Multi-level marketing company Isagenix offers a cleansing product which it claims helps people lose weight. Is this MLM scheme offering a bogus product, or is this a legitimate weight loss program?
Let’s start off by clarifying that in general, multilevel marketing companies are legal scams in the United States. The government allows them to exist and multiply. They offer products which are little more than a “front” for the schemes, since without a legitimate looking product or service, the companies would be at risk of appearing to be illegal pyramid schemes.
In this article, we are not focusing on the MLM method of selling an opportunity or product. We are looking at the product itself. Isagenix has its roots in colon cleansing products. These are detoxification products which they claim help people lose weight. The company also offers vitamins, supplements, and anti-aging products for the skin.
Does detox work to help lose weight? Is it something healthy that people should be doing regularly? The Mayo Clinic says that detox diets have no proven scientific benefits. Our bodies naturally remove toxins from things we ingest, and there is no need to add some sort of cleansing products to our diets to remove toxins.
Dr. Harriet Hall writes more below about the junk science behind Isagenix. In short, there are no proven benefits to using the Isagenix products. Users of the products may offer anecdotes about their success with them, but that is not the same as having independent scientific studies supporting such claims. Of course, Isagenix prohibits reps from making medical claims about the products, but such a prohibition never seems to stop the distributors in any company.
Critique of Isagenix
by Harriet Hall, M.D.
A friend inquired about a product, Isagenix (actually a whole family of products) that is being pushed by the leader of her weight loss group, claiming that “The Isagenix cleanse is unique because it not only removes impurities at the cellular level, it builds the body up with incredible nutrition. Besides detoxing the body, Isagenix teaches people a wonderful lesson that they don’t need to eat as much as they are accustom to and eating healthy choices are really important and also a lot of the food we are eating is nutritionally bankrupt.”
I went through the website (http://www.isagenix.com/) and watched the promotional videos. There is so much to criticize that I hardly know where to start. It’s all misinformation, unsupported claims, testimonials, and money-making ploys.
I couldn’t find a critique of Isagenix on the Web, but that’s not surprising. No serious medical scientist would take it seriously enough to bother about it. And it’s basically all been done before; it’s just a slightly new wrinkle on an old scam. You will find some information on related products at: http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/detox.html
You can also go to the quackwatch.org homepage and type in cleansing or type in detoxification.
The claims on the Isagenix website are a mishmash of pseudoscience, myth, misrepresentation, and outright lies. For example:
- Americans are sicker than ever before.
- Toxicity accounts for most diseases.
- The body protects itself from toxins by coating them with fat, causing obesity. [The truth: some toxins are soluble in fat and can be taken into existing fat cells, but no new fat cells are created.]
- The internal organs become clogged and deteriorate if you don’t cleanse.
- Nutrients that cleanse, revitalize, rejuvenate — what does this even mean?
- The human body needs cleansing like air conditioners that need their filters changed and car engines that need oil changes. [This is nonsense: the human body cannot be compared to a machine: it is a living, self-regulating organism that does its own maintenance.]
They engage in scare-mongering about toxins, but provide no data to show that the tiny amounts we ingest lead to any significant adverse health effects. They also provide no evidence that their treatment actually removes any toxins from the body. Or that doing so would have any significant impact on health. There have been no properly controlled scientific studies of their “cleansing” treatments, only testimonials of the sort that abound on the Internet for hundreds of other ineffective products.
There is absolutely no rationale for the particular combination of ingredients in their products. They have LOTS of different products, and have included just about every nutrient and herbal remedy in existence: 242 of them! Some of these we know to be useless, some are potentially harmful, and we have no idea how the particular ingredients in the mixtures might interact for better or for worse.
They offer “ionic” minerals from “ancient plant deposits.” Minerals are the same thing wherever they come from, and all “ionic” means is that it is in a form that can be absorbed — i.e. magnesium as milk of magnesia rather than as a lump of elemental magnesium metal.
They advertise “no caffeine added” for a product that contains green tea; green tea contains caffeine. They repeat the tired old myth that our food isn’t as nutritious as in the “good old days.” They put digestive enzymes in their products to help you assimilate them, not realizing that orally ingested digestive enzymes are themselves digested in the stomach before they can do anything. They say that their electrolytes “ignite the body’s electrical system” — I have no idea what this means, and it certainly is not scientific terminology.
Their antioxidant mixture contains 15,000 IU of vitamin A as beta carotene plus 5000 IU as palmitate. The Medical Letter recently reviewed vitamin A and warned that no one should take high-dose beta carotene supplements, and that women should not take vitamin A supplements at all during pregnancy or after menopause. Among other things, they said: Vitamin A may also have pro-oxidant effects in vivo. A high intake of vitamin A from supplements and food has been associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in postmenopausal women and with teratogenicity when taken during early pregnancy. A placebo-controlled intervention trial in Finnish smokers found that 20 mg/day of a beta carotene supplement increased the incidence of lung cancer by 18%, which was statistically significant. Another large double blind intervention trial in smokers and asbestos exposed workers, terminated early because no benefit was demonstrated, found that combined therapy with 30 mg of beta carotene and 25,000 IU of vitamin A daily was associated with an increase in the incidence of lung cancer, cardiovascular mortality and total mortality.
The Medical Letter concluded: “A balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables may be safer than taking vitamin supplements. No biologically active substance taken for a long term can be assumed to be free of risk.”
Isagenix claims to promote weight loss. All “treatments” for [temporary] weight loss work the same way: they get people to ingest fewer calories than they expend. There is no reason to think that a person who restricts calorie intake and exercises will lose any more weight if they add Isagenix products. Diuretic and laxative effects, psychological factors, and enthusiasm for a new method may initially fool people into thinking they have benefited.
Their medical advisor, Becky Natrajan, MD, tells us on a video presentation that she is “excited about results” but she does not say what those results are or why she thinks the results are due to the product rather than to diet, exercise and other factors. Perhaps her funniest argument is that the $5 a day Isagenix costs you is less expensive than open heart surgery. As if it were a simple choice between the two!
She tells you to contact the person who told you about Isagenix. And one of the headings on the website is “Wealth.” There you will find out how you can sell products from your home and become an associate, a consultant or an executive with increasing levels of financial return. This sounds like a typical multilevel marketing scheme, typical of products that can’t be marketed effectively based purely on their merits.
In short, Isagenix is a slick marketing enterprise that lines the promoters’ pockets by selling baseless hope. There is a disclaimer on the website that should be taken very seriously: “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”
[…] on May 10th, 2011 In a follow-up to her original article about whether Isagenix is a scam, Harriet Hall, M.D. prints some of the criticism she got and her responses. This article was […]
Thank you so much for this! I tried googling 4 different ways to get the actual ingredients and an objective analysis of whether some new evidence showed anything in a supplement could “burn fat” and all I got was pages of links from the company & salespeople–even when I included the word scam–they are very clever in anticipating this charge–until I found you.
I have read some of Dr. Hall before, but hesitated to send friends the link bc the original website would be kind of overwhelming if not threatening to friends who have heard over & over or just accept alternate myths about energy, thought changing water crystals, etc. as passed on by so many yoga teachers & self-claimed healers as well as pop media. In this format I will be able to share.
I had gone to her FB page to learn about an Ashtanga yoga teacher I was thinking about taking class with, and she was gushingly claiming she’d effortlessly lost 9 pounds & had more energy with Isagenix, which I’d never heard of. The post’s tone suggested a marketing scheme, and also suggested a lack of basic human physiology knowledge which seems to be alarmingly common in the health industry. Trainers & yoga teachers seem to memorize anatomy but not understand the functions of body organs as scientifically proven. Increasingly I’m realizing what i thought were metaphors are actually their beliefs. Not so sure I want to take her guidance in how to work my body in the rather strenuous practice of Ashtanga. Thanks!
This isn’t the only company that uses this tactic. Beachbody (maker of some great workout DVDs) is an MLM that sells a product called Shakeology in addition to the workout programs. The vast majority of Shakeology customers are also sales affiliates (or “coaches” as they call them). The shake costs $115 A MONTH(a little less if you are a coach), and the claims that these coaches make are ridiculous, unfounded, and irresponsible. They claim that Shakeology cured their IBS, helps them manage their diabetes, got them off a whole slew of medications, etc. (look at their Facebook page for a small sampling). If you say $115 a month is too expensive, they’ll tell you that a) it’s NOT expensive when you consider people spend that much on Starbucks, and b) well, you save $30 if you sign up as a coach under me. I was intrigued, so I figured I would do some research. EVERY page that I came across about Shakeology was written by a Beachbody Coach. If you type in “Shakeology scam,” you are directed to a site with an article that explains why Shakeology is NOT a scam. Type in “Shakeology pyramid”, “shakeology sucks”, you get articles written by Beachbody coaches saying why Shakeology is NOT those things. You need to be careful with these MLMs. They have a way of brainwashing their sales people
thank you for the ubiased review of beachbody. i tried the shake at the recommendation of a friend. the problem is, there are many people recommending this product as part of their “multi-level marketing business”. these people are not doctors, but are true believers pushing a product which i believe could have bad side effects for some people. this product really messed with/trashed my system.
the company is very smart by implementing the multi-level marketing because all of these “so called” internet doctors drain out reason throughout the internet.
the coaches at beachbody are pushed to recruit other coaches and push this meal replacement shake.
Thank you for operating one of the rare blogs, like mine also, that take the less profitable side of the MLM / Nutritional Scam sector.
