Update 7/10/20. Plexus Slim is billed as an “affordable weight management product” that boasts “no ill side effects” based on “extensive clinical research.” Impressive, but does PlexusSlim work or is it a scam? And does it really have no side effects? I was tipped off to Plexus Slim by one of the readers of this website. After looking at its ingredients, I wanted to write a review of Plexus Slim because of the words used to describe the product and because Plexus Slim seemed to have ingredients that I have never heard of before. Let's see what we can discover about this weight loss drink. Also read my review of the Plexus Accelerator Plus (Accelerator +) and Plexus Boost, Plexus ProBio5 and Plexus Hunger Control after you read this, for additional information.
Update: The formula for Plexus Slim was changed a bit since this review was written so also read the review of the new plexus slim formula.
Who Makes Plexus Slim?
According to the Better Business Bureau, the company that makes Plexus Slim – Plexus Worldwide Inc. – was started in 2005 in Arizona. The address of the company is 7440 E. Karen Dr. #400, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.
Update. PlexusWorldWide.com, the company website, now lists this corporate address: 15649 N. Greenway Hayden Loop Scottsdale, AZ 85260. Googling this address shows a large building that says “Plexus Slim” on the outside. That's good.
Update. The Better Business Bureau now lists this address for the company: 9145 E Pima Center Pkwy Scottsdale, AZ 85258-4627
The BBB gives Plexus Slim a rating of “A+” See the BBB file for updates and other information.
To buy Plexus Slim it looks like you either have to buy it from the company or through a PlexusSlim distributor. They call Plexus Slim distributors “Ambassadors“. On the Plexus Slim website, they have a calendar of Plexus Slim events.
These events serve not only to sell Plexus Slim but also to recruit new Ambassadors. Plexus Slim has a multi-level marketing (MLM) aspect to it.
I have no problem with MLM. If the product is reputable, MLM allows people to make an income which can be significant.
Plexus Slim Nutrition Information
In an effort to keep this review up to date, here are the ingredients in Plexus Slim as they appeared in 2016. According to the label shown on the product website, each packet of Plexus Slim has the following nutrition information and ingredients:
Ingredient | Amount Per Serving | Percent Daily Value |
---|---|---|
Calories | 10 calories | |
Total Carbohydrdate | 3 grams | 1% DV |
Chromium Polynicotinate | 200 micrograms | 167% DV |
Plexus Slim Blend (composed of the following) | 530 mg | N/A |
Garcinia Cambogia Fruit Extract | ||
Green Coffee Bean Extract | ||
Alpha Lipoic Acid |
In the table above, N/A means no daily value established.
Each of the ingredients will be summarized below. I will leave in the summaries of the ingredients present in the original plexus slim formula too to help others doing their own research.
See the review of the new plexus slim formula too.
Plexus Slim Ingredients
Polydextrose
This is a type of soluble fiber. In theory, this might help weight loss since it has no calories and is a type of fiber. Polydextrose might cause gas and bloating.
Citric Acid
In some products, citric acid is used as a preservative and to enhance flavor. While it naturally occurs in citrus fruits, its use in foods/ supplements may be from natural or synthetic means.
Beet Root
If Plexus Slim uses the entire beetroot, the fiber content of the beetroot might help foster some weight loss because it adds bulk to the stomach contents. That said, I can't locate any evidence that beetroot helps people lose weight. The product label states the beetroot is to give the product color. Beets do have a red color. Beetroot probably contributes to the pink color of the product.
Beets and beetroot juice have gotten attention from the scientific community because of their ability to raise nitric oxide, a compound that can relax blood vessels, allowing blood to more easily travel through the body. See my review of SuperBeets for more on this topic.
Grape Skin Extract
Grape skin contains phytonutrients such as proanthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins which act as antioxidants. While this is very good, does grape skin extract help people lose weight? Other than having some fiber (which might act as a laxative) I can't find any proof that it does.
Update. I'm told Plexus Slim no longer contains grape skin extract
Lo Han Extract
The scientific name for this ingredient is Siraitia grosvenorii. This is also called “lou han guo” and “monk fruit.” By either name, it's often used as a sweetener. This ingredient, like steveia below, is likely added for flavoring.
Stevia
This is a sweetener. Some supplement companies may call it by another name -“rebaudioside A.”
Stevia is added to many low-calorie foods. In theory, using low calorie (or no-calorie) sweeteners might help weight loss but I'm not sure if this is the answer. There are MANY low-calorie foods and beverages on the US market, yet Americans are not slimmer than they were, say, in the 1980s.
Natural Flavors
They don't tell us what these natural flavors are. To be fair, most companies don't. They don't have to under the law. Regardless, I doubt any of them play a role in weight loss.
