Nopalea: Magic desert juice or clever marketing?
It was just a matter of time before Nopalea (pronounced “NO-pay-lee-uh” fancy name for prickly pear cactus), would be unveiled as the world’s next super ingredient in the world of Multi-Level-Marketing…
It will cure… well, according to their marketing materials… just about anything. The mechanism is by cooling off our inflammation, hey who doesn’t want that?
Is Nopalea this century’s greatest health discovery or just another magical waste of your money? Let’s sniff it out!
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The Claims |
The Real Deal |
| Betalains in prickly pear figs (nopalea) have the ability to reduce inflammation and thus improve health. | While betalains are beneficial (they inhibit a pro-inflammation enzyme called cyclooxygenase enzymes), it is unlikely that the proprietary blend has enough of these guys to reduce chronic inflammation. More on this below… |
| Betalains are rare phytochemicals found in only a few plants… ergo, we are all running around deficient of this “vital” nutrient… |
Betalains are found in the following plants: - Red & yellow beets So, maybe these aren’t all on a typical Western diet (but they could be)… I’m just sayin’… they ain’t exactly rare! |
| Each serving contains over 900 grams of their magnificent proprietary blend… | 900 GRAMS??? In 1 ounce (2 Tablespoons)? An ounce of water weighs approximately 29 grams… Is this a typo, a lie or does this hound dog need a refresher course on measurements???? I’ve emailed them… we’ll find out. |
| Great opportunity to make money… | Can you say MLM? Yup… multi-level marketing! |
Is Nopalea Something Special?
Listen, I’m not doggin’ this company completely. I mean, they are partially correct about phytochemicals having anti-inflammatory properties… they also have antioxidant properties and hundreds of other beneficial health boosters.
BUT, they are contained naturally in all plants and really, a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains is what you need. You can’t focus in on one phytochemical because they ALL work together to optimize health.
As mentioned above, I have to figure out how they got over 900 grams crammed into 2 tablespoons… this HAS to be a misprint. More importantly, because it is a proprietary blend… we have no way of knowing how much cactus is in this stuff!
Bottom line… Their proprietary blend does look healthy, BUT, it just isn’t enough to change your life the way they make it sound.
Expensive Juice…
At around $49 a bottle (32 servings) and a recommended 1-3 servings a day… this could cost you well over $100 a month. Unless of course you join the MLM and bug your friends and family to get into your… “Downline”…
Sorry, I don’t have any magic juice… just something REAL (and free) that actually works…
If you really want to find better health, prevent aging and lose weight, you don’t need an expensive supplement. No supplement in the world can counteract an unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle or stress!
I have a 100% free report I’ve put together that teaches you several proven methods to lose weight and find better health. Your choice… expensive juice and the chance to be the next “MLM mill-ion-aire” (said like the dude in Slumdog Millionaire)… or a simple, free report that can point you down the REAL path to better health… (cue for you to click below…)
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I found the product in pill form cheaper and ordered for my husband and myself, he has had great results in a matter of days, I have not but only have been taking it a few weeks and even online they say to take it for at least a month at anyrate we try to eat healthy and try to be sensible with our monry there are places that sell the same product much cheaper it is just in pill form not in the liquid which is so expensive.
Hi, I was just looking into a product I seen on an ifomercial last night called Nopalea and have stumbled upon this blog site. WOW, I didn’t realize how many people were out there in as much or more pain than me from similar conditions as me.
I have Fibromyalgia, Osteo Arthritis, Hashimotos Thyroiditis, Gout, Atrial Fibulation and also suffer mainly on my arms from what has been diagnosed after having biopsies, Ulcers of an Unspecified Origin. The Othopedic surgeon has said I need a knee replacement on my right knee and the left on is just about needing replacement. However, due to my weight and poor circlualtion in my lower limbs I am not a good candidate for the surgery.
I have tried everything, everytime I see something new advertised I try it if I can rake up the money as I have been so desperate for relief.
