Have you heard of the anti-aging supplement Protandim? Maybe you saw a Youtube video of when Protandum was featured on ABC’s PrimeTime news show a few years ago? Either way, Protandim, called an “Nrf2 activator” is said to be the “only supplement clinically proven to reduce oxidative stress in humans by an average of 40 percent in 30 days.” That’s fancy talk that basically means that Protandim is a type of antioxidant supplement. Unlike other products however, Protandim is said to work by helping the body increase its own natural antioxidant enzymes. Sounds good, but does Protandim work or is it scam? These are some of the questions I want to address in this Protaindim review. The good thing about Protandim is that there are actual, published peer reviewed research studies on this product. I will use that research in this review and try to put it in context. My hope is that by the end of this, you’ll have a better idea whether Protandim is right for you.
What is Protandim
Protandim might sound like a drug but it’s really a dietary supplement that is said to combat free radical damage (oxidative stress) by stimulating the production of the body’s own natural antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione. So, instead of taking individual antioxidant supplements (like vitamins C, E, etc.) in the hopes that they will battle free radicals and combat aging and disease, Protandim is supposed to ramp up your own naturally occurring free radical defenses.
The product website (Protandim.com) says that Protandim is “clinically proven to reduce oxidative stress to levels of that of a 20-year-old.” Oxidative stress refers to the stress (cellular damage) caused by free radicals. Protandim is made in the US but is not organic or kosher.
Who makes Protandim?
Protandim is a product of a company called LifeVantage Corporation. LifeVantage is actually a publically-traded stock on the NASDAQ. Its stock symbol is LFVN.
To contact LifeVantage, their website lists this address: 9815 S. Monroe Street, Suite 100 Sandy, UT 84070. The picture of this address looks like the building shown on the Protandim.com website; however from the Google Street view I’ve listed, it seems to be under construction —as does most of the area. I’m guessing this is an older picture of the area.
To contact LifeVantage by phone, the website lists this number: 1.866.460.7241.
Interestingly, the Better Business Bureau lists two different addresses for LifeadVantage; they list the address above, as well as this: 1449 W Littleton Blvd Ste 200, Littleton, CO 80120-2127. This address appears to be some sort of a store or restaurant that is no longer in business.
Either way, the BBB gives LifeVantage a rating of “A-” as of 10/26/12.
Protandim ingredients
According to the product’s website, Protandim is composed of these 5 ingredients:
1. Milk thistle extract containing 80% silymarin
2. Bacopa extract containing 45% bacosides
3. Ashwagandha root powder
4. Green tea extract containing 98% polyphenols
5. Turmeric extract containing 95% curcumin
I’m guessing the name “Protandim” was chosen because these ingredients are supposed to “pro-actively” work “in-tandim” to help defend us against aging and disease. That’s my theory anyway.
On the FAQ page of the product website, it’s said that the special way in which Protandim is made means that people would not get the same benefits if they just took each ingredient individually. As “proof” of this, they state that
“A scientific peer-reviewed study shows that Protandim produces a 300 percent increase in the antioxidant glutathione.”
But, they don’t tell us the name of that study or where we can find it. So I Googled “Protandim glutathione” and discovered that they are referring to a test tube study published in 2009 and not a study of humans. I will list this study in my review of Protaindim research below.
It turns out that I’ve already looked each of the ingredients in Protandim as they are also ingredients of other products. For example, for more information on:
- Milk thistle, see my review of the testosterone booster, Syntheroid.
- Ashwagandha, see my review of Mdrive, a supplement for men over 40.
- Bacopa, see my review of the weight loss supplement 1Db Goddess.
- Green tea, see my review of Mega T Green Tea.
- Tumeric, see my review of the joint pain supplement Tissue Rejuvenator.
As such, I won’t reinvent the wheel, by covering those ingredients again. Instead, let’s look at the actual scientific research on Protandim itself because I feel this will help people get a better perspective of the product.
Protandim research
Protandim is different from a lot of supplements because there really is published, peer reviewed research on the product. Below is a summary of the Protandim research I uncovered with links to these studies for those who want to see them for themselves.
Because the names of scientific studies can be, wordy and difficult to understand, I will summarize the study and put the research in proper context.
I’m also going to break the studies down by year of publication because I noticed something interesting when as I was reading through the research. I’ll discuss this observation in the “My thoughts” section below.
2013 Protandim research
On January 2 2013, LifeVantage announced a new peer reviewed study on Protandim. The name of the study is Upregulation of phase II enzymes through phytochemical activation of Nrf2 protects cardiomyocytes against oxidant stress and it appears in the Nov 30th issue of the journal, Free Radical Biology and Medicine. In a nutshell, this study noted that treatment of mouse heart cells with Protandim increased production of an antioxidant/anti-inflammatory enzyme called Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) as well as Nrf2.
This was not a human study but rather, basically a test tube study using isolated mouse heart cells.
It appears that this study is actually derived from the Master’s Thesis in 2010. The title of the MS Thesis is “UPREGULATION OF HEME OXYGENASE-1 AND ACTIVATION OF NRF2 BY THE PHYTOCHEMICALS IN PROTANDIM .” It is not unusual for a quality MS thesis or other graduate work to go through the peer review process and be published.
2012 Protandim research
Study Name: Antioxidants for the Treatment of Patients with Severe Angioproliferative Pulmonary Hypertension? Published in the journal, Antioxidants in Redox Signaling.
Summary: This is a rat study. Protandim increased antioxidant enzymes in rats, protecting the hearts from damage.
Study Name: Phytochemical activation of Nrf2 protects human coronary artery endothelial cells against an oxidative challenge published in the journal, Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity.
Summary: This is a test tube study. Coronary artery cells were treated with Protandim. The concentration of Protandim was 20 micrograms per milliliter or placebo (ethanol). All cells were then treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to induce free radical damage. Cells treated with Protandim showed less cell death than those getting the placebo.
Study Name: Protandim does not influence alveolar epithelial permeability or intrapulmonary oxidative stress in human subjects with alcohol use disorders. Published in the American Journal of Physiology. Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology.
Summary: This study showed that Protandim did not work. This was a strange study. Researchers looked at 30 people who abused alcohol. The researchers stuck tubes down the throats of the subjects to take fluid samples from their lungs. They randomly gave the people 1350 mg of Protandim per day or a placebo, for a week. They tested for various things to see if Protandim helped the people. It didn’t.
Personally, I don’t know how relevant this study is to whether Protandim works or not. I mentioned it because it was a human study. For a much more in-depth review of this study—written by a doctor—see the Protandim review posted on ScienceBasedMedicine.org.
2011 Protandim research
Study Name: Oxidative stress in health and disease: the therapeutic potential of Nrf2 activation. Published in the journal, Molecular Aspects of Medicine.
Summary: This is a test tube study. The summary of the study I liked to says that Protandim altered cellular pathways involved in not only antioxidant enzyme production but also those involved in colon cancer, cardiovascular disease (heart disease) and Alzheimer’s disease. But, humans are more complicated than isolated cell cultures. This study doesn’t prove Protandim reduces the risk of any of these diseases.
Study Name: The role of manganese superoxide dismutase in skin cancer. Published the journal, Enzyme Research.
Summary: This is a mouse study. I found this study strange because, for the most part, it appears to be a review of previous research relating free radical damage to the development of skin cancer. The actual study isn’t even discussed until you have read half of the paper—and then it’s only a vague description of the research. In the study, researchers reported that Protandim reduced tumor growth in mice. But, how much Protandim did the mice get? If that information is in the study, I could not find it.
Study Name: Protandim attenuates intimal hyperplasia in human saphenous veins cultured ex vivo via a catalase-dependent pathway. Published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
Summary. This is a test tube study. In this investigation, Protandim was cultured with the saphenous vein (a vein in the leg that is used in heart bypass grafts). Researchers noted that Protandim reduced the thickening of vein cells. This, in turn, helps the veins last longer, which is good for those who have bypass grafts.
Note. When I say “test tube study” I’m making a general reference to any study that’s not conducted on lab animals or humans and involves cells that are isolated from the body from which they were taken. Test tube studies are valuable, but they may not represent what goes on in human or animal bodies.
2010 Protandim research
Study Name: The Dietary Supplement Protandim Decreases Plasma Osteopontin and Improves Markers of Oxidative Stress in Muscular Dystrophy Mdx Mice. Published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements.
Summary. This is a mouse study. Mice that were genetically created to have muscular dystrophy were given Protandim at a dosage that was similar to what LifeVantage recommends for humans. After 6 months of use, the mice that were given Protandim showed a 46% reduction in the free radical breakdown of fat (this is called TBARS in the study. TBARS stand for Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances). The greater the TBAR level, the greater free radical damage. Thus, reducing TBARS is taken to be a good thing.
Study Name: The chemopreventive effects of Protandim: modulation of p53 mitochondrial translocation and apoptosis during skin carcinogenesis. Published in the journal PLoS One.
Summary: This is a mouse study. Interestingly the word “mouse” never appears in the summary of this study. You have to read the actual study to see that it used lab mice. Protandim reduced damage to the mitochondria of the mouse cells.
The mitochondria, often called the “powerhouse” of the cell, makes energy —and makes free radicals in the process. The mitochondria is a major area of anti-aging research.
Study Name: Chronic pulmonary artery pressure elevation is insufficient to explain right heart failure.
Summary. This is a rat study. Researchers wanted to see if Protandim helped pulmonary blood pressure. After 6 weeks, Protandim did not reduce pulmonary artery blood pressure or the number of lung lesions.
The researchers did say that “our data point to a cardioprotective effect of Protandim.” But, this is a vague statement. Here’s why:
In the study, the researchers list 4 things that they say Protandim did— but nowhere in that list did I see the word “significant.”
The omission of this word is huge because it could mean that the effects observed might not necessarily be due to Protandim.
Some may say I am nitpicking here, however the holy grail of scientific research are effects that are deemed “significant” —in other words, effects that are not due to random chance. The omission of the word “significant” reduces the importance of this study in my opinion.
2009 Protandim research
Study name: Protandim, a fundamentally new antioxidant approach in chemoprevention using mouse two-stage skin carcinogenesis as a model. The study was published in the journal PLoS One.
Summary: This is a mouse study.
Study name: Synergistic induction of heme oxygenase-1 by the components of the antioxidant supplement Protandim. This study was published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine.
Summary: This is a test tube study. Cells treated with Protandim showed significant increases in glutathione, an antioxidant compound. This is the study that LifeVantage lists as “proof” that Protandim increases glutathione levels by 300%. It may raise glutathione 300% in a test tube, but what about in people? As far as I can tell, there is no proof of this.
This study is also cited as the “proof” LifeVantage lists as to why people can’t save money by just taking the individual ingredients in Protandim.
2006 Protandim research
Study Name: The induction of human superoxide dismutase and catalase in vivo: a fundamentally new approach to antioxidant therapy.
This is a human study. In this investigation, 39 healthy men and women, age 20-78 years were given Protandim (675 mg per day) for between 30 and 120 days.
Summary:
1. Protandim caused a significant increase in the antioxidant superoxidant dismutase (SOD) in red blood cells.
2. A non-significant rise in uric acid. Uric acid, besides being bad for gout, is an antioxidant. Might Protandim have raised uric acid levels as a result of its ability to increase antioxidant enzymes? I don’t know.
3. No change in CRP levels was seen.
4. No change in HDL, LDL or triglycerides were seen.
5. Interestingly, greater free radical breakdown of fat (higher TBAR levels) were seen in those who took the antioxidant supplements vitamin C and E than those who did not. In other words, antioxidant vitamins did not help, but were in fact, bad for the people!
The finding that antioxidant supplements might be bad for us is not new. Other research has shown antioxidant supplements reduce the body’s natural antioxidant defenses.
Note in the study above, Protandim didn’t reduce CRP levels. CRP is a measure of cellular inflammation. I feel this reduces claims by distributors that Protandim reduces inflammation.
My thoughts on the Protandim research
After looking over the Protandim studies, 4 things occurred to me that I wanted to point out:
First. Out of 12 Protandim studies I found, only 2 were conducted on humans. These studies are:
- The 2006 study (click to see study)
- The 2012 study (click to see study)
All other Protandim research has been conducted in either test tubes or lab mice or rats.
Also, of those two studies, the 2012 study noted that Protandim didn’t work. That leaves only 1 human trial (from 2006) showing Protandim might be beneficial to humans.
Here is a summary of Protandim research by year
Second. This is what jumped out at me when I looked at the research. The earliest (and presumably the first) Protandim study I found was from 2006. That study was conducted in humans. Why then, did researchers abandon humans and opt instead for investigating the effects of Protandim in mice and test tubes? This makes no sense to me. There is a 6 year gap between human trials. Why?
Third. 1 human trial, lab animal and test tube research seems to show that Protandim elevates antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, SOD and glutathione. But, does that mean this slows aging or reduces the risk of disease?
I don’t know the answer to this but since thousands of people are taking Protandim —and have been taking it for at least 6 years— we would have a good idea if it helps people or not if LifeVantage conducted surveys of the people who took it. I don’t see any research like that —and that is very disappointing to me.
Even better would be to take blood samples from a random selection of Protandim users over the course of the last few years. This would give valuable information on how effective Protandim is. LifeVangage is a publically traded stock. They can afford to do this.
In this Protandm press release, LifeVangate states that they made over 20 million dollars first fiscal quarter that ended September 30, 2011. That’s a 200% increase over the previous year period.
I’d rather have seen LifeVantage spend the last 6 years doing that kind of research than looking at how Protandim worked in test tubes or mice with muscular dystrophy!
Let me be clear. I am not trying to slam Protandim with these statements. I believe my criticisms are just and based on the fact that LifeVantage started with human trials, and then switched to non-human trials for the next 6 years! Again, why?
Fourth. LifeVantage says that just taking the individual ingredients in Protandim does not give the same benefits as taking Protandim itself. Where is the proof of this? I can’t find a single study that compared Protandim use, to just taking the ingredients in Protandim. An advantage of taking 1 pill is that its more efficient, but is it better?
Protandim and multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is caused by damage to the protective covering of nerve cells. While the process of the damage is due to an autoimmune disorder (the immune system attacks a part of the body – in this case the nerve cells), this damage is thought by some to be the result free radicals. Some have put forth the idea that disruption of free radical stress – via stabilizing Nfr2 (the stuff Protandim is supposed to augment) might help MS.
So is there any proof that Protandim helps MS? While I was not able to discover any published research, I was informed of an investigation that was presented in 2011 at the 5th Joint triennial congress of the European and Americas Committees for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The title of the presentation was: Nrf2 activators: a novel strategy to promote oligodendrocyte survival in multiple sclerosis?
Oligodendrocytes (oly-go-den-dro-sites) form the protective covering of nerve cells― the covering that is destroyed in MS.
In this study, researchers treated rat and human oligodendrocytes with several compounds ― one of which was Protandim ― and then exposed the cells to a chemical to create free radical damage.
The researchers wanted to see which compound increased Nfr2 related antioxidant enzymes the most in response to the free radical chemical exposure. These researchers noted that Protandim was seen as “the most potent inducer” of Nfr2 antioxidant enzymes defenses.
This is an intriguing study but it does not seem to have been published yet. Published studies tend to carry more weight than unpublished research.
There is also some evidence that stimulating Nfr2 antioxidant pathways might reduce cellular inflammation via inhibition of NFkb. Inhibition of NFkb is also something that another supplement – called Anatabloc – is supposed to do. If this is true, might a cocktail of Protandim and Anatabloc help multiple sclerosis symptoms? I am, of course, highly speculating here, but it’s an interesting question that I hope someone looks at. For more, see my Anatabloc review.
Another herbal anti-inflammation supplement I’ve reviewed is Zyflamend so see this review for additional information.
Protandim and Primetime
In 2005 Protandim was featured on ABC’s Primetime news show. In that segment, ABC correspondent John Quinones met with Dr. Joe McCord, who is one of the main Protandim researchers. Dr. McCord is a respected researcher and is an employee of LifeVantage and appears at many LifeVantage distributor events. According to his Wikipedia page, as a grad student, Dr. McCord was involved with the seminal discovery of Superoxide Dismutase, an important free radical savaging enzyme. He is also a 
contributing author of many of the Protandim studies listed above.
In the Primetime Protandim segment, John Quinones gets a blood test to measure his TBAR level (an indicator oxidative stress). He’s given Protandim for 2 weeks and then returns to the lab where he has his blood tested again. Dr. McCord tells John Quinones that Protaindim caused a “45% reduction” in oxidative stress and goes on to say that this is the level seen in a “newborn baby”.
Impressive, but here’s my problem: John Quinones has his blood tested by people who have an association with LifeVantage—the company that sells Protandim!
I have no reason to suspect anything fishy went on with the results, however, I would have liked it if ABC had John Quinones’s blood tested by an independent laboratory too.
Having the people who have an association with Protandim do the blood tests is just bad science in my opinion because it opens the door to criticisms of conflict of interest. I’m disappointed that Primetime producers missed this important point.
Question: Since 2005, have any independent labs tried to reproduce the results of the Primtime news show? In other words, give Protandim to somebody for 2 weeks and measure TBAR levels before and after Protandim use?
The ABC PrimeTime video seems to be an important part of Protandim distributor marketing. At one YouTube video I saw, a Protandim distributor tells his team “Don’t Sell Protandim” but rather “share the video” —The ABC PrimeTime video—rather than trying to explain the complex science of Protandim. To me, this means that some Protandim distributors are basically trying to piggyback on the credibility of ABC’s Primetime — and John Quinones. As I’ve already pointed how however, this video segment has a major scientific flaw.
The ABC Primetime video appears to be so popular of a selling point that there is even a website called “ABCLiveIT.com” which has no association with ABC or the Primetime Live TV show. The site appears to be for general Protandim educational purposes rather than one created by a protandim distributor. I attempted to determine who created the site but the creators name is private. The website was created on Sept 9th 2011, several years after the ABC Primetime video first aired.
Protandim and Donny Osmond
Donny Osmand is a paid spokesperson for Protandim. On the Protandim.com site, it says that before Donny tried Protandim, that he ran it past his doctor—Dr. Dan Royal— who conducted his own research. It says that:
” The doctor wanted to study it for himself and perform his own tests to determine its validity and effectiveness. His testing verified Protandim, and his perception changed from skepticism to advocacy.”
But, where is Dr. Royal’s research published? I didn’t see any Protandim research with his name on it. If anybody knows the journal where this research is published, please tell me and I will amend my review.
In a 2011 YouTube Video on Protandim Dr. Royal gives a PowerPoint presentation of his research called “Protandim: A Medical Discovery”. His research appears to be based only 10 people. That’s not a lot.
What struck me in the PowerPoint presentation was at the time Dr. Royal was running a 6- month “study” / Challenge where people could enroll in the study to see if Protandim worked.