Green Coffee Bean
This is also called Chlorogenic Acid. One study published in 2010 noted that chlorogenic acid helped weight loss and increased fat burning when in rats that were fed a high-fat diet (37% of calories from fat).
This is interesting even though it's a rat study. Another rat study also noted that mulberries (which also contain chlorogenic acid) helped the weight loss. But was it the chlorogenic acid – or all the other stuff mulberries?
In one small study 16 overweight people were given either a placebo or different amounts of green coffee extract (which contains chlorogenic acid) at either 700 mg or 1050 mg day for 6 weeks (each person was given each treatment for 6 weeks).
People getting the green coffee extract (both dosage amounts) were shown to have significant reductions in body weight, body mass and percent body fat compared to placebo. The type of green coffee extract used in this study was supplied by Applied Food Sciences Inc.
Retracted
It sounds great BUT, the study has been “retracted.” This means it should not be considered as evidence due to errors with how the study was performed. In the words of the authors, the study was retracted because the authors could not “assure the validity of the data.” Click here to read the retraction.
See the Green Bean Coffee Review for more information.
See the weight loss supplement scam review.
Rosmarinic Acid
This is a plant chemical found in many herbs, including rosemary. This is probably where Rosmarinic Acid gets its name from. Rosmarinic acid has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. I was unable to find any studies showing that Rosmarinic Acid helps weight loss in humans or animals.
Hydroxycinnamic Acid
This compound is an antioxidant but whether or not it contributes to weight loss needs further study.
Garcinia Cambogia
This was originally called “Citrin K” when I first reviewed Plexus Slim. Garcinia cambogia is found in MANY weight loss supplements because of some research that it might reduce appetite and help weight loss. Right now, I think all anyone can say is maybe it works or maybe it doesn't work.
In this study, 500 mg of garcinia Cambogia did not help people lose weight. I mention this because if this study is correct, then it might take more than 500 mg of garcinia Cambogia if it's going to work. The entire proprietary blend in Plexus Slim adds up to 530 mg. While Garcinia Cambogia is the first ingredient listed – which presumably means it makes up the most of the blend – how much that equates to, I cannot say.
See the Garcinia Cambogia review
Also, read the review of supplements linked to liver failure.
Alpha-lipoic Acid
This is an antioxidant and it helps it turn carbs into energy. It can also help regenerate other antioxidants, which is pretty snazzy.
There are a few studies of alpha-lipoic acid and weight loss. In one study, alpha-lipoic acid was randomly given to 360 obese people for 20 weeks. Half got a placebo and half got alpha-lipoic acid (either 1200 mg/day or 1800 mg per day). Those getting alpha-lipoic acid lost more weight than those who got the placebo. Basically, people lose about 2% of their body mass.
In another study, 1127 overweight people were given 800 mg of alpha-lipoic acid a day for 4 months. This study noted that alpha-lipoic acid, at the dosage given, helped people lose about 8% of their body weight over 4 months.
So if you were 200 pounds, alpha lipoic acid might help you lose about 200 x .08 = 16 pounds. That is a significant amount in my book.
One possible problem with this study though was that it doesn't appear that there was a placebo group to compare the weight loss too. I was also unable to determine (because I only read the summary of the study) if people combined alpha-lipoic acid with eating fewer calories (I think they might have ).
Alpha-lipoic acid is the last ingredient listed in the proprietary blend. As such, it likely makes up the least of the 530 mg total.
Oxypregnane Steroidal Glycoside
This is a pretty fancy name but you have heard of this stuff before. Oxypregnane steroidal glycoside – is just a fancy way of saying Hoodia! Here is a study that proves that both names mean the same thing.
I think they call it Oxypregnane steroidal glycoside because they are trying to make the product sound different and special. In reality, it's just hoodia Gordonii.
The other fancy name for hoodia is P57AS3 – you have probably seen this listed in other supplements as “P57“.
I've already reviewed hoodia and weight loss. Other supplements that I've reviewed previously that contain hoodia include the
For at least 10 years, hoodia Gordonii has been in more weight loss supplements than you can shake a stick at – but there is no good proof that hoodia supplements help people lose weight.
Study. Researchers gave hoodia or a placebo to 50 overweight people for 2 weeks. The people in the study were allowed to eat as much as they wanted from a menu provided by the researchers. Results: hoodia did not cause any weight loss.
While no serious side effects were reported, researchers did note that people who got hoodia had higher blood pressures and heart rates compared to people who got the placebo. Hoodia also seems to cause elevations in bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. What caused these changes I do not know.
Update. Plexus slim no longer contains hoodia. See my review on the New Plexus Slim Formula for more info on how it has changed.
Chromium Polynicotinate
Plexus slim contains a type of chromium they call “amino nicotinate”. This is fancy talk for “chromium nicotinate”. (it is now called “chromium polynicotinate on the label).