I have been dieting for over six months and haven’t been able to loose any weigh and find that due to fluid retention I tend to put weight on now and again and have to increase the fluid tablets. At the present time I am no longer allowed to take Anti-Inflammitory Meds due to allergies, so my only way of dealing with the pain is pretty heavy Pain Meds constantly. I am so sick of having to take these drugs all the time and suffer doubts of depression where I wonder is it all worth what I’m going through.. Then I think of my sister and my 2 children and their partners and my 11 grandchildren and know that I couldn’t give up because of them and how devistated they would be if I didn’t keep trying.
My sister has been a wonderful support in that she has spent about a month or more researching foods and their benefical qualities with regards to my conditions and has written up a menu plan for a 3 week period, each day I have a couple of choices for each meal and she has also written recipes for whole food type meals.
So now I eat only all natural foods, nothing processed and I have been doing this religiously now for just over 2 weeks and have lost my 1st, 3.7 kilos in that fortnight. So far the pain hasn’t really eased off although some days are better than others. I can hardly walk around my unit and when I do have to go shopping I can barely finish it and have to have my sister and her friend help me with the balance and going through the checkouts as I can’t continue to stand. The next day I am in agony just from having to do a little shopping. so these days I rarely go anywhere unless one of my kids come up for the day or the weekend. They live about an hour away.
I have also been drinking ECHO water for the last 2 months and hope that that will help with the acidity levels in my body as it is suppose to balance your PH levels which could be the cause of some of the inflammation.
All or most of my meals include things such as Tumeric Powder, Fresh Garlic & Ginger, Chilli Powder, along with many other herbs and spices with all Fresh Fruit and Veg and only a little red meat, mainly chicken and fish with some eggs. So now we wait and see how it all goes. I will come back to this site an a month and post results I’ve had so far.
Christine
I’ve been taking Nopalea 3 oz 2 X day for 3 weeks. It might assist in helping aches and pains, but I cannot be certain. These products in a certain % of cases work like a placebo. If a person believes they are helpful, the person will feel better as a matter of psychology. The Tri-Vita brand tastes good; so I like it from that stand point. It’s like drinking very expensive orange juice. James
my 13 year old son has been diagnosed with arthritis – it is now in more than 1 joint and the dr. wants to put him on a low dose of methotrexate (type of chemotherapy) of course we really don’t want to do this but the other medicine they reccommended sounded worse, if you can believe that. This medicine will prevent joint damage as well as help with pain and inflammation. I asked about natural remedies and all I was told was that fish oil would help a little but he still needed the medicine. Any thoughts out there. He is starting the meds. tonight.
Try a combination of massage and chiropractic. I have RA and have seen improvement with regular visits.
“A sucker is born every minute.”
This type of thing has been going on for all of recorded history.
Wake up and smell the coffee!
Does anyone know anything about the juice blender diet as seen on tv, sold by the guy who has MS?
I’ve had MS for over 30 years. Am in a lot of pain. I need help with knowing what foods to eat, or juices to drink, natural ways to alleviate my pain (no MLMs please, been there, done that!). I’m tired of drugs with negative side effects.
I suffered from a horrible rash on my legs for years and the drs couldn’t diagnosis it and nothing worked and i would scratch my legs til they bled and i would see the nopalea commercials but it was so expensive. finally i was so desperate i tried it. i don’t know when it actually occurred but sometime after the second bottle my legs completely cleared up. i am so thankful i tried it.