To enroll in the “study” people had to :
- Pay a $100 “administrative fee” for a nutrition assessment.
- Pay about $1900 for SpectraCell Micronutrient test.
- Take Protandim daily “as prescribed by a doctor” —but wait, Protandim doesn’t need a prescription. I take that to mean that Dr. Royal might be a Protandim distributor. If that’s correct, he would receive commissions on the Protandim he “prescribes.”
- Pay another $1900 for another SpectraCell Micronutrient test after 3-6 months.
- Pay a $160 co-pay for the Dr. visit (or $280 cash if no insurance).
In clinical research, study participants don’t have to pay for the tests that are conducted on them. On the contrary, study participants not only receive free medical tests, they are also even sometimes financially compensated for their participation.
As an aside, I’ll say that LifeVantage could easily do this study themselves and do it such that people wouldn’t have to pay anything. Remember that LifeVantage made over 20 million dollars — in just 3 months— in 2011.
For more on Protandim and Donny Osmond and Montel Williams etc., see the Protandim Wikipedia page.
Protandim side effects
I am not aware of anything bad happening from using Protandim and I think in the vast majority of people it’s likely very safe. That said, here are a few things that people might want to think about.
One study noted that Protandim might raise uric acid levels. Does that mean Protandim might be a problem for people with gout? I don’t know.
On the Protandim FAQ website they also warn against using the product if you are undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer. This is likely because of the unknowns of combinging antioxidants some cancer therapies. In addition, they stress the importance of talking to a doctor if you have any autoimmune disease like arthritis or Type I diabetes. I’m not aware of any problems with Protandim – in anyone – but I appreciated LifeVantage mentioning this.
How to measure your TBARS
Remember that TBARS are a measure of free radical damage (oxidative stress) of cells. Protandim is said to reduce TBARS.
The TBAR test is also called a Lipid Peroxidase’ test. It costs about $200 to have the test done by a doctor. For those who really want to know if Protandim is working or not, getting this test done first—and a month later— might be a good thing to do. I’m not sure if insurance covers the test or not. Talk to your doctor for more information on this.
Protandim distributors
There is a multi level marketing aspect to Protandim. As I’ve said in the past, this is not necessarily bad— especially if distributors do not have to pay a lot up front to join and don’t have to buy the product before its sold. I don’t know how much it costs to become a Protandim distributor. While I’m sure there are Protandim distributors who are making a lot of money, for those who are thinking about joining the program, I suggest they ask to see documents on how much the average Protandim distributor makes. That will give them a rough idea of how much they might make.
What is TrueScience Anti-Aging Cream?
As an aside, I wanted to touch on TrueScience Anti-Aging Cream as this is another product sold by LifeVantage. On LifeVantage.com they say this:
” Its powerful anti-wrinkle formula boosts six skin-rebuilding essentials and contains the 11 ingredients described as the most effective in improving skin tone, texture and appearance. Unlock the science of anti-aging and unlock the secret of a younger-looking you with TrueScience Anti-Aging Cream.”
While the statement above sounds impressive, its actually very vague. For example:
- “Skin building essentials” is meaningless. How does it build the skin and what makes the ingredients “essential?”
- Also, who “described” the 11 ingredients as “most effective?“
- “Unlock the science” makes no sense I didn’t see any scientific studies on TrueScience cream that proves it actually works.
Protandim has research, but even the LifeVantage website doesn’t show any published scientific proof for TrueScience Anti-Aging cream.
Protandim for dogs?
In January 2013, LifeVantage Canine Health was announced. According to the LifeVantage website, this product contains the same ingredients as Protandim – and it also has omega 3 fatty acids and collagen. The website goes on to say that:
“Reducing oxidative stress in dogs may reduce many of the disorders associated with aging in canine.”
While this may be possible, I have to ask the question, where is the proof? As can be seen from my summary of Protandim research above, there doesn’t seem to be any research of Protandim that used dogs. The LifeVantage website likewise does not list any studies showing that Protandim helps dogs either.
It’s possible that LifeVantage has unpublished research on the effects Protandim and dogs, horses and other animals. I’m not sure either way. I am not an expert on supplements for dogs or other animals, so I suggest speaking to a veterinarian who can likely give the best answer on whether Canine Health is right for your dog.
How much is Protandim?
According to the Protandim.com website, a one month supply (30 capsules) costs $50 retail. If you order it through a LifeVantage distributor, it costs $40. That means over the course of a year, Protandim will cost between $480 to $600. Shipping and tax may be extra. I can’t tell from the Protandim website.
For the Canine Heath Protandim, the LifeVantage site lists a price of $30 per month retail and $25 per month if you buy it through a Protandim distributor.
Did I try Protandim?
I did not try Protandim before I wrote this review because if I did try it and said “it worked” or “it didn’t work,” then my words would only be a testimonial. I think people deserve more than testimonials from individuals they don’t know, and so that’s why I prefer to focus only on the science of supplements.
That said, I was intrigued enough to test Protandim on myself, something I usually don’t do. If you read the comments, you will see how I challenged a Protandim distributor to give me a free month supply. I was going to pay for a battery of blood tests – including the TBAR test – before Protandim and after a month of taking it, to see if anything changed. I lost interest however after the distributor wanted to put stipulations on where I could get my blood work done. If I allowed this, then I would be making the same scientific flaw as ABC Primetime did.
So, does Protandim work?
This is the big question. While I’m very intrigued at the prospect of something that might slow down aging I’m not sure if Protandim works or not. Even though there are interesting studies on Protandim, I’ve got some questions about that research. For example, most of the evidence stems from test tube studies and lab animal research. Why LifeVantage chooses to not test Protandim in humans more I don’t know. I only see two human studies on Protandim since 2006 —and only 1 of those studies notes that it works. And as for the ABC PrimeTime segment on Protandim, that’s just poor science in my opinion. Does Protandim slow aging? Nobody knows. Does it lower the risk of diseases, like heart disease? Nobody knows this either.
In my opinion, if LifeVange is really serious about showing the world that Protandim works, they will begin a multi-year study where they follow a large, randomly chosen sample of current users—and non Protandim users—for the next several years, taking blood samples and having people complete health questionnaires on a regular basis. Eventually, patterns will start to show up on how effective Protandim really is.
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Do you think there is anything in Protandim that would be bad for someone with kidney disease?
Anonymous, not to my knowledge. why don’t you take the ingredients to your doctor or pharmasist and ask them. They know you best so they would have a better idea on this than me or anyone else.
I have been considering taking Protandim which was recommended to me by a friend. I am so happy that I came across this site….very informative and non-biased! What can you tell me about the recall with this product which happened a couple of times? The latest one was just a couple of months ago and this makes me very nervous.
I have always been somewhat apprehensive about taking nutrients for reasons such as these, the unwanted ingredients and binders etc….the whole recall information has made me very nervous.
As for whether it works or not, I was leaning towards trying it…I didn’t feel like I had anything to loose since the ingredients are natural. Is there any more info you can give me regarding this recall?
Hi Marianna, here is the FDA recall letter on Protandim from December 2012
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm331323.htm
It looks like somehow, small metal fragments made their way into some lots of protandim. Im not sure if there were any protandim recalls before this. I did a quick check but didnt see anything. maybe someone else reading this can shed some light if there were other Protandim recalls in the past?
Hello Joe,
Regarding the recall, somebody who has zero contact info and/or anything else has a website: protandimrecall.com with “facts” about the recall.
What began the recall? According to this “facter”, a user dropped a tablet, saw a metal flake, and informed the company. The company, being so full of integrity, informed the FDA, who informed them that there was NO health hazard and no recall needed. Really?
However, the company decided to recall thousands of bottles and replace them because of their own high standards, and then recall more of them later even though the FDA and doctors/health care providers said there was no health hazard.
That recall was for several more lot numbers, because of how thoughtful and ethical the company is. Really?
Who is this cheerleader that is top ranked in “protandim recall” google search?
I must admit that Protandim does work for me – clearer vision, get up ready to go, remove brain fog. However, the company is quite sleazy, imo.
For that reason, if you want the product, become a customer. I would not recommend anyone join as a distributor. You might get rich, but you’ve sold yourself to a company based on half truths.
Thanks for your write up.
Sally, that’s pretty funny interesting; thanks for the heads up. I looked at ProtandimRacall.com website and think is likely either a protandim distributor or maybe a stockholder in LifeVantage trying to do some damage control. I’m inclined to think its the later since if it was a distributor, there would probably be a link to their LV website. Instead I see a stock symbol for LifeVantage at the top of the website. I wouldn’t even call ProtandimRecall.com a “website” since its just one page long.
I looked up ProtandimRecall.com on the website Whois.com and discovered that it was created in December 2012, about the time of the protandim recall. So this is a pretty new website. The name “protandimRecall” was likely chosen because whoever created it knew people would be goggling “Protaindim Recall” to find out more information.
The good news is that Google is getting better and better at recognizing phoney baloney websites like this. I have a feeling that eventually it wont ranke #1 for this search term.
I like your gravatar picture by the way
My friend became a distributor and had to pay $600 up front…I said, “Don’t think so!”
Anonymous, don’t blame you!
don’t let it scare you. I am a distributor for 3 months now. Out of $600 that you pay, $535 are in product costs (and this is a wholesale price). You can sell the product on Amazon or ebay for about $700 if not more (on the average day) plus the product comes with business materials that I sold on Amazon for $40.
Believe me this product is very hot on the market right now. See Amazon’s selling rank for Protandim. Plus the product works really good as I already have about 70 customers and most of them are on the autoship. I had only positive feedback on the product. Also, if you sign up a new distributor on this Vantage Pack (the one that costs about $600), you get $210 in bonuses plus other primary and secondary bonuses that I still don’t really understand fully where they are coming from but believe me i don’t care as long as they are coming
I was involved with similar companies before (ex. LifePharm Global, laminine was their hot product) and LifeVantage is very similar with the bonus structure and compensation but I think it’s so much better because Protandim is a hot item on the market and business is very good.
I would definitely recommend this opportunity. I can send the compensation statement and a bonus structure if anyone’s interested.
Anonymous, I appreciate the info on selling of protandim but we wont be using this form to recruit new distributors
Again, for me it comes down to having to buy it up front -and then the stress of selling it is on those people. I still would like to know what the average protandim distributor makes per month. Ive talked to many protandim distributors but none of them want to tell me.
Joe, It’s hard to tell how much a distributor makes because it depends on what happens during the month for which you receive your income. I really like the 15th of the month because there is always a nice bonus you get on this day. Otherwise you get paid every 7 days.
I made around $1600 last month on the 70 customers I have (they are on the autoship) so if they will not stop their autoship, this is the income I would get every month without doing anything else. If I sign a new customer, I get a bonus in addition to 30% of their order. There are also other bonuses that you qualify for when you sign up 5 customers in a given month.
This is only if you sign up the customers, which are not that difficult to find. When you sign up other distributors, you get a $100 plus other bonuses, plus $210 from their Vantage pack that they purchase for around $600. To be honest, I still don’t understand the bonus structure fully but I like what I see.
I never know what I am going to get but its always been a nice surprise, especially when you have new customers or new distributors sign up. So I guess to summarize, the income really depends on what happens during the month. So far I am not dissapointed. I’m just hoping there would be no changes to the company policies or compensation, as this is always a chance.
Anonymous Im glad you are making some money with it. I do know LV knows how much the average distributor makes. this would be as easy as dividing the monthly money generated in by all, divided by the total number of distributors worldwide. I’m confident LV knows this number.
I have been a distributor for 3 months and
a distributor! My wife and I have seen no
difference in health and after speaking to
over 300 people, in person…not one person
Was the least bit interested after hearing it
was a mlm company!
Now..you may say to yourself..he must be
a terrible sales person..when, in fact, I am one
of the top brand ambassadors in the country
with 20 years in sales experience.
I am not getting my friends and relatives
involved as that is the fastest way to get
them upset with you.
In order to make larger sums of money..you
have to be on auto-ship and order $100 in
products each month.
This becomes the mlm company like LifeVantage
their base of customers.
The average mlm we earns $80 per month the last I saw!
Until any distributor can tell us if any research
was done showing that the 5 ingredients together in
any ratio gets the same results..all other hyped up
research is, in my opinion, false advertising!
At this point I can get organic same five ingredients
at hundreds time the strength for $70 for an
entire year!
And..in case you have not heard..the Protandim
has other ingredients such as magnesium stearate!
Check out that ingredient on Dr Mercolas site
and then ask yourself…why did they add a known
Toxin to a health product!!!!!
I want to see the same TBar test and Dr McCord
studies on how the five ingredients together
in any ratio does any different then their
very shallow amount of each herb!
Something is amiss here!
Ron, interesting. did i read that right that you saw data that the average protandim distributor makes only $80/month?
“And..in case you have not heard..the Protandim
has other ingredients such as magnesium stearate!
Check out that ingredient on Dr Mercolas site
and then ask yourself…why did they add a known
Toxin to a health product!!!!!”
In 1979, the FDA’s Subcommittee on GRAS (generally recognized as safe) Substances (SCOGS) reported, “There is no evidence in the available information on … magnesium stearate … that demonstrates, or suggests reasonable grounds to suspect, a hazard to the public when they are used at levels that are now current and in the manner now practiced, or which might reasonably be expected in the future.”
FDA’s SCOGS Database; Report No. 60; ID Code: 557-04-0; Year: 1979
Thank you for posting this article. I was almost sold on this product, twice! I couldn’t make sense of the claims the distributor was making and I turned down the offer. I’m glad I did. If Protandim did what it said, it would be known by more people. Your evaluation of the studies was most helpful to me in solidifying my decision. Thank you!
Diana, glad to help
Until LifeVantage carries out independent large scale double blind clinical trials there is no way of knowing whether Protandim works for the prevention or cure of any disease. Testimonials are worse than useless. I believe that this company will never carry out such clinical trials regardless of affordability because they know Protandim does not work.
People should be extremely skeptical of any product sold through Multi Level Marketing. The next time a distributor tells me they are skeptical I will scream.
@LisaRob
“If the exact combination of ingredients is so important, how are they altering the product for Japan? Also, how is it that they are marketing and selling the product in Japan while the study of the new formula is still underway?”
That was such a valid point that I thought it was worth repeating.
Terry, I can echo your thoughts on large scale trials. They have the scientists, and they have the people taking the product. I never understood why they are at the least, not testing people who take protandim now. Even universities that study protaindim – like Colorado are not doing human research. I don’t get it.
As mentioned in my first comment on this critique, I went in last week to have my lipid peroxidase test done – the test cost $159 and when I mentioned that I would be coming back in either 60 or 90 days to retake the test, the owner said she’d only charge me half price for the second test (I just wanted to mention that because I’ve seen comments on other sites that claim one cannot easily and commercially obtain a lipid peroxidase test – I live in South Dakota for crying out loud, if I can get one on a walk-in basis anybody can!
).
In any event, while I was there, the owner mentioned that a local cardiologist received grant money to do a study on his heart patients and protandim that would be starting either this month or next month (I can’t remember). It will be interesting to see those results – also, it appears there is human testing being done. However, it’s my understanding it can take years for a study to be finished, finalized, submitted and published.
dizzypru, thanks for the update and on the info on the lipid peroxide test. Yes the peer review process can take time.
Dizzypru:
Interesting……where did the “grant money” come from?
You say: “also, it appears there is human testing being done. However, it’s my understanding it can take years for a study to be finished, finalized, submitted and published.”
Where are you getting this information about human studies? Where does it “appear”? Lifevantage has been claiming for years that over 20 universities are studying Protandim…..but so far they have nothing to show for it.
Hi Dizzy Pru and all, WRONG! First off, I don’t need money nor do I care about money, so I tell it like it is. I am a distributor of protandim and I don’t think it works, I know it works. Fortunately, I don’t need money (I inherited a lot of money, sold 15 sandwich shops, raised $4,000,000.00 on the private market, and my wife is a doctor); therefore I have no fear and do not keep a single asset in my name, hah hah, too bad!. I share the information instead of selling this product as a good deed to help people with medical conditions or who need money.
1. There is no $600 investment, when you become a distributor, you receive 12 bottles of protandim and a bottle of true science. It is Virtually zero investment ($85) and you can see the effects of protandim for yourself by becoming a preferred customer for roughly a $1 per day (actually less when you factor in that virtually all of your other supplements besides fish oil will become obsolete and you can throw them in the trash). When you spend $200 at the grocery store, is that an investment???
Although Testimonies are not validated proof and candidly neither is their abcliveit.com report for that matter: However, I have dozens and dozens and dozens of testimonies and have only been sharing this product for a few months. Have you seen these two below proven facts/studies ever questioned or mentioned? Of course not as Joe the blogger might be thrown in prison.
1. Lifevantage has 14 scientific 3rd party validated peer proof studies listed on http://www.pubmed.gov search protandim (3 on cancer alone).
2. Dr. McCord, our inventor received the last known ELLIOT CRESSON MEDAL on planet earth for biological discoveries in free radicals. Claims that he is a fake are ridiculous and must mean he also fooled the world health Organization and the World’s invention board.
Maybe the Wright Brother’s, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and AT&T, also fooled the world as they are the only other names whom also received the ELLIOT CRESSON MEDAL that I recognized since the 1700′s? Maybe the Wright Brother’s invented paper airplane’s, a random lightning bolt hit Edison, Ford made a match box car, and AT&T invented a plastic non working phone for Ken and Bobby? Come on, see for yourself with your own eyes.
Joe can’t blog on pubmed.gov as it is monitored by the US government daily and the FDA. All studies must be validated and reviewed carefully daily…call them yourself.
3. Does anyone find it interesting that Joe spends so much time preaching against Protandim? Use your brains; Do you think he really cares if a organic supplement is not as powerful as thousands of people claim it is? Of course not, he is paid probably by the Pharmaceutical companies as THEY ARE TERRIFIED OF US:) WITH VERY GOOD REASON.
Why would PHZER, MERCK, BIOMET, etc…want one product which costs roughly $1 per day that by reducing oxidative stress heals almost everything. Opposed to selling hundreds of products for one use for Billions? Do you think their share holder’s would like that?
4. The reason lifevantage shares protandim through a hybrid of net work marketing is, because less then 2% of our world population knows what Oxidative stress is. It was a genious strategy and GOOGLE FINANCE lifevantage’s growth rate and look at the growth per year since the marketing switch a few years ago
5. Ask yourself this again and think about it for a few minutes. Why of the thousands of organic supplements on the market is Protandim the only one who has such heavy blogger’s???
Answer: The other supplement cause no threat; therefore there is no need to discredit their claims and studies. It is too late as now the entire Baltimore Ravens NFL team is taking protandim, Peyton Manning and the Broncos are as well, Tim Tebow, dozens of olympiv Athlete’s, the Military is studying it for their Navy Seals and Army special OPS.
