Update 7/4/20. Nopalea Juice – also called Prickly Pear Cactus – is said to be a “superfruit concentrate” that “helps put out the fire of inflammation.” Cellular inflammation has gotten a lot of attention lately because research has noted that it plays a role in many diseases. But, does Nopalea work or is it a scam? More specifically, does Nopalea reduce cellular inflammation and reduce the risk of disease? In this TriVita Nopalea Juice review, you'll learn what Nopalea is as well as the research on this supplement and one of its main compounds- betalains. Is Nopalea cactus juice the real deal or a scam? Let's see what we can discover.
Who Makes Nopalea Juice?
Nopalea cactus juice is made by TriVita (TriVita.com), which sells many health supplements such:
The TriVita company has been in business since 1999. The company is located at 16100 Greenway Hayden Loop #950 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 and their phone # is (480) 337-4000.
According to the Better Business Bureau, they give Trivita a rating of A+ as of 7/4/19. The company is a BBB accredited business. See the BBB file for updates and more information.
Nopalea Ingredients
There are a LOT of ingredients in TriVita Nopalea juice. Just a few include grape seed extract, agave nectar, raspberry and strawberry extracts, and many other things that I won't touch on here. Rather, I want the focus of
this Nopalea review to be on its “main ingredient” – the ingredient discussed most on TriVita Nopalea TV commercials and websites.
That ingredient is the Nopal cactus fruit. They call it “Opuntia concentrate” on the Nopalea bottle but it also goes by the name Prickly Pear Cactus and Nopal cactus. Its scientific name is Opuntia ficus-indica. It is this ingredient on which I will focus in this review.
What Does Nopalea Mean?
Nopalea is not just the name of this TriVita supplement. It's a real word. Nopalea means cactus. In taxonomy, it refers to the genus of the Nopal cactus plant which has deep red flowers.
How Is Nopalea Supposed to Work?
If you watch the Nopalea juice TV commercial, they say that Nopalea is derived from the Nopal cactus and that this plant has compounds (they call them betalains) that reduce inflammation in the body.
By reducing chronic inflammation, Nopalea juice is supposed to reduce the risk of disease and – maybe – improve health problems that people have right now.
Nopalea TV Commerical video
Nopalea Juice Research
On the website nopalea.com there are 12 research studies listed that testify to the benefits of the Nopal cactus (Prickly Pear Cactus) extract at helping chronic inflammation, boosting the immune system, and protecting the brain. One interesting point is none of the studies contained the word “Nopalea.” In other words, it doesn't look like any of the studies were conducted using the Nopalea wellness drink itself.
While Nopalea.com only lists the studies, I want to directly link to them so you can see the research for yourself. They all sound very impressive and technical so I'll also give brief commentary, where needed, to put the research in perspective.
The studies are grouped together as follows:
Anti-toxin Activity Studies
- Cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) protects against oxidative damage induced by the mycotoxin zearalenone in Balb/C mice. This is a mouse study.
- Opuntia ficus indica extract protects against chlorpyrifos-induced damage on mice liver. This is a mouse study.
- Opuntia ficus indica (L.) Mill. fruit juice protects liver from carbon tetrachloride-induced injury. This is a rat study.
Anti-Inflammatory Studies
- An anti-inflammatory principle from cactus.”. This is a mouse study.
- Antioxidant betalains from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) inhibit endothelial ICAM-1 expression. This is a test tube study.
What About Hangovers?
In one human study researchers noted that extracts of the Nopal cactus seemed to reduce alcohol-induced hangover symptoms. The researchers speculated that the Nopal cactus extract worked because of its anti-inflammatory effects. This study of hangovers appears to be the main study cited to support the anti-inflammation benefits of the Nopal cactus – and hence Nopalea juice.
Immune System Boost Studies
Betalains a betacyanin pigment purified from fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica induces apoptosis in human chronic myeloid leukemia Cell line-K562. Apotosis means “cell death” and K562 cells are a type of cancer cell. This is a test tube study where researchers basically found that extracts of the Nopal cactus destroyed cancer cells in a test tube — not in a human.
