A former nurse stalked me, ranting about the medical establishment, trying to get me to subscribe to fruit and veggie pills she was selling --while I had breast cancer. That was twenty years ago and she died from cancer ten years ago.
TWENTY Y E A R S AGO!? This, as our dear Watson so eloquently phrased it, Voltron of Bullshit, has been going on for at least T W E N T Y Y E A R S ! ? What the actual eff...how many desperate people ceased to be, because of these people?? They might be giving the Sacklers a run for their money!!😰
I was pushed to consider massive doses of carrot juice, light, oxygen and coffee enemas to treat my cancer of the endometrium papillary serous. I decided on a hysterectomy, paciltaxel and carboplatin in 2018…alas, there was a recurrence in 2023, so cisplatin and gemcitabine to shrink the tumors and bevacizumab for maintenance I can’t countenance coffee enemas for anything, much less cancer
When John McCain suggested that the FDA should have more power to investigate supplements and make sure they contain what they say they contain, people reacted with rage on social media claiming that it was a gift to big pharma.
The craziest thing to me is how people cry big pharma, but immediately turn around to support other grifters. Big pharma is a problem, capitalism incentivises companies to do wild shit. But that does not mean your pills made of silver, bleach, and urine work Karen. Actually, you are selling them at 10x the mark-up of the drug with at least some clinical evidence. Almost like you have the incentive to lie about the effectiveness of real drugs so people buy your BS.
It didn't held that lobbying organizations for the supplements companies ran add campaigns to try to persuade the American people that regulations meant no access to supplements.
And this is why we fund independent watchdog groups, with taxes if need be, to help us keep an eye out for these elaborate scams. No one consumer can nor should be expected to keep up with all this research, even with the aid of the Internet.
@orterves I'm essentially saying that I don't give a damn how it's funded, just fund the damned thing and give it all it needs to do the job. I'm not remotely interested in arguing with Internet libertarians about the benefits of free-market vs. government agencies. Everyone should agree that such an agency needs to exist. If they don't, then I won't acknowledge them.
@@orterves for some reason YT isn't showing me 2 of the replies in this thread, but, I'd add that private independent watchdog groups aren't really sufficient, it takes too much effort for the average American to figure out which groups are legitimate, and it doesn't take much funding to counteract good information, ie climate change. Also, if we had "national health care", it would be in the obvious national interest to police health scams. Although you're using the British spelling of "organisation" instead of "organization", so maybe you don't realize how far America has lost the idea of "purpose of taxes". Many think it's like a protection racket from the mafia, instead of actually furthering the national interests.
Rebecca: "back in Buffalo, NY, where I had a vitamin D deficiency" Me: *Furiously mashing thumbs on my screen* Rebecca: "NOT a euphemism.." Me: *slowly deletes every word*
actually yes, I hadn’t been to a stylist in a good decade when I randomly decided to go to one and let her do whatever she wanted. She suggested the dark red and honestly I’ve never found another person who did the incredible job she did. It SPARKLED. Sadly she moved to Colorado and then I moved to SF
Here in Germany that's about 20lbs potatoes. Another 3 for some onions. Maybe 4lbs? Another 3 for pretty much exactly ( did convert to euro) 1kg quark to go with it so some protein covered. 500-1000g tomatoes for another 3
@@gur262 I can already think of at least four recipes using potatoes, onions and tomatoes that I could rotate through for a solid month and not even mind. Add some butter, cayenne and eggs on the list and that jumps to a dozen recipes, easy.
@torreykat thankfully my wife got inoculated against pregnancy before she caught it! I'm type 1 diabetic and she has history of type 2, so our spawn would have been a diabetic nightmare.
Other debilitating illnesses known to cause nutritional deficiencies are ADHD. Yeah, one of the most common neurodivergencies has actually shown a definitive link to increased requirements for magnesium and iron with a possible increase for potassium. More study is needed on that
@@bboops23it's because there's a link between digestive track disorders like IBS, Chrons, ulcerative colitis, and Celiac disease, and neurodivergency. Us ND people are also more likely to have food allergies. All of that both affects how well nutrients absord, how much your body gets from food, and how well it's able to utilize what it gets. Edit. Forgot to mention how persistent stress and inflammation (like from outside factors like work and masking) or internal factors (like eating foods you're allergic to or consistently having gut flare-ups), really burns through magnesium and iron
I went to BYU for a couple years and they didn't sell caffeinated soda anywhere on campus. Apparently they've since changed that policy, but you still can't get iced tea. Because obviously Diet Coke is good for you but unsweetened iced tea is terrible for you because... hot beverages
The hot beverages thing is so weird! I actually had to doublecheck before recording, and then later that night I happened to watch an episode of Under the Banner of Heaven that brought up the same thing.
The hot drinks thing is so weird, my husband is an ex-mormon and said the word of wisdom actually says you can brew your own beer, but can't buy it. Idk still odd lol
@@Darbster it's weird and also a pretty interesting topic. There's the text in mormon scripture, and then there's the "official" interpretation which has changed over the years but has been steady for a few decades now. And then there's the interpretation of individual members, which is why some mormons guzzle diet coke like it's bottled at the fountain of youth and others avoid any caffeine. Some interesting bits of history.
@@JonathanLoganPDX I would be surprised if the LDS Church didn't own at least some shares of Coca-Cola, and I've heard this specific claim before but haven't been able to confirm it. I'm doubtful for a few reasons but curious if you have any sources?
Thank you for looking at this company! My wife and I are senior citizens, and we cannot go through an hour of television without watching or seeing or being forced to see several ads from these crooks. I figured they must be crooks, considering how many ads they have, but I wasn’t quite sure until you researched it. Thank you.
My wife and I are retired also, and when we watch some tv, we are treated to endless commercials for pharmaceuticals that your doctor should prescribe, and they are followed by snake oil supplement commercials. Sickening.
@@aawillma Of course it is; which is the irony. Because Miscavige wants all roads to lead to Scientology, but tries to convince the world that none of the rabbit holes also head in that direction - and that's just not how shit works.
You would not believe how hard this stuff is pushed on right wing radio. They will dedicate entire Saturday blocks to infomercials about it. it's insane.
From a marketing viewpoint it's actually quite smart: Where else would you find an audience with millions of people that you already know for certain will be gullible and believe the most ridiculous claims? They have proven again and again that neither common sense nor science is sth they care about.
I've been working in IT for over 35 years. One of my jobs, at the start of 2008, was at a Scientology-owned business in Clearwater FL. The place was dysfunctional, abusive, nearly everyone in management was a bully - to varying degrees. They would definitely screw people out of money, some of their employees sued them while working there and management could do nothing about it once a suit was filed, especially if the employee was filing it as a 'whistle blower'. They tried to push that nonsense onto me but I explained I was an atheist, humanist, and skeptic and no time for any 'religion'. They eventually promoted me to IT Director and the G/M would not stop trying to bully/coerce me or engage in verbal abusiveness to my team and direct reports. It reached a point where I just left after being there for about 3 years. They were are abusive, reactionary, inept, irrational, and accusatory after setting someone up for failure. Overall, as insane as they've mostly been depicted by apostates and journalists like Tony Ortega.