We could be out forcing our relatives to pay thousands of dollars for dangerous products…but it would not be the right thing to do.
Happy Thanksgiving Weekend,
IS
I’ve never done the cleanse, but was thinking about doing so after the holidays. I’m no medical expert, but I am entering into health care as a nurse in the near future and nutrition fascinates me. The hypothesis that neurological syndromes and food allergies are attributed to toxicity *has* been supported by research (see Dr. Theo Colhoun’s work). Differences have been shown between subjects who ingest foods laden with additives and pesticides in contrast with with subjects who eat whole, organic foods. The effects of taking in said toxins can range anywhere from developmentally delayed children to reproductively impaired adults. These statements have been supported by data and research.
I recently read about the various P450 enzymes and their role in detoxifying our bodies…Could pesticides and additives have an adverse effect on these enzymes? I would love to see the research, but my instincts after reading more into the subject say perhaps. The question pertaining to this post concerning Isagenix supporting proper detoxification or not isn’t my point. My point is that the “old school” thinking of nutrition in the light of “every calorie is the same” needs to be thrown out. Isagenix at least supports people in making healthier choices…Kale instead of candy perhaps. You are what you eat, and heck, if Isagenix gets people to drink a nutritional shake vs eating a happy meal, I’m all for it.
Meghan is an Isagenix rep. Even Stevie Wonder can see that.
I could not agree more Chuck. In general, MLM acolytes fan out accross the web to bury the important but negative truth about risks, waste, and other negative impacts with astroturf posts that that one…
Thank you. Keep up the good work you are doing! Critical thinking is lacking in our society. PLEASE people of the world…pull your head out of the sand and do a little research before trusting a company that wont provide clinical evidence thats its products are safe… or even works for that matter. (unless you believe that putting your head in the sand prevents solar radiation from melting your brain)
My only question is for more information on this statement: “Some of these we know to be useless, some are potentially harmful…”
Besides the vitamin A you mention, to which other ingredients would you be referring as potentially harmful?
I see that Isagenix medical advisor, Becky Natrajan, MD, may be “excited about the results”, – but not that excited.
Apparently she’s bailed ship and found a new home at TriVita.
“At last, after 12 months of extensive research looking for the “perfect” wellness company and Affiliate opportunity…
Dr. Becky and Dan Maes have joined forces with TriVita to bring Wellness to the World”!
“Renowned Medical Doctor and award-winning Marketing Executive have teamed up to bring wellness to the world by harnessing the power of a proven Affiliate opportunity of a lifetime! Dr. Becky Maes (formerly Natrajan) and Dan Maes have embraced TriVita’s mission, superior quality products and proven business model. They are 100% dedicated to your success and helping you experience wellness and create wealth for your life purposes.”
Same old, same old. Geez…you need a score card to keep track of which “next best greatest opportunity of the month” these professional jumpers are currently working.
[…] usual, Doc! I love your comment on Tracy Coenen's blog. Those 2 pages were a great find as well: Isagenix Scam: Questionable medical claims, no science behind them : Fraud Files Blog Isagenix Fraud: A Follow-Up by Dr. Hall : Fraud Files Blog Those comments had me rolling on the […]
No comment from Megan as she moves on to other more receptive sites on which to continue the propaganda crusade. I’m glad sites like this are among a few that do come up in search results with accurate information about these scams. Thank you Tracy, you are on the side of angels 😉
I sold Isagenix for a while and had tons of people under me selling it. I was about to receive my first commision check for a huge amount of sales, and I was fired from Isagenix. I had sold one Cleanse kit on eBay, and was told after the fact, that it was not allowed. It had never been stated that ebay was frowned upon. I think the product is not harmful to use, but I also believe that it doesn’t do any good either. Out of the hundreds of sales I had, not a single person ever told me they felt healthier. I actually feel guilty now for selling it to people I cared about.
@DrJonesy — thank you so much for your candor and perspective. I sense that is the experience many people have with Isagenix and other products. There isn’t a lot of proof they work, aside from a possible placebo effect which likely wears off. There is a risk they may in fact be bad for health. But the one thing we know for sure is that when you are selling a product via MLM, it tend to be overpriced, and it tends to be sold to people you care about, who buy it because they are about you and trust you. Thank you again for your story.
I have been living with two people who sell it, for the past 3 months. One of them eats pizza all of the time (2-3 times a week) and he also takes a lot of prescription drugs, ie. Ambien, anti-anxiety meds and others, the product does not seem to help him, obviously. The other sells it full-time and his motivation seems to be money and becoming on of the ‘millionaires’, you know, like the good ‘ole Amway days, remember the ‘millionaires’. He doesn’t seem to care that much about the actual product, except he works night and day on his sales ability and is quite aggressive in convincing people of one thing or another.
I think a emotional cleanse (therapy) or nice spa vacation would have much better results, and probably cheaper in the long run.
I am an Isagenix user, but I’ve refused to get involved in the MLM scheme. The program seemed to work well for me – I lost over 20 pounds over about a month, with actually increased energy, better mental acuity and little to no problems with hunger, save for the actual cleanse days (when you eat nothing but the tiny snacks and cleanse tonic).
But the products are expensive. I suspect too expensive, given that I can get protein shakes and similar “metabolism boosting” supplements at my local SuperSupplements store. My coach tells me that the difference in price is due to the “trace minerals” and the fact that the whey protein comes from fully organically raised cows in New Zealand. That sounds a bit fanciful to me, but I can’t ignore the fact that the system appears to work for me.
Now my coach wants me to try Product B. I’ve done enough research on stress and the mind to believe that nutrition is an important part, but *man* that stuff is beyond spendy – $77 bucks for a roughly one-month supply.
Added with the shakes, snacks and cleanse tonic and it’s easily $300-400 or more each month. I’m all about investing in my health, and I have to agree that spending $10 bucks a day on healthy supplements is better than Starbucks and McDonalds, but I have to imagine there is a more affordable way.
So, I believe in the system, but I’m looking for a more affordable way. Has anybody transitioned OFF of Isagenix, but continued a similar system using more affordable products?
Why not put that extra $10 a day toward nutritious foods, instead of some crappy supplements? Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. That’s certainly a lot better for you than meal replacement nonsense.
“I have to agree that spending $10 bucks a day on healthy supplements is better than Starbucks and McDonalds, but I have to imagine there is a more affordable way.”
Yeah, it’s called Not Spending Ten Bucks Per Day at Starbucks or McDonald’s. It is obviously healthier for both you AND your wallet. No need to feel like you have to substitute the coffee/junkfood for overpriced MLM crap in order to feel better.
I just started this program. And good to expensive. . I honestly think of going back to my eating Clean and organic shopping at sprouts or wholes food its cheaper then this… I said eat clean organic and lets stop giving our money away to this people. Nothing like eating un package products … 🙂 good luck
Your “coach” is acting unethically by promoting these products
Those are all gimmicks and tricks. It’s a big business and obviously people are looking for the next big miracle or “easy” way to be healthy. It all goes back to having a nutritious diet and regular exercise. THAT’S IT!
1. If your goal is to lose weight, cut back on calories and exercise.
2. If your goal is to lower blood pressure, cut back on sodium and exercise.
3. If your goal is to lower cholesterol, cut back on saturated/trans fats and exercise.
4. If your goal is to lower your blood sugar, cut back on carbs/sugar and exercise.
5. If your goal is all of the above, eat more fiber and exercise.
6. If your goal is to lower risk of heart disease (or just to be healthy overall):
a) Don’t smoke
b) Exercise daily
c) Maintain a healthy weight
d) Cut back on fat, sodium (see 2 and 3)
e) Eat more veggies/beans, fruits, whole grains and low fat dairy
People know this, they just need to do it and make it part of their lifestyle.
Obviously there are people who have medical conditions or strong family history where medication is needed. But the magic bullet as far as weight loss is concerned is calories in, calories out.
Well said. I have used Isagenix in the past and it is good for a quick weight loss because you cut calories, cleanse days you eat nothing, so yes you lose weight. But it all comes back. I am now finally learning about proper nutrition and exercise, especially cutting sodium and keeping stress levels down. My next move now is to take up yoga which I heard has great stress relieving benefits.
Isagenix is all hype! Just eat “clean” foods; organic, non-processed fruits vegetable, whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, etc.)! Yes, the product has nutrients, but there is an absence of research studies. The only studies conducted are those by Isagenix, which is no good. If results are not replicated then how do we know something is really working, and not due to chance. Eat less calories by cutting out processed foods, and enjoy what mother nature gave to us :)..a perspective from a molecular biologist.
I have been looking for negative feedback on Isagenix and am having a hard time finding anything. So glad to find your blog! What gets me is the people that are selling this product..and I have several on my FB page, claim not only can you lose weight, but selling the product has made them incredibly rich! Buying Ferarri’s, huge homes, fishing boats and flying on their ‘private planes’ to speak about the product. Come on already!!!!
Please understand that MLMs and their reps try really, really hard to ensure that you can’t find anything negative about them. They flood the internet with propaganda, and some even sue people who post negative things.
