Protandim Review: Research & Side Effects

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Website

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Δ

1. Lea says

   October 18, 2013 at 12:24 am

   These are the simple questions we are all waiting for LV to answer. But I’m doubtful that they will, because it doesn’t take a brain surgeon, rocket scientist, or research chemist to see that credible scientific evidence doesn’t exist.

   Reply

   • Joe says

     October 18, 2013 at 9:16 am

     Lea, We will see. I’m sure it might take a little time to find the answers depending on who Christopher speaks with. I’ll appreciate any light he can spread on the answers.

     Reply

   • Greg B says

     October 18, 2013 at 11:37 am

     So a dozen peer-reviewed and published in respectable medical journals studies is not credible scientific evidence? The speculations of bloggers hold more weight with you than the findings of scientists at major universities?

     Reply

     • Joe says

       October 18, 2013 at 4:16 pm

       Greg, when you look at all the studies (13 that Im aware of right now) you find only 2 studies using humans -and only 1 of those studies that shows it works. The number of studies conducted to date (13 so far) to not mitigate the fact that there is only 1 human study noting that protandim works. My words are not speculation this point. they are facts.

       Reply

       • Greg B says

         October 18, 2013 at 4:37 pm

         So all non-human studies are invalid? You would ignore the boatloads of animal and in vitro scientific research conducted over the years for thousands of products? You obviously don’t understand how medical research is conducted. ALL of the studies done so far (save the one which you yourself admitted didn’t count) indicate that Protandim does what it is claimed to do. More research is currently underway. Your bashing of Protandim makes no sense, unless you have an ulterior motive.

         Reply

         • Joe says

           October 18, 2013 at 7:40 pm

           Greg, Its not bashing the product if you point out the issues with the research is it? How is reporting the truth bashing?

           Protandim is mostly marketed because of the research and yes there are several studies on the product but most of them are mice and test tube studies. we are not mice or test tubes. Therefore human studies are most relevant to us. Of those, there is only 1 human study noting that it works. I’m even willing to give them a pass on the alcoholic study because it was just weird.

           If you read through the comments you will find that I go out of my way to be polite to protandim distributors and those who take Protandim – even when they attack me. If anything, I am the person being bashed. Heck, somebody today just basically called me a dummy because I’ve never published any research or won any scientific awards. When some people cant refute, they attack. Sad…

           Ulterior motive? Come on Greg. You know that’s not true. I just look at the research. The research has issues.

         • Greg B says

           October 19, 2013 at 12:47 pm

           There are no real issues with the research on Protandim. Animal and test-tube studies ARE relevant, else medical science would not perform so many of them. Such studies tell us a lot about how products work, and what they do for lab mice is often similar to what they do for humans.

           We would all like to see more human clinical studies on Protandim, and it may be that some are currently underway [LV, by law, can not discuss ongoing research, only studies that have been completed and published, so I don’t know exactly what is being studies right now, but I do know that several studies are underway.]

           My problem with your blog is that you seem to be saying that because there are not more human studies, that Protandim does not work, and that LV is trying to hide something and scam people by not conducting more human studies.

           As discusses above, LV is deliberately NOT sponsoring studies, to avoid creating the appearance that they are buying favorable results. LV is leaving the decisions on what exactly to study, and how to do it, to the various university researchers who have come to them.

           Whoever called you a dummy was out of line, but we distributors get tired of so many potential customers taking the word of bloggers with little or no medical or scientific background over published research that we sometimes get frustrated and say things we ought not. I apologize on behalf of my fellow distributor.

           You mentioned earlier that you could find nothing about exercise activating Nrf2. That you could find nothing is evidence that it does not. If it did, then there would have been no need to develop products that do. Exercise is good in many ways, but as far as Oxidative Stress goes it may actually be counter-productive. Free radicals are a by-product of our cells using food and oxygen to produce energy. Exercise requires both the increased use of food (thus athletes’ need to eat more) and more and deeper breathing. This produces more free radicals, which if not countered results in higher OS levels.

           Did you know that one of our distributors is Ozzie Newsome, the GM of the Baltimore Ravens football team, and that most (if not all) of the players on the team use Protandim? Experience has shown that Protandim helps athletes recover quicker from strenuous exercise, so players don’t need to spend as much time on the bench taking breathers.

           It anti-inflammatory properties also speed recovery from injuries and surgery. Protandim has been cleared for athletic use by the NFL, NCAA, and US Olympic Committee.

         • Joe says

           October 21, 2013 at 9:27 am

           Greg,
           It’s not the animal/test tube research are not relavent but they carry less weight than human studies. Anaimal and test tube research is usally followed by human research. The fact that there was a human study in 2006 and after that a bunch of test tube and anamal studies makes no sense to me.

           While I’m not sure, I don’t know it’s illegal to talk about ongoing research before its published. As an example, I’ll point you to a the company that makes Anatabloc. Star Scientific puts out a lot of press releases about their ongoing – not yet published – research on Anatabloc. Here is my review of Anatabloc for more info about it.

           I checked the ClinicalTrials.gov website to see what Protandim studies might be in the pipeline and saw these
           http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=Protandim&Search=Search

           One was withdrawn and andother Ive included in my review. The first trial listed was from 2009 and was about whether protandim harmed the liver after a year of use. I searched pubmed for “Protandim liver” and the study does not appear to be published yet.
           I’m happy Protandim is cleared by the NFL etc. but the GM of a sports team being a distributors does not carry as much weight as research on the product.

           Greg, I appreciate your passion for the product and your frustration. I likewise have a passion for the study of supplements. I have been disparaged in the past as being “a blogger” but I will point out that I have a BS in chemistry and biology and a MS in exercise science. I do have a science background and regardless of not publishing research, or having a PhD, I do understand how research is conducted. My conclusions and current opinions are based on the research rather than having any ulterior motives. I know there was a Protandim convention in St Louis last weekend. Did anybody ask about why there are not more human studies on Protandim?

         • Greg B says

           October 21, 2013 at 10:53 am

           I was not at the Elite Academy in St Louis, so I don’t know if the “why not more human studies?” question was raised. I do know this–it is not that the company has, or is, doing anything to discourage such studies. it is that LV is leaving to researchers who approach them the decisions on what and how to study Protandim.

           That such researchers would even deign to study Protandim says a lot about its potential; the vast majority of such supplements are never independently studied (Some of the individual ingredients are studied, but the actual products themselves are very seldom studied, so customers are left to wonder if the supplement itself actually works. Not so with Protandim–all of the studies we reference are of Protandim itself.)

           I’m glad that you have studied science; it allows you to speak with some authority on this matter. Lazyman is just a computer programmer. We would ignore him except that his site ranks high on Google when Protandim is searched, so we have had more than a few potential customers misled by his ignorant rantings.

           Also note that if LifeVantage was a fly-by-night company putting out fake or useless products, it would not have its stock listed on NASDAQ. That exchange is very careful about which companies it allows to be traded there, and LV had to pass a serious vetting process to be listed.

           Yes, who are distributors are is not as important as scientific research, but the fact that someone in such an important position would not only endorse the product, but have his players take it says something. Professional sports teams don’t have time to waste on something that doesn’t help them be better at their game.

         • Joe says

           October 21, 2013 at 4:21 pm

           Greg, Again for me, it all comes down to the research, not sports teams, MLM or NASDAQ. That said, maybe you can answer this question for me that Ive been curious about. If LV leaves the research on Protandim to other researchers, why is Joe McCords name on so many Protadim studies?

         • Greg B says

           October 21, 2013 at 4:56 pm

           Dr McCord’s name is included among the authors of many of the studies because, as one of the world’s leading authorities on Oxidative Stress and free radical biology (and he was known worldwide as such long before Protandim was developed), he is consulted by the scientists doing the actual research.

           The way such studies work is that any authority consulted is listed among the authors, even if his contribution is small. The closer a name is to the beginning of the authors’ list, the more that person had to do with the study. On some studies Dr McCord’s name is at or near the front, on others it is near the end.

           Also, note that while Dr McCord was LV’s scientific adviser, he was also on the faculty of the University of Colorado, Denver Medical School, so it is quite likely that he was consulted because of that, not because of his position with LV.