You may have heard Dr. Oz talk about chromium polynicotinate on TV. I reviewed what Dr Oz had to say about this form of chromium and I am guessing that this is why Plexus Slim includes chromium nicotinate over the sometimes more popular, chromium picolinate.
Chromium may help lower blood sugar levels but as for its effects on weight loss, I am highly skeptical. For more on chromium, see my reviews of chromium weight loss research and chromium polynicotinate.
Blood Sugar Lowering Ingredients
As a quick reference, the following ingredients might reduce blood sugar:
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Chromium nicotinate (now called chromium polynicotinate)
Fiber Ingredients
As a quick reference, the following ingredients all might add fiber to Plexus Slim:
- Polydextrose
- Grape skin (no longer in plexus slim) See my review of the new PS formula.
- Hoodia (maybe. no longer in Plexus Slim)
How Much Does Plexus Slim Cost?
One of the slogans for Plexus Slim is “At last, an affordable weight management product.” I guess that depends on how you define “affordable”. On the Plexus Slim website, they have different prices depending on whether you want to buy it just once or be billed each month automatically.
If you want to buy Plexus Slim one time only, its $84.95. If you want to be billed automatically at the 15th of each month, Plexus Slim is $79.95/ month.
Is Plexus Slim OK When Breast-Feeding?
Some women have wondered if they can take Plexus Slim while they are breastfeeding? That's not something I would recommend because if any of the ingredients in Plexus Slim pass into breast milk, then their baby will be getting those ingredients too.
I don't know for sure if any of the ingredients do get absorbed into breast milk, so I do recommend that women take the ingredients in Plexus Slim to their doctor to see if they can get a better answer.
How Much Caffeine?
The Plexus Slim Nutrition label states that it has less than 2% of naturally occurring caffeine. My guess is that the caffeine comes from the green coffee bean extract because this statement is listed next to the green coffee bean ingredient on the label. I'm not sure how much 2% natural caffeine equals.
Plexus Slim and ADHD
Since writing this review I've heard that this product may be marketed to help Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A search on Google reveals several testimonials from people saying that it helps. I became curious and searched for “Plexus ADHD research.” I searched Google for this phrase and I also searched the National Library of Medicine too.
I saw no clinical studies on this topic. Therefore, whether it Plexus helps ADHD or not is unknown as far as I can tell. Nobody appears to have undertaken the chore of taking this stuff into the lab and actually tried to really see if it helps or not.
The same thing also seems to be true for bipolar disorder and depression. I cannot find any evidence Plexus Slim directly helps either of these conditions either.
Having said that, lack of evidence doesn't necessarily mean something does not work. Rather, it just means that it seems that, other than testimonials (from people most of us don't know), there doesn't seem to be any good proof for it yet.
How To Contact Plexus Slim
PlexusWorldWide lists this contact phone number: 480-998-3490 which people can call 6 AM-6 PM (PST) Monday -Friday and 9 AM-2 PM (PST) on Saturday.
How To Return Plexus Slim
Plexus Slim products come with a 60-day money-back guarantee. For those who purchased from Plexus Ambassadors, contact that person for details on how to return the product, or call the company itself at 480-998-3490.
Does Plexus Slim Have Any Side Effects?
On the Q and A page of the Plexus Slim website (question 7) where it's asked: “Will Plexus Slim interfere or react with any medications or other supplements?” the makers say: ” No. Extensive clinical research has demonstrated no ill side effects with any medications or other supplements.”
Where is all the “extensive clinical research” on Plexus Slim? As far as I can tell, Plexus Slim has NEVER been tested in published studies to see if it interacts with any medication or health condition.
The only study I've seen on Plexus Slim is a summary of a study they show on their website. This is a study from 2008 where they gave the product to 8 people with type II diabetes. Yes, improvements were seen in blood sugar, body weight and other things, but this is not a published, peer reviewed study. As such, there is a lot we are not told about how this study was conducted. It may be the best study in the world, but if we can't see how it was conducted, then it can't be duplicated by other scientists.
That said, in healthy people, I think Plexus Slim (the pink drink product) is safe. Below are some theoretical side effects based on its ingredients.
Grape skin. Some components of grape skin might interfere with medications such as Coumadin (a blood thinner). I'm not aware of any human evidence of this, but because blood thinners can intact with many things, its best to talk to a doctor about this. Update. grape skin is no longer in plexus slim
Chlorogenic acid. This compound might raise homocysteine levels in humans. Homocysteine is a somewhat controversial molecule because some feel it might be linked to heart disease.
See my review of chlorogenic acid for more info.
Citrin K/ Garcinia cambogia. There is some controversial evidence that Garcinia Cambogia may be linked to liver problems. Personally, I'm not yet convinced it does this. For more info on this see my review of garcinia Cambogia.