I was connected to several people on FB that sell this product. They are all claiming the same ‘wealth’ that Isagenix has brought them. One girl claims she has purchased several expensive sports cars, fly’s in a private jet and has an expensive home (posting pictures to prove it). She also claims to be one of the top selling reps, yet her name is nowhere on the Isagenix website. Her pictures appear on other peoples pages as well. Her profile picture has changed from an older blonde woman to a young brunette. Sounds like a fraud to me. This is why I’ve started looking into this product. How can you trust it?
so glad to see this feed back, here in Australia I am confused at times , I seem to be the only one that does not want to try Isagenix, I am a therapist and I have clients telling me all these great stories how Product B saved lives , from cancer to skin conditions , and it stops you aging with the telomeres , it cost $100 for 100 capsules , it last a month at 4 capsules a day , and yes these people win trips to overseas all the time , and bring a income of $2000 a week from sales , sounds good , hey , .
I too am also glad to have come across this website. I have not been able to find any information on this product from my own independant research that wasn’t posted on a Facebook page somewhere.
A colleague was telling me about the product who has lost quite a bit of weight. She says she feels amazing… How could I not want to know more? But, I am cynical by nature and wanted to know more. I guess the things I was wondering were; if this product is so great, why is it only available via MLM methods? Wouldn’t it be available everywhere for everyone, rather than kept quiet? Something just didn’t add up, and I wonder if in fact the colleague is being conned? The more I look, the less I like what I see, almost like a pack mentality from the people involved?
Many Thanks for this thread. I to have been searching for (hopefully) unbiased information and am glad I stumbled on this. I guess it’s that age old quote “if it sounds too good to be true…….”
Calories in v Calories out, exercise etc etc, these are all the common sense answers to any attempt to lose weight. If you take Isagenix or any other product to SUPPLEMENT your lifestyle then you are more likely to achieve success, so if you look at Isagenix or other SUPPLEMENTS in this context then they will help. Maybe use them as a jumpstart to help you improve other lifestyle habits like the fruit and veggies and exercise. I have never tried this stuff but over the years as a Professional Athlete I have tried many, but they have never been the hook on which I hang my nutritional requirement hat….
So happy to see people finally hearing the truth about these products. I have been with Isagenix for 13 years and am tired of the scam being run on customers. The products are no better than typical vitamins that can be bought at Target or Walmart. Further, the claims of financial freedom are completely overblown. Almost no one makes money in Isagenix!
I am happy to finally have a chance to come clean, and I am glad that this blogger is speaking the truth. Don’t be fooled: the values of integrity and quality are sorely lacking in this company. The “clinical research” that is touted by the company and the reps is nothing more than researchers being paid by Isagenix to come to certain conclusions. Please spread the word!
Isagenix was started in 2002. Do the math
Me thinks someone has misappropriated LeeAnn’s name for those comments… just google her…. 🙂
I doubt you were with Isagenix for 13 years it took you that long to figure out it was a scam? Lol sounds a little weird to me, I can vouch for this product it does work they are great products and yes we are making money and know others that are also making a lot more, obviously your not very informed about this company or you just failed miserably and is just bitter.
It is a little sad that doctors prescribe drugs that mask symptoms and not more nutrition as a whole. I have to agree with the “air filter” analogy. We have so much junk food out there with ingredients that are engineered and not necessary and very toxic to our system, yet the FDA does nothing about them. If you look at evolution, non of these ingredients were around until chemists came up with them so we did not “evolve” to process these things. That is where I think we are toxic. Stuff like Red Bull and similar drinks are lauded for the “lifestyle” of all things daredevil, yet nobody talks against it being an incredibly toxic drink along with most other energy drinks. Doritos are still produced with MSG!!! yet nobody says anything about that, which is beyond frightening. So for me, if all the ingredients are natural I think there are other things we should be more focused on. I have tried Isagenix and for me I used it every day for Breakfast and a snack (bar form) at lunch. It helped me to be aware of what I put into my body, so now for me if it didnt come out of the ground then it is not natural is how I eat now. So for that reason I am glad I did the Isagenix. I was looking for nutrition and got an education on awareness of my health so in the end it was a good thing for me.
Lol yeah really lol. Willing to bet this person never sold or even tried the product
I wish had something that cleaned toxins out of my body. Oh wait. I do. It’s called a LIVER.
you are so correct Morgan! Which was great 100 years ago — but now it’s overloaded — kinda like taking your household trash and tossing it in the garage — house is great now, but eventually that garage is going to be a problem… 🙂 My car and house have filters in them too…. love your liver!
Scott…..so are you trying to say that our livers are not cleaning out the toxins in our bodies anymore?? Seriuosly? Instead of just telling us your analogies, why don’t you give us scientific proof that the liver doesn’t clean out our toxins like it did 100 years ago!! That is the most crazy thing I’ve heard in a long time. Our livers work great, especially eating healthy foods. Not eating anything and then drinking some magic shake doesn’t make your liver work better! Comparing our bodies to taking the trash only to the garage is laughable. And I’m sure you are laughing all the way to the bank!!! That is if you have made it that far up the pyramid!! If not just keep spilling the nonsense to gullible people and you MIGHT just make it!!
Please tell me that “common sense” is still alive and kicking! Wow! I have subscriptions to nutrient newsletters, health newsletters, books on “superfoods”, cross-referenced (personal research) not only Product B (where does the name come from?), but have tried to investigate what the “vital herbal nutrients” are that ‘guarantee’ a complete health overhaul–at the cellular level ?! Really? Why sren’t these products available to the (general) public? I trust my personal care physician’s advice…and his advice? Too much of a (good or bad) thing is a waste!!
Is selling Isagenix at a flea market allowed by the company???
I am on day 8 of a 30 Day Isagenix “cleanse” …. it seems to be having some effect , but I’m not sure if I’ll continue after … I hate the feeling of being hungry all the time .
I’m not sure if not eating for 2 days on a double cleanse is actually good for you … lol …
I think as a ” kick in the ass ” toward better living it might be ok , but for me not sustainable .
I’d rather eat healthe real food and do more exercise …
Completely not interested in the MLM side of things .
No, not eating for 2 days is NOT good for you. We are supposed to eat. It’s about what you eat… and you should eat FOOD, not these bullshit shakes and pills.
Bottom line if you want something to happen for yourself you can do it, you can make it work without all these products. Eat clean, exercise, include a good protein shake from vitamin shop, add a vitamin or two and be determined to exercise with a good program. Have a plan, be a leader don’t have someone feed you like a baby. Don’t forget come up with a meal plan. Do your own research and save big bucks by keeping money in your pocket and not these huge multi marketing companies who want nothing more then your wallet.
I wish people would open their eyes a bit and spend more time criticizing and ripping apart the REAL scammers in our world, like Big Pharma whose job it is to keep us sicker than ever and not a product or company that promotes and believes in REAL solutions for a healthy body, whatever the company may be. If any of you actually believe that our bodies can naturally defend themselves against all of the toxins and pollution that is bombarded on us WITHOUT our consent, then good luck to you…you will need it. Start fighting against those making you ill….NOT those trying to at least help! And btw…this lady’s job is to pick apart anything she gets her hands on….open your eyes!
While Isagenix, MonaVie and Beach Body are all MLM scams with outrageous claims, done of what you say is completely false. The human body cannot detoxify itself if someone is eating packaged, processed food loaded with sugar, MSG and other chemicals on a daily basis. The body CAN detoxify itself through intermittent dating and by adding whole, organic foods such as complex carbs, vegetables, a little fruit and lots of H20.
I also wanted to add that medical doctors know very little about nutrition since they only get 1-3 hours in med school. I’d go to an M.D. for Burton advice like i would go to the Cable company to fix my plumbing.
*fasting, not dating
*nutrition, not Burton
and
*some, not done
My phone is acting crazy today!
To the people arguing about the liver. Are you unaware of this pesky thing alcoholics get called cirrhosis? The same thing can gain to non-alcoholics if they consume a lot of.sugar and junk foods. Our livers only work when we eat healthy, whole food. Do you honestly think the people who live on fast food and are over 30% BF actually have healthy livers? Seriously?
Gosh this is quite an eye opener! I was talked into doing Isagenix purely because I wanted to shift some weight. I have been on the programme now for 4 days and have lost 1kg already but have not felt good on it at all. Headaches, Nausea, light headedness, and just downright hungry! My Diet before has always been healthy just sometimes have too much of it. My husband says that you loose weight because “you aren’t eating” and yet my Isagenix coach says that everything I need is in the “shake”! To feel lousy on such a product makes me think it can’t possibly be healthy for you in the long run. So all I can say is I have paid for it now so will continue for the 30 day programme but will cancel my Auto ship as the Product is too darn expensive to be on it continuously and I enjoy eating good wholesome food without suffering through just drinking plain old shakes that obviously, from reading the above, don’t work!
Either you are getting bad advice from your coach or you are not doing the program correctly, my wife and I have been on Isagenix for over 2 years have lost weight and have never been healthier, there is no reason why you should be hungry you can do your shakes plus your meals make sure taking in enough calories, if your not happy you send your products back and you will get your money back they offer a great money back guarantee. Most that fail on this program either have bad coaching or are not being honest with themselfs and are not doing the program correctly
Lisa – Don’t let anyone fool you. The Isagenix products are NOT healthy. We are meant to eat nutritious food, and supplement that as necessary. We are NOT meant to ingest shakes full of sugar and nonsense in place of food. Send the crap back and get your money back!
Full of sugar? What shake are you describing? What about the skake is not healthy? What nonsense are you refering to? Back your claims please, or refrain from commenting, even if it is your blog. It is one thing to desparage the business model, it is another to make claims that you are not qualified to make.
