.
Jim, thanks. I sincerely appreciate you saying that.
With all do respect, these comments appear to be a cheap shot against Mr. Ostro. My mother and I have used it for nearly a year and a half. Neither of us has required antibiotics for anything during this time. Colds are substantially shorter lived.
I have not missed time from my legal work or my workouts. Given that this product appears to have near miraculous properties, I wouldn’t care where the raw ingredients come from so long as they are not contaminated with heavy metals or toxic substances. I am also aware that this product is being used by Mr. Larry Nichols, former aid to the Clintons. He has stage IV lung cancer that had spread into his spinal column.
After starting alternative medicine therapies including IV ozone, IV baking soda and Carnivora, he has no trace of cancer left in his spinal column and his condition is improving. Personally I don’t like people attempting to discredit something that they know nothing about.
Raymond P. Kot II, Esq I read the review and no one is discredit anything, it is a honest review of the product and the lack of studies. Like Joe said this would be so easy to study it makes you wonder why this company hasn’t done published studies. if it works for you then Awesome if it works for 50% of the people who use it Awesome.
But if it is that good do some studies and get it out to millions of other people to help them. just think of the millions or if no millions hundreds of thousands of dollars this company makes…. They should take a little bit of that money and do some double blind studies.
Oh and the reason they don’t put their physical address for security reasons, just in case some angry user decides to got and pay them a visit. We do this all the time in the security business (publish a alias office)
The IV ozone is proven to slow down growth of cancer by my observations of cancer patients while I am receiving IV treatments for Lyme disease. I have seen length and quality of life improved.
Funny that Rodney would leave you a link to that podcast just a couple of days before I left my comment. Did not realize you had 17 pages’ worth of comments, took me quite a while to get back there! Glad to hear that Carnivora is cloning their stock, but I’ve read elsewhere about their charging some very hefty prices. I’m sure that less reputable operators try to take short cuts to get a piece of that action.
A friend at the North Carolina Botanical Garden informed me today that poaching for medicinals might be only the second-biggest threat to the flytrap’s survival in the wild at this point, behind poaching for retail/nursery trade.
Joshua, yes it was quite a coincidence and I thank Rodney for that podcast. I really had no idea that Venus fly traps were being poached from North Carolina -or even that they grew in N. Carolina either.
The company is under another company called Paradime Limited Inc. website from the BBB listing is as follows.
http://fdazilla.com/inspections/database/search?q=Paradime%20Limited%20Inc.%20dba%20Carnivora%20Research%20International
CJ Peace, I was not aware of that alternative name. Thanks for the heads up.
What bothers me about this whole “Carnivora” business is that it depends on the Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula), a very rare plant. It’s worldwide distribution is just a few states of the USA, and within those states, found only in very specific and ephemeral habitat. Its habitat is highly sensitive to disturbance, also required periodic burning or else it will be lost to succession, and much of it has already been destroyed by the timber industry, development, fire suppression and other human impacts. Poaching from wild populations is tragically frequent.
Even if Carnivora and other supplements are using captive-grown plants to generate their extracts, just making people think that Venus’ Flytraps are some sort of “miracle cure” is bound to increase poaching, especially if the medicinal products are priced as highly as they apparently are.
It is totally irresponsible to be marketing these products without any reference to the importance of using captive-raised plants and protecting the few remaining wild populations, and doubly irresponsible if these are being marketed in the absence of any peer-reviewed research showing their effectiveness. It’s no better than the idiots who consume rhino horn, shark fins, tiger testicles, or pangolin body parts, driving these species toward extinction based on Asian superstitions with little basis in fact.
Joshua, thanks for sharing. I happened to listen to the “That’s Criminal” podcast that was brought to my attention about the Venus fly trap. I was quite surprised to learn as you already know Im sure -that the plant is rare and that N. Carolina is one of the states it grows. The podcast does say that much of what is used in Carnavora appears to be cloned. Its a fascinating podcast. Just scroll up and you’ll see it listed.
Well I am into supplements, work-out and healthy eating/living (no GMO’s, lots of organics, ion exchange whey protein, etc.), I can testify to the fact this product does aid with shortening the duration of the common cold (along with Umcka). Established medicine does not offer anything for the common cold, the products that I use generally reduce symptom duration to four or five days, from the standard week or so (without taking time off from work or World Gym).
Also, in my opinion, a cold will not turn into something worse like a sinus infection (like I formerly routinely suffered from while in school). No soar throats, no sinus infections, no fever, just a very runny nose (I assume a healthy immune response to the cold virus) and an occasional little cough from the “drippings.”
I can honestly say outside of a couple of dental needs and my ruptured appendix, I have not required an antibiotic since 2001. Most people that I know require an antibiotic every year to two. While not all of this can be attributed to Carnivora, the concept of modulating and boosting the immune system seems like common sense.
Even established medicine has turned to this direction for cancer treatments. Just look at the MD Anderson commercials, plain old radiation and chemo are becoming a thing of the past for cancer care too.
http://thisiscriminal.com/episode-five-dropping-like-flies-4-24-2014/
A website that does research on topics involving crime called This is Criminal has a podcast about Poaching the Venus Flytrap in No Carolina – Episode 5 called ‘Dropping Like Flies’ . Owner of Carnivora – Richard Ostro has a short interview in this podcast. They apparently did get Venus Flytraps from No Carolina “8-9 years ago it says” He says it is now made from Tissue Cloning/Tissue Culturing in China and/or Netherlands.
Since Dec 1, 2014 There is now a law there that poachers of Venus Fly can get up to two years in prison.
Some Carnivora commercials really lay into the “Ronald Reagan brought Carnivora to the White House” Someone should call-in and mention that he had surgery to remove his polyps after beginning use and his son says he may have been showing signs of Alzheimer’s not long after that.
Rodney, thanks for the info. I didn’t know about the N. Carolina law. I love podcasts and just downloaded this one. I’ll be listening to it this week 🙂