I had breakfast with a friend the other day whom has multiple physical problems stemming from several different accidents – and who looked so fantastic, eyes were brighter and dark circles gone, skin was clear & color great, and ease of movement increased … She told me that she had started taking Nopalea a month ago and she is now able to get out of bed in the mornings she is no longer stiff and sore and her mobility has improved and keeps improving. She said the first several days she was detoxing she was a little off kilter since then she improves daily – she does not sell it – her dramatic improvement showed all over her face …. I came upon this site while looking for other reviews … I do not believe it is a cure all but a maintenance need product … I have had multiple physical issues and have decided to remove myself from the medical treadmill of constantly going to the Dr. to try and find solutions and only getting a handful of prescriptions or sent for surgery (which most likely were not necessary but has become standard practice in Corporate medicine – hysterectomy is one example) I now recognize that it is up to me to hop off the medical tread mill of prescription drugs, constant lab test, and unnecessary surgeries – which is expensive even with insurance (this does not mean that there are cases when one needs a physician) I have joint pain and other issues – and as my friend, who has no monetary advantage has recommend it – it will be worth trying to see if it works for me – at this point I have had to many down days due to pain to not try it – if it does work then I will quit buying it – one does not have to “sell” the product – that is an option!
I have severe Psoriated arthritis and terrible Psoriases on my face…I was wondering if anyone knows a natural remedy to use…I have treid medication from my Rhumatologist, but it caused my liver to flare and blood work to out of control – so I had to get off the medications…any advice, thanks
I have been looking at this product and researching for several months now. Overall I think it has helped more than not from everything I have found so far. I too am VERY leary due to the cost of this product. 1 bottle for $50? And with the recommendation of taking 3-6 oz the first 30 days, well that would cost well over $100 for sure just to try it and that is where they make their money whether it works or not. They should have dropped the price down for the first time buyers at least to give them an opportunity to see if it works for them or not so they wouldn’t be out of MORE money than what they have already spent on their medical care.
My husband has pain and COPD along with allergy issues and could use this along with my chronic pain that I have been dealing with for 8 years and high stress at work. So I think I am going to give this a try and see what happens for at least 30 days. If it gives one of us a small amount of relief it would be worth something hopefully. Keeping my fingers crossed. Once we get it tried I will update this just to let everyone know what we found with us trying it out.
I meant to add on this also:
The shipping is also very outrageous, $11 to ship 1 bottle? This is another reason people don’t want to buy on-line as much, who can afford the shipping cost when the product is already expensive?
Sounds like phoney baloney, which is even worse than real baloney, which is pretty bad.
for my family Nopalea has been a Godsend. My husband had plantar fasciitis 3 years ago and tried pretty much everything. He decided to try the product to see if it would work and felt he had nothing to lose. He used 6 oz. a day for 6 -8 weeks. The pain is gone and hasn’t returned. He takes 2 oz. a day as a maintenance dose. The one side effect he had was a major improvement in his vision to the point he had to get new glasses. Our grandson has been helped too. He has asthma and with several products from TriVita he is off his puffer and enjoying a better quality of life. Nopalea does not cure or heal it simply allows the body to detoxify and be in a better state of health. It would appear that some of the people writing comments are not familiar with or seen the results that we have seen in our family.
To Margaret and the other endorsers on this site: Are you all now distributors for this product? I suspect that many, if not all, of you ARE distributors which immediately nullifies your posts due to the conflict of interest.
It has worked for me. Pain gone in legs and feet after about 3 weeks of using. It is very expensive for the amount you get but with my pain and discomfort gone I will continue using for now. I may explore how to cook and eat the nopalea cactus and see if that works as well. According to the blog below it is certainly a great deal less expensive.