Yes, Cameron… full of sugar. From the label of the product, the second ingredient is fructose (sugar). LOL. It appears that I am QUITE qualified to make that claim.
http://www.isagenix.com/~/media/product/isalean-shake/isalean-shake-fact-panels/us-en-fact-panel-isalean-shake-can-creamy-french-vanilla.pdf
Fructose is in the fruit we eat you would have to ingest a rediculios amount for it to be harmful.
Fructose is sugar, moron. You criticized me for saying that the Isagenix shakes were full of sugar. I responded with the ingredients lists, which shows sugar as the second ingredient…. i.e. the shakes are full of sugar. I didn’t say it was harmful. it’s just not nutritious and the shakes are SHIT that you shouldn’t be using as meal replacements.
Currently experiencing major health issues after only 2 months of using Isagenix products. I’ve heard very similar stories after digging a little deeper. Class action lawsuit sounds about right. I’m really disappointed in myself for not having done better research before using these products.
I would like to see some proof on this allegation, I’ve been using this product for 3 years and lead a very healthy life, I also know close to 20 people doing the same product with great results. Be careful what you say. I’m not convinced what so ever on your claims
John – She doesn’t owe you any proof. She shared her experience with the product. Take or leave her comments.
It’s obvious a lot of these comments are just people with no knowledge about the product in question and putting negative information out about it.
interestding that making negative claims is taken at face value, but making positive claims is assumed questionable (or bogus). As a professional fraud investigator, one would assume that (unless biased), your investigative impulse would go both ways….
Chel – I don’t have an opinion one way or another about whether Jennie is telling the truth. The issue is that she doesn’t owe any explanation or any proof to you Isagenix shills.
Dave in reply to your comment “those that Fail aren’t doing the programme properly” let me assure you I am INDEED doing it correctly! I am nearly at the end of my 30 day cleanse and have only lost 3.5kgs and 15cms I have followed it to a T and all I can say is good for you if you and your wife find this product great. I have also found that those that are “Big” to start with on this programme generally loose a lot quite quickly and it cant be a healthy way to loose. Exercise and wholesome food can generally shift the weight if one sticks to that. I just wanted a helping hand and can say that it wasn’t an enjoyable one! And……Tracy, you are definitely right about the sugar! Do people not know that Sugar is reported as being a Killer? Does not take a rocket scientist to see that!
Lisa, you lost 8lbs and nearly 3 inches in less than 30 days and you consider that a failure? By isagenix standards you are correct, they are below average, but for most programs, that would earn you job as a spokesperson! And re sugar, should we avoid fruit? Not all sugar is the bad kind. Best wishes to you in whatever you chose!
You can really tell the economy is in the toilet when the shill factor is increasing with this isa-crapex. More and more people are turning to MLM as their way to try to stay out of the poor house. I used to be a vitamin junkie but after 20 years of discovery realize that real food is the best way to wellness and MLMs s u c k
The bottom line is that “meal replacement shakes” from any company are not good for you and should not be used. We are meant to eat food, not drink shakes full of crap in place of food. Shills will tell you that these are a great option when you’re pressed for time, but grabbing some fresh fruit or vegetables is equally as easy (probably even easier) and much better for you.
Let me know how the eat pure foods works out for you… If you do your homework you will find its no longer enough…if you think Isagenix is a scam that’s your choice…I’ve never been healthier or felt better or permanently released more weight since using Isagenix…
It’s working out great! Let me guess… you’re on that “nutrients in food have been depleted” bandwagon???? While soil is generally less rich in minerals than it used to be, it is not a problem for us when consuming fruits and vegetables. They still have lots of vitamins in them and are very good for us! Eat good food, take a simple multi-vitamin, and you will get all the nutrients you need. Still no crappy shakes necessary!
Well Tracy… having experience in the food industry and seeing what happens to the chemically laden, GMO crap that sits around for months before getting to the produce aisle I would have to disagree with you. Even if the vegetable has some value coming out of the ground by the time it’s gone through the process that value is gone… Oh and the organic profit machine…yep they have your best interests in mind as well…LOL…
Wash your produce before you eat it, and don’t worry about GMO because there is no danger there. Happy eating! (Not happy drinking shitty shakes!)
https://www.animalsciencepublications.org/publications/jas/articles/92/10/4255?highlight=&search-result=1
Tracy, thx for the link; good to know the cows are doing well on GMOs (tho in their short life-span, it may be hard to quantify what ‘doing well’ means — hard to ask livestock how they are feeling…). If humans only lived for 20 years before being harvested, I suspect the health statistics would be a bit skewed to the positive also.
Perhaps your time would be better spent unearthing the problems (scams) in the food production chain, instead of slamming a part of it that is actually scientifically-proven to be helping people. Perhaps it would be more productive if you stuck with accountig and leave the nutrition to the people that actually are Phd’d and published in that field.
By the way, the nay-sayers of the day once persecuted people for questioning the accepted concept that the world was flat. I suspect I know what camp you would have been associated.
Best of health to you Tracy…I hope your theories work out for you… I for one will continue to listen and learn from those who are tops in the world regarding these issues…sorry to say your advice is way off the mark…
Scott – No one in the field of nutrition is going to suggest that eating healthy and taking a multi-vitamin is bad for you. No one who has any credibility would honestly say that these crappy shakes are preferable to eating healthy foods and taking a multi-vitamin. Good luck shilling!
Chel – The multi-level marketing scams like Isagenix are well within my wheelhouse. I am also well-educated enough to know that crappy shakes used as meal replacements are not good for people, and are certainly not as good for anyone as healthy meals plus a daily multi-vitamin. No one with any credibility would ever suggest that it’s a good idea to take the crap that Isagenix sells rather than just eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Good luck shilling!
[…] later, they are right back where they started. You can see a much better dissection of Isagenix here, and I recommend reading it if you are on the fence about the […]
Very disappointed about not making a dime when I recruited someone two months ago. The products is expensive for Canadians taking and paying on the exchange plus credit card bank transaction fees. I am
leaving the company but signed up till October so will buy the odd thing like the Omega supreme I take
daily. I like the taste of the shakes and like getting up to one versus boring cereal. However its all about
the money for me. Dollar is too bad for CDNs and I was told Isagenix may sell in CDN dollars however
the price will go up for products!! Goodbye Isagenix. Keeping my money now at all costs.
It’s been very interesting reading all the feedback on isagenix. I know many people who sell it. I think it’s nothing other than a MLM scam for consultants to make money.The bottom line for real weight loss is, get your butt up and exercise, eat a clean healthy diet and drink plenty of water. There is no magic pill, shake, vitamin, cleansing product out there. My philosophy is, if you can’t read the ingredients in what your eating then don’t eat it!!
I tried this, the guy who was pressuring me to sign up for months laid down the law and said it had to be done now so he could make more money before 5 pm and signed me up under his credit card.
I did the first week and found the cleanse day HORRIBLE. I don’t understand how you are meant to sign up x amount of people within 30 days, when you don’t really measure or see best results until after 30 days.
I felt like a sell out and there was no way that I, as a relatively educated person could even begin to try to sell this to my friends when I know healthy eating and exercise work best, release endorphins and keep you HEALTHY AND FIT.
I admit I got caught up in the hype from this guy and I haven’t told anyone my story until now. I was too ashamed.
I sent it back and he got the refund.
On a positive note after 6 months of inactivity it did get me back into the gym and I have lost 5kg, feel strong and am happier than ever with my regular protein shakes and multi vitamin.
Thanks for reading 🙂
I too have been invited to see and read about the company and all the weight loss success on a facebook blog. I see a lot of successful weightloss, I am happy for them and impressed however no one can answer my questions about what happens after the 30 days, they boast of losing weight without any exercise but what happens when they go back to eating or do they not go back to eating,no one really says, they answered me by saying that they continue to do shakes and it’s their lifestyle now. But what about eating with family,holidays ,etc., one couple boasted how they resisted Thanksgiving dinner with family and just drank their shakes. The cost I feel is very expensive, my friend spends $400 a month and you have to pay a membership fee just to order and then they like you to auto renew every month. How does one you do isagenix and still cook for one’s family as you really can’t have your children doing these shakes. One of customers posted that she was so happy with herself as she resisted the Wendy’s french fries and burgers that she bought for her children. I didn’t get it. You also cannot order off the website you have to go through a representative. You can find some of the products on Amazon and Ebay but they are just as expensive. I think I will just stick to eating well and exercising even if it does not come off as quickly as isagenix. I am glad some of these people have found their fix to losing weight. Is it really healthy I can’t say.
[…] Isagenix Scam: Questionable Medical Claims, No Science Behind Them […]
I was in poor health and using the Isagenix products helped me lose weight, begin exercising, and make healthier food choices. I continue to use Isagenix products as part of a healthy lifestyle. Unlike Dr. Hall, I am not an MD, but with that being said, many of her criticisms of the Isagenix products are not really accessible to the average person. So, Dr. Hall, I guess since you are writing so much about Isagenix, maybe refer us readers to other health professionals, perhaps in the field of nutrition that can speak with more credibility, to what you are saying.
With an open mind.
Ken
Ken – Isagenix didn’t help you make better food choices or exercise. It’s a crappy product which does little other than convince you to skip meals, which is unhealthy. Substituting shakes for real food is not healthy. And the stupid shakes don’t change your actions. YOU change your actions. Good grief.