         • Joe says

           October 21, 2013 at 5:42 pm

           Thanks Greg, well, I will just have to keep my eyes open for more human research and add it to my review as they become available.

         • Greg B says

           October 21, 2013 at 11:19 pm

           We are all awaiting the results of future studies. The more we learn about Protandim the better. We need to know what it can, and can not, do. Based on what we now know it will be of benefit to many people, but we don’t want to give anyone false hope by claiming it will do what it can’t.

         • Lisarob says

           October 21, 2013 at 9:07 pm

           Greg B

           You say, “The way such studies work is that any authority consulted is listed among the authors, even if his contribution is small.”

           That simply is not true. Someone who does not contribute significantly to a study would be listed under acknowledgments, not as an author.

           http://www.icmje.org/ethical_1author.html

           “”Authorship credit should be based on 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; and 3) final approval of the version to be published. Authors should meet conditions 1, 2, and 3.”

           “Acquisition of funding, collection of data, or general supervision of the research group alone does not constitute authorship.”

           “All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be listed in an acknowledgments section. Examples of those who might be acknowledged include a person who provided purely technical help, writing assistance, or a department chairperson who provided only general support.”

         • Lisarob says

           October 21, 2013 at 5:35 pm

           Greg B.:

           As for the studies being “independent,” here is a quote from Doug Robinson from the 2013 conference call discussing their fiscal fourth quarter. Someone asked about why LV hasn’t replaced Darlene Walley as Chief Science Officer, and why more studies haven’t been published recently. This exposes that the studies are not really independent, and many, if not most, are conducted by members of LV’s Scientific Advisory Board:

           “First, on the Scientific Advisory Board, we do have a Scientific Advisory Board with some of the same members that we’ve had in the past. They consult regularly to us. Many of the Scientific Advisory Board members are actually members of the research organizations that are conducting studies as we speak as they consult with us in that way.”

           http://seekingalpha.com/article/1692702-lifevantages-ceo-discusses-f4q-2013-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single

           Add to that the fact that Joe McCord is an author on most of the studies, and you can see that the research is not done by independent scientists.

           The “product itself” has not been tested in all the studies, at least not in the strictest sense. The product is a pill, to be swallowed and digested by a human. The product is not an alcohol extract (at many times the intended concentration for humans), and it is not injected.

           You can not take the results of a study in which an alcohol extract of a product was injected into a rodent, or mixed in test tubes and extrapolate the results to humans. You just can’t. You don’t need to have a scientific degree to understand that. So far only two studies have used the actual product on its intended consumer, and those studies have been discussed.

           There is another study, as Joe mentioned, listed on Pubmed under clinical trials, but no results from that study have been published even though it was completed two years ago, I believe.

           You can call Lazyman “ignorant” all you want, but I’ve never seen a distributor disprove anything he’s posted.

         • Greg B says

           October 21, 2013 at 11:13 pm

           The website protandimretort.com answers Lazyman’s charges quite effectively.

           As for not all the studies using Protandim in pill form, of course not! What are they supposed to do, drop a pill in a Petrie dish? They give the product to the subjects, be they animal, tissue cultures, or whatever, in a form similar, if mot identical, to how it will be when it would reach the subject in normal use. That is standard procedure in medical studies. There is nothing deceptive about it.

           Remember, if these studies were not legit, they would never have passed the peer-reveiw process (over which LV has no control) and been published in respectable medical journals.

         • Joe says

           October 22, 2013 at 12:24 pm

           Greg, just a heads up, the peer review process only checks for errors in how the research was done. Its a fine tuning of the research. It ensures the researchers have basically crossed the Is and dotted the Ts. While it is the current standard in research, passing peer review does not necessarily mean the study is “legit.” For example, the “fish oil causing prostate cancer” study that was in the news recently was peer reviewed however few people appear to give it credence, until other studies corroborate its results.

         • Greg B says

           October 22, 2013 at 12:52 pm

           Yes, the peer-review process is designed to make sure the science was done properly, it does not guarantee that the conclusions reached by the researchers are true. But in light of the fact that many of those who are attacking Protandim (including some who have posted here) are implying that the studies are irrelevant, wrong, that Dr McCord has faked the results, that he is just a company hack scientist, etc, the fact that there have been published a dozen+ peer-reviewed studies so far is significant.

           They say that there is genuine science behind Protandim, that it can not be dismissed out-of-hand. The burden of proof is on those who say the studies are wrong, that Protandim does not lower Oxidative Stress.

         • Joe says

           October 22, 2013 at 1:15 pm

           Greg, for the record, I’ve never said any of that, only that I want to see more human studies. I dont feel that is too much to ask.

         • Greg B says

           October 22, 2013 at 1:28 pm

           It is not you who has been making the ignorant, stupid, cynical, negative remarks to which I referred in my last post, but others, both here and on other sites.

           Since you are not taking Protandim, what are you doing to lower your Oxidative Stress level? If you know a better way, please let the rest of us know!

         • Joe says

           October 22, 2013 at 1:40 pm

           Greg, I assume you are taking Protandim to reduce your oxidative stress. I’m curious, how are you measuring that your oxidative stress is lower? Did you measure it before you started protandim and after a month or so?

         • Greg B says

           October 22, 2013 at 2:03 pm

           I, like almost everyone else who takes it, am relying on the research that says it lowers OS for just about everyone* who takes it. I have noticed a few changes myself, in that I sleep better, and my eyesight has improved to the point that I may soon need new spectacles. [Let me stress that my results may not be experienced by others taking Protandim; OS affects people in different ways, so lowering it will manifest itself in different ways.]

           PS–I know that my eyesight is getting better, not worse, because I have had to go back to wearing an older, less strong, pair.

           *From what the research has indicated so far, the only persons who do not experience lower OS levels with Protandim are younger folks (<25) whose levels are still low, and who have not yet seen their Nrf2 activation decline (which usually begins in the mid to late 20s).

         • Joe says

           October 22, 2013 at 2:26 pm

           Greg, while I’m really glad you are noticing some beneficial effects, by your own words, you have no pre/post testing to prove that something is really occurring at the cellular level. Is oxidation stress really being reduced by protandim? You are basically going on the faith of 1 study. That doesn’t mean something good is not occurring and believe me, I say this not to deprecate what you, but to point out that more research -humans – is needed.

         • Greg B says

           October 22, 2013 at 2:51 pm

           Yes, let’s have more research. More is underway. But enough has been done so far to persuade me that Protandim is worth taking now. Would you have waited decades to take aspirin because for many years we did not understand exactly how it reduced pain?

           Do you take any supplements yourself? Is there lots of peer-reviewed research behind them (on the products themselves, not just some of the ingredients)?

           Now if the research on Protandim had been inconclusive, with some positive, some negative, and some neutral, then I would hesitate to take it, waiting for more research. But since all* of the research has been positive I have no good reason to NOT take it. I am not getting any younger!

           *All that one study indicated is that it takes longer than seven days for Protandim to lower OS in alcoholics. Nothing in that study can be construed to say that it does not work for others.

         • Joe says

           October 22, 2013 at 2:59 pm

           Greg, for what its worth, I truly hope you are right and I am wrong.

           Can you tell me what studies are in the pipeline? ClinicalTrials.gov show no studies except for those I’ve already mentioned.

         • Greg B says

           October 22, 2013 at 4:19 pm

           I don’t know what studies are underway. The company does not tell us. My understanding is that, because LV is a publicly-traded company it is not allowed to release such information, as it could affect the stock price. We have been told that studies are being conducted by major universities in the US and worldwide.

         • Joe says

           October 22, 2013 at 4:34 pm

           Thanks Greg. I’ll keep my eyes open for them when they are completed.

         • Greg B says

           October 22, 2013 at 4:53 pm

           It may also be that some of the researchers have asked us to not release information about their studies, to avoid unwanted publicity, outside pressure, and attempts to influence their work.

         • Joe says

           October 23, 2013 at 9:10 am

           Greg, that may be, and while I’m open to the possibility, there is a part of me who just doesn’t think so.

           On another note, I’m saddened that Christopher has not responded to my series of questions about Protandim.