Alpha-lipoic acid. This ingredient appears to lower blood sugar. Because of this, alpha-lipoic acid might interfere with insulin and other diabetes medications. Alpha-lipoic acid seems to reduce thyroid hormone levels. This can be a problem for people who take Levothyroxin for hypothyroidism (low thyroid).
Hoodia. As I reported in my book on supplements hoodia Gordonii seems to share some chemical similarity to a class of heart drugs called cardiac glycosides. In fact, if you Google “Hoodia and cardiac glycosides.” I don’t know the clinical significance of this. That said, if you have heart or blood pressure issues please see your cardiologist before using any hoodia supplement, just to be safe.
Chromium may lower blood sugar levels. While this can be a good thing, it also means chromium might interact with blood-sugar-lowering medications. This might – in theory – make blood sugar levels to too low.
As a general, blanket statement, I would be cautious if you have any problems with your heart, blood pressure, kidneys, liver, mental disorders, diabetes or digestive problems. I would not recommend Plexus Slim if you had bariatric surgery either. To their credit, the makers of Plexus Slim do say to see your doctor first if you are pregnant. I agree with this.
The Plexus Slim Accelerator
Update: The Accelerator formula has changed significantly and the product is now called Plexus Accelerator Plus (Accelerator +). Do read my review of the Plexus Accelerator Plus for additional information on the new product.
This is another product sold on the Plexus Slim website. The word “accelerator” is a tip-off that this product is a stimulant.
The Plexus Slim Accelerator contains trace minerals, calcium, and magnesium from seaweed (both are useless for weight loss) and vitamin B6 (useless for weight loss). The accelerator also has a “proprietary blend” of:
- Dark Chocolate – won't help weight loss, unless it has caffeine
- Natural Caffeine – natural or not, it's caffeine!
- Green Tea Extract – probably has caffeine or EGCG
- Vanadium Chelate. This is the fancy name for Vanadium. It won't help weight loss.
- B-Phenylethylamine HCl – might act as a neuro-chemical. Avoid if you take antidepressants.
The Plexus Slim Accelerator also has an ingredient called GeranaX. GeranaX is a reference to geranium oil. Geranium oil is controversial in some circles because it is thought by some to be a natural source of a stimulant called Dimethylamylamineor “DMAA. ” It's scientific name is 1,3 Dimethylamylamine and its also called Methylhexaneamine.
The name “GeranaX” is a made-up word. In other words, the name GeranaX holds no scientific meaning.
Geranium has been the subject by scrutiny by the military, whose research finds that geranium does not contain DMAA. Oddly, the supplement 411 website still lists “geranium” as an alternative name for DMAA in its listings. Currently, it is controversial if geranium is a source of DMAA or not.
As of July 2013, the Australian government warned people about the Plexus Slim Accelerator because they say it had DMAA. This link goes to the Australian government website that discusses the Plexus Slim Accelerator and DMAA.
- In April of 2013, the FDA issued a warning letter about DMAA.
- Here is a New York Times article on DMAA for more information.
The ingredient DMAA seems to act like ephedra or bitter orange (synephrine) which are potent stimulants. As such, it may raise blood pressure and heart rate to dangerous levels. Here is a case report of a 21-year-old man who suffered a stroke after taking 2 DMAA pills.
This does not mean plexus slim will do this. It would depend on whether DMAA really is in geranium and also which part of the plant was used (root, stems ect).
Di methy amyl amine “looks” like amphetamines (“speed”). This may be why question 6 of the Plexus Slim Q and A page mentions that this ingredient may cause a positive result on a drug test for amphetamines. Here is a study showing that dimethylamylamine causes false positive drug tests for amphetamines.
Plexus Slim Bio-Cleanse
This is a laxative. Always remember, the word “cleanse” means laxative. The Plexus Slim Bio Cleanse supplement lives up to its laxative name because it contains magnesium, which is indeed a laxative. Remember “Milk of Magnesia.” Either way, laxatives don't cause any weight loss other than mostly water (and of course, poo). The Plexus Slim website lists 2 prices for this product – $29.95 or $39.95 -both of which are too pricey for me.
Plexus Boost
Here is my review of Plexus Boost. I cover a lot of information in this review and I also compare it to the ingredients in Accelerator Plus as well.
Plexus Slim Fast Relief
The Fast Relief product appears to be a pain relief formula that exists in both a cream and capsule form. One of the ingredients in Fast Relief is Lyprinol. This compound comes from the green-lipped mussel, hence the slogan “Full Body Relief, From the Sea-Naturally.” You may know this product by its other name – as Omega XL which is advertised on TV with Larry King.
For more information, see the review of Omega XL.