Tracy, why aren’t you calling out the real scams like vaccines, GMOS, chemo, etc that the rest of the world isn’t buying into? If science is so great why is autism, chronic disease, cancer on the rise? Oh that’s right… How would you get paid? You really think you are fooling anyone? You are just a shill, in your terms, for the real scams… The difference with Isagenix is if I don’t like it I can stop, I don’t have a choice to eliminate the attack on me when my water is fluoridated, or there is GMO’s in that supposed organic food or there are pesticides engineered into the food that doesn’t wash off… Your lack of common sense is stunning… It is next to impossible to eat healthy in America even if you wash your produce you moron!
Oh and I love how honest your blog is… Because I disagreed with you in the past you blocked me from posting… Unless I submit with another email… Yep. You are the scam…trying to twist the facts to protect your clients, the real scammers… Who’s the real shill here Tracy?
Scott – Vaccines, GMOs and chemo are not scams, which is why I have not “called them out.” I’m not a shill for anything. How do I get paid? For providing forensic accounting services. I don’t get paid for this blog.
No, it’s not impossible to eat health, and yes, washing your produce is helpful.
No, you haven’t been blocked from posting, and you didn’t need another email. However, You will not be allowed to post if you personally attack me again. I also will not let you post things that are false, so be careful about that.
And which clients am I protecting? I dare you to name one client of mine, and explain how I am “protecting” them on this blog. Good luck, as you don’t know the names of any of my clients. I will give you a hint… none of my clients have anything to do with vaccines, GMOs, or chemo.
So how do you explain the rise in autism, cancer, diabetes, chronic illness in America? Why not put you forensic skills to work investigating this issue? And these all started to increase right around the same time as the introduction of GMOS, increased vaccination, antibiotic farming, pesticide laden farming, etc… And great I won’t attack you but you are the one who is attacking anyone here who has had a positive experience with Isagenix, because they must be a shill…thats what you called me…that’s not an attack? And interesting that when I tried to reply with my previous email I could not but when I changed it I could…
Scott – Your inability to use the internets it not my fault or my problem. You’re one of those conspiracy theorists. There is no link between vaccinations and autism, yet you will ignore the science and claim there is. I am not going to spend time debunking your non-science. It’s a waste of my time, because you are not going to believe science anyway.
Are you unaware of what forensic accounting is? It has to do with numbers, not medicine. Find me someone who wants to pay me to be a forensic accountant investigating medicine, and I’m happy to do that.
Yes, you’re a shill for Isagenix. That absolutely IS an attack on you. It’s an attack for two reasons. One, you are trying to sell a scam and should be ashamed of yourself. I have no problem attacking scammers. Two, I’m allowed to attack whomever I want, since this is my site. I guess that’s the benefit of running a site… I get to make the rules.
Please go harass someone else. You are done here. 🙂
Tracy, I have been watching this… Thanks for proving who you really are… I hope nobody takes you seriously… You have zero credibility…
Of course you’ve been watching this, Scott! You’re participating in it. (But how fun that you tried to sock puppet to make it look like someone supports you!!!)
I have plenty of credibility with the people who matter. It is not my goal to have credibility with MLM shills. MLMs are scams on consumers ,and those who promote these scams are evil. I do not need or want any sort of affirmation or endorsement from such people.
I’ve lost a total of 20 pounds on Isagenix. This is partially due to Isagenix and partially due to working out and tracking my food log and paying close attention to what I’m eating. At first I refused to do the cleanse days because I don’t like NOT eating, but, the cleanse days have helped me drop those pesky last few pounds. I do agree that you can’t stay on Isagenix forever and you need to also learn how to eat whole, healthy, unprocessed foods. The meal replacement shakes are just so EASY for me, which is why I do it. I figure its better to fix a quick shake than going through the drive-through when I’m short on time. I think a lot of people realize or are skeptical if the products are legit, but, if you want to lose weight it makes it easier, which is all I care about right now! The sales aspect of the company IS annoying, and what I choose to take and ingest into my body is my choice, and I wouldn’t want to push this on others and promote it as “healthy” if I wasn’t 100% sure- I’m not a doctor or a nutritional expert.
Doing cleanses doesn’t give you sustainable weight loss. You’re mostly just losing water and otherwise appearing to lose weight because you are depriving yourself. WIthin days, it all comes back. So honestly, starving yourself for those days is unhealthy and mostly useless.
A meal replacement shake is possibly better than fast food (although you can make better choices depending on the restaurant), but is certainly worse than normal, reasonably healthy food. Drinking stupid shakes filled with sugar and other crap just isn’t good for you. It’s easy, but it’s certainly not healthy. Not even when these companies lie and tell you IT’S ALL NATURAL!!!
The bottom line with every single one of these “health and wellness” companies is that they’re shilling mediocre products which generally aren’t good for you. Skip this overpriced crap and just eat real food. The real food doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. Just stick toward unprocessed stuff.
Hahaha… Tracy what are you even doing participating in this space? Just about every statement you have made is based in uneducated opinion not fact. You are the one misleading people. Before you blog you really should know what you are talking about.
Aw John…. I am well versed on the facts of Isagenix and other “wellness” MLMs. It is my pleasure to be able to provide opinions that are well rooted in the facts of these companies. Of course, those facts are never revealed by the companies themselves, which is why I have to expose them here. 🙂
Isagenix what a croc, i weighed 162kilos and turned my life around by, eating hood healthy foods and a lot of exercise. I now weigh 93 kilos. No supplements.. No…..
My sister and mom just started Isagenix, and they love it. I’ve been trying to get them to eat healthy for the past year, but they’ve been too lazy. Isagenix just seems like a way for people to lose weight with minimal effort. Sure, it is harder to actually take ten to fifteen extra minutes to actually make a meal, but it’s so much better for you. That being said, I do get that sometimes people need a nudge in the right direction, so I get the appeal. There are just so many other options out there!
So I signed up for the 30 day cleanse and lasted 3 days…my stomach couldn’t take the shakes and other supplements. I have since sent back my stuff and am waiting for a refund. Meanwhile I am feeling disappointed in my PT who recommended this stuff. 11g of sugar per shake? Sunflower oil? Time to find a new PT! Thanks for this article…wish I had seen it a month ago! 🙂
Shell – Let me guess…. your PT recommended this crap because he’s a distributor????
I am telling you as a person who no longer uses Isagenix because I have developed an intolerance for fasting. So I have no vested interest in promoting these products. In my younger days in 2006, it helped me to lose 85 pounds as part of a diet program. I used the 9 day program probably about 4 times during that stretch and an average of about 13 real pounds, not water weight.
Now am I necessarily recommending it, no. As I do believe it to be not a once size fits all type of solution to the obesity epidemic. But for one who understands their underlying weigh loss issues and is under the care of a physician, this program may help jump start your weigh loss journey. The program does however require will power, it won’t be easy. I did however find it comforting that program was only 9 days.
Just to be clear, Tony didn’t lose 85 pounds with Isagenix. He lost 13 pounds with Isagenix, starving himself for 36 days. That was unhealthy weight loss, and therefore not recommended. (Especially not if you want to keep the weight off.)
that is not even saying what goes inside the corporate site. Bigots calling people monkeys is okay? they have a reputation of paying off employees or using the clause that AZ is a at will state making the work atmosphere unbearable with trumped up charges and causing employees to quit. Knowing they cannot legally fight back due to they rack up billable hours. I use to work in their customer service department and knew that if you made your boss looked good you were good. The moment that made them look back the retaliated. So treating and cheating people is nothing that Isagenix has not only done to their customers but also to their employees. Equal opportunity employer that’s funny. They will also throw other MLM’s under scrutiny for things they try to claim as to try to sway attention away from them turning other businesses in…..
I have been at events that executive team was drunk and it was the VP of HR. from what I found out later on reputable that is a joke. Plus they have family members that work in the same department when it clearly states in employee handbook that they cannot. If you really dig deep you will find the as many people as they say they improved creating wealth and happiness you will find there are just as many the wrecked…….
I started using Isagenix in Jan. by the suggestion of a friend in the Medical field. I was skeptical b/c to tell you the truth, I’ve sworn off Direct Sales & am not interested in MLM. I did, however, trust this friend & her professional opinion of the system because she understood my struggles. While I did have some weight to lose, I was tired of body aches, being tired w/ total lack of energy & struggling terribly w/ sleep for over 2 years not to mention lots of stomach issues. I’m 49 but refuse to believe it’s just part of getting “old”! I’ve had numerous tests done thinking it must be my thyroid or possible Lymes Disease. All testing came back normal. After trying Isagenix, I not only have lost 20lbs (10 to go to reach my personal goal of 120lbs) but am sleeping like a baby, have unbelievable energy & the body aches are GONE!! No more moaning when I crawl out of bed in the morning.
I still DISLIKE the fact that Isagenix is a MLM Co & do feel the products could be sold for less if the commissions weren’t being paid but it is what it is & if I want to feel this good, then I’ll continue to use them. My grocery bill has drastically dropped as I was told it would but how can I put a price tag on good health. I listen to my body & my body tells me this is a good thing. I won’t argue w/ the above posts b/c I know little about nutrition but again, I listen to what my body tells me.
I’m still not interested in promoting the System as a business BUT I will continue to use it.
BTW…..I stumbled on this site by searching Purium vs Issgenix b/c someone suggested I look into Purium. Not sure I can wake to a green shake in the morning?? I so look forward to my Isagenix yummy Choc. Shake.