My mom has taken Nopalea for about a year, for peripheral neuropathy (numbness/tingling in extremities) and psoriasis, with good results. I’ve been taking it for about 3 months for my IBS, environmental allergies and neck/back pain. I used to take OTC ibuprofren, on an almost a daily basis, for my neck/back pain. Within a few days, Nopalea took away my daily aches/pains, where I maybe need ibuprofen once or twice a month now, and even then, not as many tablets. I also take a prescription allergy medication daily, but even when that doesn’t stop really bad allergy attacks, Nopalea stops the attack completely within minutes of taking it, which even Vitamin C doesn’t do as well for me. I have also struggled with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) for years, plus acid reflux, and it has taken away my related stomach cramps, bloating, and chest pain. I also noticed it has completely cleared my eczema, which I’ve had since a child. I was also able to quit drinking coffee, which was a daily necessity for me, within days of starting Nopalea, with no cravings whatsoever. It does generally make you feel more energetic and healthier with no stimulants. If I hadn’t tried it myself and had known of my mom’s success with it beforehand, I wouldn’t have believed it either. For me, I’d rather spend the money, on something that helps so many of my overall conditions and makes me feel great, then spend that same amount of money on buying coffee a few times a week or on going out to eat a few times a month or spending money on OTC medications or supplements that don’t work as well for me.
Hi. I agree with all what Henry says about Trivita-Nopalea. I stupidly fell for this MLM a while ago, when an acquaintance told me about the uniqueness of Nopalea’s betalains and how it cleared up her psoriasis etc. etc. I tried it myself and honestly I didn’t notice anything. I sold it to some neighbors who had arthritis, bursitis and rheumatism and they told me that they didn’t notice any positive change so… you know the rest of the idea.
Regards,
Ana.
Thanks for that honest opinion, Ana! I appreciate it.
Does anyone know anything about chronic knee pain that isn’t arthritis. I can’t bend down or sit on my heels because of pain in my knees and maybe my upper thighs.
I would strongly suggest you see a doctor.
As a ortho/neuro RN, it sounds to me as if you may have chrondromalacia (but definitely check with a ortho doctor – the following info is from the Mayo website, hope this helps):
The cartilage under your kneecap (patella) is a natural shock absorber. Overuse, injury or other factors may lead to a condition known as chondromalacia patella — a general term indicating damage to the cartilage under your kneecap. A more accurate term for chondromalacia patella is patellofemoral pain syndrome.
The most common symptom is knee pain that increases when you walk up or down stairs. Simple treatments — such as rest and ice — often help, but sometimes physical therapy or even surgery is needed to ease patellofemoral pain.
I’ve had the same problem off and on for the past 5 years. I had a hunch it was because my body was too acidic. I started drinking organic green veggie juice (with a garlic clove and half a whole lemon thrown in) on a daily basis and I am feeling w-a-a-a-y better. I make a large batch in my blender in the a.m., take half to drink during my lunch break and kept the other half in the fridge to drink with my dinner in the evening. I consider these drinks my “salad” with my meals. Your body can heal itself, but you need to give it the proper ingredients to work with.
Garlic is also an anti-inflammatory.
Yes, it is. Thanks for pointing that out! Good tip.
Well, I can say this – I’ve been drinking Nopalea for 2 1/2 years and it is the only thing that has relieve my pain in a natural way. I know that Systemic Enzymes work very well too, but they cost more than Nopalea. For pain, this has been such a relief and has improved the quality of my life. My allergies are under control while I am on Nopalea and I just feel great. When I stop, my allergies will flare up when things are at their peak. After a while, I was able to reduce my daily intake to about 2oz a day. A box of 4 is $114 and I think that is not too much to pay to no longer have pain. All of us can find areas to cut back on, if we truly want to feel better and be healthier.
Thanks to TriVita for wonderful products, wonderful customer service and for STANDING BEHIND their products and mission to bring wellness to the world.
I have been reading all the reviews and claims about this product and watched the presentation on television. I am completely blown away by this! If this was genuinely a ‘cure-all’, wouldn’t doctors be pushing it to promote the wellness of their patients? I can only say that if I discovered something that would heal or relieve pain, I would do my best to get it to the public at minimal cost to them and not promote a multi-level-marketing scheme for getting wealthy off of someone’s infirmities and desperation for a cure. Thank God Jonas Salk didn’t hold out until he established a way to get rich from his knowledge!!!! Isn’t MLM like the illegal Pyramid? I cannot afford $50 a bottle x 4 a month x 2 adults. Do the math!!! If it were a Rx, at least insurance would help defray the costs. BUYER BEWARE!!!!! BE SMART, NOT DESPERATE!