Will Plexus Slim Work?
Honestly, I'm not if it works because Plexus Slim – itself- has no published proof. If you read the comments below, you'll see some people do say it's helped them lose weight. If it works, is it because of the unique blend of ingredients in Plexus Slim or is it because of just a few key ingredients alone?
Here are Plexus Supplements on Amazon
Denise says
Wayne,
I’m calling BS on your claim that your wife lost 6 dress sizes in only 4 months. And if this is somehow true, then this is an incredibly unhealthy amount of weight to lose in only 4 months. Just admit that you’re a Plexus Sales person.
Shame on you….
Jim M. says
Here is a recent testimonial (comment) from the BBB site.
4/7/2016 My wife ordered Plexus Worldwide products through a family member who is an “ambassador” for the company. The products she used included Plexus Slim, Bio Cleanse, Pro Bio 5 and Plexus Boost. The monthly fee for the triplex plan (Plexus Slim, Bio Cleanse & Pro Bio 5) is roughly $120.00 a month (per person) plus an annual fee of $34.95. My wife saw no results after using the products and, in fact, developed an increased number of headaches. My wife decided to cancel future orders that were on an auto shipment plan. Despite numerous attempts to cancel, our credit card is still being improperly billed. Plexus International offers a “60 day money back guarantee” if the consumer is not satisfied with the product(s) and the company boasts only a 1% return rate on their products. Following my wife’s negative experiences, I decided to research Plexus International and found several online complaints filed by customers who were unsatisfied with the products and or the billing and business practices of Plexus International. Several of the complaints included improperly billing and involved customers who were ignored when they tried to obtain a refund under the “60 day money back guarantee”. I also discovered Plexus Worldwide received a warning letter from the FDA concerning false or misleading advertising practices. In April of 2015, a consumer filed a lawsuit against Plexus Worldwide in California following the discovery of lead in some of the company’s products. While some customers feel they see results after using these products, many others see nothing at all. Plexus Worldwide’s business practices are “shady” to say the least. My motivation in filing this complaint is to protect future unwitting consumers who are duped into false promises of better health and are bilked out of their hard earned money.
Wayne Lane says
Hello folks. I am a nurse and I have seen many, many supplements in the 25 years that I have been nursing. I would not promote any product I do not believe in. I have been taking Plexus slim for about a year now along with ProBio. Theses products have worked wonders for me. I will not say that you will have the same results because we are all all physiologically different.
But what I can say is this; I have seen my wife drop 6 dress sizes in 4 months using these products and even though I don’t need to lose any weight the Plexus Slim gives me energy without heading for the coffee pot when I first get up I have done the same research the geek has but probably not using the same sources.
Go to Plexus’s web site and it will answer any questions you may have. Check out the testimonials and see what Plexus has done for people. I have so much faith in the products that after a year I signed up to spread the word and sell them.
It’s easy to criticize something by cruising the internet but talk to the people that use the products and try them yourself before passing judgement. Plexus is a good company and I believe in them. With a degree in business management and a distrust in all things medical and big business I can honestly say that I have complete confidence in Plexus and their products.
Joe says
Hi Wayne, can you tell us, are you an LPN, RN or nurse practitioner? Just curious. Much success with the business and happy its been helping you and your wife.
Jim M. says
Hi Wayne,
What about the 600+ complaints* to the BBB, should readers look at those as testimonials too? I only ask because their results, experiences with Plexus Slim, etc. are far different than what you post. I am curious what a degree in business management adds to the context of your post or validity of the Plexus Slim products.
Can you tell us where Plexus Slim is manufactured? It looks like may people are experiencing great results with the Omnihealth line of products that are sold exclusively at Walmart.
This gentlemen has 20+ years experience with success selling products via MLM, should we believe him…he has a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering. I would be interested in your thoughts regarding the MLM industry as a whole.
http://attitudeadjustment.tripod.com/Essays/MLM.htm
It would be great if you could answer questions without name calling and providing sources, studies, etc to validate your claims.
* The customer reviews are 80+% negative too.
Jim M. says
Here is a review of the omniheath alternative to Plexus. I am sure all of the ambassadors are excited to see the success this individual has experienced! It’s all about health, right?
Overall awesome product! 1/7/2016
Customer review by catchick56
5.0 stars by catchick56
I was feeling lethargic and depressed, but wanted to begin a new exercise/diet regimen to bust out of my funk and lose some weight. My number one concern was to boost my metabolism so that I would have the energy to be able to exercise. From day one, using the Omnihealth 10-day Weight Management System, I felt more energized. I also experienced a boost in mood. I was completely surprised at the great taste of the Slim Sticks as well as the shakes. No chalky or “mediciny” taste.