That's what's funny about people saying, "How is that "cult" so different from mainstream religion?" Because I have plenty of beefs to make with mainstream religions, but in 2023, you'd be better off making an enemy of the Vatican than of Scientology. Abuse and bullying are literally baked into Scientology policies, and any CoS-run business has to operate first on LRH policies. And if you're on the abusive end of things, you're screwed, because LRH policies say the minute you fight back against the policies - or worse, take legal action - you become an SP who must be destroyed. And that's about as civil as the language of these policies ever gets. When one wife of the group's founder went to prison for (among other things) trying to frame a journalist for making a bomb-threat, and they only got their tax exemption by literally stalking individual employees of the IRS, that's a cult which bears little resemblance to a mainstream religion.
I wonder if the true symptom is the lack of good healthcare - one where people dont have to pay substantial money to visit a proper health professional. Its cheaper to buy supplements than to visit professionals.
I had a therapist that was pushing this stuff. She bought into it hard. I figured it was an MLM, makes sense that it has FLDS and Scientology connections. Also go Phils!
As someone who has been obsessively following the saga of Scientology since I was Fair Gamed by a boyfriend's parents back in 1979, I do love it when the crank magnetism reaches critical mass.
I lived right by where the FLDS were headquartered and where Warren Jeffs trial was and you can still see how many people are dedicated to the cause and legit will refuse to help anyone who isn’t LDS/Mormon it’s very frustrating getting anything done since they don’t see you as a person.
What do you mean? So people in government offices just refuse to provide service? Or is it just clerks in stores? Either way, that's a discrimination lawsuit, right there.
I mean, I don't see any of them as actual people, either. I'm only able to handle so much stupid before I risk auto destruction, and everything Mormon related is walking a razor's edge already. I think actually having to deal with FLDS True Believers for any length of time might actually make my head explode. But I also don't live anywhere near them, and I'm sure that makes things easier for me.
@@GrantSR Haven’t had much experience with govt offices there but between my family we had 12 initial doctors appointments canceled on us, had so many services where I either had very poor service or outright refused service. They don’t say it’s cause you aren’t Mormon obviously but they have secret phrases and stuff that conveys your Mormon. It’s kind of impossible to prove but life is very challenging having to call 20 times to try to get something fixed or even having other services canceled outright with appointments set up. It all could be chalked up to incompetence which definitely is an issue too but it starts to feel actively malicious when you can’t get anything done.
@@GrantSR Or whatever you new temple name is. They have a list, of course, that they just run through month by month and then start back with the first in the series.
I consider myself at least near-elderly, and I don't think I'm impressionable. Of course I don't watch much of anything on Fox, and even feel sorry for the folks from the local ABC station who got switched to Fox when the local affiliate station launched.
My mom got sucked into Juice Plus, which is an almost identical MLM. Almost $1200 later, all mom got was a ton of the fruits and veggies capsules. Afterwards, I started buying freeze dried berry and veggie powder in bulk. Then I showed my mom how much she would need to consume to get the dietary benefits Juice Plus claimed four capsules a day would replace. We changed to making low carb smoothies with real fruit, which made a huge difference in mom's blood sugar levels and she felt genuinely better. The real superfood is eating a varied, whole food diet including healthy fats.
As someone living in Scotland, half the people I know have a Vitamin D deficiency (me included). It's the one thing that we can reliably assume we actually need here.
Yeah, even in the 'sun deprived' zone of the US (the upper Midwest and the Northeast), which gets a bit more sun than Scotland, a lot of people have a D deficiency. Had to have weekly shots at one point, because my levels went so low that it took the "borderline" off of my anemia. Which is why that disclaimer takes place in Buffalo, NY. :)
Pacific NW US, hugely the same thing. Some of us are natives and know how to deal with it, but there's been so many people moving here from warmer states, there's a lot of people who totally suck to deal with for 3/4 of the year because they're so angry about feeling tired that they just take it out on everybody, everywhere.
I love the fact that, while watching this video, I was interrupted by a complete BS ad for a tinnitus cure, complete with synthetic voice, which is always a mark of a quality company.
I'm a dietetic intern and the amount of ppl who take these pills is insane :( Its so sad when I talk to a pt and they tell me that they don't eat vegetables or fruit bc they take these supps :( :( Real vegetables actually have fiber!
3:16 exactly this. Multiple people have told me they need athletic greens to get by day to day. I tried the supplement and noticed no difference at all. I also don't eat meat so naturally, I need regular whole foods and vegetables to get by day to day. 🤯
Don't listen to Rebecca people, make sure to take your water supplements today!! Be sure to drink water while taking the water supplements so they go down easier!!
Reminds me of when my dad was dying of cancer, and my mum was searching for anything to help him beat the prognosis. One of those things was a grifter, proclaiming the healing benefits of the paw paw fruit, which is native to North America, but not sold in stores, because of a "conspiracy among doctors to keep patients sick". They're not sold in stores because they don't ship well...which is why said grifter sold them to my parents pulverized inside a capsule.
Thanks. I’ve been ragging about this since the 80’s when all my SoCal “friends” had 15-20 bottles of garbage on their shelves. (Most of them had chiropractors also)
Oh my god, I keep seeing this commercial and every time I see it it drives me insane! The quote "There is no possible way for us to get all the fruits and vegetables we need in a day" will live rent-free in my head forever; specifically the section dedicated to making me angry with absurdity
"And the company headquarters are located about a 1-hour’s drive from the center of FLDS territory, Hildale, Utah " No need for the 1-hour drive to get to the center of FLDS territory ....While the company has its HQ office in St. George, the production plant and warehouse is actually located IN Hildale, Utah. "880 Pinion St, Hildale, UT 84784" take a look at the production hub and massive storage warehouse. RIght in the very heart of FLDS... Some of the employees still wear the FLDS dresses and hair style.
Man, I remember in like...2003, I had a coworker who was pushing these. She got a couple other people to sell it, which makes me think there's an MLM side to this also. Anyway, she claimed the supplements basically healed her vision and got her back to 20/20.
There absolutely is an MLM side, Arbonne and Herbalife are the two big ones. If you see a new nutritional smoothie shop pop up in your town that claims to offer "energising teas and beverages", more than likely it's a front for Herbalife.
This is the wildest story like this I've heard on YT in a good while. A while back I watched a video on Weird Fruit Explorer's channel which was pretty funny too. It was about bergamot essential oils, but essentially every one selling it put the wrong citrus fruit on the label. He even showed a Dr. Oz segment, where they also had the wrong citrus fruit on the packaging, and for good measure they also used it with direct skin contact, which can potentially be dangerous.