When I say “test tube study” I am making a general statement about a study that took place outside of a living organism like animals or humans. Technically they are called “in-vitro studies.” There are some advantages of these types of investigations but they are not as “real life” as those that take place in animals or—especially— in humans. We are much more complicated than what goes on in a test tube.
- Antioxidant betalains from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) inhibit endothelial ICAM-1 expression. This is basically a test tube study.
- Modulation of intracellular calcium concentrations and T cell activation by prickly pear polyphenols. This is a test tube study.
Brain Protection Studies
- Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase expression in activated microglia and peroxynitrite scavenging activity by Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten. This is basically a test tube study.
- Effect of Opuntia ficus indica on symptoms of the alcohol hangover. This is the same study of alcohol hangovers mentioned above.
Interventions for protecting against or treating alcohol hangover: systematic review of randomized controlled trials. This study is basically a review of several previous studies that tried to determine if there was any good way to reduce the symptoms of an alcohol hangover. Researchers concluded that there was no good proof that the Nopal cactus (Prickly Pear Cactus) or anything else helps hangovers caused by drinking too much.
Neuroprotective effects of antioxidative flavonoids, quercetin, (+)-dihydroquercetin and quercetin 3-methyl ether, isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. This is essentially a test tube study of rat brain cells. Extracts of the Nopal cactus reduced free radical damage to isolated rat brain cells.
Summary of Research
I come to the following conclusions:
- None of them used the Nopalea supplement itself
- Most of the studies were test-tube studies and a few mouse/rat studies
- The only human study listed has to do with hangovers
TriVita Nopalea Research
Now let's dig a little deeper into the research on Nopalea juice itself. I searched the National Library of Medicine for “TriVita Nopalea” to see if any studies had been done using this supplement. None could be located.
But what about research on Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus indica) —the type of cactus used in the TriVita Nopalea supplement?
TriVita websites and TV commercials say that Nopalea juice is a natural anti-inflammatory agent. In the study of Nopal cactus and hangovers, researchers speculated that it reduced hangovers because it reduced inflammation in the brain. They probably arrived at this conclusion because they noted that Nopal cactus reduced levels of CRP —a compound that indicates inflammation in the body.
Since CRP levels are also elevated in other inflammatory diseases, like arthritis, might extracts of the Nopal cactus also help these other conditions? TriVita hints that it will but they provide no direct proof.
Some research suggests opuntia ficus indica has antioxidant properties. One small human study (only 18 people) noted that consuming the pulp of the nopal cactus was a better antioxidant than vitamin C. The pulp of the cactus fruit has many compounds that likely act together to bring about a better antioxidant effect. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is just vitamin C.
This study used 500 grams (17.8 oz) of Nopal cactus pulp (and compared it to 150 mg of vitamin C). In theory, lesser amounts of Nopal cactus fruit might work too. I say this because I do not know how much Nopal cactus fruit or pulp is in a serving of TriVita Nopalea.
Other research studies suggest Nopal cactus may help diabetes. Some studies noted it might reduce blood sugar levels. The issue here is research often uses another species of Nopal cactus called Opuntia streptacantha and not the type of cactus used in TriVita Nopalea (which uses Opuntia ficus indica). Unfortunately, an investigation posted in 2019 notes a lack of quality human blood sugar research.
If TriVita Nopalea juice does help lower blood sugar, fantastic! Just remember that there is MUCH MORE evidence that exercise —even 20 minutes a day —can lower not only blood sugar but “A1C” levels too.
See the benefits of exercise for diabetes for more insights.
Nopalea And Weight Loss
Some have asked me if Opuntia ficus indica can help weight loss. Since the cactus pulp has fiber, it's possible, just as all-fiber foods can aid weight loss. That said, no human weight loss studies could be located. Like all foods, this cactus may have its place in a healthy diet but until somebody proves it enhances weight loss, be skeptical claims about Opuntia ficus indica (or Nopalea juice) was some magical weight loss secret.
See the XLS Medical review for more information on this topic.
What Are Betalains?