I have just completed day 10 and am planning on going to Walmart today to purchase another one! I have lost 6 pounds during the last 10 days, but more importantly, I am energized, my mood is infinitely more positive, my cravings for sugar have drastically reduced, and my overall appetite has decreased. I don’t have one negative thing to say about this product. It is a great product that supports me from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed.
* (I am not, in any way, affiliated with the manufacturers of this product and am not being compensated in any way for this review. I do not post reviews of products unless I feel strongly about them and sadly, most of the time, my reviews have been negative. I am very excited to be able to post an enthusiastically positive review and I hope that it helps those of you who are undecided about purchasing this product).
Michael says
Wayne Lane writes:
“Plexus is a good company and I believe in them.”
Products banned in Australia & Canada. FDA warnings. Lead contamination in products. Former president suing the company. 600+ BBB complaints. Refusal to submit to quality control checks, clinical trials, and no peer-reviewed studies of products. That’s a real good company, right?
You’re an ambassador, sent here by your upline to defend the company. You’re not the first and won’t be the last. You’re unable to answer any questions about the company (like exactly where their products are manufactured) and the best you’ll ever be able to come up with is wild claims.
Jim M. says
“distrust in all things medical”, but Wayne states he is a nurse…things that make you go hmmmm.
Michael says
And how many times have we heard that same song and dance here? Always someone claiming to not trust the FDA or “Big Pharma” when they try to defend Plexus. Its nothing more than a talking point ginned up by their uplines.
Pete says
Ambassadors cannot comprehend that this world would have a hard time existing without “Big Pharma”. Part of the “brainwashing” attributed to PS, and most MLM companies.
Lynn says
I just started taking plexus 2 weeks ago. A friend had told me how wonderful it was. For a week now I have had severe lower back pain. I have been drinking 90 plus ounces of water daily. I have quit drinking plexus starting today. After reading your research I am concerned of kidney issues.
Joe says
Hi Lynn, is that 90 plus oz of water a day – in addition to the other liquids you are drinking? The guidelines for water count fluid sources from everything – coffee, fluids in foods, etc. Why dont you try this. cut back on the water for now. Drink normally. And see your doctor. It can never hurt to do this and it can best pinpoint what might be going on.
Let us all know how it goes.
Kate says
Please STOP using Plexus. It is HARMFUL to your health and there are studies being released advising People to stop using all plexus products because they are unsafe and Plexus and their ambassadors are purposely misbranding to secure more sales. ITS NOT SAFE ITS POISON! and its EXPENSIVE poison.
I used Plexus for 4 months and developed colitis and stomach inflammation. I recovered but another young woman I know did not and at 23 she has a colostomy and PEG tube. Another young man at 19 suffered a series of strokes that have left him with brain damage and all because he was taking Plexus and nothing else. PLEASE PLEASE STOP. The ambassadors are lying. Its not natural or safe.
The medical community is advising all users to stop immediately. Stick with clean eating and take a magnesium supplement. that is all you need. Plexus is poison.
Pete says
Kate
Sorry to hear of you, and your friends bad experiences with PS. Are any lawsuits planned?
Michael says
It is poison for sure. These twits are ingesting it, and worse, giving it to children and claiming it works miracles.
Susan says
I love your honesty Joe! And thanks for doing the research!! I will use your site as I work in a nutrition store and we like to do research on products before we bring them into the store. Dr. Oz gets people in our door then we try to give them truth or I personally like to get to the root cause of some ones issues and recommend what they REALLY need! Which is usually not just a DR Oz fad product. I heard he was backed by GNC?! If that is true then there is your answer of why his show is misleading. But he does get people in our door so I will not complain just give the truth!
Joe says
Hi Susan, happy you are finding my site helpful! Yes, Ive been told by others Dr. Oz drives traffic in stores too. Interestingly, I have not seen him mentioning many supplements since he was in front of Congress back in 2014 or 2015. It looks to me like his show is really making a course change in what they discuss. I’m glad to see that happening.
gretch says
There seems to be a lot of research that you can’t find.
Joe says
Hi Gretch, well, nobody is perfect. Can you help me out by listing the research here so I can look it over?
Michael says
Enter an ambassador who can’t provide one shred of peer-reviewed or clinical research to slam Joe. Yeah, that really makes you look like you know more than him, Gretch.
Jim M. says
Joe,
Are you familiar with omnihealth slim stix Natural Berry Flavor Herbal & Mineral Supplement?
It looks they produce, domestically, knock off’s of Herbalife, Shakeology and now Plexus.
Joe says
Hi Jim, I looked it up. If the ingredients I saw were accurate, I’m not sure how it helps weight loss other than adding some fiber to the diet. I saw one of the ingredients was guar gum which I take to be a source of fiber.