Me: "Oh, my doctor here in Central New York keeps telling me I need to take Vitamin D pills, but Rebecca is telling me I don't need supplements because I get most my nutrients in-" Rebecca: "My doctor in Buffalo, NY told me to take Vitamin D pills and you should definitely listen to your doctor if they recommend a supplement." Me: "......Well, that's awfully specific." I probably shouldn't be so easily convinced by a youtuber to follow my doctor's advice she's been giving me for the whole past year, but alas, sometimes we all need a good metaphorical slap in the face. Fine. I'll take my pills. Maybe it'll do me some good.
As someone who also lives near Buffalo, NY, take the vitamin D. Actual vitamins are not what these sham supplements are trying to sell. But also make sure you get something to sign if you get a blood test for it because a lot of insurance companies won't cover it.
I take vitamin D as well as B12 and folic acid (at the recommendation of my doctor since a medication I'm on can cause folic acid deficiency) and I get these delicious raspberry flavored chewable ones that taste like candy. They make it a lot more fun than swallowing a big pill
considering how little they cost, especially in comparison to gimmicks like "Balance of Nature", and how few downsides... I take fish oil, too. "I probably shouldn't be so easily convinced by a youtuber to follow my doctor's advice she's been giving me for the whole past year," I'm not sure how sarcastically you mean this, if at all. You're skeptical of being convinced of your DOCTOR'S advice??? I hope a UA-camr also suggests you wear a seat belt. Maybe look both ways before you cross the street?
@@squirlmy - One thing you learn while doing science reporting and fact checking is that family doctors are more of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. They have the advantage of being able to tailor their care to your specific health, but they can be wrapped in misinformation just as easily as you or I if they aren't constantly fact-checking or updating their knowledge. My doctor once told me that my LDL cholesterol was optimal, but my HDL cholesterol was significantly low, and I needed to eat more eggs to boost up the latter. When I expressed concern about the LDL cholesterol considering my family's history with cardiovascular disease, she told me the HDL carries the LDL to the liver (which is true) and that eating more eggs does not increase your LDL levels (objectively false). In truth, the studies that claimed this were sponsored directly by farms that sell eggs, and their studies on college students didn't account for replacement or supplement cholesterol in other foods, suggesting they did not account for those already with high LDL cholesterol, who obviously would not have experienced a significant increase in LDL cholesterol (because once you hit a certain level, any increase tapers off like the tail end of an S-curve). It's something I wouldn't expect every doctor to know, but my nutricianist (the actual expert in the field) explained it to me and I was able to fact-check it later, meaning my doctor was misled by a faulty study. That's why I suspect issues with my doctor's advice sometimes, but I know what you're thinking. And yes, if I'm suspect of something my doctor tells me and I have the knowledge and means to fact-check it, why didn't I? ...Well, yeah. Hence my disappointment in myself to have thought "Wait, now two people I respect are telling me the same thing. Uh... Am I the dummy here?" Do trust your doctor. Misinfo happens, but you may not be equipped to research it responsibly. I've got access to resources most don't, and I was trained to read publish science. Your doctor does know better than you most of the time.
I am an older person and was getting sick nearly every 6 months. Unable to eat or drink, severe emesis. Doctors told me it was a virus and there was nothing I could do. Soooooo I did some research ( I would rather be in pain than so sick) and found all the correct food I should be eatin. No way I could do this. I started taking vitamins and haven't been sick since. It's been about 2 years since I have been sick.
hilariously, I saw an ad for this product yesterday, and their primary claim was that it was a way to get your fruits and veggies. seems at least the truth in advertising trouble has had an effect.
When I started taking Vitamin D on my doctor's recommendation, it honestly changed my life. It's had a huge effect on my immune function, but that said I strongly suspect that's because I was very deficient before. It probably would have a negligible effect on someone who's not deficient. But if anyone else here in the comments has issues like mine where I'd catch every cold and flu that came around while also having severe seasonal allergies, talk to your doctor about giving Vitamin D* a try. *(no euphemism, the euphemistic one is fun but probably won't help with immune function)
Vitamin D is one of the ones you can get toxicity from, so it’s not recommended if you don’t have a diagnosed deficiency - though you do have to take quite a bit, I believe.
This stuff sounds great thanks for the recommendation I'm buying some right now!!! When I get it I'm going to make sure to take extra every day to make sure I get enough of this wholesome fruits and veggies 😀😀😀
Ohhh yeah that vitamin D deficiency is rough. I’m kind of shocked doctors don’t test people for it more. I get tested regularly now because I have chronic deficiency, even in summer time when you can get it from the sun.
Maybe an indoor Greenhouse with lights that do produce UV Spectrum? Like a sunroom but homemade?😅 I've been thinking of doing something like that, they have glass filters to take out the worst UV spec, and also taking care of plants really helps with the general angst and homicidal rage😅
Yeah, I was lucky to have a really good doctor there (WHILE I was on Medicaid, even!) who knew to check it based on our location (indoors a lot during winter) and my history of depression.
@@i-love-comountains3850 I have so many plants lol and I have one of those seasonal depression treatment lights, I think it helps some in the darker months. Taking the vitamin D supplement is the thing that rly keeps me from becoming a lump in winter tho.
Help with the angst and rage😂 I have an autoimmune disorder and a sunlight allergy😝(diagnosed by an actual practicing MD) so some vitamins help for real. BUT wow can supplements be a rabbit hole! I know a vax denier who eats baggies full of "stuff" for health and aside from what all the pills must cost, she doesn't do well. 😮 I don't get it.
Actually there is no evidence it has a casual relationship in anything other than Ricketts. Lots of correlations because sick people don't go out and not going out can make you sick (no exercise, no social interaction). A severe deficiency is bad, but basically impossible to get. On the other hand, hypervitiminosis of vitamin D is responsible for thousands of hospitalizations a year. Do what your doctor tells you just in case, but its status as a vitimin is heavily refuted Medlife crisis / dr Rohin francis is an example of somewhere to get more info on the "vitamin" d controversy And if a placebo works, do. Not. Question. That
I love that person whose review was essentially “I can overlook FLDS but I draw the line at Scientology!” I regularly confuse those two cults. No idea why one cult influence is just enough cult influence
I've been straight up calling Mormonism the Scientology of mainstream Christianity for almost two decades already. It takes a really special crowd to find value in either, their (once) super secret background stories have an odd amount of goofy shit in common, and I always do my best to keep away from believers in either one. I'm frankly amazed it took this long for that kind of absurd team up.
I don't watch TV much at all anymore these days, and, yeah, the commercials really "pop." I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. 😎🤘☮️❤ But those commercials, though... 😕
These are types of stories and deep doves are why I love discovering channels like yours Like only discovered it about a month ago but anytime one pops up on recommended I've been listening to them This one was a dopzy
There is (was) a vegan Mexican restaurant in SF that just closed down because similar cult-like allegations. Apparently they sent all of their employees to similar business seminars, don't know if they were the exact same ones. not only were the seminars not about business, and more about like... being in a cult, but the restaurant made the emloyees pay for their tickets to the seminars themselves. It came right out of their paychecks. And I guess these seminars were mandatory AND frequent. They also enforced a very strict vegan lifestyle on all their employees that the owners themselves were for some reason exempt from following. Apparently the owners had their own private cattle ranch outside of city limits where they processed, sold and ate their own beef. I walked outside of the now closed restaurant a couple nights ago and there's this sad letter posted on the front door about how heartbreaking it is for a place that served their community for so long and was so dedicated to humane treatment of mother earth could go out of business, and there were multiple links to donate to the owners. Guess it could happen anywhere in the world.