I’d also like to add that while I know eating healthy whole organic foods is best, it’s just not something I know enough about to do. Too many contradicting stories. I need something easy & quick & Isagenix fits the bill!
Bobbi – You’re saving money on groceries while spending money on shitty, unhealthy shakes. Good luck with that! You’d be much better off eating real food, focusing on fresh, unprocessed food. But you’d rather abuse your body. The weight will all come back when you stop drinking this crap.
If the people using their products like them and are happy with the results, how could it be a scam? If the person selling the products and the person buying the products are both benefiting in some way, who are you to say that this is a scam and is wrong?
Clyde – Use your common sense. If the pushers of these products are making false medical claims, and the products don’t do all these magical things, THAT’S A SCAM. The person buying the products is not benefiting!
There have been several people that ‘friended’ me on FB all within a few days. Once I started seeing the same pictures posted all within a few minutes of each other I stated looking a little further. They all post pictures of their private jets, expensive cars and trips all claiming that Isagenix gives them millions a year. Turns out these profiles are all created by the same man. (all the profiles are of good looking women). All I had to do was google the images and found they are pulled from the internet. THAT’S what I call a scam!
Bobby, have to respond yes but you are not doing anything special its just whey with some vitamins. So along with the rest best bet is to do to a nutritionist that will give you a better life style other than taking shakes every day…. really anyone will lose weight if you reduced the calories that you are taking in and increase your physical activity. Keep the extra money that you would be putting into other peoples pockets giving them the ability to buy those cars and trips and do something for you family……and yourself
One of the biggest problems I have had with Isagenix, is the lack of medical knowledge those selling it have…. I went on Isagenix after being told how fantastic it was…. I had a VIOLENT allergic reaction, esophagus burning, migraine so severe I almost went into the ER for… and the gal selling it kept telling me it was a “detox” symptom… after the next shake, esophagus burned again… she called someone “higher up,” and they kept telling me to slow down, not to take the accelerator, etc.etc…. One more time and I was done.. had to take benadryl, heartburn meds.. anything to stop the burning….. Now, I realize that my case is rare; however, unless these people are MD’s, nutritionists, or have clear access to doctors…. PLEASE don’t try to tell me others these are detox symptoms, when clearly they have no idea what is going on …The same thing happened to someone else about two months ago…..Scary…. When I wrote one negative comment about my experience with Isagenix on facebook, I was blocked and later told by a distributor, “Isagenix doesn’t want any negative comments posted about their products, so I had to delete it.” That sealed the deal for me, and I then began to see that it was about their reputation and MLM, rather than a person’s health…. I appreciate that so many are dropping pounds and feeling better, but seriously… we live in a free country, free speech.. you put your product out there, expect both negative and positive reviews……. FYI.. after seeing some of the ingredients in the isagenix shake…… one of them is ASPERIGILLIUS, which is a form of mold.. I am HIGHLY allergic to mold… and yes, there is fructose, which is the first ingredient…. I was told by my doctor, which is a functional medicine doctor that I trust… to be cautious of some of these types of products that help people detox and dump weight quickly… If they go off… it can be disastrous….It can throw your adrenals, thyroid glands into fatigue…….
Thanks for all of the comments. Yes, I too, firmly believe that Isagenix is a complete and total scam. Its marketing scam works because management convinces their sales agents that they are saving the world – yeah by selling expensive highly processed nutritional products (I don’t even want to use the word food) using questionable means and unscientific and undocumented claims.
I did an analysis of one of their shakes. It contains chromium at 80% of the daily maximum dosage. So two shakes a day, and one gets 1.6 times the daily recommended dose. Day in and day out. Molybdenum dosage would be 1.2 times the daily maximum dose. Vitamin B12 would be 4 times the dosage.
I also looked at the amino acid distribution. Firstly, since the mixture is completely and totally fabricated why not get the amino acid distribution to reflect the optimal profile of the essential amino acids for humans? Secondly, when one looks at the branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, valine) it is clear that one shake provides the required daily dose. Of course, convincing people that they need to consume two shakes a day works wonders in enhancing their profit margin.
What’s with all the vitamins?
So the Isagenix system includes 2 shakes, Supreme and Cleanse for Life per day!
Let’s look first at B6:
Supreme: 6 mg (300% of recommended dose) (so they’re calculating the recommended daily dose to be 2 mg).
Cleanse for Life: 8 mg per serving
Creamy French Vanilla shake: 1.2 mg x 2
Total dose from Isagenix products alone (not including any other food consumed) = 6+8+2.4=16.4 mg or a whopping 820% of the 2 mg recommended dose (applicable for men and women 19-50).
For men and women over the age of 51: this is 1260% of the recommended daily dose.
Now let’s look at B12:
Supreme: 120 mcg (2000%)
Cleanse for Life: 15 mcg (250%)
Creamy French Vanilla shake: 1.2 mcg x 2
Total dose of B12: 127.4 mcg, which in actuality is 5300% of the recommended daily dose (2.4 mcg for adult women NOT the 6 mcg used in Isagenix calculations).
More on vitamins….
So the person that buys the 30 day system and takes
Supreme (x1)
Cleanse for Life (x1, can take up to 2 according to Isagenix)
Creamy Dutch Choc Shake (x2)
Natural Accelerator (x1)
gets the following % RDA of vitamins (based on the RDA for adult women, source: WebMD)
B1 436%
B2 580%
Niacin (B3) 250%
B6 620%
Folic acid 235%
B12 6625%
This doesn’t include vitamins from any other food consumed. In addition, the following elements are consumed. The percentages of the RDA are from Isagenix and have not been confirmed (because masses are not given).
Breastfeeding women should not take more than 2.8 mcg of B12. The “system” I investigated would contain 159 mcg!!!!
Chromium 180%
Copper 100%
Zinc 123%
Iodine 80%
Manganese 120%
Molybdenum 120%
Selenium 80%
Magnesium 100%
Phosphate 50%
Again, these do not include metals consumed in one’s regular diet. Not many of these are necessary metals. However, it is unclear if one needs the doses provided by the Isagenix system.
Did any of you isagenix believers ever really look at the 1,000 ingredients in the Isalean Shake…. If it’s so nutritionally dense it should be a hell of a lot simpler than words you can’t pronounce… Compare it to a [different scammy MLM product] ingredient list, per say and you’ll see there’s absolutely NO nutritional comparison. Whole, natural, organic foods…the best way to lose it and keep it off…. As a health coach I like knowing what I’m putting in my body!
Jaime
I too was encouraged to try that Isagenix product. 1 of my siblings is heavily into the scheme. She suggested it to me, and I tried it for almost 5 days until I started experiencing negative side affects. A week later she asked me if I wanted go with her to an Isagenix event where I’d become an associate., but after I naive agreed she informed me at the last minute that she needed to submit my social security number to the reps in charge so they could make an isagenix account for me, and for their tax purposes too. She had everything planned for the trip. But I felt pressured/trapped about giving out my ss number. I also did research about the product and I was shocked when I found it was a scam. It makes no sense why suddenly the company wants my ss number and insists I buy another of their products just to be a seller. So I politely informed my sibling that I refused to just throw out my personal info when I knew the company wasn’t Real!
I have been looking for unbiased information about Isagenix and when I do and send it to the girl selling, she shoots it down claiming it’s all false, BUT yet can’t explain to me why I can’t find on the label that anything is organic and non gmo. Or that the whey is from grass fed cows in New Zealand. I found a whey product that puts that a label that their whey comes from grass feed cows, why can’t isagenix? And please no bs about getting their produce overseas and that’s why they can’t label. You know a company can’t claim they are organic or non gmo and it’s illegal to do so. I found only one item in their site that loosely states that they “try” to be non gmo what does that mean?
This is a disgusting scam. I wish there were repercussions for people making up nonsense about “toxins.” Medicine is complicated and anyone who can sum up health into simple analogies about “taking the trash out” does NOT understand medicine. It is not a conspiracy. It is science.
Hi guys, I just ordered a 30-day pack to try from Isagenix from a friend who recently decided to give this a go. It was partly to support her but partly because I could use some extra income and she said a friend of hers had been very successful at it (she explained the direct marketing structure). I’ve used shakes and supplements before, more for performance as I’m in decent (not stellar) shape. I’m not a salesperson and I cannot just go make claims because people say it is the case. So before I go running around saying it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, I will try it. I went on their website and all the cheerleading around their product and money is enough to make you puke. I am a more nuts-and-bolts type of person—just tell me the critical things I need to know, both good and bad. I don’t really care if a company makes a lot of money or a little money, so if Isagenix wants to sell the “wealth” thing then that’s fine. What was frustrating to me is that the Isagenix folks seem to find no downside with their product at all. Really? None? Not even something to be cautious about? I agree with a lot of the skeptics here with respect to the quantities of particular vitamins and minerals in supplements. And that goes for all the supplement brands out there. Honestly, who knows how that stuff interacts, what its effects are long term? And I’m sure it varies for each individual. Vitamin C is helpful during cold season, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to eat 37 oranges a day to “maximize” the benefit. I’ve poked around and sadly could not find any “research” that I felt was independent on the Isagenix products. That’s why I’m going to try it for myself. There are tons of products on the market and these seem very pricey. And my circle of people are not typically big spenders. Seeing as how I’m not the type to push or guilt them into doing something, I have to at least try it before I can make any sort of claims or encourage my friends to give it a shot. If it sucks then I’m going to bail out. I don’t have super high hopes, and I definitely don’t think any product is a cure-all. But if I try it for myself I can at least know what results can be expected. I have some knowledge of nutrition and will point out to people what I think is good and bad about it, should I decide it is worth passing along. It’s really disappointing how there are very few opinions out there that aren’t so strongly motivated one way or the other. Does anyone know of a company who provides independent analysis/research on health supplements and products?