Maybe Joe knows more then all of these doctors as well? I have pictures as proof! Is money more important then humans suffering? Gotta run and it’s nice to not care or need money. You can do and say as you wish and tell the Truth, that’s how I do! Sorry about the grammar, but I don’t really care.
See ya Joe
Rod, I’m guessing from the tone of your words that you didn’t read much of my review. If you did, you would see that I reported on those protandim studies listed in Pubmed and I even linked to them too. What is so wrong about linking to the studies and showing people which is a people study and which is a mouse or in vitro study?
I don’t know what you mean by “I cant blog on Pubmed” because I did! All the links to the studies go right to pubmed. Also, what do you mean that pubmed is “monitored daily by the US gov and FDA?” who are they monitoring it for? Well, if they are monitoring it – and I doubt they do -then they already know about me because this website has hundreds of links going right to pubmed.
For the record no pharmaceutical company pays me either. That’s pretty funny though!
Rod, it’s a good product.
It’s the hype put out by the company that is based on half truths to downright lies.
Sometimes it is better not to know.
@Rod
You say: “Have you seen these two below proven facts/studies ever questioned or mentioned? Of course not as Joe the blogger might be thrown in prison.”
What on earth are you talking about? Your fact #1 is what this whole site is about….the “science”……and the studies are discussed and referenced with links. Yet you say they aren’t mentioned?
Your fact #2 says that McCord is the inventor of Protandim. That is absolutely NOT true. Look at the patent.
So much for your “facts”.
The rest of your post is equally ridiculous.
I’ve spent more than a few hours reading about Protandim on Wikipedia, your article, and that of ‘lazymanandmoney’. Congratulations on yours: well researched, prepared, and written. I found nothing in it, or on Wikipedia, that sways me pro or con. As for lazyman’s article, I suspect his wife ran off with someone from Life Vantage. He is far too negative to not have a serious bias. Not even the devil can be as evil as he portrays Life Vantage.
I’ve decided to try Protandim for a month or two to see if it will help relieve my arthritis. Had not thought about the TBAR blood test before and after, but it makes sense, so I’ll get it.
Wikipedia outlines the history of the company and products back to the early 2000s quite well. I agree with you that Life Vantage might serve itself well with unbiased human research projects, but given it’s history, I suspect it’s motto is that of today’s corporate society: profits before people.
Once again, thanks for a well presented, informative article.
Joe
@ Anonymous – I too just had my test done last Thursday and started taking Protandim that night. I plan on trying it for 120 days to see how I feel. Regarding your commentary on this critique and lazyman’s, I agree! I can at least appreciate supplement-geek’s attempt at a non-biased critique, but reading through lazyman’s explanation was just painful!
On the one hand, he lays out Paul Myhill’s break-up letter with the company as complete truth despite the clear inconsistencies in the letter and history. Paul Myhill’s letter may have had a lot of truth in it, but Myhill claims he applied for the first protandim patent more than a month before meeting Dr. Joe McCord.
Lazyman then also uses Dr. McCord’s letter declining inclusion on a patent as evidence in the same discussion. Well, if you read Dr. McCord’s letter, he discusses a relationship spanning at least 11 MONTHS prior to the filing of the patent documentation. Any “critic” that doesn’t at least point out these inconsistencies cannot realistically claim to be unbiased, at least in my mind.
@dizzypru:
If you look at the wording in McCord’s letter (written March 2005), he refers to “any Protandim-related patents that have been, or are about to be submitted.”
Look at the patent:
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,241,461.PN.&OS=PN/7,241,461&RS=PN/7,241,461
You will see that Myhill and Driscoll started applying for Protandim patents dating back to March 2004. This verifies Myhill’s account that he applied for a patent before he met McCord. There is no inconsistency for Lazyman to point out.
@lisa robb: then paul’s letter misstated the status of the patent. I considered that patents may have been applied for earlier, but there were also patents received after mccord’s involvement. That in itself points out an inconsistency in the claims protandim was essentially a finished product at the time of the first patent’s application. What could mccord have been working on for almost a year after the first patent was applied for if the product was at end stage?
Patents may be applied for without proving the concept has been proven to work at that time. Why the need for the subsequent patents? Paul’s letter only raises more questions.
The critics of protandim on this site are quick to condemn any positive reviews of the product as though they could only come from distributors; at the same time, they lap up myhills letter as 100 percent reliable despite him being an admittedly scorned party.
I’m not a distributor of protandim – I’ve only been taking the supplement since last Thursday. But I can recognize inconsistencies in a self-serving letter when I see it.
Dizzypru:
So…….you’re saying the letter written and signed by McCord (saying that he did NOT contribute to the intellectual property of the product up to that point), is a fake. Got it.
My on-going research on Protandim has determined a few logical and rational conclusions:
1. Protandim can cause no harm as the
ingredients, with the exception of magnesium
stearate, which has a potential of harm if
taken in large quantities, are historically
and testamonally wellness effective.
2. My concern is the fact that I can get the
natural ingredients in organic form for pennies
on the dollar…and at the same ratio.
3. It also appears that the amount given
in research tests was larger quantity then
the one pill a day.
4. It is confusing that they say that the ingredients
don’t have the same effect if each one was
taken separately..but I see no tests that show
if all the ingredients were taken together
at any ratio would be just as effective!
5. I did some math which may need corrected
but I think you will get the idea that we all
could mix the five herbs/plant ingredients
together (even at around the same formula)
for pennies and have each serving hundreds of times stronger!
Am I missing something here?
1 teaspoon = 2300 mg
1 ounce = 28,000 mg
1 ounce = 3 teaspoons
16 ounces = 48 teaspoons
thus..one teaspoon of Turmeric powder is 28,000 mg and I can get 48 daily teaspoon servings from one pound which is 373 times the amount per pill in protandim!
For about $90 I can get a pound of each of the five herbs! at ten times the amount of Mg per day of protandim…I would have a supply for about two years!
at the same mg of turmeric that’s in protandim I would have 5,000 day supply of turmeric for $20!!
Ron,
If you read the patents, I believe the other ingredients help with uptake through the intestines. I need to check back in the studies, but I recall reading that the amounts used in Protandim were optimized to where they are at because any more cannot be effectively absorbed by your body.
Yes, check page 43 of the first patent:
“In one embodiment, the compositions of the invention are prepared with carriers that that will protect the compound against rapid elimination from the body, such as a controlled release formulation, including implants and microencapsulated systems.”
The pages following go into the optimization studies
Thanks Cory and I’ll take a more intense look at the study! In the meantime my
wife and I and dogs will continue to take Protandim.
Yes, I do have references regarding the history of Lifevantage and McCord lying about who invented Protandim. It has been well documented. McCord went along with the lies for years.
Here is a LV document clearly stating that Joe McCord is the inventor of Protandim:
http://web.archive.org/web/20110721233521/http://www.lifevantage.com/products-breakthrough.aspx
That story began to unravel when people began to point out that McCord was not on the patent. LV came up with another story about the invention of Protandim to appease the critics. They (and McCord) made up a story about Myhill bringing a list of about 40 ingredients to McCord, which he quickly whittled down to the final formula. This was a way of claiming that McCord really was the inventor, but he just wasn’t on the patent since it was Myhill’s idea to begin with. Here is a video where McCord tells this story. Jump ahead to around the 38:54 mark if you don’t want to hear McCord’s entire career history:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5vli73g_CA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Unfortunately for LV, Myhill became somewhat of a disgruntled ex-employee and decided to expose this lie in a letter he posted on his Facebook page. Here is part of that rambling letter:
“It is with great sadness that I write this on the eve of my Birthday – not exactly the “gift” I was hoping for . . . or hoping to give. Since 2008, I have been pleading with the company to correct its marketing materials – to reflect that Joe is not the “Inventor” or “Creator” or “Scientist behind” Protandim; that Protandim wasn’t “developed after 40 years of research;” and that it didn’t consist of a “laundry list” of 40 ingredients that Joe whittled down to the current formula. This is all simply untrue. I’m sure the company will try to put some sort of further spin on this now and try to convince people otherwise, but the truth is the truth and will always come out in the end. Darkness can’t hide from the light.
The CORE botanical formula I forwarded to Joe included the current five botanicals, plus one additional one – all in the EXACT same proportions/weights as the current formula (all 1/3 of the original to get it into one pill), but with Milk Thistle subsequently bumped up at my suggestion. The other ingredients were part of an “all-in-one” (multi-formula) addition to that CORE botanical formula that I developed. Given such indisputable facts (and that the initial patent was filed one month before we even met Joe), how am I NOT the creator? How is Joe THE creator? The simple email record, and even a letter from Joe himself, clearly show that the current company communications are downright false and misleading . . . and, in the eyes of many, perpetuate an ongoing fraud – one that the SEC and FTC should be made aware of.
I initially stated that “nobody lied,” desiring to give this current management team the benefit of the doubt and chalking it to human error and the discontinuity of company management in general. But then, month after month went by with the same erroneous materials still being widely distributed by the company, despite their own admission to me that Joe isn’t the creator. These same materials are on the company website TODAY. I just don’t get how a company can keep doing that, with full knowledge that the materials are sending the wrong message to current and new distributors. Many times I wrote emails (which I’d be happy to share with you) and each time nothing was done to take down the offending materials.”
End of quote. Entire letter can be found here:
http://strangelyperfect.tv/12482/paul-myhill-publishes-letter-from-joe-mccord-on-facebook/
On that same web page you can find a letter written by Joe McCord to Bill Driscoll in which he declined having his name on the patent for Protandim, since he felt he made no significant contributions to the development of the product. This verifies Myhill’s assertion that he did not present McCord with a list of 40 possible ingredients.
So, for those distributors who want to rely on McCord’s integrity as the only proof they need to believe in the product, maybe they should take another look.
LisaRob,
I almost wish that I didn’t do research on the company, because I do love the product. I joined as a distributor after going to a glowing presentation about the benefits of Protandim. However, 2 years later, after experiencing company policies that leave me shaking my head, the very poor handling of the recall (i.e. by not even addressing it in company newsletters), and hyped up press releases (i.e. LifeVantage opening up in Japan when it was already opened up over a year ago) to boost stock prices, I am disgusted with the corporate leaders who are more concerned with their own pockets and less about having integrity.
Me thinks it is because much of the company is based on lies, and the cover up of lies. A den of thieves with a golden product.
Sad.
I will continue to share about the benefits of the Protandim, but beware of the wolves in sheep clothing at the top that are making a lot of money and willing to manipulate and lie in order to keep the hype and their cash flow going.
I find your analysis of the two human studies performed by LifeVantage misleading. You mention that of the two, only 1 says that Protandim works. The other report deduced that Protandim does not INFLUENCE OXIDATIVE STRESS in people that have an ALCOHOL DISORDER. The report did not say that Protandim does not work in general, as you put forth.
Anonymous, I’m sorry but the study of alcoholics was a wash for what they were studying. True, just because they didnt find it worked for alcoholics doesn’t mean it didn’t do anything else, but since they didn’t test anything else, we cant say for sure that it did. Therefore, I stand by my conclusion that there is currently only 1 study noting that protandim works.
Anonymous:
Protandim does not “INFLUENCE OXIDATIVE STRESS in people that have an ALCOHOL DISORDER”, …….but……the placebo DID!
From Dr. Hariett Hall’s critique of the study:
“The one finding that was statistically significant was a significant decrease in plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), a marker of lipid peroxidation — but that was only in the placebo group!”
So far, this is the only study done on humans which had a placebo control group. The first human “study” did not have a control group and used company insiders as participants. There are many other red flags about that study, but I won’t get into that here.
My nine year old daughter suffers from an autoimmune disorder. Alopecia areata. She lost her hair in two patches in August 2010 and by December 2010, she was completely bald and losing lashes and eye brows. Md’s offered little hope. I can not say I understand all of the research, but we have eye brows and eyelashes and budding hair. We were given a bottle by a friend and she takes a half pill. We were told to give 120 days. We are almost at 90 days. I can say that she has not missed one day of school this year.
She is the only one in the house who has not taken a turn with the flu we have had twice. She is focused in school and overall looks healthy. My fiance’ and I started taking it two weeks ago. All I know is I sleep like a baby these days and so far I feel an overall increase in mood, patience and energy. I was told the first 30 days its like detox. So I am surprised, that I do feel better.
My fiance’ says his lower back and knees don’t hurt him as much and he also wakes up feeling more rested. Like I said, we are at week two. I appreciate your assessment and writing. I do hope people who wonder if it will help them, take the plunge and see. Like you said it won’t hurt them and I do feel it is worth trying. I am thankful to have been given protandim and look forward to sharing more. Thanks again.
Krystal, thanks for writing and I appreciate your comments. Since you are an LV distributor and had to remove your website link do to my policy but Im happy you have found something that you feel is working for you and your family. If you search the comments you will see that I did try to test Protandim on myself but later declined after a restriction was placed by the distributor on where I could get blood testing done. Regardless, Im happy for you, your daughter and fiance’
Joe,
If you were willing to pay for the testing yourself, then why didn’t you go ahead, take the bottle, and have the test performed at your chosen location?? If you were really interested in what the product does, then doesn’t that make sense? …or maybe you wern’t as interested in the results as you say you are. You should not make a decision like that based on what one distributor tells you. By the way, I don’t take the product nor am I a distributor. I was recently introduced to the product and came across your blog while looking for information. At this time I have absolutely no opinion about the product.
Anonymous, I appreciate your words. After interacting with several protandim distributors I have lost interest in testing it. If you read the statements here by several of the people who sell protandim you will see many put more emphasis on how much people can make, as an enticement to get others to sell the product. They all repeat what I call the “protandim mantra” of “go to pub med” to see the proof (even though Ive listed all the proof here), but when I try to engage them in a talk about the science, they want no part of it and choose to attack /discredit me. Because of the lack of good science and what I have observed in several sellers, I will let my review stand for itself and let people make their own choices.
I started it about a month ago and have went from not falling to sleep until 2 am or latter to being asleep between 10-11 EVERY night. I am not one to sell anything but I sure will keep taking it. I do not wake up in the mornings any longer with pain in my joints. People say what you want but as someone who has nothing to gain from this reply I would say try it for 30-90 days. If you don’t like it stop it. If you love it like I do,
then good for you!
One of the main ingredients is Ashwagandha and, itself, is a miracle herb… It even regenerates brain cells.
Ashwagandha is part of other supplements Ive reviewed includeing
Avesil -weight loss product
1 Db Goddess – a weight loss product
Mdrive - a supplement for men over 40
Ageless Male – another supplement for men over 40
Shakeology - a health drink
See those reviews for more info on Ashwagandha
I have a member of my church who before taking this product was unable to be exposed to sunlight for long periods of time. My son’s godfather whose also a pastor gave her two bottles. The first side effect was that her sight got noticeably better. The second improvement was that she was able to go out into the sunlight and not breakout in hives and later pass out. I don’t know what’s in or how it works, But that it worked.
Two bottles had a lasting effect for about a year. I spoke with her on today and the sunlight side effects are coming back. I plan to help her get more of this product. She became sensitive to sunlight because her doctor prescribed a bad generic blood pressure medicine that she was allergic to.
Bishop Butts, thanks for sharing. Curious, about what you said about the woman’s sight getting better. Is the woman a diabetic? Just something that occurred to me.
No she is not a diabetic. But she does suffer with an illness that will not allow her to be exposed to the sun for a long period of time.
Dude, you are honestly a complete moron with all due respect. First off, let me explain why I say this. Are you familiar with Bio Tech and the drug called BG-12 for MS? Bio Tech PAID more than 1 million dollars for a third party to compare Protandim and BG-12. The conclusion? Bio Tech states that Protandim worked an average of 30% better than this so called miracle drug with NO SIDE EFFECTS! LOOK IT UP! I bet you will still argue with this too right?
Also, let me tell you this. Although Protandim can never say they treat, mitigate, or cure any disease because of FDA rules and guidelines, I have seen personally people suffering with cancer, ALS, high cholesterol, ADD, ADHD i(it goes ON AND ON) that do not have the condition anymore, or that their ailment has been significantly reduced. So you tell me does this work?
Why is the retention rate on these products between 75-80% You think people would continue to buy this if they never felt any positive effects?
Also, why do we personally have board certified cardiologists, internal medicine specialists, and neurologists on board and actually prescribing Protandim to their patients? Well I will tell you why. It is because they have seen dramatic results in the patients that they give it to!
Lets face it, their are so many products out there, and we all have to be skeptical. But can you really argue with 20 medical Universities from around the world that PAID FOR and have concluded their scientific findings through unbiased research? Give me a break!
Lastly, I can personally tell you that this Protandim has done huge things in my family in a matter of months. Yes we have seen this personally. Why would I lie? This product is the most important supplement ANY MAMMAL can take and is simply a medical breakthrough.
Bottom line is that it REDUCES oxidative stress in EVERY MAMMAL on the average of 40%. That is huge! Look at oxidative stress, and look at how many diseases are related to it! Seriously, this is such a no brainer!!
Bottom line, be as skeptical as you want but this stuff is the real deal and works. HMMM, 5 patents, peer reviewed studies, growing at 300% every year, publicly traded with NASDAQ. I bet you would also have said the airplane would never fly either right? Well it did and the Wright brothers were awarded to very prestigious award JUST LIKE DR. McCORD. Some people are just SO closed minded and brainwashed! Just my 2 cents.
Anonymous, You seem to have insider information, so I will assume you have an association to Life Vantage, which is fine. I appreciate your perspective on these things. I don’t understand why you are so angry because the bulk of what I did was was look at the research on Protandim – the very same research that is touted as proof – and put it in perspective – human vs mouse vs in vitro research. Based on that research I have to be skeptical. To be otherwise would not be keeping with the basis for this website. As I’ve said previously, testimonials are a good jumping off point to research, but they cant be taken as a substitute for it.
I understand why LV cant say protandim cures or treats disease – that’s the law. But, human research would offer evidence that it might do this, without actually saying it.
I have always been open to the possibility that there is more to Protandim than what I could glean from the research. I was so open in fact, that I was even willing to pay for the medical tests on myself to see if it did anything. All I asked was a free month supply. I declined when the distributor put restrictions on where I could have my blood tested. Read the comments and you will see this thread of the conversation.
Since you know that protandim has 75%-80% retention rate, I was wondering if you could give me information on how much the average protandim distributor makes per month?
1. Why doesn’t Protandim have USDA Certified Organic Ingredients?
2. Why do they use magnesium stearate a known toxin?
3. Where are the tests that show that the five herbs
together in any ratio does or does not have the same effect?
4. Why in the tests did they use much more of the formula then the one
a day recommended dose proposes?