         • Lisarob says

           October 22, 2013 at 11:30 pm

           Actually, the burden of proof that a product “works” is on the company selling the product. LV only has one deeply flawed study showing that their product lowers oxidative stress. They need to pony up and do a proper study, and have their distributors stop making illegal medical claims.

           Clinical trials which are ongoing can be listed on Pubmed. The fact that LV is a publicly traded company has nothing to do with it. It is, however, illegal for LV to use them for marketing purposes. It is telling that no clinical trials have been listed for Protandim for several years, and casts doubt that any clinical trials are in the works.

           LV has lied about studies being done in the past, so who knows if claims of studies being conducted in “major universities” or “worldwide” are true or not? This claim has been made for years, yet nothing is registered on clinicaltrials.gov. You would think that this “medical breakthrough” would generate intense interest in the scientific community. There is no evidence of that happening.

         • Lisarob says

           October 18, 2013 at 10:53 pm

           Again, Greg B.,

           Read this from Pubmed:

           http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/aboutcer/

           It tells you how research is done. It is you who does not understand how research is done.

       • MARTIN says

         October 18, 2013 at 4:41 pm

         JOE

         I HAVE WRITTEN TO YOU IN THE PAST ABOUT USING PROTANDIM AND THE BENEFITS I HAVE FELT FOR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AND YOU HAVE SELECTIVELY NOT POSTED THEM. I THINK THERE ARE OTHER FINANCIAL BENEFITS FROM YOUR WEB SITE YOU ARE RECEIVING BY PUTTING DOWN PROTANDIM.

         I HAVE READ THAT “TECFIDERA”, THE NEW M.S. PILL DID NOT DO AS-WELL-AS PROTANDIM. THE DRUG COMPANY THAT MAKES TECFIDERA SPENT OVER $1 MILLION TO DISCREDIT PROTANDIM AND RESULTS SHOWED THAT PROTANDIM “OUTPERFORMED” TECFIDERA IN CLINICAL TRIALS!!! THE DRUG COMPANY IS PROBABLY NOT DISCLOSING IT BECAUSE THEIR SALES WILL GO DOWN.

         I AM TAKING BOTH THE PROTANDIM AND ONE PILL DAILY OF THE TECFIDERA AND I HAVEN’T FELT SOO GOOD IN OVER 15 YEARS WHEN I WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED WITH M.S.

         I HAVE BEEN READING YOUR COMMENTS AND FEEL THAT YOU ARE REALLY DOING A DISSERVICE TO THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR CAM PRODUCTS (COMPLEMENTORY AND ASSISTIVE MEDICINES) AND TO NOT GO THROUGH THE SIDE EFFECTS OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES.

         AS-FAR-AS M.S. MEDICATIONS, MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME DOWN WITH THE LETHAL PML VIRUS. I HAVE YET HEARD OR READ ABOUT ANY MAJOR SIDE EFFECTS FROM TAKING PROTANDIM.

         I HAVE BEEN TAKING PROTANDIM FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW AND HAVE GREAT SUCESS WITH IT!!!

         THERE IS A SAYING, DON’T KNOCK IT UNTIL YOU TRY IT!!!

         Reply

         • Joe says

           October 18, 2013 at 7:49 pm

           Martin, I review supplements, not medications, hence why I dont mention side effects of prescription drugs. Also, drugs are not my area of study. That said, if you tell me that protaindim is helping your MS, then I will take you at your word and say I’m happy for you – and I really am.

           My litmus test for supplements is published research though and right now the research just isn’t where I’d like it to be. As I’ve said before, I’m perfectly open to the possibility that I am completely wrong about Protandim. Let’s see what future research says.

         • Lisarob says

           October 18, 2013 at 10:45 pm

           Protandim must not have been all that effective for your MS since you say you have been taking it for a year, yet still started taking Tecfidera when it came out just last Spring. Maybe (most likely) you are feeling better because of the Tecfidera.

           There have been no clinical trials on humans in regards to MS research. Anyone who is telling you that is lying to you. They are referring to the test tube study which has already been discussed here. Twice I have posted a quote from the actual researcher who did that experiment. He pointed out that working in a test tube does not equate to working in a human being, and Tecfidera works in ways other than activating Nrf2.

2. christopher green says

   October 15, 2013 at 5:29 pm

   sounds like a plan. please list questions. .

   Reply

   • Joe says

     October 15, 2013 at 6:35 pm

     Christopher, thanks I appreciate you doing that. Here is a list of 6 questions

     1. In my review I only uncovered 2 human studies (out of a total of 13 ) with only 1 study noting that protandim worked. Considering that protandim is marketed primarily to people with an emphasis placed on protandim research, why hasen’t LV supported human research?

     2. Has LifeVantage ever conducted any research – themselves – on Protandim?

     3. If it is the contention that LifeVantage does not support research done at universities, why does Dr McCord’s name appears on most of the protandim research studies?

     4. I’ve read that taking the individual ingredients in Protandim would not give the same benefits. Can you show me a published study that shows that the individual ingredients -taken together – do not do the same thing as taking Protandim?

     5. Since TBARS figure prominently into the marketing of Protandim (e.g. the Prime Time video) why has LV not supported a study where people are randomly given Protandim / placebo for 2 weeks with TBARS measured before and after?

     6. What did the average LV distributor make per month in 2012?

     Thanks Christopher, I really appreciate you taking the time to give me these answers!

     Reply

     • Lisarob says

       October 15, 2013 at 10:09 pm

       I’d love to see this question answered:

       If the exact combination of ingredients are so crucial in Protandim, how can LV sell a formulation in Japan which leaves out one of the ingredients?

       Reply

     • Christopher R. Green says

       October 18, 2013 at 10:24 am

       good morning; please either call me on (number removed) and let’s discuss this instead of me typing up a long response to your questions…

       Reply

       • Joe says

         October 18, 2013 at 11:34 am

         Christopher, If you don’t mind, I’d rather you put your answers here. That way I know you were quoted properly and others can see the responses.

         Reply

         • Cool Hand Luke says

           October 18, 2013 at 11:57 am

           I second that Joe. These questions are very straightforward and fair. Any attempt to dodge this request really shows all involved what distributors and this company are all about.

         • Cory says

           October 21, 2013 at 1:02 pm

           Hey Joe,
           LV published an Earnings Claim Statement in St. Louis. Let me know if you have trouble opening it and I’ll put in a Dropbox or something instead: http://www.lvnmedia.com/media/127190/lifevantage_earnings_claim_statement_v.01.pdf

         • Joe says

           October 21, 2013 at 4:31 pm

           Cory, thanks for that info! So according to this, a Protandim distributor at the bottom of the MLM ladder made an average of $74 per month in commissions.

         • Cory says

           October 23, 2013 at 10:57 am

           Joe,
           While printing some off this morning, I noticed the average was changed to $285.48/mo: http://www.lvnmedia.com/media/127190/lifevantage_earnings_claim_statement_v.02.pdf

           Maybe $74 was a typo for the weekly average

         • Joe says

           October 23, 2013 at 11:43 am

           Thanks Cory!

3. Lisarob says

   October 15, 2013 at 12:20 pm

   Greg B:

   It’s clear you haven’t read the majority of this site, and you are willing to believe whatever LV tells you. It would serve you well to read the entire site and comments; there is a lot of information provided, backed with references.

   Reply

   • Christopher R. Green says

     October 15, 2013 at 4:18 pm

     Perhaps I might suggest that S/he call me . I’ll answer all the questions and, where I don’t know the answers, I will get them…Christopher R. Green

     Reply

     • Joe says

       October 15, 2013 at 4:47 pm

       Christopher, do you mean my questions? if yes I can list them here and you can answer me. Hows that sound? that way everybody will be able to see your answers and I’ll know you were quoted properly. Hows that sound?

       Reply

4. Greg B says

   October 13, 2013 at 9:06 pm

   You question several times why more human studies have not been conducted. It is primarily because human studies are a lot more expensive than animal and in vitro studies, and in many tests it takes autopsies of the subjects to discover the results.