I'm not even vegetarian but often eat no meat for a couple weeks. Pretty sure I ran into B12 deficiency living of vegetarian/ vegan readymade salads. Kinda unaware any vitamin is not in veggies. Also drank a beer or 2 every other day,more than usual , n excessive caffeine which apparently can flush vitamins. Hat the hot feet. Walking around barefoot at night. Still hot n tingling.
@@gur262you need to be not getting enough b12 for at least 2 years before you'll become deficient, because it's stored in your liver. Something else might have been up. Protein maybe? You can lose bone density quickly if not getting enough calcium or protein , but you wouldn't notice that for years, even though every bit you lose never comes back
so I noticed at the gym once.. because the gym HAS to broadcast Fox News apparently. I quickly noticed there were many ads specifically on Fox News about ways to get "what you need from fruits and vegetables" without eating well... fruits and vegetables. I immediately thought to myself (growing up in Indiana) people who watch Fox News are obviously a target audience for these supplements..
So entertaining! No one Dora-explores rabbit holes better... Have you read "Lost Boy" by Brent Jeffs? More than just documenting the horrific abuse extent in the FLDS Short Creek community specifically, his story illustrates how such abuse becomes perpetuated in general.
In Federalist 51, James Madison wrote: "...But what is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?" I would paraphrase that thought into: "But what is advertising and the products being purchased but the greatest reflection of human nature?" My dear lady Rebecca, you are a treasure to us all. Please continue traveling down those rabbit holes and we will be right there with you. Fortis Mane!
Yooo, Vitamin D gang! I had that and also iron deficiency because my body just sucks. I also can't eat fruits without having digestive issues, so I am truly fucked.
I live in the general area of the company's HQ and listen to the radio on my work commute. I hear ads for this company at least twice a day during my drive (which is only 7 minutes each way) across all five stations that I rotate between. Glad I followed my gut instinct and stayed far, far away from them. ETA: I'm pretty sure one of those radio ads mentioned that they built a new factory in Hildale so they're not even trying to hide their FLDS connections any longer.
There was a Scientology front group in Portland in the 1990s when I lived there. They did business consulting and they pushed the Hubbard business stuff. The core part of the business tech was: identify the parts of the business that are making money and continue doing that, while looking for additional revenue streams. They charge people thousands of dollars for that.
I love that you went into all this.. I had a family member buy this crap, which they probably saw on Fox News, or CNBC, or some crap like that. I actually “get to” watch a decent amount of Fox News, because it’s the media outlet of choice for my family, so I see this stuff ALL THE TIME. Literally, several times a week I see this stuff advertised, and I’ve always wondered how far on the spectrum of fraud this stuff was. This is beyond anything I could have dreamed, and I both love it and hate it.. But now I know, and I will be trying to warn people. If that will help them probably will in part be a matter of if my sources are found to be “woke” or not (that’s unfortunately not a joke).. so.. I won’t be sending them to you, Rebecca, but I will be using your sources. Thank you! PS - to anyone wondering why I just don’t watch the Fox News, I’m a caregiver for a couple of family members, so it’s not entirely a choice... Also, I’ll admit, I sometimes get a sick kick from some of the crap I see there..
Thank You! I watch a lot of baseball on line & other stuff where I get a ton of their crappy ads. I had wondered how many other people were as annoyed by them as I am. And that was based only on their stupid nutritional/health claims. But now you have given me a bonus by adding in other things I hate like religion, scientology & Utah. Many years ago, in college (near Buffalo) I learned in a Biology course about those BS claims that people make about diet & nutrition.The claims we heard then (late '70s) were exactly the same. I have more energy, I sleep better, I don't get sick as much. All things that are almost impossible to measure. Thanks again! And I'll hit 'subscribe'.
As soon as you referenced where the ads were played, I became certain, absolutely certain... That my dad was taking them. I checked in, and was correct. I had warned him that they sounded fishy, but what do I know? Was able to send your video to my mom and hopes that she can help my dad make better choices. the good news is he only took them for a couple of months because they were too expensive for their budget... Nice work
I read an article that said that the main flaw of Balance of Nature's fruit & veggie pills is that they are relatively expensive, and that they may actually do some slight good aside from that. It's also worth noting that your parents may feel better taking them, even if they do nothing real at all. If I were you, I'd find them a source of similar, but less expensive, fruit & veggie pills from another, more reputable, maker, then buy them some to ease their switch, and that would probably help them the most. Believe me, many other supplement makers have taken note of Balance of Nature's success and have created their own iterations of such pills.
I just saw this ad and so glad you draw attention to these scams. And that you spent so much time following your instincts to find the link to a cult! What a twist in the story! Love your channel!
Yes yes yes!! I’ve been waiting for someone to cover this! I always see ads for them when I’m forced to see Fox News on the TVs at the gym I go to and always thought that it was a scam
Okay, this was a great episode... it was like one of those animated unfurling rose mandalas you see at a grateful dead show, only this time the rose was made of elephant dung.
FWIW, I don't think Evig Group is the same as the Evig LLC that's mentioned in the letter? Evig Group is a German-based investor and company incubator focusing on meat alternatives.
I worked for a veterinarian that forced us to take Scientology cult courses I can verify that ALL of this about balance of nature cult connection is true!!
The only use case I can see for this is for folks who can't eat veggies for mental health reasons. I remember something like this being popular among autistic folks on tiktok when I was still using the app a while back. They often get hung up on safe foods that exclude fruit and veg, and no amount of force of will can change it until it runs its course weeks or months later. It wasn't sold by a cult or mlm as far as I could tell, but it was expensive.
How many greens can they fot in a pill, one broccoli bite and a current? But well the power of positive thought. They had people drink a glass of water once on the street, telling them it had special vitamins in it. Then they asked them how they felt and the people said all the same things, more energy, feel better etc. People are quite sensitive to thinking they are getting a good thing.
My parents bought me some of that stuff around a decade ago! The only difference I noticed when I was taking it was that my fingernails grew faster... I assume from the gelatin in the pill casing.
I live for stories like this.
I get so excited when this stuff happens to me!
@@RebeccaWatson Scientology AND Mormonism. A twofer.
Seeing how the "Natural" food supplement business is a bit culty, it could even be a threefer.
I've seen these commercials pop up down here in Texas, I think even on MSNBC
What a wild ride that rabbit hole was.
A former nurse stalked me, ranting about the medical establishment, trying to get me to subscribe to fruit and veggie pills she was selling --while I had breast cancer. That was twenty years ago and she died from cancer ten years ago.