5. Why did five out of five people including my wife and I see no results, feel no different after taking it for 30 days?
Good questions, probably no answers forthcoming, unless the non-moronic Anonymous has them.
LOL Anonymous.
I’ve seen the “EVERY MAMMAL” claim before. Show us the studies to back that up……was it given to dolphins? Giraffes? Pandas? Rhinos? “Working” in a test tube or Petri dish does not = “working in all mammals”.
It hasn’t even been proven to “work” in ANY mammal yet (out performed by a placebo…..remember?).
Just need to make one more point about this post from Anonymous.
He/she says: “The conclusion? Bio Tech states that Protandim worked an average of 30% better than this so called miracle drug with NO SIDE EFFECTS! LOOK IT UP! I bet you will still argue with this too right?”
Yes, I’d like to argue with that because it is terribly misleading. Protandim was NOT tested in MS patients. This was a test tube study, and proved absolutely nothing about what effect Protandim would have on MS patients. It is a wild and irresponsible assumption (and an illegal disease claim for a distributor to make) to say that Protandim is a treatment for MS.
Maybe Joe’s article could have been summarized somewhat so that he could spend his valuable time on more important things.
His article could have read something like this.
“Any supplements, creams, juices and magic potions sold through Multi Level Marketing are a scam, always have been and always will be so DON’T BUY THEM. Comments have been disabled. “
Terry, I don’t know if I would take that approach. As I said in my review, I am not against MLM specifically and, in fact ,for some people, it can be a viable source of income. I do feel some of the tactics used by distributors is questionable – and that includes some Protandim distributors as well.
I am 100% against any MLM company that requires people to buy the product up front before they sell it. That is a recipe for disaster if the people can’t sell the product.
I am thinking of becoming a distributor. I decided to try the product first, when I took a dose on the first day I could feel my knee feeling better ( I have a severe sprain in my knee ) the same day. I am now on my 3 day still with doubts. I like the product, for me it works but as for being a distributor I don’t know, it cost over $600 to join.
Anonymous, few thoughts. There was a distributor who commented just a bit above you who said it didn’t cost $600 to be a Protandim distributor (only $85 he said). Make sure there is another option that feels more inline with what you can afford before plunking down that much money (please do not go into debt to be a protandim distributor). Also, I’d recommend you give it more than a few days before becoming a distributor. Make sure you don’t have to buy the product before you sell it as well.
There is option on becoming a distribuitor with a $50 starter kit.
So, due to insurance reasons, I have moved my eye business to an ophthalmologist around the corner, to whom I reported today for my first appointment. Initial appointment. There for a few hours. Lots of tests. I mentioned that my wife was disabled with MS, which, led him to bring up the subject of Protandim.
Seems that he is hyped about it as it relates to eye ailments, and, for me, personally, it, purportedly, can help MS. Turns out that his wife is a distributor, and, will be calling me Monday regarding a potential order.
I believe that he/they believe that the product is beneficial to its’ users. That said, his big mistake was sending me to the ABCLiveit.com web site to review the video. It was compelling, but, the internet being what it is, I was compelled to research the product on line.
Now, the eye doctor is a few years younger than me with a couple of college grads/doctors for children, and, seemed to be a pretty sharp guy. So what I can’t understand is how he can recommend a product whose purveyors have generated so much negative publicity.
There seems to be a potential for this supplement to do wonderful things for people, but, in light of the fortunes made by the original investors, why have they done nothing to provide hard research to debunk the claims of their detractors?
As you say, they need to put a few bucks into definitive research involving living, breathing, human beings in order to get more of us to believe in the product, and, open our pocket books.
I’m ready to go for $100 a month for the wife and myself, but, not based upon what I’ve read on line so far. The tragedy, in my mind, is that somebody affiliated with this product may have stumbled upon something that can help a helluva lot of people who have a helluva lot of physical ailments, but, for some reason (read: greed, they’re living too large and need all the dough they can get to keep up appearances, etc.), they just haven’t done the right thing. Show me the money!
Does it really work, or, have their thousands of subscribers manifested a massive positive placebo effect that keeps them re-ordering? Is it all a scam? Does it only work on lab rats? Are they marketing to the wrong contingent of the pet market? As you know, we only really utilize, what, 10 or 20 percent of the brain?
And, as we continue to evolve as a species, we, in my humble opinion (if we don’t destroy ourselves along the way), will be able to tap into more of that gray matter, and, cure ourselves, to some degree, of that which ails us!
Methinks the folks feeling better after ‘medicating’ may be curing themselves! But, who really knows? It’s up to the people behind Protandim to come forth with substantive proof. I want it, bad, but, I’m just gonna’ wait and see.
TC believe me when I say that I completely understand the desire to want answers to health problems. Despite the claims of some protandimm distributors, I’m not out to slam the product but to ask questions that need to be answered. I don’t know if Protandim will help or not. For what its worth, I don’t think it will hurt anybody. I’d think you and your wife should know in about 1-2 months if its helping or not.
I am surprised your the eye doctor would send you specifically to the ABCLiveIT website and not the LifeVantage website -or his wife’s Protandim website for that matter. Im guessing that the ABCLiveit.com website is more popular than I originally thought becaue Ive interacted with other distributors who also sent me to that site. Its obviously a distributor website. I don’t think its officially associated with LifeVantage – the makers of Protandim. Either way, its very strange.
Once again: 1. Why don’t they use USDA organic ingredients?
2. Why do they use a known toxic ingredient called magnesium stearate?
3. Why have they not done testing on the 5 main ingredients together at equal
ratio?
4. Why do the current tests show using much higher strength dose then
Protandim?
5. Why in the world would a research doctor paid millions for testing a drug for MS for a huge drug company at the same time test Protandim? (Already made money w drug company then capitalize on MLM w Protandim?)
This is not adding up..and still no one has responded answering these questions!
Ron, I’ve also noticed the silence to your questions…
Ron,I don’t know the answers to your questions but can hypothesize as I do have some experience with nutraceutical development. In terms of using organic ingredients, that can be tough as not all ingredients are available in organic forms. If they are available, they are much more costly, which then impacts the bottom line for the manufacturer. I have no comment on the magnesium stearate. Also no comment on their testing and evaluation protocols, sorry.
As far as the MS researcher and his evaluation of Protandim,again unsure, but I can tell you what I have come across in the industry through experience. A colleague of mine is a researcher for MD for the past 20+ years and they have been evaluating and focusing their research on the “holy grail” that will cure the disease. Sometimes, these researchers get so focused on a specific pathway that they fail to see the tree for the forest.
Myself, I am an avid researcher of Curcumin and recently inquired to this researcher as to whether or not they were addressing the inflammatory status of these patients, which contributes to deterioration. She emailed me back mentioning that they had noted that patients seem more comfortable for a longer period of time when they used single antioxidants as supplements, which addresses oxidative stress. I sent her some research on curcumin and the impact on MD progression. They expressed interest, and noted that maybe they would investigate further, but in the mean time would slowly kill these boys with high dose corticosteroid usage and bypass antioxidants.
My point in this all this is several fold. First, researchers are always looking for that Holy Grail in my opinion, forgetting about the rest of the patient and other pathways. Is this a result of just wanting to take credit for a cure or is it truly a lack of interest in helping the patient despite fame and fortune?
Nutrients and herbs are potent medicinal agents, but cannot be patented themselves. Given this, there is little interest by the pharmaceutical companies other than trying to mimic their activities in synthetic form. Second, we are all undergoing oxidative stress and inflammation on a daily basis. After all, this is what directly causes aging and tissue deterioration.
Many have inquired on this post if the ingredients of Protandim, if taken separately would cause similar results, and my answer to this would be yes. We all have different levels of inflammation going on, some more than others, which may explain why some respond to various supplements and others do not. Some individuals are in such bad health, that 1 gram of vitamin C 2x per day can make a major impact, while in others it does not.
The bottom line is that whether if it is Protandim or another supplement, what they are providing is inflammation reduction and antioxidant support. Something we all need and could benefit from. This is not rocket science and certainly nothing new, but somehow it can be hard for some to understand and accept for some reason.
No connection with Protandim on my end, by the way. Just reinforcing the basis of the science.
Happy Easter Everyone!
Tom
Happy Easter Tom!
Tom, thanks for taking your time to break this down, a lot of what you said makes sense!
Anonymous makes many good points, but I would like to address the perception that pharmaceutical companies are not interested in selling supplements since they can’t be patented. I’ve heard that argument many times, but what people don’t seem to realize is that “Big Pharma” is very much in the business of selling supplements!
Here is a quote and a link to an article discussing that:
“Some people who buy supplements to avoid Big Pharma drug companies may find themselves doing business with Big Herba, instead.
Some of the same companies that mass-produce drugs in huge chemical labs also churn out vitamin and herbal pills sold in bottles with rainbows, sunrises and flowers on their labels.
Dozens of other supplement makers reap more than $100 million in annual sales. One of the largest — NBTY Inc., on New York’s Long Island — sold $2 billion last year in the United States alone. Its brands include Nature’s Bounty, Vitamin World, Puritan’s Pride and Sundown.”
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,525643,00.html#ixzz2P8MrrbfR
The supplement industry (“Big Supp”?) is not some small mom and pop cottage business being held back by evil pharmaceutical companies.
Something else which occurred to me…….if Protandim really showed promise as the “medical breakthrough” distributors claim it to be, why wouldn’t “Big Pharma” scoop it up? After all, Protandim is patented and LifeVantage is a publicly traded company.
Ron, all you’ll get from Protandim supporters will be testimonials and company propaganda.
As for question no. 5……..I don’t know, but I find it VERY interesting that one of LV’s insiders is a former Biogen employee……what a coincidence:
From LinkedIn:
Rob Cutler General Counsel at LifeVantage Corporation Greater Salt Lake City Area | Biotechnology Current: General Counsel at LifeVantage Corporation Past:Vice President, Business Development at Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Senior Director, Business Development at Biogen Idec, Associate General Counsel … Education: Brigham Young University—J. Reuben Clark Law School, University of Utah
Just wondering…can prescription medications be taken while taking Protandim? Is there contradictions? I have fibromyalgia and some people with this disease have had significant great results from taking Protandim.
Lori, I’m not aware of any fibromyalgia-protandim side effects. I did a quick Google search for “fibromyalgia protandim side effects” ans also didn’t see anybody saying anything odd either. Just to be safe, run it by your rheumatiologist and see what he/she thinks. Show them the ingredients.
I have been taking Protandim for since September, 2011 (it is now May, 2013). I don’t know if it’s connected or not, but I have not been ill since. I ballroom dance competitively, go to school full time, and take care of my grandson. My energy levels up, I sleep better, dry skin, due to lack of hormones as improved. I am not a distributor so have nothing to gain by supporting it. I just know it has done no harm and I do feel better. Also, I have had a severely bad back since I was 18 and was in a wheelchair for 7 years; obviously, since I now dance, something got better
I also have friends who suffered from fybromyalgia who are feeling so much better since starting it.
Jan,
How is your recovery from your bad back even remotely related to using Protandim? You were in a wheelchair for 7 years, yet you compete in ballroom dancing and have only been taking Protandim for a year and eight months. Seems to me you must have been well on your way to mending before ever taking Protandim. No way did you hop out of a wheelchair and start competing in ballroom dancing within a year and eight months….with or without the miracle pill.
This is really a very interesting topic. Thanks for Joe to bring this to us. I agree with you that LifeVantage should do a double blinded, random clinical trials to testify the anti-aging effects at least the upregulation of SOD etc. However, as a researcher myself, to focus Protandim on a specific disease which may not be that practical.
However, to enroll some volunteers with giving a free 30 days supply then finish two tests as shown in ABCliveit may not be that difficult. Or maybe the company is doing that just because it takes years to finish the IRB, trial, data analysis, writing and submitting a paper.
I am particularly interested in one piece of information that Biogen Idec funded MS research claimed that BG-12, tBHQ, SFN and protandim are well-tolerated and strongly induce Nrf2-driven antioxidant enzyme production in oligodendrocytes, with protandim showing the most potent induction. And it is known that protandim has less side effects.
To answer the excess dosage questions, I will say you probably need read more biomedical papers, usually, in in vitro studies, people always use bigger dosage to get a significance. Otherwise, in a organism, or even in cell biology, there will be a lot of effects will compromise the significant changes since biology is so complicated.
Over all, Protandim needs big double-blinded trials to testify its claims. However, scientifically speaking, studies in Rat, mice etc should take into account especial as herb ingredients, they have been tested in China or Indian for many many years for those effects.
Thank you!
Hi Joe,
just wondering why in the world would you spend so much time on Protandim. You receive no pay and as you have stated have no other motive. What are your credentials to even represent any form of bias. Unlike the researches from Harvard, LSU, or American Heart Association and many other universities having conclusions quite a bit different then what you are allowing others to perceive.
I am sure you realize any new product unless touted to be big Pharma next billion dollar winner begins with research on animals. Your review of the research was completely bias, misleading and inaccurate as to the results.
Let’s leave this for the professionals to iron out and validate. Go use all that money you have earned to help make the world a better place. I am certain you can have a greater impact then writing a blog that you continue to argue with others about something that appears you truly lack understanding or have the credentials to make others perceive you do.
Anonymous, You say I’m biased -which I’m not – but yet you provide no examples of where you think I went wrong. Instead, you chose to attack me and do so under the cloak of being anonymous. That’s fine. If you care to have a civil conversation about this Im willing.
I dont see how you can say that I am misleading people because I listed -and linked to – all the published research on protandim -and that’s something not even LifeVantage did on their own website!
Fact. You can’t refute the conclusion that the majority of published protandim research is non-human research. In all the years Protandim has been sold, there’s only been 2 published human studies – and only 1 of those noted it worked. Whats up with that?
Yes animal research is the beginning of knowledge, so why did LV being with a human trial, and then go backwards, choosing to study the product by doing animal and in vitro (test tube) studies?
If you care to discuss this I’m willing.
My credentials… see he About page of this site.
They did publish the studies and they can be found on Pubmed.gov This is were all Doctors go to research diseases. It’s a government web page. Nothing to do with Lifevantage. link removed
Why does everyone look for the wrong or bad in everything that claims to be good. The ones that you should be telling people about and getting the information out there is the ones who are killing our loved ones. Prescriptions! like Oxy Cotton pain pills that took my sisters life. That is were you should focus your research to. 240 people die everyday do to prescriptions.
Nobody talking about that though hu? And here is another fact done on a human study as for the business side of Lifevantage. My Cousin who worked three jobs to support her family walked away from all three of them in two years by sharing the information with people she knew in between the jobs she had as a financial adviser, real estate, cleaning business. I know she thanks God that she didn’t listen to everyone who gave her there opinions. She just believed in her heart , and she was right. Now after not seeing her for 18 years, we see her all the time. She lives in Arizona we live in Wyoming. I saw and know this for the truth that it is. A Fact
To many people always looking to take the good away and turning it into something bad. To many people believing it instead of believing in them self .
A TRUE BELIEVER!
Zina, Dont take this the wrong way but, I’m guessing you did not read my review because if you did. you would have seen that I listed all of the protandim studies AND linked to them on pubmed.gov. I linked to them all.
Since writing my review Ive noticed that a LOT of Protandim distributors tell people to go to pubmed and do the research for themselves. I didn’t want people to do that work and so I found all the research for them.
Wow! Mr. Anonymous……that was pathetic and cowardly. Are you for real or just a troll sent to stir things up a bit? Perhaps you began reading this article and it was over your head so you decided to attack his character? Put a name behind your words lest ye be thought a fool. Lol.
I listened to a power point yesterday put on by a distributer of Protandim. To join and become a distributer one must purchase a 12 month supply of the product at the cost of $600. I’m not sure where the person above came up with $85 but I am pretty sure that is inaccurate.
@ SMV – I also sat through a protandim presentation two weeks ago. You don’t “have” to purchase anything to become a distributor. There are two options to become a distributor,
(1) is to buy the “vantage pack” which costs around $600, but is something like $515 in actual product (i.e.: you’re only paying $85 and can use or sell the rest); Or,
(2) you can just pay the $85, you get no product, but you get proven plan materials, etc. Heck, you can also pay the $85 and then buy whatever product you want in any amount that you want.
Bottom line, if you want to start the business you need $85. A lot of people see the value in purchasing the value pack and go that route instead – it’s not a “requirement.”
Dizzypru, thanks for that synopsis!
Dear Joe,
I am hugely grateful for your unemotional, matter-a-fact review of this “enchanting” supplement. I have been approached by a friend twice, yesterday being the 2nd time, in regards to her desire that I “get on Protandim’s website….watch Dr Mcord (?) on You Tube…..it’s AMAZING” she says. I am appreciative of her desire to tell me about this (although I detest sales tactics for any MLM)…….for MY DAUGHTER.
Yesterday she was so urgent she said that SHE would pay for a 6 month supply for her and then, as I failed to commit, she flat out said, “To tell you the truth Nicole….I feel like we are just wasting time!!! This will be GOOD for her.” She is NOT a distributor, and as for the person she would be buying it from, he is one of my most trusted friends.
Here is the conflict. If you have kids, you’ll understand why I now have an internal conflict akin to WW3 going on inside. MY DAUGHTER is a 6 year old TYPE 1/Juvenile Diabetic. What would I give my own LIFE for? A CURE for Type 1 Diabetes. What is at the forefront of my thoughts ALL the time? Keeping her alive. Then, keeping her blood glucose levels at her target number. (100-150) It’s a BIG DEAL to us.
I’m not going to just shove some “miracle pill” down her tiny little throat. While I would LOVE for it to help her, I’m more scared that it will hurt her.
I did catch the part in one of your summaries which indicated that those with auto-immune disorders not take it. At this point I’m just not willing to risk her sight, kidneys, or a hair on her beautiful little head.
So, I may get ripped apart for throwing this comment to the pack of wolves that have taken up residence in this comment feed, but may I ask for a “Good Mom” “Bad Mom” vote?
Nicole, no worries about the protandim distributors here. None of them will say your a bad mom and if any of them do, I delete those comments.
Since the company that makes protandim warns to talk to your doctor if you have an autoimmune disorder (which type I diabetes is) I think its wise to do that. There is a part of me who feels protandim wont hurt your daughter but it will not cure her either. Protandim needs to be studied in type I diabetics before Id feel comfortable with it for a 6 year old.
To give you some hope, if you go to the website ReachMD.com and sign up (its free) you can search their site for a podcast that discusses whether a cure for type I diabetes may occur one day. Its a fascinating discussion by a researcher who has cured type I diabetes in mice (once they stop the beta cell attack, the beta cells grow back!). She is trying to get funding to test this in humans. Based on this preliminary research, I feel hopeful that one day your daughter wont have type I diabetes anymore. I don’t know when that day will occur, but I do believe it will come.
