wafflesatnoon.com » Reviews » Seeking Reviews for Nopalea
Seeking Reviews for Nopalea
Nopalea has been a staple of late-night TV and online advertising for several months, so I decided it was time for me to try it myself and report back my finding to my readers. And because results may vary, I’m asking for reader reviews as well.
What is Nopalea?
Nopalea (by Trivita) is formed from the Nopal cactus (Opuntia ficus-indicia, typically called “prickly pear” for culinary uses) and is cited on its official website as containing nutrients which “have been proven to help the body reduce inflammation, which may help: Reduce pain due to inflammation, Improve joint health, Relieve swelling in muscles, Protect cellular health.” They claim to have sold over 5 million bottles.
Belatains
Most of the claims that Nopalea makes stems from studies about the Nopal cactus (Opuntia ficus-indicia). Those touting Nopalea point to belatains, which are rare phytochemicals supposedly only found in a few plants on earth. In reality, Belatains are actually contained in several common edible plants such as spinach and rhubarb, and the amount of these phytochemicals necessary to provide efficacy in Nopalea is either unknown or not stated.
Claims that phytochemicals can aid in reduction of inflammation are true. The special and rare nature of the availability of these phytochemticals seems exaggerated by the Nopalea advertising.
Red Flag #1
The first red flag I noticed on the website is that they don’t make it easy to just order a bottle. Instead, they want to offer you a free 32 ounce bottle of Nopalea. “Free” meaning you have to pay about $10 in “shipping and handling” charges. Nowhere is there mentioned a way to skip the “free” 32 ounce bottle. In fact, there isn’t a way to order it without calling their 800 number.
Red Flag #2
Nopalea is a darling of Multilevel Marketers. Any “health” food or supplement promoted in the MLM world is a big red flag to me, as I feel there is an agenda by its sellers to make money, whether it even works or not. (See my article on Wellness International for my first-hand MLM story on a health product).
Real Reviews?
As with most “health” products, unbiased reviews are hard to find. These products’ websites almost always contain cherry-picked or fake reviews. Other review sites such as Amazon are often flooded with fake reviews as well, leaving the true unbiased reviews drowning in a sea of BS. This often leaves such a product full of 5-star and 1-star reviews, with few in the middle.
My Experience
I tried Nopalea for a month. I found the taste to be pleasant, though I can’t say I noticed any significant changes from using it. It certainly did no harm. With a suggested 1 to 3 servings per day, Nopalea is simply too expensive for me to go through two bottles a month with little or no effect.
Competing Products
There are dozens of Nopal-based products to compete with Nopalea, most of them much less expensive (though I’ve seen at least one that is more expensive). It’s quite easy to find other products based on the Opuntia cactus, such as “Full Spectrum Nopal Cactus” from GNC, which costs about $15 for 120 1000-mg tablets. That’s considerably less expensive, and it’s in pill form. There are others on Amazon.com that sell for under $10. It’s also possible that simply eating prickly pear may provide the same health benefits as drinking the much more expensive Nopalea, which could be characterized as “cactus juice.”
Bottom Line
I certainly wouldn’t call Nopalea a scam. It is a valid product based on real research. It is, however, highly overpriced cactus juice in my opinion, and some of the claims in the advertising seem to be exaggerated. Finally, it is my personal preference to shy away from any product marketed by the MLM community.
I’d like to hear your reviews of Nopalea – good, bad, or neutral. I’ll do my best to filter out any obvious fake reviews to keep it as real as possible here.
So have you used Nopalea? What was your experience with it?
Related:
- Seeking Reviews for Realdose.com’s Weight Loss Formula No. 1
- Instaflex: An Advertising Review
- Raspberry Ketone: Miracle Pill or Scam?
- African Mango Scam: Don’t Believe It.
- Website & Product Reviews: WeeklyHealthTips.org, LeanBody Extreme, and Lipotrim
- Website Review: Peaklife.com
- Opuntia ficus-indica on Wikipedia
Filed under: Reviews
nope never used it but was hoping it really helped out with the pains.
oh well. thanks for the article.