I feel slightly bad liking this post.
I will also pretend to feel bad for liking this post
You're welcome and I'm sorry
TWENTY Y E A R S AGO!?
This, as our dear Watson so eloquently phrased it, Voltron of Bullshit, has been going on for at least
T
W
E
N
T
Y
Y E A R S ! ?
What the actual eff...how many desperate people ceased to be, because of these people??
They might be giving the Sacklers a run for their money!!😰
I was pushed to consider massive doses of carrot juice, light, oxygen and coffee enemas to treat my cancer of the endometrium papillary serous.
I decided on a hysterectomy, paciltaxel and carboplatin in 2018…alas, there was a recurrence in 2023, so cisplatin and gemcitabine to shrink the tumors and bevacizumab for maintenance
I can’t countenance coffee enemas for anything, much less cancer
When John McCain suggested that the FDA should have more power to investigate supplements and make sure they contain what they say they contain, people reacted with rage on social media claiming that it was a gift to big pharma.
Funny that people would have a different attitude of somebody would claim that having the wrong ingredients listed on food would be a good thing...
Big Supplement is a thing too.
The craziest thing to me is how people cry big pharma, but immediately turn around to support other grifters.
Big pharma is a problem, capitalism incentivises companies to do wild shit. But that does not mean your pills made of silver, bleach, and urine work Karen. Actually, you are selling them at 10x the mark-up of the drug with at least some clinical evidence. Almost like you have the incentive to lie about the effectiveness of real drugs so people buy your BS.
It didn't held that lobbying organizations for the supplements companies ran add campaigns to try to persuade the American people that regulations meant no access to supplements.
@@BaronBytes Good one! Yes, spot on.
And this is why we fund independent watchdog groups, with taxes if need be, to help us keep an eye out for these elaborate scams. No one consumer can nor should be expected to keep up with all this research, even with the aid of the Internet.
"with taxes if need be" - you mean "with taxes, obviously" right?
Isn't that sort of organisation exactly the purpose of taxes?
@orterves I'm essentially saying that I don't give a damn how it's funded, just fund the damned thing and give it all it needs to do the job. I'm not remotely interested in arguing with Internet libertarians about the benefits of free-market vs. government agencies. Everyone should agree that such an agency needs to exist. If they don't, then I won't acknowledge them.
Note: Federal taxes remove funds from the economy. They fund nothing. Yes, at the federal level, “taxpayer funding” is a fiction.
@@mr.hidden9242That you see no difference is concerning.
@@orterves for some reason YT isn't showing me 2 of the replies in this thread, but, I'd add that private independent watchdog groups aren't really sufficient, it takes too much effort for the average American to figure out which groups are legitimate, and it doesn't take much funding to counteract good information, ie climate change. Also, if we had "national health care", it would be in the obvious national interest to police health scams. Although you're using the British spelling of "organisation" instead of "organization", so maybe you don't realize how far America has lost the idea of "purpose of taxes". Many think it's like a protection racket from the mafia, instead of actually furthering the national interests.
Rebecca: "back in Buffalo, NY, where I had a vitamin D deficiency"
Me: *Furiously mashing thumbs on my screen*
Rebecca: "NOT a euphemism.."
Me: *slowly deletes every word*
I know my audience
Is Buffalo where your hair turned red?
Definitely going to start using it as a euphemism. At least in my Grindr profile.
actually yes, I hadn’t been to a stylist in a good decade when I randomly decided to go to one and let her do whatever she wanted. She suggested the dark red and honestly I’ve never found another person who did the incredible job she did. It SPARKLED. Sadly she moved to Colorado and then I moved to SF
@@RebeccaWatson thanx for reply. I lived in Buffalo and SF. Enjoy true info on youtube.
Gotta say that Mormon/Scientology syncretism is genuinely horrifying.
100% American made though!
Morontology!
Xenu's from Kolob! Now everything makes perfect sense 😆
Battlestar Galactica meets Battlefield Earth!
Writing Bible fanfic in the early 19th century was an awful lot like writing pulp SF in the 1940s, so this tracks.
$3/day can buy _actual food._
Here in Germany that's about 20lbs potatoes. Another 3 for some onions. Maybe 4lbs? Another 3 for pretty much exactly ( did convert to euro) 1kg quark to go with it so some protein covered. 500-1000g tomatoes for another 3
@@gur262 I can already think of at least four recipes using potatoes, onions and tomatoes that I could rotate through for a solid month and not even mind. Add some butter, cayenne and eggs on the list and that jumps to a dozen recipes, easy.
But chewing something = calories and calories = unhealthy.
Barely :/
The last time I was long-term unemployed I got my food budget to $20 per week. Lots of vegetables.
"You got Mormonism in my scientology!"
"No, you got scientology in my FLDS!"
"Wait? Should we just work together and screw people out of money?"
Lmfao
🤝
Peak reference game😂👍
This is truly deserving of a slow clap.
"Two great scams that scam great together!"
"Debilitating illness ... like pregnancy" SO TRUE.
I am currently struggling with the fact my pregnancy literally caused me to have full on type 2 diabetes. Debilitating illness is right 😑
@torreykat thankfully my wife got inoculated against pregnancy before she caught it! I'm type 1 diabetic and she has history of type 2, so our spawn would have been a diabetic nightmare.
Currently 21 weeks pregnant. Can confirm.
Other debilitating illnesses known to cause nutritional deficiencies are ADHD. Yeah, one of the most common neurodivergencies has actually shown a definitive link to increased requirements for magnesium and iron with a possible increase for potassium. More study is needed on that
@@bboops23it's because there's a link between digestive track disorders like IBS, Chrons, ulcerative colitis, and Celiac disease, and neurodivergency. Us ND people are also more likely to have food allergies. All of that both affects how well nutrients absord, how much your body gets from food, and how well it's able to utilize what it gets.
Edit. Forgot to mention how persistent stress and inflammation (like from outside factors like work and masking) or internal factors (like eating foods you're allergic to or consistently having gut flare-ups), really burns through magnesium and iron
I went to BYU for a couple years and they didn't sell caffeinated soda anywhere on campus. Apparently they've since changed that policy, but you still can't get iced tea. Because obviously Diet Coke is good for you but unsweetened iced tea is terrible for you because... hot beverages
The hot beverages thing is so weird! I actually had to doublecheck before recording, and then later that night I happened to watch an episode of Under the Banner of Heaven that brought up the same thing.
The hot drinks thing is so weird, my husband is an ex-mormon and said the word of wisdom actually says you can brew your own beer, but can't buy it. Idk still odd lol
@@Darbster it's weird and also a pretty interesting topic. There's the text in mormon scripture, and then there's the "official" interpretation which has changed over the years but has been steady for a few decades now. And then there's the interpretation of individual members, which is why some mormons guzzle diet coke like it's bottled at the fountain of youth and others avoid any caffeine. Some interesting bits of history.