Your a good mom Nicole. I can tell.
You are a Good Mom!
I am currently taking my daughter to at least 5 different doctors/therapists for her sudden onset psychotic episodes and one of her friends did the guilt trip on me about not getting her to take Nu-skin’s nano pro pack because it will work for her.
Nicole, as a mother, go with your instincts and be careful. Do your research. I google search every drug, product that is being recommended, even before we go to see the doctors. Some of them don’t like that – they like to be the authority and expert, and they are, but NO ONE has your daughter’s best interest at heart more than you. Become an authority about your daughter’s condition.
Good luck, God speed in your daughter finding her way back to good health.
Dear Joe,
Thank you for such a timely response. Your article put my mind at ease and your reply to my comment let a bit of relief and hope into my heart. The timing of all this has been intense for me personally. Saturday evening my husband accidentally gave Lily way, way too much of her quick-acting insulin. (He thought it was the long acting) so after a fun day full of Easter treats we starting feeding her as MUCH sugar as possible.
Testing her every 30 min, he stayed up until 12:30am testing and feeding our little flower, then came to bed, thinking she was past the danger. Call it Mothers intuition, divine intervention, but not fate….I woke up @ 2:30am, slammed my hand down on my husbands chest to wake him up and insisted he test her again. Grumbling, he did……she was @ 86. He gave her more sugar then, per my insistence, brought her to bed with us. I stayed up the rest of the night holding, testing and feeding her.
Anyhow, this is the 3rd time good old ‘Google’ has brought me to your site. It’s now on my home screen. Keep up the excellent work. You are a skilled writer, I hope you won’t mind when I sing your praises on my blog.
One more thing…..if you catch wind of the study you mentioned gaining approval for a human study, we would be first in line!
Best Wishes,
Nicole Jensen
Nicole, glad your daughter is OK. I will keep you posted if I hear anything more on that type I diabetes research. Sure thing, feel free to mentioned me on your website. I would be flattered
Great research Joe & thanks. I have used each ingredient separately & I like them all which is not a scientific test,however,more economical.I tend to run the opposite direction when media hype is involved & do the research. Interesting to observe that even with your expositon,some are still in it for the money,& some aren’t.
Thanks Grumpy bear.
Hi Joe,
I don’t normally read or reply to blogs, but I saw yours on a Google search and found the comments to be very interesting. I took Protandim for a few months back when GNC carried it and I didn’t notice any results because I didn’t really have any issues. I have several issues now and started taking it again two weeks ago with amazing results.
I’ve recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer, high cholesterol and high blood sugar. I also have allergies that make me stuffed up at night and snore. In addition, I’ve been taking a prescription ointment for itching from little bumps on my skin. I’m getting surgery next month to remove the prostate and am on medication for the cholesterol and high blood pressure. I think adjusting my diet and losing a little weight will help with the blood sugar issue.
I decided to try Protandim again because it’s supposed to have healing properties and the ingredients are said to be natural. I was also impressed by information I found on how the Nrf2 activator in Protandim was shown to regulate genes in human cells and control the effects of free radical oxidation and inflammation.
After taking Protandim for only one week I noticed what I felt were some significant changes. My itching and skin bumps are gone and I no longer use a prescription lotion. I no longer snore at night and my allergies are gone (no stuffiness). Also, I’m not taking a glucosamine, chondroitin & MSM supplement anymore for back pain and I’m able to move around more easily than in the past. I feel more energy, can breathe deeper and have a better range of motion in my neck.
I feel that Protandim has helped me a lot and I’ve started telling everyone I know about how much it’s helped me. Through talking about my Protandim experience with others, several people have said they want to try it too. Now I’m wondering if I should just order it for them or if I should become a distributor and let them order it themselves.
I know that Protandim or any supplement will have different effects on each person, but I really think a person with issues like these or similar issues should try Protandim to see if it helps them or not. The only negative thing I see with Protandim is that it has a magnesium stearate ingredient it. Can you tell me if you feel there’s enough magnesium stearate in Protandim to really be harmful? Thanks for listening.
Gary
Gary, Im glad you are seeing some results and sorry to hear about your prostate cancer. show protandim to your oncologist and see if its ok to take while you are getting radiation therapy (if you are getting any of that after your surgery). This is wise to do for all supplements.
since you mentioned glucosamine, talk to your urologist about chondroitin sulfate. I usually recommend caution with chondroitin until we know how it effects the prostate. read this review for more info.
good luck with the surgery and keep me posted on how things go.
Nice infomercial (under the guise of asking about the level of magnesium stearate), Gary.
No, the only negative thing about Protandim is asking desperate people to waste money on a placebo curry pill instead of seeking or following medical advice from an actual MD.
Have you actually looked at the human studies done on this miracle curry pill?
It’s funny how when something is sold through MLM, magical “healing properties” are activated which previously were not there. It doesn’t seem to matter that there are absolutely no credible human studies done to back up any of the claims being made about this product.
Two more things to keep in mind:
1. The placebo effect works in about 1 in 3 patients.
2. Most minor ailments will resolve on their own anyway over a 3 month period. I’ve seen distributors telling people to give Protandim 3 months of a trial. That amounts to about $150.
Why not try ALL the supplements available on the GNC shelves for whatever ails you? There’s just as much reason to try them as to try Protandim; the only difference is that they aren’t illegally being hyped by an army of MLM distributors.
Hi LisaRob,
I take it you haven’t tried Protandim yourself or if you did had no obvious issues where you could measure the results. I will still use Protandim because of the results I’ve received from it. And by the way, I’m not a distributor at this time either so my posting wasn’t a guise for anything. I think it works for me and it’s not just in my mind. Thanks.
Gary
Glad it works for you Gary..I have ten people
on it for 2 months with no results!
Since you are such a believer please answer
these questions 1. Why not organic? 2. What
tests have been done with the five ingredients
together w equal parts ratio? 3. What if I
drink green tea..doesn’t that change the
results of patented ratios of Protandim
since one of the ingredients is green tea? 4. Why
use a questionable binder like magnesium
stearate? 5. In the hyped up tests..why is the
amount different then the amount used
in the tests? 6. Was the testing with Protandim
including magnesium stearate?
Hi Ron,
I’ve only been on Protandim for a couple weeks and I don’t have an answer to your questions. I guess only people with issues feel results, but it doesn’t mean those who don’t feel results aren’t getting benefits.
Gary
Actually Gary, I did try Protandim about two years ago. I was having blood pressure issues and high cholesterol (and no, I was not/am not overweight). I was told this famous doctor invented it and I was given the link to the Primetime video. I believed all the hype, so I took it for about 3 months. My blood pressure went down right away and I, of course, was convinced it was because of Protandim.
But then the distributor who sold me on the product started making more and more outrageous claims about how this was a “medical breakthrough” and that it works in “ALL MAMMALS” (funny how distributors always put that in all caps….as if that gives the claim more credence). My scam radar went off because this person had been involved in other quacky MLM companies previously, and frankly, the claims were ridiculous.
I did some research and found that the supposed inventor of this miracle supplement is NOT on the patent. I pointed this out, but was told the story about Myhill bringing 40 ingredients to McCord, who then whittled it down to the final formula. I was told that McCord didn’t want to take credit because it was Myhill’s original idea, and that PhDs aren’t really interested in being on patents. I was told that McCord was really the “formulator”. That turned out to be a lie too.
Still in scam detection mode, I did more research. I even contacted a researcher from UMN to verify a quote about Protandim being a “killer application” for diabetes. The doctor, Dr. Bernhard Hering, got back to me immediately and absolutely denied saying that. Within a few days of contacting him, the LV training blog with that quote was taken down. I can only assume the doctor (or his lawyer), had them remove it.
Anyway, I’ve done extensive research into this company (more than listed here), its history, and its “research”. I quit taking it at the end of three months, but continued looking into the company just out of curiosity.
But what about my blood pressure? All I can say is that it most likely went down initially due to the placebo effect. It never went back up, and I don’t know why it was so elevated in the first place, except for perhaps being stressed about a few things in my life.
Seriously…..this isn’t a medical breakthrough…..”The Emperor Has No Clothes”…..it’s just some curry thrown together when the deal to sell LV’s original peptide product (CMX-1152, which was to be called Protandim), fell through. The EXACT same claims were being made about that product….but it was nothing even similar in composition. Within a few months of the CMX-1152 deal falling through, miraculously, they (Myhill) came up with this herbal Protandim.
Its just a few simple ingredients, not a medical breakthrough. Curcumin activates Nrf2…..that’s been known for quite some time….way before LV slithered into existence. Nrf2 activation is a complex area of study. Don’t let distributors lead you to believe otherwise.
Hi LisaRob,
Thanks for the update. At first I wondered if my results were in my mind too, but I’ve never been able to sleep at night without getting stuffed up. I feel much better and can actually breathe more deeply. I was told I have to stop taking it until after my surgery though because Tumeric is a blood thinner and that’s not good for surgery.
I may try another blend I saw at Natural Grocer’s that was recommended by a nutritionist who was familiar with the ingredients of Protandim. I think the Tumeric, Ashwaganda and other ingredients would benefit me no matter what supplement form they are in so I’ll definitely try others. I was turned off by all the claims they made in the past and have heard the same about Joe’s claims as the creator of Protandim so I hadn’t tried it for a few years.
I may see what other supplements with similar ingredients do for me after my surgery and then decide if I want to continue with Protandim or not. But I feel it did help me with my allergies, back pain and skin problem so I don’t think it wasn’t a waste of time and money for me. Thanks again.
Gary
I have been a Distributor of Protandim now for 2 months, with AMAZING results for my family, and the customers who I’ve put on it. I am a believer! All this debate back and forth is nonsense – this company cares, and by the way, I’ve made $1000 in my first two months, without a lot of effort. I have a M.S. and own my own successful mental health counseling practice. I’m NOT an idiot
If you want to know how Protandim works, get the blood test for yourself – it’s not expensive, and you’ll have irrefutable proof one way or another. As for me and my family, we plan to be with this company a LONG time. My husband will never stop taking Protandim – his results were that dramatic.
Deborah, did you or your husband have your blood tested pre/post protandim?
Deborah I would bet that if you took the
the same pre and after tests after using the
five herbs in any ratio together you would
get the same results making Protandim
An over priced grouping of herbs!
Deborah…..if you have a M.S. and are not an idiot, then you should know that a blood test won’t give you irrefutable proof of anything. You need a placebo controlled study.
This must be LV’s new marketing strategy. Rather than risk doing a properly designed placebo controlled study themselves, they are asking consumers to go get their own lab tests done. They know full well that most potential customers will see this as the company being confident that the product “works,” and they won’t bother to go to the time, trouble, and expense of doing that. They’ll just buy the product and trust that it works.
Of the few that do go to the trouble of getting lab work done, they know that 1 in 3 will see positive results just from the placebo effect alone, will be thoroughly convinced that Protandim “works”, and will sing its praises far and wide…..and most likely become distributors.
Can this company get much sleezier? It’s up to the company to prove that a product works, not the consumer. You don’t charge $1.50 a pill for a few pennies worth of ingredients, and then expect your customers to prove that it actually does something!
Yep! I can get get these five herbs and organic at that..100 times the strength..for daily dose for 6 months for $40!! Now..distributors will say that it has to be the right ratio..which is posted online..and again..if the five herbs have to be exact.. What happens if you drink a cup of green tea …. That blows this ratio bit all to hell and then also..adding potential toxic magnesium stearate to the formula..and that changes the testing results even farther…I’m out! Ill take the five herbs together at 100 times the strength for $40!!
Joe, I might of missed it in the article, how long did you take it for?
Claire, I did not try protandim however if you read the comments you will see how I offered to perform an entire battery of tests on myself at my own expense if a distributor gave me a free month supply. After the distributor wanted impute on where I had my blood tests done, I rescinded my offer.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAhhhh I see well then that makes sense you have never taken it…. Wow I would never talk so much smack about something I have never tried my self …your loss
Anonymous, AAAAAAAAAAhhhhhh yourself. Don’t blame me for not trying it. I did try to test protandim myself and was going to have a whole battery of tests on myself -at my expense. I only asked for a free month supply from a distributor but the person was not willing to do that unless they had impute on where I had the blood testing done, which I would not agree to.
The fact that distributors can’t answer the questions I pose about the research is your loss.
WOW! Im so sorry to say this, but Joe first off YOU get paid off everyone who wastes their time looking at your comments that are simply really lame. Every-time someone CLICKS on this RIDICULOUS website YOU get paid to drag people down.
I cant believe I am here wasting my time typing this either for your benefit! Let me tell you something. Protandim works for me and I have seen a huge difference in my health and depression. All these stupid comments that MLM is a scam really? Ya I guess that is why Warren Buffet does it, and Donald Trump also. Oh yes but those guys are stupid right? And $600 to get in? Let me hit on this. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO OPEN A BUSINESS THESE DAYS?
Yes i DID become a distributor and it was the BEST decision I ever made. I made $3000 my 1ST MONTH. Ya I bet some are saying i am lying and thats ok because I could care less what you all think. After 2 years doing this business I am making over $40,000 every month RESIDUAL. THAT MEANS EVERY MONTH JOE. Oh yes but mlm is a scam I forgot.
Listen, I will never be on this lame website EVER AGAIN because it is simply a waste of my time. But for those of you who think $600 is WAY TOO MUCH MONEY? REALLY? This company has saved my life! And in my opinion they have GREAT INTEGRITY, HONESTY, and am blown away on what they do for their people. Look up what it cost to open your OWN BUSINESS MORONS! ( Im am speaking to those ones only that state $600 is a TON OF CASH). The CHEAPEST ONE IS MOLLY MAIDS! Yes for just a bit more than $15,000 you can be a maid!! Sound like fun? GO DO IT! I can guarantee you this. You will NEVER
retire in 2-5 years.
So have fun and please join Molly Maids! I see people retiring from their “JOBS” all the time from this business OK JOE. OH I forgot it is a scam right? I know I might sound rude, and quite frankly I hope I do but JOE YOU ARE A MORON. ANYONE WHO DOES THIS AND MAKES MONEY DOING THIS IS A SCAM! SO JOE, guess what? MLM is NOT a scam YOU ARE!!!!! GET A LIFE DUDE! No one cares what YOU have to say! You are NOT a DOCTOR, or a SCIENTIST, YOU are SIMPLY A FOOL! To everyone who reads this PLEASE just do yourself a favor. Read the book from Robert Kiyosaki. It is called why I recommend NETWORK MARKETING. Please do this and listen to someone with more than just half a brain like JOE.
OH yes, I bet JOE will say ROBERT KIYOSAKI is a scam too right? OH YA remember Warren Buffet too, he owns 3 MLM companies. He is a scam too right? Thats all I have to say, but I really do feel sorry for you JOE.
Im actually laughing right now because I MAKE MORE MONEY THAN YOU DO AND HELP PEOPLE! You do not help people YOU DRAG THEM DOWN. Like it or not that is what YOU do.
Anonymous, you never read a comment here where I said MLM was a scam or me dragging anyone down, so your tirade against me on MLM is not valid.
In your other comment -which I deleted because it was more ramblings that were not true – said that ” people should go to pubmed” and not to my site to find the studies. But you obviously did not read my review because, if you did you would see that I listed and linked to the very studies that you tell people go find for themselves on pubmed.
Despite your tirade, This is not a website or post about MLM. This is a website about the honest, review of dietary supplements according to their science. I reviewed protandim according to its science. I showed people the studies and put them in perspective. I’m sorry if you don’t like that.
It doesn’t matter how much money you say you make because what you make selling protandim may not be the same as what others make if they sold protandim. That is why I recommend that people try to determine what the average protandim distributor makes.
If you read my review – and the comments – you will see that I have been honest enough to say that lack of evidence does not mean protandim does not work. I am very open to the possibility that it might. But, just because you say you make $40,000 per month does not mean it works either.
All through your tirade against me, you mention money more than how protaindm can help people. I find this very telling.
Since writing my review I’ve been able to interact with other protandim distributors. They talk about the science but never want to really discuss it with me. When I try to talk to them about their studies they:
1. attack me – as you have.
2. stop talking all together – as you probably will.
3. try to refer me to Joe Mccord or some other scientist in LV.
I’d really like to discuss the science of protandim with you. Would you like to have a civil discussion here about protandim so people can learn from us both?
Joe Didn’t say MLM’s were a scam, I did.
Hi Joe,
Don’t know if it’s too late, but I can ship you a bottle if you still want to undergo your own personal tests.
Cory, thanks, I really appreciate that but I could not tell you when I would be able to get to it now. Im swamped at the moment and there is something else Ive been pondering experimenting with.
No problem…figured I’d offer. I get tired of seeing “pushers” and people bickering about why they’re right. I’m a distributor myself, but the whole point is just to educate people and let THEM decide what they want to do.
I’m curious about what else you’re thinking about trying
Wow, Anonymous. I came to this link/discussion to better inform myself of this product because I am interested in taking it. And I have to be honest…you, along with all the other pro-protandum commenters (who ironically are anonymous. Why are you not willing to link your name to these AMAZING results you are experiencing? That’s pretty telling in itself.) You pretty much insult my intelligence with your uncivil and rude comments.
Not to mention, you come across as being uneducated, mainly on this product. If you truly are trying to promote protandum, I would advise you to stick to your current clientele (who seem to making you millions) because, you have now just deterred me further away from taking it myself.
CeraE
I too came to this site to become more informed. When I was demoing a nutritional supplement, my eyes were open to the need of so many people that have tried so many products, that are JUST in chronic pain, they just want to feel better.
Personally being a contract worker and having a background in sales and merchandising, it truly has my attention, however some of the comments I read do not do credit to this product. It could be the greatest product ever, but sincerity and a genuine need to help others is paramount. If one has a quality product, the customers will return. No yelling or making outrageous claims, just straight talk.
Making money from your work (this is anyone) is a great thing. And if you can be very successful at it, the better. Just show a little consideration, $600 dollars is a lot of money to me and maybe others, I never throw money away, I can’t afford it. I’m seeing this as an opportunity, no hype, just a way to add to my work portfolio and pay my bills.
CeraE… I, like you, want to become educated on Protandim. so I say continue doing your research, I found You tube to be informative, with information on health and wellness. I don’t know what ails you, but I do hope you find a product that is safe and works for you.
Best wishes
Ronald Leon
“Nutrients and herbs cannot be patented themselves.”
This is something I have seen often. It is a misleading statement giving the impression that Pharmaceutical companies have their hands tied as they cannot maximize their profit and give people a safe product at the same time. It is true that Nutrients and herbs cannot be patented.
Pharmaceutical companies are very interested in what nature has to offer, Lipitor is a good example of this. The active ingredients are put into a tablet at an exact dosage in synthetic form; this is not possible when it comes from nature as the dosage is random.