Jim M. says
Thanks Joe. It looks like they take MLM products, produce knock-offs and sell directly through regular distribution channels (Walmart). I asked my ex wife, she towed the company line stating that Plexus cannot be duplicated, it is proprietary. I then asked if that included lead. That was the end of that conversation.
Joe says
Jim, hopefully you were not sleeping on the sofa last night after that conversation 😉
Michael says
H/T to the pinkdrinkscam blog for this info:
If you go to the omnihealth website – http://www.omnihealth.us – it kicks you immediately over to a Plexus website. It appears to be the ambassador page of John N Tenneson. Looking up info on that guy now.
Pete says
Jim
There are two reasons a company would make use of a proprietary blend.
1. A legitimate company, to protect the product from competition, and to give the product longevity.
2. OR, to DUPE the public.
Pete says
Jim
I was in Wal-mart, and observed Omnihealth on the shelve It has the Boost, the 96, the Accelerator, and the PS in chocolate. The box says distributed by PS. This is what is amazing, the cost of all these products in a box cost $49.92 at Wal-mart. PS are really taking care of their Ambassadors. LOL This is a shot in the foot. In a short while the “fat lady” will be on stage to sing. “
Pete says
Correction on my last post. The information on the Omnihealth products state that PS does NOT have anything to do with the manufacturing, or the distribution of Omnihealth products. Sorry about that. The case being, do you believe it! Omnihealth compared there products to the PS Boost, 96, Accelerator, and PS.
Jim M. says
Mark writes:
Mark
“Ok, ashamed to admit I was an ambassador, terrible product, used it for over 6 months, in that time I have seen orders delayed, customer service was 45 min wait, products running out, As for its effectiveness, the only thing that “worked” was the Pro-Bio 5 and Boost. (Boost was just a caffeineish kick. Pro Bio worked as well at the $9 Probiotic at Walmart. The Plexus 96 I assume works, but it’s cheaper (and probably better quality) to buy wheypro at a GNC or Nutrishop.
Not only that, but this company totes that this is all plant based and all natural… Hello, WHEY?! You are better off going to you local nature’s market/health food store and buying a good plant based protein. I gained 45 lbs in 6 months on plexus. My before and after look reversed! Luckily, I dropped the gimmicks and stopped paying $150-$200 a month, didn’t change much in the way exercise or diet and lost the 35 in a few months.
Shame on anyone who says these products work. If anything, it’s a brainwashing. The things they tell you will “help the products work” will work WITHOUT the products. If you drink 100oz of water, exercise and take a stimulant (even if it’s a natural one) you are going to have a reduced appetite and less sugar cravings! This is more brainwashing.
If anything, I would call this the MOST EXPENSIVE “call to action” on the market. But, if throwing $150 a month into the trash is what is going to inspire you to stop eating fast food and exercise, money well spent. But there is better, more effective ways.”
Katherine Lay says
This is the worse company I have ever done business with. I was a preferred customer, so I was to get automatic orders sent each month. My order was always 2-3 weeks late. I sent numerous emails and waited on hold on the phone for anywhere from 30-60 minutes and never got any response.
I finally reached this nice young lady (after waiting on hold for over an hour) and she dropped me out of the program. I made her send me an email verifying I was dropped. I do not recommend this company.
Pete says
Well, there you go Katherine. Your experience justifying PS BBB rating of C. It can only get worst.
Pete says
Matt
You mentioned in your post that your PS business is rather successful. Can your share with us your definition of your success as related to PS?
Pete says
Michael
The document states that PS has known about the lead issue for some time. Scary to think how many people have developed cancer, and other ailments due to the lead. I want to think, wow, this is amazing, how a company that touts, safety, honesty, etc. can let this slide. Then I wake up and realize it’s MLM, which cannot survive without lies and deception.
Michael says
From what I recall, one of those products mysteriously “sold out” a while back. Ambassadors were going on about how great the product was and that it would be back on the market in no time. So basically this company lied to its ambassadors or the ambassadors covered for the company, either way its vulgar to think about. Lead is no trivial matter. All those people who ingested this garbage, or worse yet, gave it to their children should really be ashamed of themselves.
Lisa says
What product was the lead found in? I didn’t see it in your article.
Joe says
Hi Lisa, the lead issue came out after I wrote my reivew. I know its somewhere in the comments. Can anyone summarize this for Lisa?
Michael says
The lawsuit cites the Fast Relief and 96 protein products.
Michael says
Pete – you’re absolutely right there is no surprise on that lead issue. This is common when you manufacture products in 3rd world countries. Plexus really is poison and we have proof now. Thanks to PinkDrinkScamAlert for posting that info!
Pete says
This should be of no surprise. Lead found in Plexus products.