Betalains (bay-ta-linz) refers to a family of colorful phytonutrient plant chemicals. In plants, these pigments/nutrients help provide colors ranging from yellow to purple/violet. Betalines are present in various fruits and vegetables, such as beets and beet juice supplements.
There are 2 main types of betalains:
- Betacyanins: a deep red pigment
- Betaxanthins: a yellow/orange pigment
Where you find betalains, you also usually find other healthy plant compounds called anthocyanins.
Betalains Health Properties
Various studies – mostly involving lab animals and isolated cells – tell us betalains have a variety of health benefits such as:
Betalains and Cancer
Because the betalains of Prickly Pear Cactus seem to act as antioxidants, some may wonder if they might help prevent cancer or if they might be a natural alternative to chemotherapy. I don't recommend this for a couple of reasons:
1. I see no betalain supplement research concerning cancer treatment in humans.
2. Any antioxidant effects of betalains might —in theory —interfere with traditional cancer treatment.
Think about it. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and free radical damage is exactly how chemo and radiation therapy kills cancer cells. If you have cancer, PLEASE talk to your oncologist about this before experimenting with any antioxidant supplements.
Nopalea Juice and NSAIDs?
Various TriVita websites hint that Nopalea juice can be a safer alternative to aspirin and other NSAIDs because of the natural anti-inflammatory effects of the Nopal cactus. But, as far as I can tell, this antiinflammatory effect has only been demonstrated in humans once —in the study of hangovers.
On 2/3/12 on the TV show “The Doctors” model, Cheryl Tiegs lists Nopalea cactus juice as one of her anti-aging secrets. Cheryl says she drinks Nopalea to help reduce inflammation. Cheryl Tiegs, definitely looks great but I wonder if she knows where the anti-inflammation research actually comes from?
Here is The Doctors TV segment:
On 3/29/12 Nopalea TV commercials featuring Ceryl Tieges started appearing.
Who is Doctor Becky Maes?
Dr. Becky Maes was featured on the Nopalea TV commercial I saw on 1/18/12. Back then, her Facebook page, stated she is an “an MD, Gastroenterologist, Entrepreneur, Author, Mother, and Nutritional Expert.” She is indeed a board-certified physician.
At one point, her Linkedin page stated she was affiliated with TriVita as a nutrition coach and One Star Director. Currently, her LinkedIn page states she is the medical director at ForeverGreen International Inc.
The Nopalea Wellness Challenge
You may have heard of The Nopalea Wellness Challenge. This is how it works. You drink 3-6 oz of Nopalea juice per day for 30 days and track your progress —how you feel ect. —on a form that TriVita gives you. The wellness challenge is free, but you do need to pay $9.95 for shipping and handling.
Each bottle of Nopalea has 32 oz so if you drank only 3 oz per day, 1 bottle of Nopalea would only last you only about 10 days.
But, during the Nopalea TV infomercial, some of the testimonials noted that it might take 3 months before any differences were noticed. If this is typical for most people, it means that you would need 3 bottles of Noplalea per month or about 9 bottles of Nopalea per 3 months.
How Much Does Nopalea Juice Cost?
Nopalea is not sold in stores. So I called TriVita and asked them how much Nopalea juice cost and this is what they told me.
There are several options:
- 5 Pack. Buy 4 get 1 free. Cost: $139.99 + 14.95 S/H = $154.94
- 3 Pack. Buy 2 get 1 free. Cost: $ 79.98 + 14.95 S/H = $94.93
- 2 Pack. Buy 1 get 1 free. Cost: $39.95 +$14.95 S/H = $54.90
- 10 Pack. Buy 8 and get 2 free. Cost. $279.98 + $29.90 S/H = $309.88
So, if you really wanted to do the Nopalea Wellness Challenge and were willing to give it 3 months, it would cost you about $300 to do it.
Most of these options have an auto-ship program where TriVita will send you a new batch of Nopalea juice every 30 days. You can “customize” the auto-ship so that they send it to you at intervals that work best for you, so be sure to do this if you order Nopalea to avoid stockpiling it.
Trivita Nopalea may be on Amazon for those who want to compare prices.