I would assume that Protandim does not display the concentration of the active ingredients on the bottle because they have no idea how much is in each tablet due to seasons, where they were grown plus many other variables affecting botanicals. Treating serious ailments using natural products as medication is a game of chance.
According to Wikipedia “ STANDARDISATION HAS NOT BEEN ACHIEVED YET:” for the concentration of active ingredients of herbal medicine , obviously not submitted by a Protandim distributor.
Why do they write “all natural” on bottles of multivitamins? A field of tobacco gently swaying in the breeze is also All Natural; they should be able to write “All Natural” on a packet of cigarettes.
I am taking Famara, it is a estrogen blocker, for breast cancer. Would Protandin interfere with the drug Famara?
Anonymous you need to talk to your oncologist about whether Protandim is ok with your medication. Show them the ingredients and see what they think. if they don’t know show the ingredients to your pharmacist and see if they know. Im not aware of any protandim -estrogen blocker research.
Joe, Thank You!! And God Bless You!
Yeya, thanks, I really appreciate that.
I thought you had a very well written article and one of the first I’ve seen that takes a factual look at the history of Protandim rather than either being on one far end of the spectrum singing the praises endlessly or the other viciously attacking it as a scam alongside all other MLMs, health products, organized religion, and the belief that we really did land on the moon.
I would be very interested in civilly discussing the science behind Protandim with you. I started off as a skeptic who tried Protandim about 7 weeks ago with the attitude, ” If I feel better after a month I’ll keep taking it, and if I don’t then I won’t”
After one week I started to feel something but figured it was the placebo effect, after two weeks I was convinced it was not the placebo effect, after three weeks I was so blown away by how good I feel that I signed up as a distributor in week four, by week seven I feel even better.
The main reasons that I continue to take it are that my joints don’t hurt, my back doesn’t hurt, I’m less physically fatigued, and I’m less mentally fatigued. Now unlike you it didn’t occur to me to have tests done prior to starting on Protandim, but now I certainly am curious as to why the effects have been so profound and would love to either rule out or prove whether or not they are a figment of my imagination.
Could you give me advice on how to go about doing that since I do not have control medical tests indicating what shape my body was in prior to starting Protandim?
As for why I signed up to be a distributor, that is because of the reduction of physical pain in my life, and I am hopeful that my friends and family I share this product with will have equally beneficial experiences.
If I make extra money off of it or a career out of it that would be nice, but having been a distributor, and not a very aggressive one at that, for only a few weeks, I’m still keeping my day job and am much more concerned with whether or not I am helping people by doing what I do.
Groch, thanks I appreciate the kind words. Since you mentioned you were taking Protandim for 7 weeks, I’d suggest stopping it for a month to let it clear out of your system. Then get a full blood test by your doctor. Additional tests I’d say to also request include:
CRP
Homocysteine
Glutathione
Lipid peroxidation
SOD (super oxide disumtase)
TBARs
TSH levels and Thyroid antibodies
Nitric oxide
Telomerase
Catalase
These are not normal tests doctors run, so you would have to ask to have them done.
After you have these values, start taking protandim again as usual and then, a month later, get the same blood tests again. Seeing if there are differences in these and other values might shed some light on some of the things you are feeling.
Thank you I will look into getting these tests, and go one further I’ll take the tests before I stop taking the Protandim, after it has had time to clear out of my system, and then a third time after I’ve started taking it again.
So far I’ve had only one potential customer who actually thought to ask me what happens if you stop taking it, and ever since then, I’ve been dying to know myself so I can answer that question.
Depending on the cost of these tests it may take me a while to afford them, but I will certainly strive to get this experiment underway.
Grouch, sounds good. I will look forward to learning about the results.
Haha, Wow, I just spent soooo much time reading through these comments.
I don’t have a whole lot of interest in Protandim, just casually researching it because of a cooworker who uses it. But I do have a huge interest in PEOPLE and studying behavior as I am a counselor by profession. So naturally I had to read on when I saw a few ‘intense’ comments.
Joe congrats, love the non-bias nature of the article. That is HUGE when drawing an audience to read it. I would have turned away had I any hint you were bias. ALSO, I just love your calm responses to all these radical Pro-Protandimers. Shows that you are confident in your opinion and stance as “non-bias” (which is the truth). Never once have you said anything negative towards Protandim or even these crazy people, despite their colorful language.
The people who have been for Protandim who have commented here have done an excellent job at portraying the company, of which I’m very unimpressed.
Cory, I appreciate your kind words and for you taking the time to read through all the comments. You have a lot of endurance
Joe … Keep up the good work. one thing I realized
Reading all the comments is, once you lay it all on the table, it makes it easier to see what dont belong.
Thanks Chappell!
Thanks for taking the time to review the product. I sat through one of those “information sessions,” which was actually intended to recruit distributors. I was shown the John Quinones video, and one of my first thoughts was, “Isn’t there anything newer than 2005?” I remember when resveratrol was profiled on 20/20.
I think if there were proof that any of these supplements provide real benefits, they would be widely recommended by doctors who don’t have a financial interest in the product. I feel like Protandim is the new resveratrol with more organized marketing effort behind it.
I don’t have a problem with what’s in the pill. I’d consider any of the ingredients taken separately or together to have some possible anti-inflammatory benefits, and if not, they wouldn’t harm me. I do have a huge problem with the price tag. It takes chutzpah to pack a few easily-had, inexpensive ingredients into a capsule and charge $40 a month minimum for the convenience. And the notion of ingredient ratio being important to the effectiveness. Please. That just sounds like they’re afraid someone won’t do the obvious and buy the ingredients to take on their own.
I hope some of the folks who are going to have a before-and-after blood draw will come back and report their results. I’d love to know what they show and whether there is any agreement among results from users, different labs — none associated with LifeVantage!
Joe … As I understand this is a more recent Protandim Human Study.
Perhaps if it is indeed what it is represented to be … you may want to check it out for your readers. Protandim and MS Oct 2011
http://registration.akm.ch/einsicht.php?XNABSTRACT_ID=137548&XNSPRACHE_ID=2&XNKONGRESS_ID=150&XNMASKEN_ID=900
JD, thanks for this. I did a quick search for this study but this appears to be an abstract of a study and not a published peer reviewed study. Even the link you provided says “abstract.” as a rule abstracts might not be peer reviewed before they appear in journals. That said I will try to investigate this further next week and if I do find it to be published I will add it to my review.
This study has already been discussed. It is not new, not peer reviewed or published, and was not conducted on humans.
It is the study Protandimites try to use to (illegally) imply that their curry pill is a safer and more effective treatment than BG-12 (a recently approved drug).
@ LisaRobb – I’m curious as to your connection to Protandim or LifeVantage, past or present. Also, how does one “illegally imply” something? I’m an attorney and, I’ve got to be honest, I’ve never defended someone against a charge of illegal implication.
Dizzypru, read my previous comment to “Gary” on April 8. It spells out my experience with LV.
http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus09-dietary-supplements-advertising-guide-industry
“A. Identifying Claims and Interpreting Ad Meaning
1. Identifying Express and Implied Claims
The first step in evaluating the truthfulness and accuracy of advertising is to identify all express and implied claims an ad conveys to consumers. Advertisers must make sure that whatever they say expressly in an ad is accurate. Often, however, an ad conveys other claims beyond those expressly stated. Under FTC law, an advertiser is equally responsible for the accuracy of claims suggested or implied by the ad. Advertisers cannot suggest claims that they could not make directly.”
Joe,
My son was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on March 17th. He is 12 years old. While in the hospital his Pediatric endocrinologist started discussing oxidative stress and how many diseases are caused by it. At that time with the doctor’s okay I decided that I would start my son on Protandim.
My husband, other son and myself were already taking it. I am happy to say after one month on Protandim his insulin needs have dramatically decreased. He was requiring up to 60 units of short acting insulin daily.
Now one month later he uses 8-12 units of short acting insulin a day. His blood glucose average after one month is 112. My older son started taking it because he is an athlete who had shoulder surgery. He was living on ibuprofen. After 2 weeks on Protandim he no longer needed ibuprofen and his mood was so much better and he had more focus on school. It has been a great supplement for my family.
Deborah, what you say is interesting and I’m glad you say its helping your sons and family. Because of claims like yours I just find it ever more strange that all those scientists at LiveVantage have never attempted to test Protandim on diabetes, pain or anything else. As Ive said before, just because there is no evidence doesn’t mean something doesn’t work, but if I were working at at LV, I’d be listening to what people are saying and start doing research on these things.
I take and like Protandim and am not here to shill for them. I just wanted to say I thought this article was good and unbiased. As an informal meta-study, I thought it presented the information and issues clearly and asked valid questions.
The article also avoids the reflexive debunking of other “skeptic” sites, sites I find to be mostly BS.
In regards to why there aren’t there more human studies… First, if LifeVantage paid for them, claims of bias would arise. Second, independent university studies may be limited by money, expertise, facilities or other factors from doing human trials. The overall point is still valid…more human trials need to be done to address the precise claims of LV.
Good job. I’ve bookmarked this site.
HealthBuff, thanks I appreciate that. I can only say I personally would have no problems with LV supporting or conducing their own research provided that it was peer reviewed and published. As for universities doing research, its just my 2 cents but I don’t think this would be as expensive as some might think. It wouldn’t cost much to grab 10 college students (or better yet middle age teachers) and do a pre /post test of telomerase, CRP or SOD to see if anything changed after a month of use. I’d think studies like this would be relatively easy to do given the resources of a University.
Joe,
I’m doing research on this product after I Met a person who brought it to my attention. I was conducting a demo for a nutritional liquid supplement that I will keep nameless, I am not here to sell anything.
What compels me was all the people from all walks of life who are looking for something. Many have chronic pain, poor digestion, can’t sleep, the list is long. What they all seem to want and need are honest answers. I recommended that they talk with their doctors.
I will be interviewing the distributor and need to know about the company and the product. I want to know the positives and the negatives so I can give the best information available. If this product can help them even in the slightest way, it can begin a wellness campaign in their lives. I told many of them “There is no such thing as a MAGIC BULLET ” you only have one body, and you need to take care of it and it will take care of you.
I see the problem with the politics of business, I have no issue with a MLM, I do have a problem with lying, so if there is an ingredient in question I want them to know. Should I become a distributor, I have to believe in the product and be transparent and not let the business aspect interfere with the best interest of the customer.
Demoing the supplement opened my eyes, and that I could have a positive influence on the wellness of someone’s life.
Thank you,
R.Leon
Joe,
THANK YOU for all the hard work you have done on Protandim. I was recently approached to be a “brick” in the pyramid by a friend. Being a veterinarian, it was also suggested the dog supplement would be a great seller. After 2 days of research… well lets just say I’m dubious at best!
I am a fan of anti-oxidants feeling that free radical damage does cause a lot of bad things (work in a genetic lab in my undergrad days while a buddy worked in an Alzheimer’s lab working on an antioxidant and I saw, OBJECTIVELY, the difference between the control rats and subject rats… WOW). I am also aware that my urine is probably the most expensive on my block (I take a LOT of supplements, just in case).
Question: I have NO PROBLEM being a guinea pig but want a rational sounding board and being the “Supplement-Geek,” you seem ideal. Protandim claims that it is their “Magical formula” that works so taking individual supplements will be ineffective and possible HARMFUL <>. I want to try Protandim to see if I “feel” a difference but realize I am as susceptible to the placebo effect as any, SO…
My experimental protocol is thus. I stop taking all supplements for 30d (wash out period). I get the Lipid Peroxidase test done. Take Protandim for 30d and repeat LP test. Wash out for 30 days then take the LP test again to confirm I am “back to starting.” Then take the individual supplements for 30d then repeat the LP test. Wouldn’t this be a fairly OBJECTIVE test?
I am looking for input from both sides of the argument. Why will this work / not work? Luckily I do have a little disposable income so don’t mind paying the $180 or so per test as I am probably disposing that much down the toilet anyway and IF I were to go down the Protandim highway (which is exceedingly unlikely,) I’d be dropping a LOT more coin. I will try to find a medical colleague to help reduce the cost of my experiment if possible
.
Please help me fine tune this experiment as I would prefer to do it right the first time.
Thanks!
John
P.S. Would prefer to keep my full name private as I do work in the public sector and don’t want any Protandim clients upset with me, although rationally, they should be thanking me for doing some HONEST research IMHO. Thanks Again!
John,
that sounds like an interesting study you are willing to do. In addition to the lipid peroxide test and CBC I would also measure
CPR
Telomerase
Homocysteine
SOD
glutathione
Those were what I was going to specifically look at when I was thinking about testing protandim on myself.
It sounds like what you plan to do is good and I will look forward to seeing what happens.
Good Afternoon Joe, Thank you for your reply and recommendations. Good call on the CBC. I will do a Health Profile (CBC, Min-Chem) panel at the test points as well (make sure my liver and kidney aren’t being hit too hard). This I can do for about $15 each with the labs I routinely use. The other tests you mentioned, CPR, Telomerase, Homocysteine, SOD, glutathione… not familiar with these and not run at the labs I use. I can draw my own blood and ship.
Do you have any recommendations of labs I can send them to / possible cost of these other tests? Though I have SOME disposable income, I am “just” a veterinarian and not a “real” doctor with the BIG bucks
Thanks again! -John
John
SOD is an antioxidant enzyme that protandim is supposed to elevate
glutathione is an antioxidant compound as well
CRP is a marker for cellular inflammation
Teoomerase is an enzyme involved in degradation of telomeres – the caps on chromosomes. Reduction in telomeres is correlated with cellular aging.
As for labs I dont have any specifically. If you have access to a university lab they can probably run these tests. if you present it to the head of the department it might even be a good MS thesis product for a student
Thank you! Good idea reference the Universities. It’s only a N of 1 but better than nothing I guess and it may be cheaper. I’ll try to find a school doing some antioxidant research locally. Let me dig around and I’ll keep you posted as warranted… Thanks Again – John
I’d like a simple clarification. I am going to start taking Protandim to see if it helps my arthritis, terrible back problems and fibromyalgia. But I read your links and re. the one about alcohol dependence, does it mean that if you have a few drinks each evening, this product won’t help you?
Mary, no that’s not what the study said. In the alcohol study, they were only looking at one specific thing. I don’t see any proof that a couple of drinks at night would interfere with Protandim. For what its worth, I do hope it helps.
Yes We Do Need Free Radicals, We Have On An Average Day Over 3,00000000000000000000000 Free Radicals Bombarding Our Cells, In Some People More, That Is Three Hundred suxtillion. protandim Reduces 40% Not 100% Therefor We Still Have Free Radicals, Because We Do Need Some, Just Not That Many. And For Those Who Call This A Pyramid! Yes It Is, Just As Every Business, Church, Schools Are. You Have A CEO, Mgr, Asst, Staff, PYRIMID! Principal, Vice Principal, Staff Teachers, Janitors.PYRIMID! and So On,Everything Is Structured In The Form Of A Pyrimid.
Zina, So are you saying that it was Life Vantages intention to leave us some free radicals, to do us some good?
A business organizational chart is shaped like a pyramid, therefore all businesses are pyramid schemes??
Here is a great article which spells it out for you:
http://www.thesmallcompanyblog.com/TheBlog/2009/02/9-signs-youre-involved-in-a-pyramid-scheme/
I’ll copy number 9 for you:
“Sign #9: They Spend More Time Training You How to Recruit Than How to Sell Products.
Contrary to the Network Marketing-based claim that “all businesses are pyramid schemes,” there isn’t one legitimate company that requires new employees to immediately begin searching for five replacements for themselves. But this is exactly what MLM companies do. MLM owners know that the shelf life of a single recruit is less than a year, so the focus becomes building the network first, and selling the products later. Worst-case, you and the people you recruit make the minimum investment in ’starter products,’ and the pyramid pulls in thousands of dollars without you ever making a legitimate sale.”
Joe, you may be objective as you say or you may have an agenda it’s hard to pin you down here if I had to guess I’d say you are going out of your way to fan the flame of uncertainty and doubt.
So let me ask you a few questions….you repeatedly reference the studies…and you do indicate that they are peer reviewed studies…( giving your followers an understanding of the peer review process would be a great objective thing I would say but…..) but the way you reference and summarize them one might think that they were ordered or preformed by LifeVantage when in fact they are not….they are in fact funded and preformed by many major universities and research facilities, all independent of LifeVantage …and dozens more are in the works.
You might also joe inform your followers how many other MLMs have not just this much science but any science behind their products as well….I would also submit to you joe, why do you somewhat sarcastically ask LifeVantage why they are not testing on humans when in fact they are not the ones providing this independent third party validation..
second joe you repeatedly ask LifeVantage to preform trials themselves on protandim citing ample money and subjects… But in the same critique you attempt to poke holes and cast doubt on the ABC prime time special because they appear to have done the blood work analysis on the prime time anchor…why would you then believe or trust anything that LifeVantage does…
Now joe as I mention the prime time special, lets talk about that for a moment….is it your experience that these news organizations are in the habit of doing puff pieces on companies or does it seem in this cynical world that we live in they would much rather debunk and poke holes in companies and products…in fact is not anchor John Quinones not known for his “what would you do” series….basically designed to humiliate people for what they do.
It is my experience joe as a LifeVantage distributor that it is a very easy message to share because of this simplicity of sharing this powerful third party message….if someone is interested, we tell them more if not hey no worries, thanks for looking….
I agree joe there are a lot of network marketing companies out there that are awfully vague….but there are not many publicly traded companies that are for the very simple reason that the public can and must be able to check the facts that they submit
So pros cons….should I do this and why…should I not and why….you know one of the leaders in this company says it very nicely….if you don’t want to do this business or take this product you don’t need to give me a good reason…..just don’t do it and don’t worry about it, I won’t…he won’t…. And you ought not to either.
For those of you out there reading this and other blogs on this. And basing your decision on the text written by a blogger….why? What standard of accuracy and truth are bloggers held to? Now I’m not saying this this one, or any other specifically is lying or holding back but why if you are looking into a publicly traded company that has 14 peer reviewed studies on it’s products done not by the company itself but places like LSU, Virginia Commonwealth, The Ohio State University, the American Heart Association, Colorado State…..and the list goes on.
Why would you listen to or base your potentially very important decision on information provided in a blog when you have these resources available to you….and if you can’t understand them because of the scientific jargon your own family doctor to help you understand them… Seems pretty simple to me.
Hi Steve,
If your trying to “pin me down” to what I’m about I think it’s pretty easy. I’m trying to be as open as possible and that’s why I link to studies so people know I’m not making stuff up. Let me try to answer your questions in order:
1. I do try to give people an insight into the peer review process. I do have a supplement questions page where I discuss a lot of things including by what is meant by peer-review.