   Interestingly, the most recent study (released after you published this article) was a human study sponsored by the Defense Department to determine if lowering Oxidative Stress levels helped soldiers operating at high altitudes.

   Another thing to note is that most of the published studies were NOT conducted or paid for by LifeVantage. Rather, researchers working on projects of their own decided to see if Protandim would help with what they were doing.

   Neither LV or Dr McCord had a say in how these studies were conducted (though Dr McCord, as one of the world’s leading authorities on the subject, was consulted by many of the researchers, thus his name as one of the authors).

   There are also a number of studies currently underway, and LV looks forward to seeing the results. As for the one study that indicated that Protandim did not work, you will note that the study only lasted seven days, and it usually takes at least 30 days for Protandim to begin showing positive results. [That study was so short because it was testing the effects of Protandim on alcoholics, and they needed to be dry to get accurate results, but none of the subjects could stay off the sauce for more than a week–thus the lack of positive results.]

   Reply

   • Joe says

     October 14, 2013 at 11:07 am

     Greg B, Ill give you the alcoholic study because its a kooky study in my book. That said, research does not have to be expensive to be good. For example, let a university do the study. LV only has to give protandim to the college and them do the human trial. LV can contact the university and say they want to support a human study. There already appears to be an interest at the university of Colorado as they have published at least one protandim study (which was based on a students MS thesis).

     On another note, considering that LV employes scientists like Dr Joe, why dont they do /support more research themselves? In other words, why would they let protandim be defined mostly by research conducted by outside entities (eg the study of alcoholics)?

     Greg, can you show me the DOD protandim study – or at least give me the title so I can find it and add it to my review.

     Reply

     • Greg B says

       October 14, 2013 at 12:19 pm

       I don’t speak for LifeVantage, so I can’t say why they do science the way they do. They may well be doing as you suggest; there are several studies currently underway now at various universities around the world.

       But LV is cautious about backing such studies financially, to avoid possible conflicts of interest. A study where all LV did was supply product to be used in the tests has more credibility with people than one where LV paid all expenses. Also, most universities are facing budget crunches right now, and do not have spare money for just any clinical study; even a simple one, say a repeat of the first one with just 100 people (OS levels before and after Protandim for 30, 60, 90 days) would cost at least $50,000.

       It takes a member of the research faculty with enough pull with the budget committee to get the school to fund a study. There is also the attitude among many doctors and medical researchers that no herbal-based product can be effective, that only drug-based products can work (so proposals to study an herbal supplement are rejected out-of-hand).

       There is also this problem–Dr McCord has retired from his position as scientific advisor to LifeVantage, and the position has not yet been filled. Until it is there won’t be a lot of research done by the company (though I believe they are currently working on a version for cats).

       To see the latest Protandim study, go to pubmed.gov, type Protandim in the search box, and it will be the first study on the list.

       Have you contacted LifeVantage itself, to see what response they give to your concerns?

       Reply

       • Joe says

         October 14, 2013 at 2:16 pm

         Greg, is this the study you are referring to : Nrf2 activation: a potential strategy for the prevention of acute mountain sickness.
         that is the first study I saw. Let me know. It is a test tube study.

         I heard Dr McCord has retired. But he cant be the only scientist working at LV.

         I have not contacted LV. Has anybody contacted them about the research to date?

         Reply

         • Greg B says

           October 14, 2013 at 2:51 pm

           That is the study. I was told it was a study using actual soldiers in the mountains. I may have been misinformed. I am not a scientist myself, so have to rely on what I am told the studies say. Yes, there are other scientists working with LV; I don’t know if they are actual “employees” of LV. Last I heard, the emphasis right now is on developing a cat-friendly version of Protandim.

           I think you are missing the point on the studies, though. ALL studies on new health products begin with animal and test-tube trials. Only after a product shows promise there are human trials undertaken. Remember, Protandim is a fairly recent invention (less than 10 years), and has not been developed by a large, wealthy pharmaceutical company with the financial resources to conduct major trials.

           LV is doing what it can, and is encouraged that most all of the trials have shown positive results, and that there is no evidence that Protandim is harmful (except to those who are allergic to something in it). Large-scale human trials are coming. In the meantime there are thousands who are already being benefitted by taking Protandim.

           A good website to read is protandimretort.com, which responds to many of the concerns that have been raised.

         • Joe says

           October 14, 2013 at 4:12 pm

           Greg,

           yes studies can begin with test tube/animals but that’s not how things have to progress outside the pharmaceutical realm which is where supplements reside. Companies can commission a study anytime they like. Also 10 years is a LONG time. In my humble opinion they really should have started doing human studies a while ago. I just cant buy that they are being cautious with doing test tube studied.

           Dont you think its a bit odd that LV is focusing on making protandim for cats – rather than publishing human trials, since humans buy protandim? Also I dont think I saw any cat studies. I hope they at least publish a study on cats before the cat protandim is sold.

           The Protandim retort website looks like a site made up by a protandim distributor. I could not find the author of the website which, for me, is a red flag (I like to know whose stuff I read online).

           As such, its likely swayed toward protandim, which is fine as long as people realize what it is.

         • Greg B says

           October 14, 2013 at 4:59 pm

           protandimretort is a response to an anti-Protandim website created by an anti-MLM person who goes by the name Lazyman. PR explains how Lazyman is unqualified to comment on the scientific aspects of Protandim, and gives replies to many of his objections to it, showing how he doesn’t understand how science research works, and that his objections are without real foundation.

           LV is about creating and marketing good health products. It is a business. As I said before, a number of studies are underway, but they are being conducted by universities, which are better able to do such research. LV is being very careful to do everything right–Protandim is a ground-breaking product, doing what no other product before it even claimed to do. It is not just another overpriced vitamin concoction.

         • Joe says

           October 14, 2013 at 5:34 pm

           Greg, Im aware of the lazyman website. I prefer to stay away as much as possible from the MLM side of things and focus on the research. I know there are passionate viewpoints on both ends of this and so I will just say the research shows there are problems with protandim which I mentioned in my review and that is where my focus is.

         • Greg B says

           October 14, 2013 at 9:45 pm

           There is nothing wrong with Protandim; you are just nit-picking about the research (about which LV has only limited control). There is not a single study which negates that Protandim does exactly what it is claimed to do–significantly lower Oxidative Stress.

           If the studies were not legit, they would not have been able to pass the peer-review process and be published in respected medical journals. Yes, more human clinical trials would be nice, but I am not going to wait until such studies are published to take it when all of the animal and test-tube studies indicate that it works just fine. Are you taking Protandim? If not, what are you doing to lower your Oxidative Stress level?

         • Joe says

           October 15, 2013 at 9:30 am

           Greg, its not nit-picking to state the fact that the vast majority of protandim research is based on what happens in lab animals and test tubes. While LV may not impact the direction of all university research, I believe they do owe it to their product and people who take protandim to counter that research with better designed studies involving humans. They can do this.

           There is more evidence that exercise reduces oxidative stress and improves health than protandim

           http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11788108

           http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24045510

           http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23977720

           In this 2013 study oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species or ROS) appeared to play a role in the creation of heat shock proteins (HSP), which cells use to adapt to harmful stresses. Heat shock proteins are good adaptations.

           http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23957557

           This study goes to the bigger picture that, all oxidative stress is not bad. free radicals do have a positive side that few hear about. With that in mind, I’d like to see a study to test if Protandim reduced the production of heat shock proteins. I personally dont think it would do this, but given what protandim resellers are saying about reducing oxidative stress, I think at least one study – in humans -on this issue is warranted.

         • Greg B says

           October 15, 2013 at 12:49 pm

           Protandim is designed to supplement, not replace a healthy lifestyle. Eating right, and getting enough exercise, are very important. Does exercise activate the Nrf2 molecule? That is what Protandim does that makes it so important. Perhaps a good test would be to compare four groups of people of the same age–groups A [those who neither exercise nor take Protandim], group B [those who exercise, but do not take Protandim], group C [those who take Protandim, but do not exercise], and group D [those who both exercise and take Protandim]–for their Oxidative Stress levels.