It helps to know that the big claim now is that the Mormon Church made a change about caffeine because they own so much stock in Coca-Cola
@@JonathanLoganPDX I would be surprised if the LDS Church didn't own at least some shares of Coca-Cola, and I've heard this specific claim before but haven't been able to confirm it. I'm doubtful for a few reasons but curious if you have any sources?
Thank you for looking at this company! My wife and I are senior citizens, and we cannot go through an hour of television without watching or seeing or being forced to see several ads from these crooks. I figured they must be crooks, considering how many ads they have, but I wasn’t quite sure until you researched it. Thank you.
My wife and I are retired also, and when we watch some tv, we are treated to endless commercials for pharmaceuticals that your doctor should prescribe, and they are followed by snake oil supplement commercials. Sickening.
@@oldstix
Thank you. Very well said!
You know it’s a banger when Scientology is mentioned and I find myself saying “of course it is”. One of the best rabbit holes here in a while
Do all rabbit holes lead to scientology!?
@@aawillma Of course it is; which is the irony. Because Miscavige wants all roads to lead to Scientology, but tries to convince the world that none of the rabbit holes also head in that direction - and that's just not how shit works.
You would not believe how hard this stuff is pushed on right wing radio. They will dedicate entire Saturday blocks to infomercials about it. it's insane.
I've been seeing their ads the gym TVs almost every day.
Paid for, obviously.
There's very little I wouldn't believe of right-wing talk radio
From a marketing viewpoint it's actually quite smart: Where else would you find an audience with millions of people that you already know for certain will be gullible and believe the most ridiculous claims? They have proven again and again that neither common sense nor science is sth they care about.
@@circlingthesquare6470I'm not new to conservative grifting, but it was egregious even by those standards. Real "sell you a bridge" stuff.
"The Voltron of bullshit" is an excellent euphemism.
They don't call them Decepticons for nothing. 🤣
Only thing that would have completed it was if this was an MLM.
@@jcspoon573 If she'd have indicated another layer to this cake after Scientology, I was genuinely going to put money on Amway.
I've been working in IT for over 35 years.
One of my jobs, at the start of 2008, was at a Scientology-owned business in Clearwater FL.
The place was dysfunctional, abusive, nearly everyone in management was a bully - to varying degrees. They would definitely screw people out of money, some of their employees sued them while working there and management could do nothing about it once a suit was filed, especially if the employee was filing it as a 'whistle blower'.
They tried to push that nonsense onto me but I explained I was an atheist, humanist, and skeptic and no time for any 'religion'.
They eventually promoted me to IT Director and the G/M would not stop trying to bully/coerce me or engage in verbal abusiveness to my team and direct reports. It reached a point where I just left after being there for about 3 years.
They were are abusive, reactionary, inept, irrational, and accusatory after setting someone up for failure.
Overall, as insane as they've mostly been depicted by apostates and journalists like Tony Ortega.
That's what's funny about people saying, "How is that "cult" so different from mainstream religion?" Because I have plenty of beefs to make with mainstream religions, but in 2023, you'd be better off making an enemy of the Vatican than of Scientology.
Abuse and bullying are literally baked into Scientology policies, and any CoS-run business has to operate first on LRH policies. And if you're on the abusive end of things, you're screwed, because LRH policies say the minute you fight back against the policies - or worse, take legal action - you become an SP who must be destroyed. And that's about as civil as the language of these policies ever gets.
When one wife of the group's founder went to prison for (among other things) trying to frame a journalist for making a bomb-threat, and they only got their tax exemption by literally stalking individual employees of the IRS, that's a cult which bears little resemblance to a mainstream religion.
I'm an ex-Scientologist and I can assure you, walking out and not looking back is the best possible thing you could have done
As a skateboarder I am immediately intrigued by the claims of this product. I want to be Tony Hawk.
Having reached the end of the video, I am no longer interested in this product.
@@Labergemusic
This had me dying😂
actual LOL
As a Tony Hawk, I want to be this product. While I can do a kickflip, I cannot cure cancer.
You need to eat all the stuff he advertises-- CoQ10, Subway sandwiches, Hot Wheels and Draft Kings
I wonder if the true symptom is the lack of good healthcare - one where people dont have to pay substantial money to visit a proper health professional. Its cheaper to buy supplements than to visit professionals.
Yikes! A new variant?
The Latter Day Church of Scientology!
Ah gad don't go giving them ideas!!😂
You forgot the “Fundamentalist” … Church of Fundamentalist Latter Day Scientology?
Fundamentalist Latter Day Saintology
I had a therapist that was pushing this stuff. She bought into it hard. I figured it was an MLM, makes sense that it has FLDS and Scientology connections. Also go Phils!
I’ve noticed that LDS members love MLMs. Scientology, of course, pretty much IS an MLM.
As someone who has been obsessively following the saga of Scientology since I was Fair Gamed by a boyfriend's parents back in 1979, I do love it when the crank magnetism reaches critical mass.
Had to remind myself what that term meant and... holy sh-t, hope you came out of it okay.
Ugh, so sorry you went through that.
I lived right by where the FLDS were headquartered and where Warren Jeffs trial was and you can still see how many people are dedicated to the cause and legit will refuse to help anyone who isn’t LDS/Mormon it’s very frustrating getting anything done since they don’t see you as a person.
What do you mean? So people in government offices just refuse to provide service? Or is it just clerks in stores? Either way, that's a discrimination lawsuit, right there.
I mean, I don't see any of them as actual people, either. I'm only able to handle so much stupid before I risk auto destruction, and everything Mormon related is walking a razor's edge already. I think actually having to deal with FLDS True Believers for any length of time might actually make my head explode.
But I also don't live anywhere near them, and I'm sure that makes things easier for me.
@@GrantSR Haven’t had much experience with govt offices there but between my family we had 12 initial doctors appointments canceled on us, had so many services where I either had very poor service or outright refused service. They don’t say it’s cause you aren’t Mormon obviously but they have secret phrases and stuff that conveys your Mormon. It’s kind of impossible to prove but life is very challenging having to call 20 times to try to get something fixed or even having other services canceled outright with appointments set up. It all could be chalked up to incompetence which definitely is an issue too but it starts to feel actively malicious when you can’t get anything done.
@@Hodapp Gotcha. Those "secret words" are called "shiboleths."
@@GrantSR Or whatever you new temple name is. They have a list, of course, that they just run through month by month and then start back with the first in the series.
It makes sense that this company would advertise on Fox, given their impressionable elderly audience.
I consider myself at least near-elderly, and I don't think I'm impressionable. Of course I don't watch much of anything on Fox, and even feel sorry for the folks from the local ABC station who got switched to Fox when the local affiliate station launched.
I see it on CNN.
I'm just speaking of the statistics on Fox viewership. It's widely known that a majority of their audience is over 50.@@gdp3rd
It is all over MSNBC as well. I don't think they care who they are grifting. There are stupid people on both sides of the aisle.