Great article. A real eye-opener. Thanks.
We were approached by a rep/shill with isagenix product b in particular as an answer for our child’s Autism I was hesitant and work with medical professionals so asked what if anything they knew and the answer I received was simple and quick if there was a cure or some sort of beneficial treatment the Australian Government would be all over it. Our situation made us a target. This deliberate targeting of my child’s disability and extremely pushy rep/shill is shameful he wouldn’t take no for an answer offered all sorts of research and papers all performed by whom I believe to be the founder of Isagenix No independent research to back it up. I delayed months and every question was shot down with research and results. From cured cancer to regression completely from Autism to regrowth of cells etc etc…
To each their own on diet stupid choice but whatever
This business of offering people false hope shame on Isagenix you people disgust me!
Good health and weight loss there’s a tonne of healthy programs weight watchers or Jenny Craig, lite n easy etc. If you’re serious on the weight loss thing they all get results if you stick with them.
People aren’t stupid do your homework check with your Doctor don’t say yes to anything immediately. These people are lowlife scum chasing $$ and they don’t care how they get it. I am not interested in some BS response from an isagenix ahole.This happened Fact and yes I’m angry wouldn’t you be if someone targeted you through a disabled child.
They tried to tell me that this can repair your DNA and regrow dead nerves. They really laid it on thick but I refused to drink the Kool Aid. My friend is convinced they’re going to be the next Isagenix millionaire
I stopped taking your blog seriously after you used the phrase LEGAL SCAMS in the first paragraph. This is not professional unbiased writing. Not very intelligent either. “Legal scams” is a literal oxymoron. And the comments are a shame. People that make claims that things can be “cured” of anything are non-compliant and if the company knew about them they would be removed from the system. Network marketing is a legitimate business model that delivers legitimate results when practiced by ethical individuals. Unfortunately, every industry has their scumbags, EVERY INDUSTRY. I will tell you this…. The system works for me and my entire family. I share it enough to get my products paid for, and if I ever make more money then that wonderful, if not, whatever. I’m just happy to see good people getting results. And if you don’t like it you have a whole month to get your money back. I’m really sorry for the people on here that had to deal with pushy “friends”/isa associates that make claims they have no business making. I agree, its awful, illegal actually and the company tries very hard to educate their associates in regards to this and implores associates not to cross these lines. It leads people to call people like me scumbags – an outrageous generality but really hateful nonetheless. And finally the biased “emotional” tone of your article is irresponsible writing and only encourages these kinds of reactions. This is hardly the “expert perspective” blog you purport it to be. You Madam are the real fraud.
Christina – Thank you for participating here! Who said this blog was supposed to be unbiased? Who said this blog was an “expert perspective”? I’m not sure where you found an “emotional tone” in the article, as I have no emotion for MLM. Yes, there is such a thing as a legal scam. Things can be scams without being illegal. Thanks again for your comments!
And yes, people who promote MLMs are scumbags.
Just to try it, my wife and I started using the diet about a month and a half ago. I’m an IT guy, and my wife is a nurse. We are very busy and love that it’s a quick and easy meal in the mornings and lunch. During this last month or so I’ve lost 30lbs. I eat way less sugar and now I eat way less foods. I’m never hungry and I feel great. The cleanse days were rough at first, but now they’re fine. I don’t sell, and I’m not some advertisement person. Just a guy that is happy to share my success.
Yes Fred, if you eat only one meal a day, you’re going to lose weight. That’s called a starvation diet and it’s not good for you.
It’s interesting that all the weight loss magic pills and shakes all make the same claims. The latest is Thrive Le-vel. To listen to all the claims, it sounds like they’ve got the perfect pill to make you look and feel the best you ever have. These companies are all the same….they shut down one, only to slap on a new label and sell it again. Wish they would regulate supplements and what exactly is in them. Our dog and cat food is regulated better than our supplements.
Sherri – My favorite is when pushers of these products tell you that the same supplements can help you lose weight or gain weight, depending on which you need!
This is a very informative post I just found. The author lists the ingredients in the Isogenix products. http://www.ancestral-nutrition.com/an-unbiased-review-of-isagenix/
There appears to be several valuable nutrients in the products, however mixed with others that are questionable.
Tracy – just wondering what credentials you have to be giving such advice on any product or nutritional way of life? Also, why are you so angry about it? It’s as simple as, if you don’t like it, don’t use it. I just googled a little bit in reference to Isagenix and external study and found this link
http://anz.isafyi.com/download-our-new-isagenix-12-month-skidmore-study-flyer/
I downloaded the study and found it credible and very interesting. I like that they are at least putting some long term scientific research into the affects of their products. But I’m sure you will dismiss anything I have said because I don’t agree with your angry BS!
Also if everyone is saying that not eating for a couple of days is so bad, why is it that intermittent fasting has been around for thousands of years? What about the 5:2 diet? That doesn’t ‘sell’ anything but has been backed by many many health professionals all over the world and has had outstanding results. Food for thought!
Karina – I’ve done the research and come to conclusions. You are free to believe me or not, and you are also free to do your own research.
Do you find it a little coincidental that a study PAID FOR BY ISAGENIX came to the conclusion that Isagenix works???
No, I’m not angry. I’m not sure why people like you assume that, since I am against scams on consumers, I am therefore angry. There is nothing to be angry about other than my general dislike for lies. As you can imagine, I am used to pro-MLM people dismissing my writing as “angry.” Not true.
Also… you are aware that the bulk of this article was written by a doctor, and I have simply posted it with her permission in order to disseminate the information to my readers? What about that seems angry to you?
And yes, fasting has been done by many people over time. Companies like Isagenix don’t encourage brief fasting. They promote starvation diets which include very little food for days on end. There is a big difference.
As someone who has tried isagenix before (but stopped because it was way to expensive at the time) I was thinking about trying it again, Then I read the isa-rep saying vaccines cause autism and I realized I could never buy a product from people who believe that because they are obviously uninformed. Thank you for saving me hundreds.
My neighbour has been persistent for me to try Isagenix, but I am dubious about the products. I asked probing questions like,
“If the products are as beneficial as claimed, why aren’t they marketed through health-food stores or on-line in order to give all of humanity the benefit?” The reply is that the product provides people with the opportunity to create wealth. In my mind, those two purposes seem at odds. Which one is the real reason? The latter, I’m sure.
The reply then led to another probing question, “Is Isagenix in the business of making people healthy or making money?” I am still awaiting a reply.
Then I’m told that all modern food has chemicals and it is the liver putting fat around those chemicals that has caused me to gain weight……. and I always thought it was poor diet like eating too much sugary things that did it, a case of more calories in than being burned. Apparently I’m wrong, but there was no explanation forthcoming in reply to my comment that I managed to lose weight by exercising more and watching what I ate, especially cutting right back on sugary foods and sugar, otherwise making no dietary changes. I even managed to wear trousers again that I’d had to stop wearing because I got too big for them.
Then there was no reply to my question, “So if I change from (allegedly pesticide and chemical infused) fruit and vegetables to organic produce, isn’t that going to remove the alleged toxins from my body over time?”
No answer to my question whether there were any independent scientific studies to prove/validate the alleged benefits of the products and telomeres.
Purveyors of the Isagenix product are relying on the innate goodness of people not to want to cause offence by declining or refusing to sample or buy the product.
Aside from the bovine excreta of all the marketing hype, the cost is also a deterrent.
I’m going to give it a miss and save my money, continue to watch what I eat and continue to go for long walks (like an hour plus) on gently undulating terrain. There’s no need to do anything else.
So to all you fat people out there- no offence intended, I was once fat, too- this is all you need to do:
– eliminate sugary drinks from your diet;
– cut back on chocolate and/or lollies (candy to Americans), but don’t cut them out completely, just a treat-small!- every now and then because if you go cold turkey you’ll crave for it, weaken and over-indulge (yes, done that!);
– drink more water (from the tap is okay, why pay for it at the supermarket?);
– increase your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables, but whenever possible buy the produce from the greengrocer preferably to (supposedly) ‘fresh’ or frozen produce from the supermarket (I still have frozen vegetables at home as stand-by); and
– exercise gently, increasing the distance you walk as your fitness improves.
This all reminds me of when Scam-way came out. Oops… I mean Amway. My girlfriend (at the time) was selling that garbage and I remember her telling me, “Tim, I was thinking about you today and thought of something that can help you save money.” Proceeded to hand me samples (the old reciprocity sales tactic). Those scammers have everything thought up down to the “script” she read to me. Eventually I read and saw all of the junk about emerald island blah blah blah. Fast forward it’s the same hustle different product different people in same cases.
I recently had a couple of people friend me on FB and noticed their constant positive comments/postings and thought this person is not so bad but later I noticed indirect product pitching. Ah-ha! Thrive was the other product than this one. Just remember, “a fool and his money will soon part”.
If any of you suckers actually becomes a millionaire through this scam, let me know because I’ll then become interested in being an Isagenix distributor!