2. As for the studies I link to, I dont have the studies in front of me but I do believe LV at the very least supplies the Protandim to be researched. I know Joe McCord’s name shows up in several studies so that is an association. Im not a conspiracy guy when it comes to this stuff and I’ve said several times, I like it when companies support research on their product (I know some say this is a conflict of interest but I dont, as long as the study is well done).
3. As for MLMs and lack of research on their products, when I review a product with no research I make it a point to say “no published peer reviewed evidence.” I think you may have missed this in my other reviews so I will just say, go check them out. This is true for MLM and non MLM products.
4. The ABC Primtime video. I can see how you may think I have a double standard here however I was really criticizing ABC Primetime here. By not having an independent lab do the testing, they made a major mistake from a science journalism point of view, in my opinion. LV may have done everything right, and I’m sure they did, but it would have been a much better segment for me if somebody not did the testing. News TV shows etc do both hard hitting journalism and puff pieces. They may have approached their Protandim segment with the best of intentions but their mistake reducted the significance of the findings in my view.
5. As for bloggers, I can only speak for myself in that I try to be as open and accurate as possible, while making the science as understandable to general reader as I can. I link to studies, so people can read them for themselves -which I will add is something that LV doesn’t even do on their own website. That is the standard I’ve upheld for myself. I also try to answer any questions specifically addressed to me, as I’m doing to you now.
6. Why I decided to review protandim? Because a LOT of people asked me to and as someone who has an interest in the biological aspects of the aging process, I was intrigued. Also, the “geek in me” wants to look at products with published peer reviewed research, which as you say Protandim does in fact have.
7. As for your last point where you ask people why they would base their decisions to buy Protandim on a “blog” well I’m not sure I have influenced anybody. I do feel I have added value with my review, and in fact, I think I’ve done what few have done – shown people the actual research and interperated it so that they can make their own decision. As for doctors, sure print up all the studies and show them to your doctor so he/she can check it out and give an opinion. I’d encourage people to do that too. Doctors can read a scientific study as well as I can.
You mentioned that a lot more protandim studies are coming out. Can you tell me the what these studies are?
Steve says:
“So pros cons….should I do this and why…should I not and why….you know one of the leaders in this company says it very nicely….if you don’t want to do this business or take this product you don’t need to give me a good reason…..just don’t do it and don’t worry about it, I won’t…he won’t…. And you ought not to either.”
So, what your leader is saying there, is if you figure out what a sham we are, don’t bother letting us know, go away, and don’t tell anyone else.
You ask what standard of truth or accuracy bloggers are held to, but you don’t point out any inaccuracies or lies being presented by any bloggers. What reason do they have to lie? They aren’t trying to sell anything. On the other hand, Lifevantage has been caught misrepresenting and outright lying several times. Is that OK with you?
Yes, take the two human studies (the only ones that really matter) to your doctor and see what he/she thinks.
Nice Work Joe. Most qualified medical professionals promote healthy eating because of its proven health benefits to lower cancer risk(five servings of fruits and vegetables etc). If protandim did and was effective, I would assume my trusted doctor would say eat your fruits and vegetbles and take your protandom. He does not of course! I have a hunch he never will! He always will ecourage proper diet and exercise, never a magic pill with such poor nontransparent research.
Nice blog.
I began reading online because I was refered to the abcliveit website by a customer. It is no suprise he does not have a background in math or science.
-john (B.E.E. University of Minnesota, IT Honors)
(feel free to correct spelling)
John,thanks im glad i was able to help in some small way
The author suggests that LifeVantage conduct and fund more studies on humans versus test tube and rats. However, Lifevantage IS NOT the one responsible for these studies. The studies are conducted and paid for by major universities around the world! Reducing oxidative stress is at the forefront of anti-aging medicine. If you look on PubMed.gov and search “oxidative stress” you can verify this research.
Paul, I think I can tell by your words that you are a Protandim distributor (I say this because protandim distributors often point people to “pubmed”). That’s fine if you are, but I would like to point out that LV does have at least a hand in some of these studies. For example, in one of the more recent studies (2013), done at the University of Colorado (mouse heart cell study – Ive linked to it in my review), this was originally a grad students MS thesis. I read the thesis and Dr Joe McCords name was no where in the project. Yet when the work was published, Dr McCords name was on the study.
LisaRob, can you confirm Dr McCords name (and/or others associated with LV) appear on Protandim studies?
in 2005 when Primetime Live investigated Protandim, they went to a lab where they spoke to Dr McCord. From that, I got the impression that LV had laboratory facilities. Are you telling me that LifeVantage employes no scientists or has no laboratories to study their product?
Paul, I don’t think we can have it both ways. Either:
1. LV employes scientists/has laboratories and does research on Protandim (in which case, why aren’t they doing better research?)
or …
2. they don’t employ these experts or help universities conduct research on Protandim (in which case, how would anybody know Protandim did anything if LV never did any research to titillate the university researchers in the first place?)
Yes, McCord’s name is on all but 4 of the studies I have been able to find (16 studies).
1. “Antioxidants for the treatment of patients with severe angioproliferative pulmonary hypertension” has a lead researcher named Norbert Voelkel. Voelkel is listed on the Univ. Of Colorado website as being a faculty member, and he has worked with McCord on another Protandim study.
2. “Role of Manganese Superoxide Dismutase in skin cancer” was authored by McCord’s grad student.
3. The MS study (not published or peer reviewed yet, to my knowledge).
4. “Automated drug screening with contractile muscle tissue engineered from dystrophic myoblasts”. This study was a test tube study which was a failure for Protandim. It was done by Brian Tseng, the same scientist who was on the other Muscular Dystrophy with McCord (they refer to that study as the “Harvard Study” even though it was conducted at the Univ. of Colorado).
Thanks LisaRob!
I have read about 200 of the comments here about Protandim. I admit that I am personally torn. I am taking it, and after 2 weeks I noticed a 95% improvement in my allergies. I typically suffer from major sinus headaches all through the spring and summer. I used to use Claritin and the neti pot to alleviate my pain.
At the beginning of the spring season in PA, I woke up with a major sinus headache that lasted 2 days. Coincidentally, I spoke with 2 other people who woke up the same morning with a major sinus headache. We commiserated about how difficult the spring season would be for us and our allergies after having such a mild winter in our area of the state.
A week or two later, I started taking Protandim and have never had a sinus headache again despite being outside for many hours doing yard work, going on walks, playing with my children. That experience has been so profound for me that I paid the $600 and signed up to become a distributor. I believe in the product – or I should say ‘believed’ until I read this article. I cannot in good faith sell a product to my friends and family that I am not 100% confident in. It disturbs me that in spite of all the personal testimonials all over the internet, the company has not ordered more human trials. I was saddened to see 10 of the 12 peer reviewed studies were on mice and rats. My questions are these:
1) How are other products tested before making claims to the human population? There are millions of products online and at GNC or other vitamin chains that all claim to help something – some ailment, improve this or that. Is it really that odd that most of the tests on Protandim have been done on rodents or is that par for the course in the supplement industry?
2) Is it possible that the company, Lifevantage, doesn’t want to run human trials because they know how well it works and are afraid the FDA will come along and make them turn it into a prescription drug? I mean, let’s face it, Cannabis has been around since the beginning of time and has been used for thousands of years and is proven to combat cancer, yet in this century the Federal government banned it and has patented it. They have patented a plant and now it is regulated. However, they allowed cigarettes to be legal and there are more than 4,000 chemicals in a cigarettes that are known to cause cancer. What about the caramel food coloring in dark soda? Again, a known carcinogen. How about Monsanto’ GMO foods? I could go on, but these are all things our government has allowed into our society. There is a lot of money in big pharma and I contend that the more unhealthy our society is, the more prescriptions will get written and the more money goes into the coffers of Senators and representatives who will vote favorably on bills that protect the cause of the pharmaceutical companies. In my humble opinion that is a direct correlation. Imagine if American got healthier and needed fewer prescription drugs? So, I went off on a little tangent, but I just want to pose the question — could that be why they are not running out to perform clinical human trials?
Joe, you seem to be an expert in this field. I am a stay at home mom who is about to start Grad School soon in a completely unrelated field. I implore you to post your thoughts about my questions. Thank you!
Hopeful, first let me say that I am very glad that you are saying that Protandim is helping your allergies. I feel bad if I have made you conflicted. My goal was to give people things to think about that do not seem to be asked by those who sell the product. That said, lack of evidence does not have to mean Protandim does not do anything. It might for all I know. I, like you, I am disappointing that more better research has not been done. But again, that’s not necessarily proof its all in peoples heads. I can assure you that if I was in Grad school today I would be all over this and I would do that research!
Let me try to address your questions:
1. Protandim does have research. Sure most of it is not what Id like to see but its there. And, thats is more than most products have. Most supplements you see sold in stores have no specific product-research. Rather, they have research on their individual ingredients. So in that respect Protandim is different than most.
Because of current US laws, companies that make supplements don’t have to test their products for effectiveness or safety before they are sold. I cover some of this and other things in my supplement questions page so see this for more info.
2. I don’t know why LifeVantage doesn’t do better research. In fact I don’t know why the universities that test it don’t do better research either. I do wonder why none of the legions of passionate Protandim distributors have never asked this question in an LV distributor meeting? If any have I’m not aware of it. I don’t believe their lack of human research is because they are afraid Protandim would be classified as a drug. Supplements are different than drugs under the law. The analogy of pot you made doesn’t really work because pot was never classified as a supplement. Furthermore, I can’t think of a single instance where a supplement was pulled from the market and re-classified as a drug because it “worked too well.”
All that said, what I will say is that if you feel its helping you, then that’s good enough for me and I really hope it continues to do so (I know those PA pollen seasons also!). I would have preferred you did it the less expensive way than spend $600 up front but that’s my personal bias.
I hope some of that helps
Hopeful, I love the stuff I don’t care about any study’s. If I had time I would sell it and somewhere in the future I am sure I will. I feel so much better now on my second month and I sleep at night and my joints no longer hurt. This is not just in my head as I have taken other things to try and help with these things and they never worked. I am happy that it helps you so much! Claire
Joe, if you still want to try Protandim and doing whatever tests you want before and after, contact me. I won’t put any requirements on you.
I am no scientist, but I’m thinking about why no human testing. Realizing that 12 of the 14 studies were NOT sponsored by LifeVantage, but major universities and organizations, that puts the question to those entities rather than to LifeVantage.
1. I’m thinking doing these tests on humans would probably be illegal at a certain level. (I think sometimes they do autopsies on the mice. not many humans want to volunteer for that).
2. I’m supposing most scientists do many many similar tests on mice because they are “the standard” way to do tests.
Question of average distributor income: Unfortunately, this would not produce helpful information, since there is no way to observe how much “work” each distributor did for the income received. I have been in the company nearly 3 years and have been to all except 1 monthly corporate event since then, but have done very little actual work to build my business. And my monthly income is very low. I’d hate my data to be part of the “average” income of all distributors since that would not reflect well on those distributors actually working every week or every day on building their business.
The current cost to start your business is $630 plus tax and shipping makes it around $700. One of three options gives you 12 bottles of Protandim and 1 bottle of True Science anti-aging skin cream, which one could sell at wholesale for $550, or retail for $685. Other training and marketing materials are included in the business package, making it essentially no cost.
The $50 startup option is only there as a legal requirement, but highly suggested against since it comes with no product and not much potential to build a business. In order to earn commissions on any products sold by auto-ship under your ID, you must have a certain level of “personal volume” of business. $100 or $200 depending on level of commission desired.
I look at it as $200 cost of doing business (overhead) however the company allows you to personally only buy one bottle of Protandim and supplement your required PV with personally enrolled auto-ship customers (PC=preferred customers). One great point on that, as compared to some other network marketing companies, is that the required PV of $200 stays the same at zero rank up to the top, Pro10 rank. Some other companies increase the required personal volume at rank increases.
For most people that are suspicious but want to try the product, most leaders suggest rather than buying a distributorship at $630, and particularly rather than wasting $50 on a limited distributorship… instead, spend the $40 + tax & shipping on a bottle of Protandim. Use it for 30 days and see if it helps. Note, while many people do see or feel some resulting change in 30 days, some have testified only seeing change after 60 or 90 or 120 days, and then some never really “feel” any difference.
But my answer to that is, most of us do not sense any difference in our cars if we change the oil every 5000 miles, but we do it anyway, because we know from what we’ve been told, not changing the oil will cause some problems in the future. Learning what oxidative stress can cause and learning that Protandim will decrease oxidative stress by 40%-70% leads me to believe that taking Protandim will likely help my body prevent various diseases in the future.
Phoneguylms, thanks for the offer. I may take you up on it at some point. Ill keep your offer in mind.
As for your questions, the tests I would have done on protandim would not have been illegal. It would be very easy to do a small study of 5-10 people and do before and after blood tests of SOD, glutathione, telemerase and CRP to see if they changed after a month or so. Scientists do like to use mice but since universities (which do protandim research) are full of college students (and middle aged professors) and it makes not sense to me why they would not them. I used humans for my MS Thesis.
I appreciate your words on the average income of protandim distributors and can understand why effort might lead to greater profits. I think though that this would still add value to people because it would give an insight into the overall big picture of what protandim distributors as a whole are making. I see a lot of “make money” claims when it comes to protandim and while I think this is possible for some, I feel knowing the average monthly income would help people make a more balanced decision.
Phoneguylms:
Here is a link to Pub Med Health which explains how it is determined if something “works”.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/aboutcer/
You will see that theories and animal experiments are only the very beginning of the process to determine if something is clinically effective. Protandim research is still on that bottom rung. Yes, it would be ridiculous and illegal to do some of the things to humans that they do to lab animals. No one is suggesting that those types of experiments should be done on humans. While you are on the Pub Med Health site, do a search for Protandim. There are no results because there isn’t any research showing that there is a health benefit from taking Protandim.
As for the studies done thus far, Joe McCord’s name appears on all but four, and of those four, only one has no direct link to him. That shows that the scientific community in general has little to no interest in this curry pill.
If I don’t change the oil in my car, there is verifiable and repeatable proof that BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN. You can’t say the same thing about Protandim. Even the health benefits of reducing oxidative stress is still under question in the scientific community. There is some evidence that reducing oxidative stress can actually be bad for you……the “jury is still out” on this.
Even if it is determined definitely that reducing oxidative stress is beneficial, the one human study done by Lifevantage doesn’t prove anything. It was deeply flawed research (no placebo control, small sample group, company insiders used, etc) and to date, no other researchers have even bothered to verify or replicate it. Here is a link about the importance of replication:
http://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/howscienceworks_17
I dont know about studies and if it works on humans, but I gave it to my 13 year old dog who could hardly walk; after 1 dose she was still walking slow but no limp, after 2 doses still slow but no limp, after 3 doses she got up that morning and ran to the back door!!!! She is not getting the plaebo effect!!! She tinks she is getting a treat. So Im going to keep watching and will let you know. she has only had 3 doses.
Oddly enough…..dogs can experience the placebo effect:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19912522
Another consideration is the bias or expectations of the pet owner. I’ve seen this many times in the horse world. The owner pays for a new supplement or treatment and hopes/expects to see a result. The owner raves about the improvement, but impartial observers see no improvement.
I was told by a friend to learn some more knowledge about things that could be benefit of my heal. I have met a bunch of people who fully involve into this product. The information they gave me sounding appealing to me. However, since this company’s marketing approach is network marketing, that makes me to be more cautious from getting this product directly without any doubts.
Maybe this is a great product which helps many people, but I need to do my own research before using it. Since the company is using science and scientific results to convince people to try on the product, so why shouldn’t I use the same scientific evidence approach to analyze if their points are valid or not before deciding giving this product a try.
I am not trying to put down or promote this product when I am still researching more. I do value “word of mouth”; on the same time, people do need to do their own research rather than just following like a sheep. I buy this pill works for a lot of people, but I don’t buy this is a pill can cure something or magically healing something unless providing me a repeatable research with significant outcome.
Thank you Joe for putting the information out in a non-judgemental way. I am hoping for those who are willing to do the tests on themselves will come back to update us.
I like your article I think it is a fair and reasonable review of the life vantage protandim studies including the criticisms because I had the same questions before becoming a distributor. I will send you a bottle of Protandim free of charge so you can test it yourself, with only one stipulation. If it helps you and you want to keep using it, then you sign up as a preferred customer or become a distributor with me.
My family results with Protandim within the first 2 months of using the product are as follows: Reversal of diverticulitis, ganglion cyst disappeared, lifelong warts disappeared, hypoglycemia gone, improved sleeping, sleep apnea improvement (don’t have to wear the mask anymore), chronic cough cured, improved energy and mental alertness, blood pressure drop of 20 points, general aches and pains significantly lessened with greater flexibility and movement and quicker recovery after exercise. In fairness, I have not had a blood test yet to see if it has effected my high triglycerides but I will do that in about a month or so.
Results from people we have directly given the product to: 2 year uncontrollable bowel condition disappeared in 5 days. Blood cancer patient undergoing complete blood transfusions every 2 weeks has not had to have anymore transfusions. Other testimonies are just about endless.
Lastly, some people (about 20-25%) don’t ever feel any improvement for whatever reason. This doesn’t mean that the product isn’t working to reduce oxidative stress. I know of one case where a guy had high triglycerides (1400) and got on protandim and never felt anything even after months of taking the product. He went to the doctor to have his check up and his triglycerides dropped a 1000 points!
I am looking forward to your response.
Mark, I appreciate you writing and sharing your experiences. I might have taken you up on your kind offer to give me a bottle of protandim to study but I have lost interest in testing Protandim on myself. My experiences other Protandim distributors (how they attacked me, thought I had ulterior motives, only talked about how much money can be made selling Protandim etc.) just left a bad taste in my mouth. I’m going to let my review stand for itself and update it as more Protandim studies are published.
JOE!!!! Come on!!! (Insert big smile, if you could hear my tone, it’s a teasing one.) You are obviously an intelligent guy who strives to be fair and helpful in your reviews of products. Don’t let a few mean spirited and cocky distributors tick you off so much that you have ‘lost interest’ in trying Protandim. There are bad apples everywhere. Anyone can sign up to be a distributor for Lifvantage, but there is no requirement that they be well spoken, kind, supportive, respectful and open minded.
As someone who obviously wants to find truth and help us layman out here understand the myriad of supplements and studies that are plentiful, you would be a hero to try the product and follow through with testing. One thing – there is no guarantee you will feel different at all on the product like Mark said and furthermore, if you do ultimately feel different, it could take up to 3 months, some distributors say 6 months. So, I will send you the second bottle free of charge and a third if necessary. Then, if you want to sign up as a customer, go back to Mark please as my goal here isn’t to get a new customer or steal one from a fellow distributor, it is to ultimately find the solid, irrefutable truth.