Information provided by Pink Drink Scam Alert:
http://pinkdrinkscamalert.blogspot.com/
Leauvie says
Sick of reading Plexus testimonials on FB. Why can’t people simply dial down on junk food, eat healthy clean foods, exercise regularly, drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and stick with it. Plexus is just another name for weight loss MLM scam. The pink drink ingredients ought to make anyone run as far away from it as possible. Absolutely no credible tests have been done.
Ambassadors are taught how to use “success” stories from health care professionals to bolster the Plexus popularity. When confronted, the great majority of these stories are false or paid for. $115.00 a month goes a long way in eating healthier and getting consistent exercise.
There never will be a guaranteed weight loss product that comes without scrutiny from real science and not a bunch of people who live for the “pink koolaid”.
Pete says
Jim
We all have found that the PS 60-day guarantee is not worth the paper it is written on. As a matter of fact , the 60-day guarantee is actually tied into the auto-ship where your credit card is billed every month, or as needed to qualify for commissions.
The company has been known to find some reason not to honor the 60-day guarantee. This results in a confrontation between the company and the Amb. The Amb notifies the company that they wish to cancel the auto-ship, and their ties with the company. The customer service department takes their time taking the necessary steps to cancel the Amb, ties with company, may take months, according to many Ambs. and the BBB. Due to the fact that the company has complete control of your CC, they keep billing it, pretending to ignore the Amb request to drop the auto-ship, and refrain from sending more product.
Say, 50,000 Ambs wish to discontinue doing business with PS. If it takes over a month for them to respond to your request you CC will be billed again. Say 50,000 Ambs. each buy one PS at $74.00 each. That is $3,700,000 in revenue that is charged to their CC because the company, in my opinion, refused to honor the Ambs. requests of quitting the business, and stop billing their CC. Over 3M reasons for the customer servive dept not to respond in a decent time span. The auto-ship, and the 60-day guarantee fits right in with the deception that harms people every day in MLM.
The auto-ship, and the 60-day guarantee is part of the fraud that PS, and other MLM companies represent.
MNM says
Your information is completely incorrect. You can make a one time purchase and receive the 60 day money back guarantee. If you are on an autoship, you can log into your own account and cancel the order, an ambassador never has to be involved.
And ambassadors are not on monthly autoships, they have backup orders that can be turned off at any time, and they will never be charged. If you’re going to bad mouth a company, you should know what you’re talking about first.
Michael says
MNM, we don’t need to “bad mouth” this company. It’s own actions speak for itself. Go take a tour of the BBB website and see all the complaints there, review the court case against Plexus regarding lead levels in their products, and let us know how great it is that past president Alfred Pettersen is suing the company as we speak.
Pete says
MNM
When you cut-off your auto-ship, you cut-off your commissions. Not to worry, 99% of the ambs. make no commissions to brag about anyways.
Jim M. says
Plexus Worldwide downgraded to a C rating.
484 complaints, interesting reading the issues and challenges people are having getting Plexus to terminate ambassador status and honor their ’60 day guarantee’.
Pete says
Cara
If you don’t want to be attacked, then don’t open the door to be attacked. It’s insulting to think you actually believe “junk” as PS is controlling the symptoms of Parkinson’s in respect to anyone. It has always amazed me how people involved in MLM, and in your case PS, actually, “believe the “junk” they are saying about the “junk” they are using, or selling, but that doesn’t make it any less “junk”!
Michael says
Cara,
There is absolutely nothing in Plexus that would account for this supposed improvement you claim. Quit implying that Plexus offers improvements for a nervous system disease. It doesn’t. Billions of dollars in research have gone into finding cures and treatments for this disease. Its highly doubtful that professionals simply missed the mark and a janky multi-level marketing product has all the answers.
Cara says
You’ll all attack me and say I’m a new ambassador, am not. I’m a FACS teacher in SW Kansas who didn’t have a great experience myself with Plexus (caused constipation) BUT my father with Parkinson’s has significantly improved after starting Triple Threat.
Call me a liar, but if even one Parkinson’s patient tries it and experiences the significant improvements he has, it’s worth all of your attacks. From day one, confusion has cleared, etc. He still has Parkinson’s , not claiming that, but significant improvement in quality of life.
Michael says
An update to this story: This ambassador who donated the Plexus basket was the only one to bid on it. In fact, she bid twice on it. I cannot think of a more embarrassing thing than having everyone turn their nose up at something you claim is the world’s greatest product ever.
I was sure that one of her little lackeys would come along and save her dignity but I guess they don’t want this garbage either. What I find hilarious is that she will have to come pick up the basket, which she dropped off at the school. This lady will be seething with anger for sure that nobody bought the Plexus poison.
Pete says
Michael
You’re forgetting Ambs are NOT sales people, they are RECRUITERS. And, not being able to sale retail to a child proves it!! lol