           Oxidative Stress IS bad, because its presence means that there has been damage to cells, and cellular malfunction is taking place. But there is a role for free radicals, in limited numbers. OS is a sign that there are too many free radicals present. Free radicals are like fire–under control it can cook your meat and heat your house; out of control it burns the house down. Protandim reduces the number free radicals, it does not eliminate them completely.

           There are several Protandim studies underway right now. Perhaps one is studying Heat Shock Proteins. The more we learn about Protandim and what it does, the better.

           Incidentally, we distributors of Protandim are not “resellers” of it. We do not buy at wholesale and sell at retail, as do many network marketing plans. Instead, we sign up people to have Protandim autoshipped to them by LV at the same price we pay for it ourselves, with a percentage of what they pay being sent to us. We don’t have cases of product we have to peddle to others.

           This will interest you and everyone following this conversation. This online address is to a youtube video of Dr McCord explaining, in term we non-scientists can understand, how Protandim works, and what the seven studies published at the time of the presentation [2011] actually say.

         • Joe says

           October 15, 2013 at 3:59 pm

           Greg, I’m not sure if exercise alters NFR2. I did a quick pubmed search but didn’t see any studies so I cant say either way. I can say, as I’m sure you know, there are more studies on the benefits of exercise than on protandim but that’s another story altogether.

           I will keep my eyes posted for new protandim research and update my review when they come out.

           If the word “reseller” offends anyone, my intention was to use a word other than “distributor.”

       • Lisarob says

         October 15, 2013 at 10:22 pm

         Greg B:

         If human studies are too expensive for LV to conduct, can you explain how LV is able to do a 40-50 MILLION dollar stock buy-back? It is easy to see where their priorities are.

         LV doesn’t have a single properly designed, relevant study on humans. Not one. If you think rodent test tube studies are adequate, you are terribly mistaken. If you don’t believe me, check out what Pubmed says about that.

         Reply

         • Greg B says

           October 16, 2013 at 12:38 pm

           About the stock buy-back, that is a red herring question. Had LV spent that money on research you would accuse them of trying to buy a favorable study! LifeVantage is a business, and the stock buy-back is to keep enough stock in company hands to prevent any hostile takeover attempts in the future.

           The first study WAS a properly designed, relevant human study, else it would not have passed the peer-review process and been published in a respectable medical journal.

           Yes, more human studies would be good, and I am sure they are coming. But in the meantime all the studies (with that one previously discussed exception) so far indicate that Protandim does exactly what it is claimed to do–significantly lower Oxidative Stress. Nothing so far has indicated that Protandim is harmful to anyone, other than those who have an allergy to something in it.

   • Lisarob says

     October 18, 2013 at 12:51 am

     Greg B:

     Here is how science works (from Pubmed):

     http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/aboutcer/

     As you can see, test tube and animal studies are the very beginning of the scientific method. LV hasn’t made it much further.

     Lazyman understands this perfectly well, and most of his information does not need to rely on any firsthand scientific knowledge. His assertions are well cited, and much of it references LV documents.

     The first human study was not properly done. It didn’t even have a placebo control group, and at least two company insiders with large investments in LV were used. All of this and much, much more is posted in the comments on this site. If you have any interest in objectively looking at this company and its product, take some time and read through it.

     As far as peer review and publications, do you realize that Joe McCord is on the Board of the journal which published that first human study? Many of the other studies were published in PLOS ONE, a journal known for publishing just about anything. Peer review does not check for fraud, nor do they replicate experiments to validate them. They are mostly looking for glaring errors.

     The company has not tried to do everything right, as you claim……starting with outright lying about who invented it. They have also lied about researchers and studies being done at other universities.

     As far as the amount being spent on the stock buy-back, what “science based company” spends over 6X the amount of money on a buy-back than they have spent over the entire history of the company on research and development? Hostile take over? Phffft.

     The other human study was bizarre, and you should ask yourself why on earth they would even do it in the first place (and yes, McCord was one of the authors of the study). As for the study being too short, keep in mind that the group taking the placebo showed a reduction in TBars, but the group on Protandim did not. In the first human study, the largest reduction of TBars was observed by day 5, so saying the second study was too short for Protandim to have an affect doesn’t really hold water. At any rate, both studies were very poor.

     Seriously, this is just 5 herbs (4 in Japan) being hawked by a MLM, and misrepresented as a medical breakthrough. If it was a medical breakthrough, a pharmaceutical company would have already scooped up the company’s stock, and there would be human trials to back up all the outrageous claims, with the studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. It would also be all over the news by now.

     Reply

5. Michael Shurr says

   October 12, 2013 at 2:35 pm

   You have some really hateful people on you comments. I can understand people not willing to believe but getting personal and grouping people is overboard.

   Reply

   • Joe says

     October 12, 2013 at 5:34 pm

     Michael, I think much of the anger is directed toward me, which, as long as it relates to the review of protandim is fine, as I’m willing to discuss my findings and the research with anyone. That said, there are passionate opinions on both sides of the issue. For me, I try to side with just the research and what it says, rather than passing judgement on anyone.

     Reply

6. Maggie Lavoie says

   October 10, 2013 at 9:19 pm

   I wonder if the reason they suggest people with autoimmune disorders consult their physicians before taking Protandim, is that one of the ingredients is Ashwanganda. That’s a nightshade. Some people are sensitive to nightshades. They can cause joint and muscle pain, fatigue, etc. they can actually increase inflammation in the body.

   Reply

   • Joe says

     October 11, 2013 at 9:41 am

     Maggie, I’m not sure. When I saw that caution, I thought it might due to the theoretical possibly that if protandim boosted the immune system that an overly aggressive immune system might – theoretically – make autoimmune disorders worse. That was a wild guess on my part though.

     Reply

7. lovey langley says

   October 7, 2013 at 3:33 pm

   I just signed up my sister as a Dist. and it was under $200., and her
   Auto ship to make commission has to be 100, $30 of which must be
   hers.

   Reply

8. Noel says

   October 5, 2013 at 2:25 am

   Who is Joe canon? Is he a scientist? Please let us know his CV.

   Reply

   • Joe says

     October 5, 2013 at 8:08 pm

     Noel, I am joe Cannon. I have a BS in chemistry and biology and a MS in exercise science. I’ve written a book on supplements. See my about page for more information about me or feel free to ask any questions.

     Reply

     • Noel says

       October 5, 2013 at 11:39 pm

       Hi Joe,
       Thanks for your reply. When I was in Middle East I was also reviewing and evaluating the products before we will use it in the hospital with regards to environmental infection control. I reviewed documents that includes studies published in scientific journal. This is considered as evidence base however we dont accept individual opinion for it will will be considered as anecdotal evidence.

       With due respect to the author of any researches you are not allowed to write negatively without further studies, u can duplicate those reseaches and show your results. Or you can use other studies as ur references that shows opposite results. Thus ur opinion is not considered factual, accurate and acceptable in technical point of view.
       Sorry for that.

       Reply

       • Joe says

         October 6, 2013 at 10:16 am

         Noel, The actual scientific studies for protandim were the basis of my review. If you clicked on the links in my review, you would see I directly linked to all of the studies.

         I do have opinions about Protandim but that is based on the research published on the product – and what I saw and did not see in those studies. Calling a mouse study, a mouse study, is not writing negatively if it is true.

         You are entitled to your opinion and I wish you well.

         Reply

         • Noel says

           October 17, 2013 at 11:50 am

           Hi Joe,
           Did u get an Elliott Cresson award? Did you have any publications in any scientific journals? Can you name a few?

         • Joe says

           October 17, 2013 at 1:45 pm

           Noel, nope, no Eillott Cresson award and nope to any publications in scientific journals either. But that doesn’t mean what I said isn’t true. Currently there are over 700 comments on this review with many of them by Protandim distributors and not one of them has been able to refute anything I reported on.

           Do you care to try to refute my findings?

         • Noel says

           October 18, 2013 at 2:56 am

           Thanks Joe. I dont want to refute your opinion. Science can be disprove or agrreed only by science. However since you cant show anything even you had not done any published scientific research in ur entire career, its enough for me to know that. Its only your opinion and technical people dont buy it. Distributors are not technical people though. Good luck!