Of course doctor’s are not going to promote this product, because if it truly does work then people won’t need to go to the doctor as often and then they (the docs) will nlose money. That ain’t gonna happen. I just placed my first order of Nopalea, and can’t wait to try it.
doctors get kick backs from the pharmaceutical companies. hello. with worse side affects.
I am going to whole food tonight to buy nopal prickly pear tablets and the beetroot capsules. I will let you all know after about 1 to 2 weeks….i have a swollen knee every since November of last year and no Doctor has been able to give me a medical diagnosis.
So I will let you all know What happens. By the way the capusles are very reasonable.
Thanks
STEPHANIE, HOW DID YOUR EXPERIMENT WORK OUT? DID YOU GO TO WHOLE FOODS FOR THE PRICKLY PEAR AND BEETROOT CAPS? DID IT WORK. MY MOM SWEARS BY NOPALEA BUT IM HOPING FIR A MORE RESONALBE WAY TO HELP HER GET THE SAME WITHOUT THE HIGH COST??? ANY ADVICE THANX LESLEY
I order 2 bottles of Nopalea every month for my daughter, she has Cystic fibrosis and she seems to do better when taking Nopalea.
In 2009 I had some really bad jaw pain that went on for one month. The inside of my jaw was swollen and I would struggle to eat a sandwich at lunch time due to the pain. The pain started right after Halloween when I ate too much left over Halloween candy, the pain continued for approx. 1 month until taking Nopalea.
I used some of the Nopalea I was buying for my daughter.
Yes, I should have seen a Doctor sooner.
After taking about 3-6 ounces of Nopalea twice a day, the pain and the inflammation went away in only 3 days. This is just my story for what it’s worth. The pain never returned.
In my opinion Nopalea tastes great and my daughter thinks so also. Nopalea has a 60 day money back guarantee.
Thanks Nopalea!
For someone like me who suffers from chronic pain I know every time one of these so called miracle cures popup I listen as I am always looking for an alternative to being addicted to pain pillls,I saw part of the infomercial last night at the end of a dale earnhardt recording but only saw a minute of it,but it was making some pretty strong claims. I am always wishing for a miracle cure so I could get back to my normal life that I miss ,so naturally I become easy prey when it comes to shelling out 50 bucks for a bottle of something that may or may not work ,I am intrigued by your post and was wondering if you could keep us up to date on your daughters progress using nopalea.I really hope it works for her
One of the newest “miracle” products being sold by MLM is Laminine. Do you know anything about this product?
My husband has been suffering terrible pain for the last 6 years after
having Schingles on his chest and partialy on his back.
We have tried anything anyone has suggested and so far
no relief. He refuses to take pain pills.
Any suggestions….