Trivita vs. The Competition
There are also several other brands of Nopalea juice on Amazon such as:
Because researchers usually don't compare one brand to another, it's difficult to say if either is better than another. A hunch is quality made brands may work similarly to each other although it will take clinical studies to know for sure.
Nopalea Side Effects
Nopalea juice is likely safe in most healthy people. It's been around a long time. Here are some basic things to keep in mind before using. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than recommended for the first week to see how you respond
- Stop taking Nopalea juice at least 2 weeks before having surgery
- Ask your pharmacist and doctor first if you take any prescription drugs, like blood thinners or diabetes medicine
- Speak to your doctor if you are receiving cancer therapy like chemo or radiation
- To be safe, avoid take if pregnant or breastfeeding until more research is available
Some evidence hints Nopalea extract may lower blood sugar. In theory, this could mean it may interact with diabetes medicine but the degree to which it might do this needs more study.
One woman appears to have suffered obstruction of her airway after replacing her prednisone for Nopalea. This does not mean the cactus juice caused this condition. It's more likely this problem was because she stopped taking her medicine and because of her pre-existing sarcoidosis which can also obstruct breathing.
Nopalea and the FTC
In July 2014 the Federal Trade Commission reported the several Nopalea juice companies, including TriVita had agreed to refund consumers 3.5 million dollars stemming from claims that Nopalea juice could treat various diseases. Here is the FTC letter for those who want to read it. A May 2015 FTC Press Release offers further details on refunds being given to Nopalea customers.
To be fair, just because the FDA or FTC takes action does not mean something is a scam. Rather it may mean the company overstates what its products/supplements can do. In the US, supplement companies are not allowed to say their products treat/cure disease. This is true, even if there is evidence something works.
Does Nopalea Work?
I honestly don't know if Nopalea juice works or not. If you are really curious about it – and on a budget – try to get the free bottle of Nopalea from a distributor and see if that works before paying for the more expensive options. If you want to go the extra mile, you get your blood work done first – including CRP levels – by your doctor. Then, after a month or so, get your blood work done again —including CRP —to see if anything has changed.
What do you think?
I ordered the free plus 4 more with money back guarantee. It was at least 16.00 for the shipping on the 5 bottles. It did nothing to relieve my back pain nor did I feel any different taking it (3 ounces twice a day). With the shipping costs only, it was still an expensive bottle of fruit juice that didn’t taste good. I wouldn’t order it again.
Had I only been interested in the free bottle and got hit up with the pressure to buy more I would have never tried it. It think it is a scam.
Great article and comment thread I just googled across. I am currently experiencing my yearly to biyearly crohns disease relapse, really sucks. My biggest issue is inflammation in my lower intestine/ilium/colon…and the rest of the crohns gang, nausea, no appetite, rapid weight gain and loss, rashes, blah blah blah. With no insurance, and $600 biweekly medication, I am willingly forced to find alternatives.
Here is what I’ve learned, drink fruits and exercise joe (my name is joe too). Here’s the best part of reading everything on this page, drink “weird” fruit….nopal and acai and aloe and others I haven’t figured out yet. DRINK the fruits that will lower the inflammation in your insides. I am going to start drinking to my health, cheers!!! to a cup of weird fruit and plants, that will taste good and hopefully be easy to make. If I remember, ill try to get back to this page with my crohns disease focused nopal mix smoothie review and result.
Hey “different Joe” i have recently been diagnosed with severe Crohn’s and am looking for a solution like you. Nothing seems to be helping my flares. Have you seen any good results yet from this weird cactus fruit? It would be great to hear back from your experience because it could possibly help some of the people with this problem.
Randy, honestly I have not seen anything on crohns and nopalea cactus.
So i picked up this
vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=DH-2001#.UdrJBfnOkpg (link doesnt work)
Tasted good actually, a little tart, but fruity. Drank it for about a week or so, certainly helped as far as bloating and gas pains, which is crucial for crohns patients. I personally think it helped, could be hopeful thinking, but whats another 20-30 bucks a week towards feeling better. For the crohns patients, i’d say its worth trying, really trying it for a month. I did aloe as well, from these people:
http://www.aloe1.com/
and that helped a lot as well, decreased the inflammation pretty quickly, but its a rough taste. Though i had a friend with crohns swear by it. Same disease, different symptoms, and different remedies. Dont give up or give in to the harsh script stuff all the time, dont get me wrong, some of those scripts cant be replaced, but ill try damn it!