Hi I have purchased Real Dose and I was very impressed not only did it suppress my appetite but also changed my mood I went from anxious to nearly normal in months. I don’t know about the ingredients too much but it has helped me socially with my mood being better also I listen Joseph clough hypnosis and I feel great. I was looking on line to purchase some more when I came across your article hope this helps.
What is real dose?
You can see more about it here.
This “Cactus Juice” is like “a God Send for me. I have Osteo-Arthritus and have been taking Tramadol (up to 12 or 13 tablets daily, and at least 4 Vicadan every day just to be able to walk and function but always in a fog). I was able to stop the Vicadan in less than a week and have taken my Tramadol down to 4 or 5 tablets in a 24 hour period. So say what you will, it definatly has worked for me.
I have taken Nopalea for 6 months and it is worth every cent I pay for it. I have chronic Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and COPD. Nopalea has given me better mobility and decreased my pain level. Much cheaper than immuno-suppressant drugs I took for years and safer, too. BTW, it is in the 2012 PDR. It works!
Nopalea is nice drink, I am using since 2 months.
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I’ve been using nopalea for about 6 months now. I was ready to give it up after two months but continued – just in case. Well it is working now. All my inflammation indicators have gone down and my pain level has rapidly decreased. I am extremely happy with the product.
can pets (dogs) take nopalea? because it contains grape extract and dogs cant have grapes.
I have found a lot of negative comments about Nopalea.
Nice to read an unbiased review.
I think at the end of the day we should all make our own decisions by trying the product. Who knows, it may really work for them
I began taking Nopalea about 1/12 years ago and really liked the taste and believed it would help my ailments. After a couple of months, I developed stomach problems, acute burning anytime I ate anything spicy or drank a soda or even ice tea. I went as far as having an endoscope which showed raw rash looking areas on my stomach lining. I still did not quit Nopalea, blaming it on other foods. I began removing items from my normal diet with no results. Finally I quit the juice, and no pain now for the last six weeks and have began eating normal once again with no adverse results. I can only guess that I must be allergic to something in the juice make up.
Thank you so much for your review on Nopalea. I have read some of the testimonials on your site and even wonder if THOSE were not planted by Nopalea distributors. Regardless of whether it works or not, you have enlightened me to the fact that there may be less expensive and equally effective alternatives on the market and I plan to do my research and find those as I do have joint inflammation that I’d like to deal with homeopathically. Again, thanks for taking the time to write your review – FINALLY a review that I can trust. All the others seemed just a little suspect!
Nopalea is a wellness drink that is marketed by the company TriVita, Inc.
Nice to see a legitimate review. Actually in researching this I found a second site that really researched it and basically said that it won’t harm you, the ingredients are good for you but their ads are missleading and there are NO human studies to back this products claims up. For example the daily dosage is 1 ounce on the label but farther down it lists the proprietary blend as containing 905 grams total – you can’t get 905 grams in a tablespoon – one ounce is 27 grams I think.
Seems that nopalea is a good product and the juice is perfect for our health.
I’m guessing you can find a competing product for less. I mean how much better can it be than other stuff out there?
I have been using Nopalea for close to two years now and It works! I cannnot hardly walk without it an I was desperate at the time I tried it. I highly recommend it. I had all over arthritis, paid in my heal, both knees hurt so bad I barely got around. I dont have to take meds for reflux anymore either. I can raise my arms over my head! Yea! I feel so much better now an I have even began riding a bike.
My wife and I have been using Nopalea for approximately 6 months. We both can tell a big difference in how we feel. I had arthritis in my shoulder and was ready to get surgery to hopefully help with the pain. Besides going to a Chiropractor, I have used Nopalea everyday. I can raise me arm (which I could not do 6 months ago) and the pain is almost nonexistent. My wife also has had pain in her shoulder for almost 6 years, but her pain was not as acute as mine. She has used the rotator reliever and Nopalea everyday. Her pain is also gone – we are believers! It does not have any side effects, and if you compare the cost to drugs, I would say that it’s a bargain. We do not work for the company nor do we have any ties with this company. Hope this helps someone who is wondering if it might help them decide to try it – we are so glad we did.