The numbers presented in the infomercial simply don't add up. The
vitamin itself retails for $39.95 plus $8.65 for a 30-day supply.
Twenty purchases would add up to about $900. Can Lapre afford to pay
out $1,000 for the privilege of collecting $900 (much of which must
cover his expenses)? Is he banking on most people making fewer sales
that would enable him to collect more money that he would pay in
commissions? Is he planning not to pay? Does he expect to collect many
other charges (for Web sites, servicing accounts, etc) as he has done
with previous promotions? Or is he counting on all of these factors?
Moreover,
is it realistic for distributors to expect to make many sales? An
Internet search on February 8, 2004, "Greatest Vitamin in the World"
yielded more than 22,000 "hits" that appear to reflect the efforts of
hundreds if not thousands of independent advertisers. A search of eBay
the same day found that none of the 20 bottles still offered for sale
had received a single bid and that 30 "previously attempted" offerings
had resulted in the sale of only three bottles at prices ranging from
1¢ to 55¢. Stiff competition plus weak demand is a formula for business
failure.
At that time, the standard "independent advertiser" Web site stated:
The
Greatest Vitamin in the World is one bottle of vitamins that
nutritionally supports the entire body! Unlike almost every vitamin
company in the world today, we use only the highest grade Whole
Vitamins (not synthetic), Chelated Minerals (most absorbable for the body to be able to utilize), Probiotics (good bacteria for the intestine which is critical for the body's immune systm), Vegetable Enzymes (critical in supporting the body in digesting all the food we eat),
all in one vitamin! In this bottle, we also included other critical
nutrients that are scientifically proven to help nutritionally support
the body in all areas described below! Feel free to click on the
different vitamin buttons below and truly educate yourself about our
amazing product that is unlike anything out there in the world today!
Millions of dollars in research and over 100 studies from the New
England Journal of Medicine were used to create this amazing vitamin!
This vitamin is endorsed by the NBCCA representing most teams in the
NBA! It also has the Gold seal award for using only the highest grade
and most absorbable nutrients known to man!
The
vitamins in "The Greatest Vitamin" are similar to those available at
any drug store for a few pennies a dose. "Not synthetic" is just an
excuse to charge exorbitant prices. Vitamins are chemical compounds and
are exactly the same regardless of how they are prepared. Even in the
unlikely event that all the vitamin ingredients in The Greatest Vitamin
are from natural sources, the multiple chemical processes required to
purify and concentrate them would render the vitamins essentially
"synthetic."
Considering Lapre's bankruptcy record, do you
think it is likely that "Millions of Dollars in research" (or any
scientific research dollars at all) were spent on developing The
Greatest Vitamin? Our search of The New England Journal of Medicine archives fails to uncover even a single reference to The Greatest Vitamin in the World. The
NBCCA endorsement is meaningless, since, as noted above, it is
intimately connected with (if not actually controlled by) Grant and
Optimal Health Systems.
The product itself is neither special nor rationally formulated. The ingredients listed on Lapre's Web site included:
- Ten
plant-derived enzymes, which, except possibly for lactase, would be
digested prior to being absorbed into the body as trivial amounts of
amino acids [15]. Vegetable enzymes are present in any normal diet that
includes fruits and vegetables in much larger amounts than those in
"The Greatest Vitamin."
- Nine "probiotic" bacteria, which
most people don't need. Probiotics are bacterial preparations intended
to actively colonize the lower intestinal tract. Trillions of
individual bacteria and hundreds of species of bacteria live in the
human colon with a symbiotic relationship to their host. They are an
essential part of normal digestion. Probiotics are used medically to
treat various digestive disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease
and diarrhea, especially diarrhea caused by antibiotics. Despite
ongoing research investigating other indications, there is currently no
convincing evidence that the use of supplemental probiotics is
beneficial to people with normal digestion and a normal diet. The
amount of probiotic included in The Greatest Vitamin is very
small compared with medically recommended doses for people with
digestive disorders. There is no recommended dose for healthy people.
- Eleven
vitamins and eleven minerals, which, except for calcium, are in the
doses found in ordinary multivitamin/multimineral products. The amount
of calcium could be a useful addition to the diet of women who are not
consuming enough in their diet. Products containing the same amounts of
vitamins and minerals could be purchased at ordinary retail outlets for
less than $5 per month.
- Several food substances whose nutrients are present in adequate amounts in most people's diets
- A
"whole food blend"of vegetable, fruit and grain ingredients whose
nutrients are present in adequate amounts in most people's diets. The
purpose of these ingredients is not specifically described, but the
daily dose (603 mg) is very small and thus the caloric food value is
negligible. In most commercial products, these ingredients would be
listed as "inert vegetable filler."
- Other food substances
and herbal ingredients. A few of these might benefit people with
certain health problems, but some could have side effects and it would
be pointless for people without these problems to consume them.
Oh well, Chalk it up to experience.