         • Joe says

           October 18, 2013 at 9:26 am

           Noel, thanks for writing back. Science or not, technical people or not, I broke all the protandim studies down to how many were people studies and how many were rat/test tube studies. Nobody on Earth can refute these facts.

           I wish you luck and sincerely do hope that Protandim is helping you.

9. James says

   September 27, 2013 at 11:36 am

   Hello, I googled PROTANDIM and got interested to read this page. I was asked by a friend who consumed 2 bottles with 30 capsules. The Protandim was sold to her by an herbologist in the Philippines for 7,000 pesos or about 165 US dollars. Very expensive and yet my friend claimed no difference before and after taking it.

   Reply

10. Jenn says

    September 26, 2013 at 8:46 pm

    I was pitched this 2 days ago so I have been doing my research (to see if it’s worth taking myself as a supplement/preventative due to health issues that run in my family) & came across your site.

    For informational purposes, it costs $630 to become a distributor. This is for $550 worth of product & $80 of “training & support.”

    A HUGE red flag for me (from a marketing pitch perspective) is that you must purchase $550 worth of product when you sign up, but the company wants all of your customers to purchase the product through “your” website (part of your $80 fee).

    In fact, to get a check from the company at all you must have $200/month of preferred (sign up for direct mail & auto-payment) customer orders through your website – so any of that $550 you sell to recoup cost doesn’t count & you haven’t made any profit off of it.

    They (of course) encourage you to get your entire family on it, so that $200 per month might be coming right out of your own pocket just so you can get your team-based bonus check. You do get 30% commission ($12 per bottle sold) on that $200 the following month, so it’s kind of a backward discount, if you have the full $200 in orders that month. There is no distributor discount on purchasing the product (another red flag in my opinion if you’re supposed to actually make money by selling the product).

    Also, your biggest money from the company doesn’t come from selling the product – it comes from recruiting distributors (who each must also purchase $550 worth of product & so on…). $210 each for numbers 1-3 & almost $300 for every one after that.

    If you recruit enough people who also have $200/month minimum orders you get bonuses based on the number of qualifying distributors that you (& your recruited distributors) have below you. There are in total “6 different ways” that you get paid, but during the pitch I was only told 3.

    Some people (that I’ve seen while researching) recommend that you buy on amazon instead of from a distributor but there is no difference (except perhaps the distance between you & the distributor). I believe that the people selling on amazon are just trying to offload the inventory they were required to purchase when they signed up to recoup their investment.

    I haven’t found anything conclusive as to whether I want to try taking it myself, but I know for sure that I wouldn’t want to become a distributor. The company isn’t focused on selling a product, just on getting more distributors (to which the company sells $550 worth of product) as evidenced by the compensation setup.

    If you sign up as a preferred customer & then get 4 more friends/family to buy the product you get yours for free. But of course they want those friends/family to see the presentation so they can potentially be recruited. So basically you get paid (in product discount) to bring potential distributors to your distributor.

    I would be much less skeptic if the cost to join was the $80 for training & support rather than also being required to purchase $550 worth of product that you then have to offload at 0 profit.

    Reply

    • Joe says

      September 27, 2013 at 9:30 am

      Jenn, thanks for that information!

      Reply

    • Honolulu Aunty says

      September 27, 2013 at 11:08 pm

      Aloha Jenn,

      I can attest to the compensation plan being difficult to understand, as I am a distributor, but not one that pushes others to join as a distributor. I like what the product does for me, I don’t like what the company does.

      A minor correction – if someone (customer A) signs up as a preferred customer, and then gets someone else (customer B, C, etc.) to sign up under them, they get 25% credit of the order cost, so if someone orders $160, the signer-upper (customer A) gets a $40 credit. It doesn’t have to be 4 people signed up, it can be just one. The kicker (and stinker, imo) is that if the new customer B, C, etc. sign someone up in order to get their 25% discount, the original discount is taken away from customer A. Sorry, hard to explain, but in short, you would be better off not telling subsequent customers that they will get a discount for signing people up because then you lose your discount if they do. That is a monthly ongoing discount, which can be very sweet.

      Interestingly enough, as a distributor, even if you have customers signed up and ordering from you every month, you get $0 discount, and instead get a 2% commission of their purchase orders monthly. It is weird, but you get 5% for the 2nd generation under you, and 9% for the 3rd generation, IF you maintain $1000 in monthly volume.

      Wasn’t aware that the monthly PV (personally enrolled volume) has to be $200 to qualify for commissions. It used to be $100. Not surprised if it changed, though. You are right about signing up family members to meet qualifications. I once had our family dog signed up too!

      I got pushed into being a distributor by a good friend after I was contemplating just being a customer. I ended up giving away my bottles and continue to order my 1 bottle per month. I do have a very small team, and make about $36/month in commissions. I just got a call from my enroller who said that she makes $0 in commissions now, and I can’t understand how that can be, since she meets the minimum qualifications and has my volume under her.

      It has been an interesting journey, as a distributor with this company. I don’t think Protandim is snake oil because I do get great results. I don’t think all distributors are snake oil salesmen, because some are genuinely concerned with others’ well being. I do think the company could be more honest and open and willing to improve, but that might be too much to ask.

      Reply

      • Joe says

        September 28, 2013 at 9:38 am

        Aunty, thanks for those insights.

        Reply

    • Vogel says

      September 30, 2013 at 6:26 pm

      Jen, just in case there weren’t already enough glaring red flag reasons to not ingest this garbage, please consider these three:

      1. They made multiple product recall announcements — affecting 250,000 bottles — earlier this year because of contamination with metal fragments.
      http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm331258.htm

      2. The company is so negligent when it comes to their choice of manufacturers that they hired Chemins, a company whose history is so heinously bad that you have to wonder whether LifeVantage’s intention was to kill its customers.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemins

      3. In 2008, when the company first adopted the pyramid scheme model to save their sagging fortunes, they hired as their new CEO/President Mr. David Brown, former CEO of Metabolife — a criminally-negligent company that was even more scandalous than Chemins.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolife

      Reply

    • Linda says

      October 10, 2013 at 1:18 pm

      As I have just been pitched – I so APPRECIATE all this information. My decision not to bite has been confirmed.

      Reply

      • Joe says

        October 10, 2013 at 1:55 pm

        Linda, glad to help and happy you were able to find my little review.

        Reply

11. Dan says

    September 22, 2013 at 12:12 pm

    is there a free number one can use to stop shipment of anymore bottles?I have been taking it for 5 months and see no change?

    Reply

    • Joe says

      September 23, 2013 at 8:36 am

      Dan call LifeVantage at 1.866.460.7241. You might also want to call your credit card company and tell them not to accept any other charges from LifeVantage.

      Reply

12. Vogel says

    September 18, 2013 at 10:55 am

    I agree 99% JM. The financial damage inflicted by these companies is a common thread. There is one fundamental difference though. MLMs like Tupperware and Avon, as bad as they may be, aren’t telling prospective customers that they can go off medications and be cured by using bogus MLM products. The Protandim scammers deserve extra scorn because they could well be injuring and/or killing people as a result of their greed and disinformation tactics..Aside from the financial harm (which is not to be taken lightly), what’s the worst that can happen with Tupperware and Avon? Spoiled food and runny mascara?

    Yes, all MLMs suck, unquestionably. But the ones that promise miracle cures deserve to burn in hell.

    Reply

    • Tarazea says

      January 18, 2014 at 2:50 pm

      Vogel you are a myopic bitter cynic at best. You have nothing to contribute except disdain for MLM’s in general. Avon is just fine, so was tupperware and Protandim has helped many people that are using it. What do you care anyway? Control freak much? You are entitled to your opinion just like everyone else, but remember it is just YOUR opinion and in my opinion, you have no credibility whatsoever.

      Reply

13. Christina Gingras says

    September 18, 2013 at 8:52 am

    Thank you to those who replied. I very much appreciate your insight. I was able to get temporary assistance from the chronic disease fund to pay for my Tecfidera. I already went through MS active source (manufacturer) and they provided $10K a year of assistance. When your insurance doesn’t cover brand name meds (horrible policy I was sold by my own insurance company) and I am responsible for the full amount $4634 a month…that $10K went quickly.