That's my Mom, for sure. Sad
My mom got sucked into Juice Plus, which is an almost identical MLM. Almost $1200 later, all mom got was a ton of the fruits and veggies capsules. Afterwards, I started buying freeze dried berry and veggie powder in bulk. Then I showed my mom how much she would need to consume to get the dietary benefits Juice Plus claimed four capsules a day would replace. We changed to making low carb smoothies with real fruit, which made a huge difference in mom's blood sugar levels and she felt genuinely better. The real superfood is eating a varied, whole food diet including healthy fats.
As someone living in Scotland, half the people I know have a Vitamin D deficiency (me included). It's the one thing that we can reliably assume we actually need here.
Yeah, even in the 'sun deprived' zone of the US (the upper Midwest and the Northeast), which gets a bit more sun than Scotland, a lot of people have a D deficiency. Had to have weekly shots at one point, because my levels went so low that it took the "borderline" off of my anemia.
Which is why that disclaimer takes place in Buffalo, NY. :)
Pacific NW US, hugely the same thing. Some of us are natives and know how to deal with it, but there's been so many people moving here from warmer states, there's a lot of people who totally suck to deal with for 3/4 of the year because they're so angry about feeling tired that they just take it out on everybody, everywhere.
Yes haha we certainly do.😂
I love the fact that, while watching this video, I was interrupted by a complete BS ad for a tinnitus cure, complete with synthetic voice, which is always a mark of a quality company.
And everyone who has Tinnitus knows that it is easily cured with a magic pill!
That's why I pay the $18.00 per month to get rid of the ads, saves my sanity.
20:00 Okay "Turducken of fukcery" is good, but "Voltron of Bullsh!t" wins, hands down.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. A valid & evocative metaphor *and* funny as hell.
"...if you suffer from a debilitating disease like.....pregnancy." I actually laughed out loud.
"Severe vitamin D deficiency...not a euphemism-"
Well!🕺
Not to be confused with vitamin double-D or DP
I'm a dietetic intern and the amount of ppl who take these pills is insane :( Its so sad when I talk to a pt and they tell me that they don't eat vegetables or fruit bc they take these supps :( :( Real vegetables actually have fiber!
You need their fiber pills to supplement the fiber-less fruit and veggie pills. It's genius.
3:16 exactly this. Multiple people have told me they need athletic greens to get by day to day. I tried the supplement and noticed no difference at all. I also don't eat meat so naturally, I need regular whole foods and vegetables to get by day to day. 🤯
Most supplements are scientifically designed to promote the survival of the richest.
Don't listen to Rebecca people, make sure to take your water supplements today!! Be sure to drink water while taking the water supplements so they go down easier!!
Do not, my friends, become addicted to water. It will take hold of you, and you will resent its absence!
@@SheeplessNW6I can vouch for this. At one point my addiction was so bad that doctors told my most of my body was made up of water
That's ridiculous water shilling for you. Don't you know 100% of people that drink water die?
Dehydrated water is a cheap alternative.
Dihydrogen monoxide is a great, inexpensive substitute!
Reminds me of when my dad was dying of cancer, and my mum was searching for anything to help him beat the prognosis. One of those things was a grifter, proclaiming the healing benefits of the paw paw fruit, which is native to North America, but not sold in stores, because of a "conspiracy among doctors to keep patients sick". They're not sold in stores because they don't ship well...which is why said grifter sold them to my parents pulverized inside a capsule.
My Spidy-senses were tingling the first time I saw the Ad for this crap on TV. Glad to see I don't need to be recalibrated. Thx
Thanks. I’ve been ragging about this since the 80’s when all my SoCal “friends” had 15-20 bottles of garbage on their shelves. (Most of them had chiropractors also)
Oh my god, I keep seeing this commercial and every time I see it it drives me insane!
The quote "There is no possible way for us to get all the fruits and vegetables we need in a day" will live rent-free in my head forever; specifically the section dedicated to making me angry with absurdity
You don’t actually need fruits and vegetables, and that’s why these are scams.
"And the company headquarters are located about a 1-hour’s drive from the center of FLDS territory, Hildale, Utah "
No need for the 1-hour drive to get to the center of FLDS territory ....While the company has its HQ office in St. George, the production plant and warehouse is actually located IN Hildale, Utah.
"880 Pinion St, Hildale, UT 84784"
take a look at the production hub and massive storage warehouse.
RIght in the very heart of FLDS... Some of the employees still wear the FLDS dresses and hair style.
Man, I remember in like...2003, I had a coworker who was pushing these. She got a couple other people to sell it, which makes me think there's an MLM side to this also. Anyway, she claimed the supplements basically healed her vision and got her back to 20/20.
I have a legally blind friend who is into these pills and is hoping they will improve his vision.
That's hysterical.
There absolutely is an MLM side, Arbonne and Herbalife are the two big ones. If you see a new nutritional smoothie shop pop up in your town that claims to offer "energising teas and beverages", more than likely it's a front for Herbalife.
This is the wildest story like this I've heard on YT in a good while.
A while back I watched a video on Weird Fruit Explorer's channel which was pretty funny too. It was about bergamot essential oils, but essentially every one selling it put the wrong citrus fruit on the label.
He even showed a Dr. Oz segment, where they also had the wrong citrus fruit on the packaging, and for good measure they also used it with direct skin contact, which can potentially be dangerous.
Me: "Oh, my doctor here in Central New York keeps telling me I need to take Vitamin D pills, but Rebecca is telling me I don't need supplements because I get most my nutrients in-"
Rebecca: "My doctor in Buffalo, NY told me to take Vitamin D pills and you should definitely listen to your doctor if they recommend a supplement."
Me: "......Well, that's awfully specific."
I probably shouldn't be so easily convinced by a youtuber to follow my doctor's advice she's been giving me for the whole past year, but alas, sometimes we all need a good metaphorical slap in the face. Fine. I'll take my pills. Maybe it'll do me some good.
As someone who also lives near Buffalo, NY, take the vitamin D.
Actual vitamins are not what these sham supplements are trying to sell.
But also make sure you get something to sign if you get a blood test for it because a lot of insurance companies won't cover it.
I take vitamin D as well as B12 and folic acid (at the recommendation of my doctor since a medication I'm on can cause folic acid deficiency) and I get these delicious raspberry flavored chewable ones that taste like candy. They make it a lot more fun than swallowing a big pill
considering how little they cost, especially in comparison to gimmicks like "Balance of Nature", and how few downsides... I take fish oil, too. "I probably shouldn't be so easily convinced by a youtuber to follow my doctor's advice she's been giving me for the whole past year," I'm not sure how sarcastically you mean this, if at all. You're skeptical of being convinced of your DOCTOR'S advice??? I hope a UA-camr also suggests you wear a seat belt. Maybe look both ways before you cross the street?