Joe from the other place, your link to the product at vitamin shoppe didnt work but here is TriVita Nopalea Juice on Amazon.
My Dad just bought 5 bottles for me. I get my blood checked every month for various reasons, such as sugar and thyroid, iron etc. I am taking 3 ounces in the morning and 3 ounces in the evening, so far have been doing so for 1 week. Have noticed at this point it seems to be working as a detox mechanism,but in a good way. Pleasant tasting, but when I go back to the doctor in a month or two I can let you know how the numbers were or if they changed.
Thank you for doing this research , the cactus grows wild here in Bermuda I am about to make my own juice
Hi I have taken Nopalea for 2 weeks and although sceptical of its benefits , have been pleasantly surprised to find an increase in mental acuity and reduction in physical pain and chronic fatigue, a legacy of a severe and debilitating respiratory illness I had 3 years ago.
I agree it is frustrating that good human studies have not been conducted , surprisingly this product is advertised as a remedy without substantiated evidence. However a good many ” natural remedies” are. On the other hand I cannot deny the benefit of feeling energetic and pain-free without being on steroids and analgesics.
The advertising hype in the American genre naturally arouses suspicion for those raised outside the USA. I would be most interested to know if there are any contraindications or drug incompatibilities. I need to take thyroid and an ace inhibitor, so it would be helpful to know. One thing I am aware of is that I would easily bruise if knocked but now there is hardly any marks if I bump myself. I think this is probably my liver functioning better.
Also having been involved in research myself I do not find it unusual to refer to a single study under different headings depending on the tests applied, so I do not agree with your implication that trivita are fabricating information or deceiving the public in some way.
Beverly, I never said Trivita was fabricating evidence or deceiving people and I don’t feel I gave that impression either. When I wrote my review I wanted to show people the studies because I feel people deserve to to see them. As someone who has spent time in research you know how complicated studies can sound. I wanted to put them in a context that people can easily understand.
Regardless, we can both be happy that Nopalea is helping you feel better.
Thank you, Joe! I will definitely look into those supplements. She does see a rheumatologist every 6 mos and takes a daily medication, but the med doesn’t really help with inflammation. I was going to see if a hematologist could help, since it was a hematologist who originally discovered the disorder, but an immunologist might be a more logical choice. Thanks again! And if I may make a suggestion to parents: if you even THINK that your child may have strep – or any type of infection – get them on an antibiotic immediately!
Thanks Melony, I’d say go to all of the different doctors. Sometimes that’s what we need to do to get an answer to our problems. Ill say a prayer for you and your daughter tonight.
Hi Joe! Since you’re into nutrition, I wonder if you have a suggestion for me. My daughter (13) was diagnosed with Benign Hypergammaglobulinemic Purpura when she was 8 yrs old. Scary, huh? It’s a rare disorder that basically means her body constantly thinks it’s fighting disease when it’s not.
Symptoms include swelling and bursting of the capillaries in her feet and lower legs and arthritic pain in same area. It was caused by a simple case of strep throat and it has no cure.
I removed her from soccer when she was diagnosed and she hasn’t done any real physical activities since. That has to change! I’m so tired of this illness causing her to miss out on being a kid.
My question for you is this: what foods or supplements are really good at reducing inflammation throughout the body? I think nutrition could be the key to improving her lifestyle. She’s a typical teen who doesn’t like anything. Ha! Thank you!
Melony, so sorry to hear about your daughters problem! I am not familiar with her condition and its hard to say how much supplements would help. Some anti-inflammation supplements are tumeric, Anatabloc and Zyflamend (I liked to my reviews).
Generally fruits and vegetables are anti-inflammatory. If she doesn’t like those try making smoothies. Here is my smoothie recipe
There is also a product called Juice Plus. Its not specifically a anti-inflammatory supplement but its fruits/veggies in capsules.