    I apologize that I didn’t see that exact study being mentioned/posted about earlier as I am new to this site and stumbled upon it while researching protandim. I never take anything with out doing a ton of research and this is no exception. So again thanks to those who can provide/share facts.

    Reply

14. J.M. Cyr says

    September 17, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Plain and simple, home Protandim distributors are similar to Herbalife, Avon, Tupperware, Longaberger, Silvapada, Pampered chef…. They pester family, friends, coworkers…to buy a product they don’t really want or need to make a buck for themselves. People, use your critical thinking skills. If Protandim is as miraculous as my friend, a newly recruited Protandim distributor, stated it is, in her multiple calls to me, I’m pretty sure I would see it on a Walmart shelf. No thank you.

    Reply

    • Paulina says

      September 18, 2013 at 8:40 am

      Dear JM Cyr, Im not a distributor, Im learning about the product, I have been using it for 45 days, love the way I feel, my body has more energy, my body aches are gone, my mood and tranquility under a bit of stress is balanced and I have seen results in such short time.

      this product was in walgreens, GMC and CVS it was intended to be retailed but it was changed to a personalized sale because of its word of mouth and self testimony that produces its sales chain, remember, a wal Mart shelf cant speak what the product does to the cell at aDNA level.
      Great day to all.

      Reply

      • Vogel says

        September 30, 2013 at 6:07 pm

        Paulina, there is nothing in Protandim that would account for increased energy, analgesia, mood stabilization, and stress relief, so there are only two reasonable assumptions that can be made with regard to your claim: (1) you’re mistaken about causality (2) you’re purposely not telling the truth.

        There has never been a single properly documented case of Protandim having any kind of effect on any health parameter in humans. Claims to the contrary are speculative, naive, misleading, and in many cases, illegal.

        Protandim is sold through MLM because requiring that it be purchased as an admission ticket to participate in a pyramid scheme is a surefire way to ensure revenue for the company; but for all other purposes, the product is utterly worthless. One of the many downsides of these snakeoil pyramid-scheme products is that they create incentives and camouflage for distributors to make deceptive and illegal claims. This is the first thing that one should consider when they see an anonymous claim like yours alleging completely implausible results. Such reasonable skepticsm is an important survival skill.

        The company issued a press release in 2005 announcing that Protandim would be sold at GNC stores. In 2006 they announced that they planned to offer it at CVS stores (not Walgreen’s) but it doesn’t seem that this ever happened. The official story was that Protandim flopped so badly that the company abandoned the notion of selling it as a retail product and eventually switched to MLM in 2008. Before it did, the company stock price completely imploded.

        Protandim does nothing more at the DNA level than does turmeric. The company is merely piggybacking on old science pertaining to a common household spice that costs pennies on the dollar compared with LifeVantage’s idiotic pyramid scheme bait.

        Reply

        • funkyvailchick says

          October 10, 2013 at 11:31 am

          I’m wondering if the placebo effect is at play with the individuals who are experiencing a benefit. I wouldn’t rule that out as a possibility. Our minds control our bodies well being.

          Reply

          • Dan says

            November 4, 2013 at 11:31 pm

            Truth be known, Protandim WAS on the shelves and could not keep up with the demand after mulitple airings of the product such as the ABC Investigates report mentioned in the review. Rather than sell out to big pharma, they opted to go MLM which was their choice. I have had both knees replaced – the first one before Protandim, and the other 6 months after taking Protandim – the first one was hell !!!

            The second one was NO excessive swelling, minimal bruising and even my ortho (the same one both times) commented on my major difference in recovery paths. The only thing that changed was the Protandim, diet and exercise remained the same, as well as prescribed meds and use of ice packs, elevation and compression socks.

            I am also off of my Prozac thanks to the Protandim, and I have been able to cut my use of Celebrex down in half. Say what you naysayers will, but this product works for me, I believe in it and would much rather spend my money on it than the prescriptions with multiple side effects.

          • Joe says

            November 5, 2013 at 10:00 am

            Dan, if you say Protandim is helping you then I will be happy for you, but with all respect, I’m not buying the claim that LV stopped selling Protandim at GNC because demand was too high. In other words, if what you say is correct, both LV and GNC were making so much money after the ABC news segment that LV still could not afford to keep it on the shelves? I’m no expert but I’d think that’s counter to the basic rule of capitalism – supply and demand.

            I’m no expert on this either but I dont think big pharma has to buy LV to get the product. I’d think they could just as easily make a “pharmaceutical grade” protandim drug if they wanted to. We’ve already seen done with fish oil (the drug, Lovaza is basically a weapons-grade fish oil supplement).

          • Lisarob says

            November 5, 2013 at 12:32 pm

            Dan:

            You said, “Truth be known, Protandim WAS on the shelves and could not keep up with the demand after mulitple airings of the product such as the ABC Investigates report mentioned in the review. Rather than sell out to big pharma, they opted to go MLM which was their choice.”

            Where on Earth did you get that story from? From LV’s own website:

            http://www.lifevantage.com/company/

            “Imagine a product with the potential to change the world stuck on a retail shelf with its story untold. This was Protandim’s beginning, but not its end. While Protandim sat mixed with trendy vitamins and other nutritional supplements in the retail world, a group of visionary individuals were preparing the way for Protandim’s story to reach thousands of people.”

            “Thanks to the innovative and breakthrough research of Dr. Joe McCord, former Chief Scientific Officer and the scientist behind Protandim, Protandim had its moment of fame when it appeared on ABC “Primetime” in 2005, propelling the product and the company into the national spotlight. U.S. retail sales of Protandim boomed momentarily, but the product was quickly lost again in the glut of nutraceutical products on the shelf. Although familiar with the product, retail store clerks didn’t have the proper motivation or knowledge to share Protandim’s full story.”

            “In a bold and daring move, LifeVantage® removed Protandim® from retail shelves and in 2009 implemented a network marketing business method better suited to distribute Protandim and share its story. It was a new beginning for LifeVantage.”

            Does that even remotely resemble the story you were told? Maybe you should question EVERYTHING you were told by whoever fed you that bit of misinformation……unless you just made that up yourself.

15. Vogel says

    September 16, 2013 at 3:31 pm

    Christina,

    There are no data whatsoever showing that ingestion of Protandim affects NRF2 in humans. Even if Protandim were shown to affect NRF2 in humans, there is no reason to assume that it would have a therapeutic effect on MS. For example, turmeric is an NRF2 activator (as are hundreds of other commonplace chemical compounds) but eating curry (laden with turmeric) won’t alleviate MS symptoms. It’s just not that simple.

    The NRF2.com website is anonymously registered and appears to have no editorial oversight (or credibility) at all. It fails to meet any kind of reasonable standard for guiding MS treatment decisions.

    As you pointed, there are no published studies comparing Protandim with MS drugs.

    Lastly, if you can’t afford to pay for Tecfidera, the manufacturer has an assistance program that can help you.
    http://www.tecfidera.com/support/ms-support-services.html

    Don’t roll the dice on Protandim — an obvious snakeoil pyramid scam.

    Reply

16. Christina Gingras says

    September 16, 2013 at 2:13 pm

    Thanks for your unbiased literature review. It wasn’t until very recently that I found out about protandim when my insurance wouldn’t cover Tecfidera which is a new MS medication. From what I found online ( not sure if this page is a credible resource ) is that Tecfidera (which costs $55k a year) and protandim are both activating NFR2.

    Here is the link to the study comparing but doesn’t t look like is from an actual medical research journal.. nrf2.com/multiple-sclerosis-bg-12-tbhq-sfn-and-protandim/ thoughts, facts, anyone?

    Reply

    • Joe says

      September 16, 2013 at 2:35 pm

      Christina, I looked up the nrf2.com site and it is a blog (as is my site). its not a medical journal website. I dont know for sure if the site is affiliated with protandim or not. The study that the website you mentioned linked to is basically a test tube study. While test tube studies do provide good insights, they are not as good as human studies. I dont know if Protandim will help your MS or not because I dont see any human evidence yet.

      I hope some of this helps.