Dear Ada,
I’m Don Vanderburg. I’m 62 years old and got shingles when I was 34. As a lifelong multi athlete with impeccable health who never got sick, this came as a shock to me. Thankfully, my Dad was a highly respected Nueropsychiatrist who also had shingles. Some background on him. He’s a certified genius. Attended Rice University when he was 16, and did his internship at John Sealy Hospital in Galveston Texas at the request of the leading Pneuropsychiatrist at the time. When Jack Ruby shot Oswald, they called my father to evaluate him and administer an EEG. He founded and built the Beaumont Neurological Center and was know as one of the most preimminent diagnosticians throughout his career. This has nothing to do with shingles, but I just wanted to add a little credibility to my testimony. the left side of my face swelled up so badly you could not see my neck or distinguish any features. My Father said if a couple more days went by I would have been blind. Long story short, there is a completely natural, safe, inexpensive and extremely efffective remedy for this aliment. He told me he learned this from a very old doctor friend of his and said, Quote “No one in medicine knows this….but I’m lucky to know this guy.” Solution: take 2000 mg of L-Lysine (a natural essential Amino Acid wth NO side effects) every 8 hours. Shingkes is caused by the chicken pox virus, that, even though we may have been vaccinated -as I was – and had the disease only once, the virus lies dormant in the basal ganglia of the brain for the rest of your life. Under stress generally, this virus “wakes up” and begins to do its dirty work. The great news is, if you saturate your system with Lysine, it creates an environment in which the virus cannot survive or thrive…this is a fact.WORKS EVERY TIME. COMPLETELY. I’ve had a few flare-ups over the years, but as SOON as I recognize the early painful/sensitivity symptoms I pound down the Lysine and within a couple of days itsubsides and I’m back to normal. It CANNOT hurt you. It’s cheap, accesible at any vitamin or grcery store. Keep taking it until
all the symptoms go away. I take 2000 mg of Lysine daly anyway now because it’s good for us. Mine occurs in the right side of my head/scalp/eye area. My Dad’s was around the midsection of his sides and back. Feel free to email me. God Bless.
THANKS FOR THE INFO MY MOM KEEPS BEGGING ME TO USE LYSINE FOR COLD SORE AND I REFUSE BUT I WONT ANYMORE AFTER READING YOUR POST
I used to have frequent bouts of tiny sore bumps on my tongue. A pharmacist recommended lysine, and it works beautifully! As soon as I feel the tingling on my tongue, I take one. It’s gone the next day. I didn’t know I could take it daily. I’ll start doing that. Thanks for the information.
I would like more information on Lysine. Will this work on Fibromalagia pain? My wife has Fibromalagia and to watch her suffer in pain makes me want to try these advertised products but from previous experience if it is to good to be true, it usally is. Thanks
Dear Don,
I sincerely appreciate your post.
Last week my 83 year-old Aunt was diagnosed with shingles, eye & scalp area.
Thank you, Minda
I too just saw this infomercial last night. My wife suffers with chronic pain and since 1994 after a spinal surgery, no doctor to this day can pin point what is really going on. We did recently find in a CT scan a virus that attacked her SI joint and lower lumber area of her spine. We did the Steroid shot in each but to no avail. We watch this infomercial together.. of course she’s like, I want it, but my experience told me otherwise. This site proves my thought.
As a chef, I cook healthy. We use anti-inflamatory foods, no night shade vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. Yet in the infomercial there was Cheryl Tieggs talking about her long path to finding anti-inflamatory health, while she stood at a kitchen workboard with peppers! That was my single to know this was not what they said. Thank you everyone for the words of wisdom here. What I know is that the best thing is laughter along with healthy foods. Omega 3 supplements especially from Nordic Naturals. We found out the Cedar Sinai here in LA did a study naming this brand the best. Because the extract the oil from younger sardines and anchovies due to the fact that they had less time to increase the bad stuff. The older the fish the more likely the less potency. Makes sense to me. Otherwise, I look forward to this Report Download. I hope my sharing her will help others as well.. .thanks for including me.
Ken
Look for a NUCCA chiropractor. This style of chiropractics works by realigning the C1 vertebra, to allow full exchange of information through the brain stem. This allows the body to heal itself and repair the mysterious aches and pains that medical doctors can not explain or find. You`ll be amazed at what it can help with.
Wayne
I watch Doctor Oz show on a daily basis. Even he has recommended a prickly pear supplement for inflamation. He generally researches all the supplements he endorses/shares with us as viewers, but always says consult your doctor first if you have chronic conditions and are on medications. I recommend that everyone check out his show. He shares some of the best alternitives supplements and foods to use for chronic conditions. Supplementing does NOT mean stop taking your medications. It just means there are alternatives for extra support in some conditions such as, inflamation, diabetes, heart health, chronic fatigue, etc…ALWAYS, check with your doctor before supplementing to make sure there will be no ill reactions. Hope this helps.