Again I don’t know if any of these will help. I wish I could be of better help to you. I do recommend keeping in close contact with her doctor. Maybe seeking out an immunologist might help as well.
Thanks a bunch, Joe, for writing all of this. I did take the challenge but since it only last 1/2 month I didn’t see any difference in me, as I have severe arthritis and severe psoriasis – but autoimmune diseases caused by inflammation!! I never bought any more as it is too costly for me. I saw that ebay sells something similar so I am going to look into it, and for only 19.99.
Nancy, thanks I hope the ebay version of Nopalea helps you.
I’m the biggest skeptic out there. I don’t believe S***. But I tried the introductory bottle shipped it was $13. I have a shoulder impingement and had been seeing a doctor for over a year. No help. I tried this stuff and all I can say is it worked for me. I think it’s pricey but I continued to use it as my condition improved.
I have had a total of 20 bottles then I quit because I was 98% better. It worked for me. I don’t work for these people/own stck or have anything to do with them. I wish they would bring the cost down. The Nopalea worked in my case. VS Austin TX
VS, thanks for writing. glad it helped you.
Thanks for a great review and analysis of Nopalea. I am in the process of completing the trial of 6 oz. per day. I really feel it is helping. I am in less pain (head and neck pain), my mind feels less fuzzy (I have brain fog sometimes) and I have more energy (I have chronic low energy).
Being a clinical nutritionist, I also wanted to look at the studies (types and amounts etc). I contacted the company, but they were not able to provide any.They said there was one being done at the University of Arizona, but it was not published and not available to the public. Apparently, your average consumer has no access to the scientific advisory board even if you are a credential professional like myself.
I found your wonderful analysis which is quite good. I may show this to my intro nutrition class as an example of product claims, study types and possible lack of published research to support the health claim. May have to look at traditional native uses which is apparently where the founder of Trivita (parent company of Nopalea), learned about its use on a health quest in Mexico from native healers.
Thanks a lot for the time you took to evaluate the Nopalea claims.
Lauren
Lauren, thanks much for your kind words and I’d be very flattered to have my review mentioned to your students. I am also glad you are seeing some benefits from Nopalea also.
I am about to try this product, after 30 years struggle with asthma. A visit to an allergy specialist costs me $300 (3 visits almost $1000) with not much result. How many people pay $40 for a bottle of wine? How many people drink their way through $$$s of cafe lait each week. Plenty!. It’s all relative. I will try the 5 bottles I have ordered and that will cost me less than a doctors visit which to now have not been that helpful.
Yvonne, I do hope it helps, for what its worth.
I have a friend in his mid 60’s who has regularly jumped on the band wagon of these type of products which are always MLM. He bombards me with their sales literature with “actual success stories” of guys who look like your average Joe (another trick).
A fool and their money are soon parted.
Joe,
Thanks for the site! I have read multiple reviews concerning products and usually, by the fourth or fifth paragraph, it is easy to find the bias, either planted there by the product promoter or a competitor. Not so with your review as the work appeared to be driven by an accounting of emperical data or lack thereof and even then, your words reflect objectivity to the manufacturer and those who still think this stuff works. We all wish the world presented only truths and that greed did not bind the unscrupulous to those in dire need.
Bully for your work!
Rod
Rod, thanks I really appreciate that! Thank you very much 🙂
I had wanted to try this Nopalea stuff since they made it sound so good on TV (but that’s their job, right?). However, I’m not a complete fool. I also have some health issues I need to be careful about. I have Atrial Fib, and am on Coumadin and beta blockers, so my diet is restricted by this. I also have some food and medication allergies to take into consideration.
Cranberries are on the DO NOT EAT list for Coumadin, and are therefore contraindicated. Nopalea contains cranberries.
I am 5 foot tall and weigh a little over 200lbs. I have linted mobility because of arthritis in my hip and a severe scoliosis of the spine.
I truly wish I could find something to help. I am only 55, too young for all this nonsense!