I am reading all these comments about Isagenix and iv been with the company for 6 months and still have not made any money.Listening to all the testimonies about people making so much amount of money in 2 weeks and I am still struggling on getting a team member to sign up because those i talked too don’t believe in it, and think its a scam. LOL. So I’m getting kind of skeptical now.
Derek – Those testimonies about income are often false. Sometimes they lie outright about how much they’ve made in commission. Usually the lie is in the information they don’t tell you… how much they spent to get the relatively small commission. Almost everyone loses money in MLM: http://www.pinktruth.com/mary-kay-facts/myth-of-mlm-income-opportunity-99-lose-money-in-mlm/
I just bought it..yes it is expensive…but now only read this article.. 🙁
Of course it’s a scam. I read all of the comments, and the shills were pretty easy to spot. I’m sure there are plenty of people who lost weight while using Isagenix… and limiting caloric intake, and exercising. What a shocker!
(Correlation is not causation.)
If you want to lose weight, eat less than you burn, full stop. Learn to cook and eat stuff you make yourself. Don’t waste your money on organic either, as if anything the anti-GMO movement is even scammier than Isagenix. Teach yourself enough biology and chemistry to understand why these are scams. And most of all, accept that successful weight loss takes time. It’s a long-term project; don’t rush it, or buy into shortcuts.
I represent another type of Isagenix victim – the discarded parent of an adult completely taken in by the cult. I was able to recognize immediately that Isagenix was a pyramid scheme, even before I researched their products. Multi-level marketing is just a euphemism for the slightly modified language of disreputable companies to avoid pyramid lawsuits, but the scam is the same. The promise of certain wealth and success for those who will spend hundreds per month and thousands per year of their dollars to attempt to reach those goals is supplemented by their psychological programming – videos, conference calls, meetings, etc. – the goal of which is to convince the unwitting marks that the company people who support them and encourage them are doing so out of the goodness of their hearts because they care about them. Anything less than the constant “Rah Rah” of the Isagenix con-artists, they are told, is evidence of non-support and a barrier to their success to be avoided. At first, the subject was avoided, then there was slight distancing, then, after 2 years of not jumping on the bandwagon (and, by the way, not giving my child my SS#), three months ago I was told in a text that I no longer had a place in my child’s life, or the lives of my grandchildren. The two years of walking on eggshells and hoping the cult would lose its grip on the child we raised are over. Now, nothing short of deprogramming will change things. Our family can not be the only one to suffer this fate. I wish I knew of a place to publish a detailed condemnation of how Isagenix, and other scammers, brainwashing of vulnerable people – all of the people that they hook are vulnerable to one degree or another else why would they fall for the “get rich quick” narrative – to reject and avoid those who don’t join them on the Ponzi train, even family. Make no mistake, everything about Isagenix “marketing training” is from the same playbook used by cult leaders. I wish there was a source for actual data of how much money was spent and lost by their victims who tried their program and failed. I also wish there was a support group for parents like us who lost beloved members of their family as the thrall of the scam engulfed a child they raised and loved dearly for decades. The grief is enormous, especially since it must be borne in silence.
Now they just call it cleanse greatest Scam keep away Don’t use the name isagenex anymore cause most people have woken up to them
One of my children takes lessons from a business pushing Isagenix as a way to increase fitness. I’m going to have to respond directly and if they push back, I’ll just provide the URL to this webpage. MLMs have always been around and will continue as long as we allow them. Kind of like cults are the price we pay for religious freedom. I think the more savvy MLMs are figuring out to jump to the next thing (as in the MD who started Isagenix) before serious analysis and critiques come out. But thanks to the Internet and angels (thank you Sequence Inc. and contributors) who will keep outing them, these snake oil salesmen will have to be faster than ever at duping unsuspecting clients. The simple fact is that “if it sounds to good to be true, it is.” And there will never be a replacement for the simple mantra from “In Defense of Food. Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much. “
If your so against it, why don’t you try it? I believe that’s the way to truly be non-basis is to search for evidence to prove your original belief wrong. I actually found tons of scientifically backed research when I investigated. Why don’t you try to argue for if and see what you find.
I’d also rather give my money to small
business owners than I would Wal-Mart just saying 😉
Also, in a MLM only people at the top gain wealth and in this business structure it doesn’t matter when you decide to join, you can make more money then some one 10 “levels” above you.
If you have not used the Isagenix Nutritional food.. then you simply do not know the benefits of eating clean food. You are very mis informed re: Isagenix. The foods we are getting from the grocery store now a days is killing us, causing illnesses, creating a bigger business for the pharmaceutical companies. Food for thought~ try Isagenix, you will love the way you feel!! Blessings
While I appreciate this blog, I really don’t need someone to tell me that Isagenix is a scam. If its Multi level marketing, i.e. pyramid scheme, ITS A SCAM! All MLM companies are scams.
Oh, and as far as being “angry” (yes, I’ve read the other posts), I am angry. I know several very close friends who’s lives have been ruined by Isagenix and other MLM snake oil. Would you be angry if your best friend completely alienated his family and threw his career away to peddle Isagenix crap? I sure hope you would care enough about your friend to be angry. What if someone’s wife alienated her husband and threw her family away to join the Isagenix cult? Is it ok for the husband to be angry about this? Would you have him choke down his anger and pretend like he’s not angry over losing his wife to a company like Isagenix?
Too many folks are afraid to admit that they are angry about something. Well, sometimes some piece of crap comes along that ruined people’s lives, like Isagenix, that justifies your anger. You don’t need to be angry at the world, but it’s ok to be angry at the drone-bots sent by Isagenix cult masters who corrupted a friend or a loved one. BE ANGRY!
My very sweet friend has been suckered in by Isagenix. I have always known that “cleansing” and “toxins” were lies and used to sell products, but she raves about Isa being a whole food and full of nutrition. She is a nice person, so I was willing to hear her out even though I hate MLMs. All I had to do was read the ingredients list on the shakes – who actually thinks this is healthy? I tried googling and very little comes up about the products that isn’t positive. My friend added me to some Isagenix support groups on Facebook and what I have seen in them frightens me. It is cultish. These people are unnaturally positive. They do not necessarily make health claims, but they “share their personal experiences,” which end up being health claims. New members come in asking questions like, “I am hypoglycemic. Should I cleanse?” People tell them to cleanse, anyway and not doing so would be worse for them. They tell people that they need to take this stuff while pregnant (um – taking too much vitamin A while pregnant is dangerous, even if it is beta carotene). They talk about how doctors just don’t know anything about nutrition. Really? And THEY do? None of these people are physicians or nutritionists, and their knowledge of human nutrition comes only from reading Isagenix propaganda. They talk about how the FDA is corrupt so the fact that it isn’t FDA approved is a good thing. Are you kidding me? I am genuinely concerned about people I know and love and it scares me how they are more willing to listen to these companies that are profiting handsomely from them, than they are to listen to friends, family… And doctors. I wish I knew what to do. Thank you for providing this article. I hope more people will read it.
The following is copied & pasted from a friend who admittedly HAS gotten great results. Out of curiosity I asked her how she’d lost so much weight. She emailed me the youtube clip of Greenlaw hawking his product, and a text which included this: “You will have more energy, sleep better, have optimal mental focus, lose the bloating, less stress & anxiety, better skin and hair… you name it! Some people use this for weight loss, some for weight gain, some just to tone, and some merely for more energy and better sleep. This is not 1 size fits all.”
So, wait a minute, it’ll help you lose weight, or gain it, or just tone, then you go on to say that ‘This is NOT one size fits all’? It certainly sounds like it.
My cousins started selling isagenix and slowly talked to us about it in the beginning. They were very well trusted members of our family so we listened to them when they told us the benefits of isagenix. I was 4 months postpartum from having my second kid and my husband is a coach and trainer. They told me the the shake I’d be drinking would be nutritional for me and the shake my husband was drinking would be drinking would help with weight loss, even though it was the same shake. So I start drinking it and the second day in my baby (who I was breastfeeding) started getting diarrhea. My cousin who sold this to me and has always answered and helped me with mom advice told me before I started that this was totally ok to drink while breastfeeding and lots of moms do it. Back to the diarrhea with my 4 month old, she tells me that my strictly breastfed baby has diarrhea because she’s probably never had that much nutrition. I couldn’t believe it! I think I tried the shake 2 more times and realized my cousin is full of BS but sadly by that time it had already taken a toll on my baby. She started breaking out with a rash on her face and got diagnosed with eczema. I never tried isagenix again and couldn’t eat any dairy for a year after that, while nursing my baby because it made her eczema flare up. She is 2 and still sensitive to dairy. I know I sound like a idiot for even trying it but that’s why I am angry with this scheme!! They were so trusted and totally took advantage and still take advantage of our other family and friends. It’s sick to see.
They have a young child who’s always been on the smaller side, they let him drink 2 shakes a day. The child’s dr said that the child is borderline underweight and very small. My cousin said that if he’s eating pizza and drinking nutritional shakes he’s getting the nutrition he needs, he’s just a small kid.
The Isacrap Millionaires are sure living the lifestyle of the rich and famous. Tim Darnell (66) finally paid off his little dump of a house in Texas. Even though he is bona fide Isagenix millionaire, he can’t pay the paltry property taxes on said little house yet again. And, Tim Darnell has claimed to be a millionaire mentor for years. Take the hint. 98% or more lose money and they are drowning in product that they are forced to take every month in order to stay on the pay plan. It is all a frost!