In my gut I feel this product is a miracle supplement, and I would really like more scientific evidence of that. So, PLEASE, reconsider Mark’s offer and be a true hero, leader and seeker of truth for us all.
You see, you are the only one who can run such a test and have validity to your statements and claims because you’re respected in this area and you have established yourself as a skeptic. If not you, than who?
Hoeful, thanks, maybe sometime in the future I might come back to it, but right now I just have other things on my plate.
Hopeful… Don’t waist your time…Its his loss. I love the stuff. I am not a seller I just take it and think its great.. his inactions speak volumes ..
If not Joe, then who???? Seriously?? How about Lifevantage? Aren’t they the ones making the claims and selling the product?
LV, the “science based company,” spent a piddly 2.5 million on R&D over a 4 year span, yet are embarking on buying back around 40 million in stock.
You will not find “solid irrefutable truth” by having an individual try the product….tests or no tests. A properly designed placebo controlled study is what you need. You really need more than one, but at least that would be a good start. Your gut feeling is irrational and irrelevant.
I bought these for myself but I developed a very painful neck, I am salicylate sensitive do I now understand why after becoming aware of its ingredients. I then gave them to my son who is now suffering the most excruciating pain from gout! I realize that he too may be salicylate sensitive too but it took a very concentrated preparation (protandim) for him to show the signs!
Im unsure if Protandim has salicylates or not. Can anybody shed light on this?
Never heard of that before, but I looked it up and yes, turmeric is rated as “very high” in salicylate.
Thanks LisaRob. fascinating!
But Joe, wouldn’t your comments carry a lot more weight if you had sprung for the Protandim yourself? Seems like a really lame reason for not doing your own research. That way, you could truly back up your opinions about Protandim, or you would find out they were wrong. One way or the other, the question would be settled. You could have paid another $50, for the Protandim and the information gained might have been invaluable. But I guess you showed that distributer.
Linda, if you read the correspondences I had with the distributor about this, you will see that my offer only came up after Simmone (the distributor) mentioned willingness to give many months of free Protandim to a friend. I only wanted wanted a month supply but more than this, I was personally curious how much faith the distributor had knowing ahead of time that I was going to really put Protandim to the test. When Simmone wanted impute on where I could have my blood tested before agreeing to give it to me, I had my answer and lost my desire to test Protandim.
Since we are on the topic, are there any protandim distributors out there who had their blood tested before and a month after using Protandim? Did any have the TBARS tested? Did any have their SOD or glutathione levels tested?
I am a distributor (though more of a monthly buyer than a pusher) and I did do a blood test about 3 months before trying Protandim just because of a regular check up. 1 month after I tried Protandim, I decided to do a lab test so I could see if there was a difference. There didn’t seem to be anyone in Hawaii that did TBARS testing – that might have been interesting.
I was looking for an improvement in my cholesterol numbers There wasn’t much change in my results. I didn’t see “SOD” or “glutathione” on the test reports. My before/after results for cholesterol and triglycerides:
Cholesterol 233/213
Triglycerides 196/111
HDL Cholesterol 54/50
LDL 140/141
Chol/HDL ratio 4.3/4.26
Not too much difference after a month on Protandim, and I haven’t taken another blood test since (I am doctor adverse).
I started off as a distributor to help a friend, and thought the True Science Cream was heavenly smelling. I later found out that it make my eyes watery and sore because of the scent. Meanwhile, my girlfriend tells me that I may as well take Protandim too, and I figured I would, but that I wanted to see if it really would make a difference in my blood test. I wasn’t too impressed with the one month numbers since the video showed the Prime Time guy with a huge reduction in his TBAR levels (but again, Hawaii doesn’t really have that test).
Placebo effect or not, I feel much younger and sharper with Protandim. My nails are strong and they used to be so weak and I could never grow them out. I really didn’t want to like Protandim, but it turns out that it works for me, so I will keep taking it. I don’t push the business and if people have certain symptoms, I let them try Protandim to see if it will help them. Most of them like the free product, lol.
I don’t care for the LifeVantage business platform or the company’s motives, but I do like Protandim the product.
Sorry if us distributors turn you off. Sometimes people in business get carried away. Sometimes they believe so much they can’t understand how others don’t believe or listen.
To each their own. With that said, I have extra samples/bottles (in order to maintain my commissions) so if you aren’t too set against this product, let me know and I’ll send you some, no strings attached.
Mahalo for an interesting conversation,
Aunty
Aunty, it does look like your triglycerides dropped significantly (dropping from 196 to 111). Its not that Im turned off by protandim distributors. Im a capitalists like most of us are. It’s just that I scratch my head over some of them and what they say and dont say when I try to talk to them about the science. I will keep you in mind for a bottle if I decide to try Protandim thanks
Okay Joe, anytime. In order to get commissions I must maintain 100 PV either with my order or a personally enrolled customer or distributor so it’s kinda funny that I have some commission (has been shrinking) and to get it I have to maintain a level that puts me in the negative.
I don’t mind though, because most of my friends do like the freebie and some use it only when they think they need it.
Keep on scratching your head – everyone has their own way of pitching. It’s what makes the world a really interesting and charming place if you can just scratch it off.
With aloha,
Aunty
Well my husband and I were also thought it was a scam until we did our own experiments we both had high cholesterol and close to have diabetes. We decide to do a 3 month trail we both had are blood drawn and was told if we didn’t change our diet we were looking at medications for our high cholesterol and manage our high blood sugar.
So a good friend of the family recommended protandim we took that challenged, we didn’t change our diets or anything. Guess what we both came out healthy like a horse, our Dr said you must stuck to your strict diet my husband and I laughed and told him what we were taking. He asked if we would do an other test and we gladly did and that test came back perfect. We both have been on Protandim for over a year. So myself and my husband are strong believers in Protandim.
Sorry for your thoughts on this great supplement it change our lives. I want to send out a Special Thanks to our Friend Mata. Also to the makers of Protandim.
The Del Toro Family
Jessie, Im glad its helped you and your family. I just dont get why the makers of protandim – and the universities that study it – dont do smarter research like you said you did.
Funny….because LV’s own study showed no change in HDL, LDL or triglycerides.
LisaRob,
You know, you are right. It is funny. And why do some people have results and others do not? Placebo effect? Perhaps it is, and perhaps it isn’t.
When I first saw the company’s singular most used marketing tool – the PrimeTime video with Dr. McCord, and John Quinones as the guinea pig with the Tbar test results, I was impressed and thought that if this was so, then it should help EVERYONE, right? The explanation of how it works and how our own bodies’ defense system is activated by the special combination of 5 herbs, etc etc etc.
Well, that’s where the funny part comes in, because it doesn’t work for everyone. But, it does work for some.
I do promote product and programs, but only those that work for me. The reason I promote them is not for financial reasons. It is because I honestly can say that I believe and can testify that this or that is a good product, it has done x or y for me, and if this can help you, then that would be great.
If I could heal the world and make it a richer better place, I would. I would love to be able to zap! zap! zap! and fix whatever needs fixing. But I can’t.
So when I come across something that makes me feel, look, become better, I want my friends and family to know about it. Because this product is a MLM, they already have their guard up and I respect that as their choice not to be bothered.
I agree with Joe – that the company should be doing actual research numbers on before after of those starting off on the product, like before/after pictures. Why don’t they do this?
My guess is because it works for some, and it doesn’t work for others and that is a statistic that is the common, average statistic that no company could brag about or market with.
If it is a placebo tablet that makes me feel younger, sharper, more energetic, less achy, stronger nails, etc., then I’ll keep taking it, even at $40/month. If I can’t afford that, then maybe I’ll start looking at mixing up my own batch of herbs from the 5 that Protandim consists of.
I really started off thinking that I didn’t need this, and didn’t want this. I don’t really like the company (lots of skeletons), its MLM structure, and many of its policies.
I lose a little money every month because of how the system is structured, but I don’t care. I carry around sample packs in case I see someone who starts complaining to me about their health. Maybe it will work for them, maybe it won’t. I’m not looking to build this business, but I am looking to relieve some pain, maybe some ills.
I am a living breathing honest testimony without scientific proof that believes her health is better now because of Protandim.
So, it is funny, but I am glad that it works for me, and I am glad when I hear that it works for others.
Joe’s title to this post is “Protandim, Does it Work?” I’m just chiming in: For me, it does.
Thanks Aunty
I am dizzy trying to find answers! My young-adult daughter has an auto-immune disease and takes twice-monthly Humira injections. Her boyfriend’s family are all Protandim distributers. The label ON THE BOTTLE warns not to take it without consulting a doctor if you take immuno-suppressants. The family convinced her to take it anyway.
Frankly, I’m pissed….but she says she feels WONDERFUL. Ultimately I am paying for this, and she hasn’t consulted a doctor. Why do so many websites say Protandim is great for her, but the company warns against taking it in her situation?
My husband and I tried it for a month and felt no difference.
What gives?
Lynn, I would call Life Vantage and report those distributors! Life Vantage gives those cautions for a reason and for those distributors to go against what their company says is unconscionable in my opinion. When you call LV ask them why they are advising caution for those with immune problems.
Actually I read or heard somewhere that the
average mlm industry monthly distributor
earnings is around $80.00.
And I thought I read somewhere the mlm
companies have to disclose these facts.
Once again..why is everyone ignoring
my main question on why we are not
seeing all this great research on the
five ingredients at any ratio together?
Is it because it makes no difference
if you took 20% of each ingredient as
the results would be the same?
And think of this..did Dr. McCord use
the same amount that distributors are
selling in the one pill in his testing research?
Did he use magnesium stearate in his
ground breaking research that is a binder
in the pill? (look up magnesium stearate
and see what Dr. Mercola has to say about it.)
Ponder this..what if I drink a cup of green
tea with Protandim? That by itself changes
the supposedly patented secret formula
as now the ratio together has changed!
Why are they not organic ingredients!
Common sense would dictate that if you
are selling an amazing supplement that
can kill one million free radicals per second
that you would have ingredients that were
pesticide free with proof of USDA Organic
approval label!
Here is another monkey wrench to ponder..
recently Dr. Oz announced that he was
changing his mind about heavy antioxidant
use as new research came out saying we
need free radicals!! Thus..if you are killing
them a million per second around the clock
could this be doing more harm then good?
Someone please address these issues!
Ron, I didn’t know Dr. Oz said that about antioxidants. I’ve been saying that for years! Antioxidants can even produce free radicals. It’s called pro-xidation.
And we are supposed to trust this agency..then explain Dr Mercolas article!
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/23/whole-food-supplement-dangers.aspx
Thanks Cory. As for what Im thinking about experimenting with, I have not totally committed to it and so I’d like to keep it a secret for now. I may or may not. Im not sure at this point.
I gotcha. Well, keep my up to date on what you decide!
John, true, N of 1 is better than nothing
One of the beauties of the internet is that one can find published articles from ‘respected’ individuals to support any claim we want to make. You posted Dr. Mercola’s article about the dangers of magnesium stearate and I am thankful. As a new customer and newer distributor, I want to really KNOW what I am taking and selling. The following article explains how magnesium stearate came under consideration for removal by the JECFA. It was recommended for removal by one group – the EWG.
http://newhope360.com/blog/supplement-industrys-biggest-little-problem-magnesium-stearate
And, I found a Dr. who makes solid, scientific evidence of why we needn’t be concerned about it.
http://www.wellnessresources.com/health/articles/the_facts_on_magnesium_stearate/
These are important articles to read concerning the other ‘side’ of the issue.
Someone made a point here that Dr. Oz thinks we need free radicals. I am sorry, but the science behind the breakdown of the cells as a result environmental stressors was taught to me in Anatomy and Physiology a few years ago. I have heard some pretty crazy claims from Dr. Oz and some things he says are right on the money, but I question those who regard him like he is an expert or some kind of authority in this area. If you want to make the point that we might need less antioxidants and some free radical, cellular breakdown is necessary, please share the scientific articles with me. Thanks!
Hopeful, the creation of free radicals is tied to cellular energy production (electron transport chain etc). Also, the immune system uses free radicals to destroy invading microorganisms. So in this respect its true, we do need some free radicals.
Here is an article you might find interesting:
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2011/08/the_doctor_and_the_pomegranate.html
LisaRob, Thanks for sharing… In reading your article, I note they can only cite one study that concludes antioxidants are actually harmful to your health. If missed something, please let me know. I bet way back in the day I could find at least one study that concluded the tobacco in cigarettes is beneficial to your health. Also, I clicked on a link cited in your posted article that brought me to this one.
http://nccam.nih.gov/health/antioxidants/introduction.htm
The article from the NIH seems to support both of our positions. It acknowledges that eating foods full of antioxidants prevent diseases (observational studies) and also cites clinical studies that failed to prevent diseases and in some cases actually increased disease processed. However, the studies cited tested other antioxidants than what is in Protandim. Protandim’s ingredients are ones found growing in nature and which have proven over centuries in other countries to maintain health. Furthermore, it consistently cites dangers of high dose supplements… but doesn’t elaborate on what is considered a high does. I don’t think the dosage in Protandim would fall into the range of ‘dangerous’ but without specific numbers we really can’t be sure.
Joe, as far as it being necessary to have some degree of free radicals in your system I can totally understand that. Personally, I don’t think it is ever wise to go extreme in any direction. I try to find balance in everything and stay in the middle of the curve. Protandim doesn’t claim to eliminate all free radicals in the human body. It promises a 40 – 70% drop. It sounds to me like it gets the level down to one that could be more healthy.
Finally, a few years ago I came upon the movie, “Forks Over Knives.” It focused and greatly increased my passion for eating healthy, which is why I am so excited about Protandim. My “why” when my enroller asked why I was selling Protandim is to help my friends and family live a healthier, better quality of life. In the movie, ‘Forks Over Knives,’ there are amazing stories that when diseased patients switched to vegan diets their cancer and heart disease greatly improves. Also, they have numerous studies from around the world over many, many decades that support this notion. The patients were told by modern medical doctors to basically go home and die. But, by eating healthy, antioxidant rich food, they live many more years and reverse their disease. That is why Protandim makes sense to me and why I am selling it — not to get rich quick. I have shared the movie with about 30 of my friends and family over the years, hoping to encourage them to change their lifestyle. I view Protandim as one more piece of a puzzle to protect their health.
Hopeful,
I’d agree that reducing oxidative stress may indeed prove beneficial, I have to admit I’m a bit skeptical on the 40-70% reduction in oxidatvive stress promised by Protandim. It might do that very thing for all I know, but their lack of human research just makes me skeptical for the moment. I do hope I’m wrong.
Hopeful:
Just because an article only links to one study does not mean that other studies don’t exist. You don’t mention which study you are referring to, but I assume it was “Extending Life Span by Increasing Oxidative Stress.” I guess you skipped over the mention of the 2007 Systemic Review and Meta-analysis which was published in JAMA.
There was also a link to another Slate article called “The Vitamin Myth” which had information on studies which suggest that antioxidants can feed cancer cells:
“The news on antioxidants, the darlings of the vitamin menagerie, is even more troubling. These compounds, which include vitamins A, C, and E, selenium, beta carotene, and folate, fight free radicals, unstable compounds thought to damage cells and contribute to aging. But not only do antioxidant supplements fail to protect against heart disease, stroke, and cancer; they actually increase the risk of death, according to a 2007 analysis of research on more than 232,000 people, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, as well as other studies.
Exactly why they might increase mortality is unclear, but doctors at prominent research institutions—including New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center—have highlighted some unsettling connections between supplemental antioxidants and an increased risk of a variety of cancers. Popping certain kinds of antioxidant pills can feed latent cancers growing in the body, for instance, and reduce the effectiveness of chemotherapy. These observations make a certain intuitive sense, since vitamins and minerals play an important role in the replication of healthy cells—why shouldn’t they be doing the same for cancerous cells? (Feeding mice a diet poor in antioxidants, on the other hand, can actually help shrink their brain tumors.) Scientists are also beginning to suspect that the body may actually need free radicals—which help kill cancer cells, ensure optimal immune function, and regulate blood sugar, among other things—so we shouldn’t necessarily be mopping them all up.”
Another study you could look into is “Duel Roles of Nrf2 in Cancer
(This was not linked in the Slate article):
http://www.ncbi.nlm.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652397/
Now, just because I’m listing these few studies/articles, it does not mean these are the only ones I can come up with.
Frankly, since you are a distributor, it probably wouldn’t matter how much information I give you. It has already been pointed out that there are no credible human studies showing a health benefit from taking Protandim, the company has been caught lying about who invented it, they have made up quotes from researchers, they have misrepresented studies, they illegally market the product by using testimonials and disease claims which are unsubstantiated, and they are selling a few pennies worth of herbs for 1.50 a pill.
None of this seems to matter to distributors. It honestly is just like a cult.
You say you got into this to help your friends and family live a healthier lifestyle. You were on the right track with promoting healthier eating and exercise. Why go off that path and push an overpriced and unproven curry pill on them? There is nothing natural about swallowing a pill a day.
If 40 to 70% of free radicals are eliminated, how do you know that is not more harmful than it is helpful??? You don’t know! What is the ideal level? Who knows? Do you really want to do that experiment on yourself and your friends and family? What IF that level of antioxidants promotes the growth of cancer cells?
As far as the Appeal to Antiquity argument (these herbs have been used safely and effectively for centuries….etc)…….Think about this: IF Protandim IS special (as it claims to be by saying you can’t just take the ingredients separately and get the same results), then you really can’t use that argument (it’s a bad argument anyway). Protandim has not been around for centuries. If Protandim is NOT special in any way, then you’ve just wasted the money of your friends and family.
Good Morning Lisa! As a lifelong supporter of free radical scavengers for reasons I won’t go into, I was approached to be the latest convert for Protandim. After doing BASIC due diligence, not only am I convinced that Protandim is a scam (that was the easy part), I am now rethinking my stand on anti-oxidants as a whole.
I have enjoyed your thorough and thoughtful / rational responses. Cancer scares the hell out of me as it should everyone which is the “fuel” Protandim uses to sell it’s product.
No rational response should be made SOLELY on the basis of fear. Simply put… THANK YOU! – John
Claire, your are entitled to your opinions. If we want to talk about “inactions speaking volumes” Then why are there no protandim distributors who want to discuss the science with me? They repeat the “go to pubmed” mantra but never want to admit the studies leave a lot to be desired. I’ve said many times I’m willing to admit Protandim is the best thing out there. Just prove it to me.
I was intrigued at first but not after what I encountered when I started trying to talk to distributors.
Just take it. You don’t even have to tell any of us. you will just feel so much better. I agree would be nice it they tested it but I don’t really care. I know how I feel maybe I would care more if I was a seller as I would think it would maybe help with sales but again I am not so as long as they just keep making it Im good …
Claire, I already feel pretty good. I don’t have many complaints
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