      Reply

    • Lisarob says

      September 16, 2013 at 3:52 pm

      As expected, the owner of the website is a Protandim distributor, Glen Thomson.

      Christina, that study has been covered multiple times on this website. I posted quote in the comments (twice) from one of the actual researchers of that study who points out that Tecfidera works in pathways other than just activating Nrf2. He also points out that results achieved in test tubes do not necessarily translate into results in lab animals or humans.

      Lifevantage shills desperately want to trot this study around like a lame show pony and try to deceive people into believing that Protandim is a treatment for MS. Shame on them.

      Reply

      • Joe says

        September 16, 2013 at 4:48 pm

        LisaRob, thanks for the heads up. I saw Glen listed when I searched the site in Whois.com but never heard of him so I didn’t want to speculate on who he was.

        Reply

17. Vogel says

    September 16, 2013 at 10:59 am

    It is generally recommended that those undergoing cancer chemo or radiotherapy avoid taking antioxidant supplements. The mechanism by which cancer treatments destroy cancer cells involves the generation of free radicals. In theory, taking a supplement to protect normal cells from free radical damage would also protect cancer cells from free radical damage and would therefore undermine the treatment.

    LifeVantage, the maker of Protandim, advises not taking the product during cancer therapy, not out of any legitimate concern for their customers but rather to mislead consumers into thinking that the product is a legitimate cancer treatment.

    In reality, the product is unlikely to be a potent enough antioxidant to have any impact on the efficacy of cancer therapy. The only clinical evidence of the product’s antioxidant effects comes from that godawful 2006 study. The flaws in that study run so deep that it would appear that it was never intended to have any scientific value but rather was designed from solely to fool people.

    Considerable evidence exists to indicate that the company has been deceptive on many fronts and is completely unreliable — it’s a very crude snakeoil pyramid scheme essentially.

    Reply

18. Margaret says

    September 15, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    Joe,
    I read some of these articles before finding your website, which I believe makes valid points throughout. The biggest question I have arises from something I read or heard, I believe, on the Protandim website. It was in reference to people who have cancer and undergoing chemo or radio therapy.

    If I understood it correctly, it seemed to indicate that, in layman’s language, since Protandim increases the protection of cells, and since we all have cancer cells (mutated cells), wouldn’t Protandim also protect the cancer cells?

    If that is the case, then wouldn’t cancer cells, in people not receiving chemo or radio therapy, multiply more rapidly, since they would be protected as well? Maybe I’m way off here, but that was the #1 reason for not taking it.

    I’ve already had cancer once and don’t want to risk getting it again. I assume my immune system isn’t ideal.

    Reply

    • Joe says

      September 15, 2013 at 8:12 pm

      Hi Margaret, I honestly have no idea either way on how Protandim might interact with cancer cells. The protandim website does warn people with cancer to talk to their doctor and I do think this is appropriate. Your logic does sound reasonable to me but without actual proof, its hard to tell. I wish I could be of more help. Id say run this past your oncologist and see what he/she thinks.

      Reply

19. Scott says

    August 29, 2013 at 10:18 am

    Joe,

    Did you ever hear about the results from this person:

    dizzypru March 19, 2013 at 9:18 am

    @ Anonymous – I too just had my test (TBAR) done last Thursday and started taking Protandim that night. I plan on trying it for 120 days to see how I feel.

    Reply

    • Joe says

      August 29, 2013 at 12:27 pm

      Scott, no I don’t think I ever heard back on what happened.

      Reply

      • curiousvisitor says

        September 7, 2013 at 3:58 pm

        Joe, I’ll buy and send you a 1 month supply of protandim if you are interested. I figure that if you are willing to get the bloodwork, one of us should be willing to get you a bottle. It’s a simple question with a pretty simple method.

        Reply

        • Joe says

          September 7, 2013 at 8:44 pm

          Curiousvisitor, I really appreciate that offer! Currently I’m going to let my review stand as is with the emphasis on protandim research. I might want to try it in the future if LV sponsors any new human studies, but as of now, after looking at the research and talking to distributors here and elsewhere I just have a feeling that it wouldn’t add anything to to the discussion.

          Reply

          • Andy says

            November 11, 2013 at 11:53 pm

            Hi joe. Outstanding review. I have some relatives who are becoming successful with LV. I’ve been to few of their meetings. I am sick of that damn video! You hit the nail on the head. I can guarantee zero of these people I’ve met have spent money to measure their oxidative stress before and after taking protandim but it remains the foundation of their pitch!

            Here’s the irony. Being successful with LV has nothing to do with protandim. What it has to with is building a large downline. Classic MLM. It’s never about the product. It’s about signing people up as distributors!

          • Joe says

            November 12, 2013 at 9:31 am

            Andy, thanks. Interesting they still show the video. I’m surprised ABC Primetime has not done a follow up to their Protandim segment considering how popular their video seems to be.

          • Greg B says

            November 12, 2013 at 10:52 am

            One of the biggest areas of discussion/debate among LV distributors is whether our main emphasis should be on the products themselves, or on the business opportunity. The opportunity-first supporters say that you show everyone that part, and those who don’t want to do it can just sign up for Protandim. Others (myself among them) say that the MLM push turns off too many people who, when they see it involves that, will not even consider the products. I personally focus my marketing efforts on Protandim itself, and how it will benefit most everyone who takes it.

          • Lisarob says

            November 12, 2013 at 2:59 pm

            Here is a comment from the Yahoo LFVN message board:

            “Go to the LV website. Click on “LV Opportunity” on the top left hand of the page. Then look at the bottom right hand side on the page and click on “Earnings Claim Statement”. Look on the second page chart. Now do some simple arithmetic. There are approx just 120 Elite distributors (Pro 7-10) who make an average of $225,000 per annum before expenses. The top one, presumably Jason Domingo, making $2M per year. There are approx 67,000 distributors (Pro 1-6) who have an average commission of just $967 per year before expenses. By the way, if you look at the right hand side of the chart, it does not even total to 100%, presumably reflecting the rampant churn that comes with such predatory compensation schemes. As a writer recently pointed out about Herbalife distributors, 96.4% make less than a bottle and can collector.
            http://seekingalpha.com/article/1804172-96-4-of-herbalife-distributors-make-less-than-a-bottle-and-can-collector?source=yahoo”

            So……promoting the “business opportunity” is probably a bad idea. Keep in mind that those at the top didn’t really earn their way there either. Many were recruited from another MLM (Zrii).

          • Greg B says

            November 12, 2013 at 4:57 pm

            Network marketing takes hard work to be successful, and many don’t have what it takes to do it well. Shame on any distributor who gives the impression to potential recruits that it is get-rich-quick.

20. Viktorija says

    August 25, 2013 at 10:01 pm

    Hi!
    I went to my gynecologist and she was talking about a miracle pill and it was Protandim. I was interested because I bought protandim few years ago, I didn’t feel any difference and never bother again. Now she convince me to buy again and I did it. She already called me 5 times. She wants me to become a member or even a distributor. I still didn’t feel any difference. I am not interested in convincing other people to buy protandim. I don’t know how to tell her that I am not interested.

    Reply

    • Joe says

      August 26, 2013 at 9:07 am

      Viktorija, I’d be honest and tell her you feel no different and while you appreciate her love for helping others, selling is not something you have an interest in.

      If she persists, thank her again and just say “we will have to agree to disagree on this.”

      I think this will do the trick without damaging your relationship with your gynecologist.

      Reply

    • Honolulu Aunty says

      August 26, 2013 at 5:18 pm

      Viktorija,

      This kind of behavior is so unprofessional – and as a distributor of Lifevantage, makes me cringe.

      Please do not judge all based on this and other stories of over zealous distributors. I myself believe that it is better to be a preferred customer and be able to get discounts on the product if they like how the product works for them, rather than sign up as a distributor who tries almost desperately to build a team. (an aside, distributors do not get any discounts – I find that a bit backwards.)

      Everyone should be able to have their choice, and if the product works for them, then no convincing is necessary – they buy (or not). If it doesn’t work for the individual, then pushing it makes no sense.

      Sorry you have this very distasteful experience,

      Aunty

      Reply