It would matter for advice that I could give you, if I knew if you were insured with health insurance. One thing is, is can you tolerate being partially upside down? I bought an inversion table, and that has kept me working. Also, Type I&III Collagen can help to rebuild your spine and hip, much better than Glucosamine and Chondroitin. The inversion table, plus Collagen has helped me so much. I am still trying to find a stable form of the Nopalea Cactus fruit juice.
Even though I am a nurse, I believe in natural elements and nourishing the body with healing foods. I am sure that you have tried–because weight loss would decrease your pain soooo much. Believe me on this. After 10 lbs, you start to tell the difference. After 20lbs, feeling even better. Go to Weight Watchers. I am diabetic and their diet helped me lose weight AND brought my blood sugar down.
I am a practicing rheumatologist and a full professor of medicine. I find it appalling that snake oil scams like the Nopolea B.S. continue to make the way with full escape from FDA censorship onto TV informercials. This stuff is nothing but cheap liquified cattle food. It has no proven medicinal value whatsoever, aside from providing bulk and water to thirsty cows in the Mexican deserts. Drink up!!
My grandmother is really easily inflenced by these so called health commercials. She is very over weight and she doesn’t exercise. She sits around buying this product and that product off tv. She has that go ruby go stuff, what do yo think about that? She always complaining about her knees are stiff and has high blood pressure.
What can i do to get her to move around instead of sitting on the couch or computer all day? I want her to live a long time she’s 67 i think.
Brianna,
I commend you on wanting to keep your grandmother around! I think the first thing is to see if she really wants to make a change. explain to her that she can feel better but she will have to put effort into it. If she is willing, here are some suggestions
1. joint a silver sneakers exercise group. its easy exercise from a chair. most YMCAs etc have silver sneakers programs
2. pool exercise. most gyms have exercise classes in the pool. this will help take stress off her knees.
3. put a recumbant exercise bike in front of the TV so she can ride it while she watches TV
4. weight watchers. I have a friend who lost 56 pounds with weight watchers! I like the social aspect so its a great way to meet like minded friends who can help her.
5. does she use the computer? if yes MyFitnessPal.com lets her track her calories and exercise so she can see how shes doing
6. The National Weight Control Regestery shows what people did to lose weight and keep it off long term. lots of tips here.
I could go on but I think the first thing is to have a heart to heart talk about this with her. Tell her how you feel, as you just told me, that you want to keep her around and will do what it takes to help her. If shes willing, then she has a great granddaughter to help her 🙂
Thanks for such a quick and informative response! Great suggestions. Ive told her many times about my concern but i think she is sort of set in her ways. And i think she needs information because i was telling her i wanted to cut back on sodium intake and i asked her what was the maximum amount of salt to have a day and she said 3000. For someone that has high blood pressure, and being African American, no way. She does take potassium but how could she possibly believe that? Anyway thank you im so glad i found your website you’re really smart;)
Thanks Brianna, Im glad you found me too 😉
show her how to read a food label. That might get her to think about what shes eating. Quick trick: If you look at the “DV” (daily value) on the food label, tell her that anything that’ s “5% or less” is “low” and anything that’s “20% or more” is “high” -so we want to see low numbers next to sodium and high numbers next to potassium (if potassium is listed – it isn’t always).
Does she read? Get her a subscription to Nutrition Action Newsletter. Its inexpensive but very good. you can print up some of their past articles on their website and show them to her. Sometimes persistence is what it takes. 🙂
Good Morning! So glad I read your article but also disappointed. I was so hopeful about this. Dx: Lymes Disease Sept. 2011. Dr. told me that I was infected in the early Spring of that year. I never knew that I was bit. By Sept 2011 my symptoms were multiple and intolerable!
I am a Physical Therapist Assistant (16 years), Wife, and Mom of 3 Awesome kids (10,6,4). I initially went through one year treatment of approximately 250-300 pills per month, mostly combinations of antibiotics along with pain meds. The next October, 2012, I felt sure that it was cured!!! d/c’d from dr. for Lymes.
