Vita Plus: A Layman’s Observations
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Photo by Jen
Several months ago, my friends were hyping up this herbal drink product called Vita Plus and how it can help you lose weight without compromising your health. I’m normally very skeptical about these so-called health drinks and their scientifically unverified claims, especially when there’s a multi-level marketing plan involved. What eventually convinced me was a photo of my friend Jen, who really did lose crazy amounts of weight after weeks of taking Vita Plus regularly.
Aside from the weight loss, I found out that the other desirable effects of Vita Plus includes increased energy and higher resistance to diseases. According to the manufacturers, Vita Plus can provide all these health benefits and more because of the five power herbs it contains: malunggay, sili leaves, saluyot, Pinoy spinach, and talbos ng kamote. Pound for pound, these herbs are said to contain vitamins and important minerals like potassium, magnesium, zinc, and calcium (see Jen’s blog entry for the complete list). The final selling point was the fact that Vita Plus does not taste like herbs at all; in fact, the four flavors of melon, dalandan, mango, and pineapple are said to taste exactly like the real fruit. So I when I read all of this in Jen’s blog, I was like, “OMG, a healthy herbal drink that does not taste like vegetables, that will help me lose weight, and that will give me the energy boost I desperately need in the morning? Why the hell not?!”
I bought two boxes, or 40 sachets of Vita Plus, for P700 per box (20 sachets). For a month and ten days, I took one sachet of Vita Plus first thing in the morning. Actually, today’s my second to the last day; the photo above is of the glass of Vita Plus I made about an hour ago. The first thing I noticed about Vita Plus is that the dalandan flavor really did taste like dalandan juice. More importantly, it gave me the energy boost that caffeine couldn’t. The entire time I was taking Vita Plus, I did not have to drink coffee to wake me up in the morning – and I am usually very grumpy, lethargic, and unable to work without my morning coffee. The effect of Vita Plus’s energy boost would last five or six hours – far longer than my morning cup of coffee, which would start to wear off by hour 2. I was very impressed by its energy-boosting capabilities, and would have taken Vita Plus twice a day if only it weren’t so expensive.
But this is where my raving ends. To be perfectly honest, I have a lot of doubts about the purported health benefits of Vita Plus – even the weight loss angle. I did exactly what was said for weight loss: drink a glass of Vita Plus 30 minutes before meals, in lukewarm water. The only thing I noticed was that smaller amounts of food would make me feel full and satisfied, but I don’t think I lost a significant amount of weight. Of course, it would be silly to think that a drink alone can make you drop ten pounds. Weight loss requires a total lifestyle change that includes exercise and a healthy diet, but only recently did I start exercising regularly and being conscious of what I eat. This might be why Vita Plus didn’t make me very skinny.
Also, I did get sick once during the Vita Plus period – the flu hit me out of nowhere. While I didn’t get a fever like I normally do, it may be because I overloaded on 1,000mg of ascorbic acid when I started feeling my throat getting itchy.
What really made me doubt the product was when I noticed the ingredients list several weeks ago. The photo above is the ingredients label from the back of the melon-flavored Vita Plus sachet I had this morning. I’m no expert, but I’d imagine that a product that actually contained malunggay, sili leaves, saluyot, Pinoy spinach, and talbos ng kamote would include ingredients like, “malunggay extract”, “sili leaves extract”, etc. Instead, all that’s there after the sugar and the flavoring is a vague “power herbs.” I know that Vita Plus is marketed to contain these so-called “power herbs”, but if the powder really does contain all these vegetables, why are they not listed in the ingredients label?
Finally, a quick look at the nutritional information shows that Vita Plus may not be as nutrient-packed as the claims. To the column on the right, you’ll see that its Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium, and Zinc content is nowhere close to fulfilling the RDA for these nutrients. And take note that the RDA is based on a 100g serving – a sachet is only 22g. If you look at the column on the left, you’ll also notice that there’s far more sugar, carbohydrates, and sodium than any of the healthier minerals.
These observations made me decide to discontinue using Vita Plus. I didn’t start taking the drink for its health benefits per se, but it’s a little disheartening to realize that the health claims do not exactly correspond to the nutritional information on the sachets. I actually wouldn’t mind taking Vita Plus regularly for the energy boost, but a box costs P700. Seven hundred pesos! That’s a lot of money just to wake up for 20 days.
Despite my review, I suggest you try out Vita Plus for yourself if you’re really curious, and draw your own conclusions from there. Vita Plus can’t be found in supermarkets, but you can ask Jen where to get them.
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Any food product that has to make health claims in order to sell itself is immediately suspect. Eat natural foods that are natuarally healthy and good. Then you’d have no need for nutritional “supplements”.
I’ve been meaning to post here some Vita Plus related concerns. But due to the fact that I’ve been working round the clock to bring in more income for me and our family especially at this time of calamity and crisis, I didn’t have the time to do so. Thanks to PinoyFood’s inquiries, I had the added motivation to work on this blog post.
Below are the answers to those questions related to what Vita Plus really contains and what Vita Plus really does. Please read on…
Read more and see photos at:
http://sexynomad.i.ph/blogs/sexynomad/2009/09/30/first-vita-plus-questions-answered/
.-= Jennifer Adams Juan´s last blog ..Indulge in the Uniquely Singapore experience =-.
Vita Plus is another Con artist Scheme that Uses Pyramid Type selling to entice sellers to part with P6000+ each.. The Actual Product is fake.. for Every 100g it contains 94g of Sugar.. that where the 400Calories comes from. there is also Dalandan or other Flavors added.. There are only tiny amounts of the 5 Herbs. which only give the Product 3% of your Recommended Daily needs of Vitamin C for every 100g – which is 4.5 sachets.
All the False Claims that are circulating around regarding this Product is actually costing many Filipinos their lives. Its so dangerous to be making outrageous claims that it cures diabetes, cancer arthritis etc.. when in fact Diabetics cannot use it due to its extremely high Sugar levels.
Other False claims are that it is valuable as a Vegetable substitute.. when in fact the Vegetable content is so small that it contains less than 1% of Vegetable Dietary Needs.
Another claim i have also heard is that Vita Plus does not contain Sugar but it contains Sucralose. that is not true. Vitaplus contains 94% Sugar from Sugarcane. Sucrolose is like Nutrasweet an artificial sweetner with no Calories. Vitaplus does not contain Artificial Sweetners, It has Natural Cane Sugar.
There are a Growing Number of Filipinos scammed into thinking this Product is beneficial and many become more sick by discarding their Prescribed Medicines. Surely sticking to a Healthy well Balanced Diet will Give you your Recommended Daily Amount of Vitamins and Minerals… Vita Plus will not give you These Necessary Vitamins or Minerals.
Vita Plus is another Con artist Scheme that Uses Pyramid Type selling to entice sellers to part with P6000+ each.. The Actual Product is fake.. for Every 100g it contains 94g of Sugar.. that where the 400Calories comes from. There is also Dalandan or other Flavors added.. There are only tiny amounts of the 5 Herbs Which only give the Product 3% of your Recommended Daily needs of Vitamin C for every 100g – which is 4.5 sachets.
All the False Claims that are circulating around regarding this Product is actually costing many Filipinos their lives. Its so dangerous to be making outrageous claims that it cures diabetes, cancer arthritis etc.. when in fact Diabetics cannot use it due to its extremely high Sugar levels.
Other False claims are that it is valuable as a Vegetable substitute.. when in fact the Vegetable content is so small that it contains less than 1% of Vegetable Dietary Needs. Another claim i have also heard is that Vita Plus does not contain Sugar but it contains Sucralose. that is not true. Vitaplus contains 94% Sugar from Sugarcane. Sucrolose is like Nutrasweet an artificial sweetner with no Calories. Vitaplus does not contain Artificial Sweetners, It has Natural Cane Sugar.
There are a Growing Number of Filipinos scammed into thinking this Product is beneficial and many become more sick by discarding their Prescribed Medicines. Surely sticking to a Healthy well Balanced Diet will Give you your Recommended Daily Amount of Vitamins and Minerals… Vita Plus will not give you These Necessary Vitamins or Minerals.
Detractors? No wonder that’s expected. Famous ehhh. heheheh!
I’m a recipient of this tremendous health product ( FIRST VITA PLUS)And not just me. I have helped several people with health problems,eg. Sinusitis, Breast Cancer, Myoma, High Blood pressure, Patient with liver failure. This people can testify how Vita Plus save their lives, changes their lives- Physically and financially.
I can give their full names with medical records to those who have doubts.
And to you, Vita Plus detractors…….Sorry !