Do you have any ideas? I do not want to go that path again! I feel desperate for a cure! Also, any thoughts on Goji juice? Thank you! I appreciate your knowledge and advice!!! Please respond ASAP. I do have an appt with my Lymes Dr. next Wed.
Hi Monica, i wish I had a supplement for you. I dont any for lyme disease. I would say trying to keep your immune system as strong as possible is a good start. that means more fruits, veggies and moderate exercise and rest.
I don’t want to say Nopolea wont help you. i really don’t know. Id say try it for a month or so and see how you feel. Same for goji juice. Goji has a lot less research but that doesn’t mean it cant help. I think both can find their selves into a healthy lifestyle as long as they don’t be substitutes for being healthy in other ways. Im a big believer in a whole-istic” approach to this stuff. That might mean some supplements but the emphasis has to be on the good foods and exercise.
Hi–and thanks Joe for your work! I think the people who get benefits from this type of product have mentally projected the outcome, either good or bad and that 90+% of the responses fall into this category, which is why there is no real proof.
Another similar product is SeroVital, punted by the biggest huckster of all time, “Dr. Oz” is punted the same way. Massive advertising , endorsements from ‘medical professionals’ and various and sundry testimonials…bottom line – you are throwing money away.
Eating lean, clean and green, exercising and reducing inflammation through juicing your own organic vegetables and fruits will produce results at a FRACTION of the costs of any of these modern MLM or advertorial type products.
If there is an 800 number, a monthly re-order program and a ‘but wait, there’s more, ….run, don’t walk to your nearest whole, organic grocery store or fruit/vegetable stand, meditate, do yoga…save your money. Turn off the TV.
OR, if you believe it enough, you can make anything work. It’s called the placebo effect….
Good Health to all.
Well, I just happen to come upon this review as I was looking into other items offered by the makers of Nopalea. I chose not to go to the Nopalea website because I was looking at prices. my story is, I recently bought the Nopalea juice. When I called the operator, I had no problems with sales because I was more then eager to give this a try. I have been in a state of depression for the last 13 plus years. Only recently did I learn that most people generally recover from depression after a few months, and go on to live healthy happy lives. Mine is far from healthy or happy. I need help, to get better. If you know anything for depression, fibromyalgia, and insomnia that can get a person back to a life in the world again please tell me. I have never told this to anyone, I can’t believe that I just sat here and typed it all out. Part of me wants to just delete, but the other part feels like you may be a person with knowledge on some of these subjects. The fact that you take the time to investigate and inform the public, is in itself very noble. Does not seem to be self-serving to put that kind of time and effort into something in order to inform others. Thank You, and May the Lord be With You.
Tina, given all that you said, I truly believe that supplements are not the answer. yes there has been some research on ribose for fibromyalgia but I wonder if you are able to take a daily walk, starting with about 5 minutes per day. Try, very slowly to, increase the time to 30 minutes. I understand money can be a problem so if you live close to a YMCA or Jewish community center, go there and see if they can give you a “scholarship.” this is something they do for people who cannot afford a membership. If the facility has a warm pool, then I suggest trying some of the warm water pool exercises.
If you try Nopolaea, you will know in a month or so if its going to help you but if you feel no difference then I recommend you take th money you are spending on nopolea and buy some fruits/vegetables. Blend them together and drink one per day. For example, here is the smoothie I make myself I use chocolate protein powder but this tastes really good even without it.
Another option is to seek out a counselor to discuss your problems with. My hope is that they can help you better cope with some of your personal issues. You can find counselors at your local hospital. Many times you may be able to get this for free or for a discounted cost. If you have insurance call the ins company and ask about this.
I do hope some of this helps you Tina. I will say a prayer for you tonight that you get the help you need.
“This amazing cactus survives the brutal conditions of the Sonoran Desert”…clearly implying that this must be proof of its efficacy as an antioxidant. If so, then I’d assume you could also chow down on scorpions or Gila monsters.
Nopalea will have the predicted trajectory in this product category that we’ve seen over and over…suck a lot of people in, sales fall off, and we’re off to the next “miracle fruit” – always without any objective evidence whatsoever. It’s just playing on people’s hopes and fears.