VITA PLUS IS NOT A SCAM. It’s networking indeed. Not Pyramiding. You know the difference ?
take a glass of water and put 20g of sugar. it would probably give you the same effect
awwh. i relly miss drinking this. Me and my mom drinks this every night and morning. But we ddnt know that there are lots of flavors to choose from. I really wanna taste the melon favor. Can some one tell me where to buy this?
I suggest do your research first and ask people who have drink vita plus before you comment!
No it won’t give the same effect because vitaplus has 5 power herbs and it was formulated by a medical doctor!
Vita Plus is real i can testify since it help me alot and giving good health please try it first tyaka kayo magsalita bka naman kasi salita kayo ng salita sandali nyo lng pala ginamit ako hindi member ng vitaplus at hndi rin ako nagbebenta bumibili lang at so far magaling sya sa health i quit smoking its helps me alot during period of widrawal stage and energy boost.wag na kayo makipagtalo if ayaw ng ibang tao dun sa mga satisfied buyers ituloy nyo nalang paginum sa hndi naman believer ok lang yun may kanya kanya tayong opinion
nothing to say good things ,pls. stop it gusto mong uminom ng tubig na may asukal kaw nalang tignan ko itsura mo habang iniinom mo..
same thoughts with the author. right after i got hold of the product (which i bought for 770.00), i immediately looked at the nutritional information. and yes, hindi ako satisfied sa nabasa ko. mas marami pa atang nutrition ang isang sachet ng commercial juice, mas mura pa. yes, there are “power herbs” residuals pero the amount is too small, mas mabuti pang kumain ka ng gulay araw-araw. for those who are taking first vitaplus and had seen positive results, good for you. for me, baka placebo effect na lang iyon. this is my opinion lang po after i tried first vita plus juice.
94% sugar for every 100gms, true pero yong remaining 6% yon ang nagpapagaling sa mga may sakit. Hindi naman nasusukat ang phytochemicals and anti oxidants ng per gram. Kahit kasing liit lang ng ballpoint basta potent makakagaling. Yong commercial juice walang enzymes, ang vitaplus maraming plant based enzymes dahil cold processed. For additional information on enzymes read this book, Enzymes: The Fountain of Life by K. Miehlke, R. M. Williams and D. A. Lopez. You may also check amazon for other books on enzymes.
if a person especially those who belong in the lower level has a 40 pesos in his pocket tend to buy 1kl of rice for his family and after explaining what the FVP can do our health, what he gonna do, what he gonna chose to buy? 1 kl of rice or 1 sachet of FVP?
Isa din po akong dealer ng vitaplus. I started lang this september kaya until now Im still searching for some proof na magaling ang vita-plus. Naka-inom na ako ng several sachets since last week and I think ok naman sya. Yung nagsabi na nagka-flu sya dahil sa pag-inom ng vita-plus, I think hindi naman din sinabi ng vita-plus na hindi hindi ka na magkakasakit pag-uminom ka nito. Its just like taking your regular vitamins in a “TASTY WAY” lang. Actually nakalagay pa nga sa mga boxes and sachets nila na ” no therapeutic claims ” yung product, so bakit tayo magrerely sa product na mapagaling ang sakit natin. Pag uminom ka ng vita-plus, same situation din yun kapag nagpagamot ka sa “faith healer”, kung wala kang faith hindi ka din gagaling. And I think same din kahit magpagamot ka sa totoong doctor, kung hindi mo papaniwalaan ang sinasabi ng doctor mo I guess hindi ka din talaga gagaling. Naging ugali na talaga ng Filipino ang pakialaman ang mabuting ginagawa ng ibang tao. So much better siguro dun sa mga taong naninira dun sa product, pakialaman nyo na lang ang buhay nyo at wag na yung sa mga taong naghahanapbuhay ng marangal. Salamat!
Kakabili ko lang ng FVT ngayon nung tiningnan ko ang label napaisip din ako bakit yun lang ang nakalagay sa ingredients kaya nag-search ako dito sa internet tapos nakita ko nga ‘tong post mo.
Di ko pa alam kung effective ba, pero sobrang tamis niya ah…nag-aalala tuloy ako baka lalo akong tumaba..
Lol, bakit pala kayo nagagalit? Sinasabi lang niya ang opinion niya at kung anong nangyari sa kanya nung uminom sya ng Vita Plus karapatan naman nya yun tutal bumili sya gusto din niyang malaman ng iba,
i started taking vitaplus for a week now. My goal reaaly is to loose weight. But instead i’m gaining. Ano ba naman toh. Matamis sya masyado.