@@squirlmy - One thing you learn while doing science reporting and fact checking is that family doctors are more of a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none. They have the advantage of being able to tailor their care to your specific health, but they can be wrapped in misinformation just as easily as you or I if they aren't constantly fact-checking or updating their knowledge. My doctor once told me that my LDL cholesterol was optimal, but my HDL cholesterol was significantly low, and I needed to eat more eggs to boost up the latter. When I expressed concern about the LDL cholesterol considering my family's history with cardiovascular disease, she told me the HDL carries the LDL to the liver (which is true) and that eating more eggs does not increase your LDL levels (objectively false). In truth, the studies that claimed this were sponsored directly by farms that sell eggs, and their studies on college students didn't account for replacement or supplement cholesterol in other foods, suggesting they did not account for those already with high LDL cholesterol, who obviously would not have experienced a significant increase in LDL cholesterol (because once you hit a certain level, any increase tapers off like the tail end of an S-curve). It's something I wouldn't expect every doctor to know, but my nutricianist (the actual expert in the field) explained it to me and I was able to fact-check it later, meaning my doctor was misled by a faulty study.
That's why I suspect issues with my doctor's advice sometimes, but I know what you're thinking. And yes, if I'm suspect of something my doctor tells me and I have the knowledge and means to fact-check it, why didn't I? ...Well, yeah. Hence my disappointment in myself to have thought "Wait, now two people I respect are telling me the same thing. Uh... Am I the dummy here?"
Do trust your doctor. Misinfo happens, but you may not be equipped to research it responsibly. I've got access to resources most don't, and I was trained to read publish science. Your doctor does know better than you most of the time.
Balance of Nature and the manufacturer behind it are now shut down following consent decrees in response to the FDA findings.
Rule 1. Never get your medical and nutrition information from a TV commercial.
I am an older person and was getting sick nearly every 6 months. Unable to eat or drink, severe emesis. Doctors told me it was a virus and there was nothing I could do. Soooooo I did some research ( I would rather be in pain than so sick) and found all the correct food I should be eatin. No way I could do this. I started taking vitamins and haven't been sick since. It's been about 2 years since I have been sick.
Laughed out loud at "Genuine human connection" pills from Friendapharma 😀🤣
Also, when the reality is worse than a clickbait sounding title, did not see that finale coming.
@@MeriaDuck
We really got M. Night Shyamalamadingdonged lol
hilariously, I saw an ad for this product yesterday, and their primary claim was that it was a way to get your fruits and veggies. seems at least the truth in advertising trouble has had an effect.
When I started taking Vitamin D on my doctor's recommendation, it honestly changed my life. It's had a huge effect on my immune function, but that said I strongly suspect that's because I was very deficient before. It probably would have a negligible effect on someone who's not deficient.
But if anyone else here in the comments has issues like mine where I'd catch every cold and flu that came around while also having severe seasonal allergies, talk to your doctor about giving Vitamin D* a try.
*(no euphemism, the euphemistic one is fun but probably won't help with immune function)
Vitamin D is one of the ones you can get toxicity from, so it’s not recommended if you don’t have a diagnosed deficiency - though you do have to take quite a bit, I believe.
This stuff sounds great thanks for the recommendation I'm buying some right now!!! When I get it I'm going to make sure to take extra every day to make sure I get enough of this wholesome fruits and veggies 😀😀😀
Ohhh yeah that vitamin D deficiency is rough. I’m kind of shocked doctors don’t test people for it more. I get tested regularly now because I have chronic deficiency, even in summer time when you can get it from the sun.
Maybe an indoor Greenhouse with lights that do produce UV Spectrum? Like a sunroom but homemade?😅
I've been thinking of doing something like that, they have glass filters to take out the worst UV spec, and also taking care of plants really helps with the general angst and homicidal rage😅
Yeah, I was lucky to have a really good doctor there (WHILE I was on Medicaid, even!) who knew to check it based on our location (indoors a lot during winter) and my history of depression.
@@i-love-comountains3850 I have so
many plants lol and I have one of those seasonal depression treatment lights, I think it helps some in the darker months. Taking the vitamin D supplement is the thing that rly keeps me from becoming a lump in winter tho.
Help with the angst and rage😂 I have an autoimmune disorder and a sunlight allergy😝(diagnosed by an actual practicing MD) so some vitamins help for real. BUT wow can supplements be a rabbit hole! I know a vax denier who eats baggies full of "stuff" for health and aside from what all the pills must cost, she doesn't do well. 😮 I don't get it.
Actually there is no evidence it has a casual relationship in anything other than Ricketts. Lots of correlations because sick people don't go out and not going out can make you sick (no exercise, no social interaction).
A severe deficiency is bad, but basically impossible to get. On the other hand, hypervitiminosis of vitamin D is responsible for thousands of hospitalizations a year. Do what your doctor tells you just in case, but its status as a vitimin is heavily refuted
Medlife crisis / dr Rohin francis is an example of somewhere to get more info on the "vitamin" d controversy
And if a placebo works, do. Not. Question. That
If academic credentials can be based what you’ve been “invited to study,” then I’ve been “invited” to get about ten doctorates.
I love that person whose review was essentially “I can overlook FLDS but I draw the line at Scientology!”
I regularly confuse those two cults. No idea why one cult influence is just enough cult influence
I've been straight up calling Mormonism the Scientology of mainstream Christianity for almost two decades already. It takes a really special crowd to find value in either, their (once) super secret background stories have an odd amount of goofy shit in common, and I always do my best to keep away from believers in either one. I'm frankly amazed it took this long for that kind of absurd team up.
As a Underground Bunker subscriber, I'm delighted to see this Rebecca Watson/Tony Ortega crossover.
For the algorithm in hopes you always do what you do. You’re a beacon of rationality. Please keep doing this. Thank you for your work.
I don't watch TV much at all anymore these days, and, yeah, the commercials really "pop." I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one. 😎🤘☮️❤ But those commercials, though... 😕
Awesome video. I have laughed at those tv ads ever since they first came on. No idea about the FLDS and Scientology connections. Thanks
These are types of stories and deep doves are why I love discovering channels like yours
Like only discovered it about a month ago but anytime one pops up on recommended I've been listening to them
This one was a dopzy
"The Turducken of Fuckery" is now my favorite saying that my coworkers are going to hate me for repeating... :)
There is (was) a vegan Mexican restaurant in SF that just closed down because similar cult-like allegations. Apparently they sent all of their employees to similar business seminars, don't know if they were the exact same ones. not only were the seminars not about business, and more about like... being in a cult, but the restaurant made the emloyees pay for their tickets to the seminars themselves. It came right out of their paychecks. And I guess these seminars were mandatory AND frequent. They also enforced a very strict vegan lifestyle on all their employees that the owners themselves were for some reason exempt from following. Apparently the owners had their own private cattle ranch outside of city limits where they processed, sold and ate their own beef. I walked outside of the now closed restaurant a couple nights ago and there's this sad letter posted on the front door about how heartbreaking it is for a place that served their community for so long and was so dedicated to humane treatment of mother earth could go out of business, and there were multiple links to donate to the owners. Guess it could happen anywhere in the world.
Holy shit, Gracias Madre??? God dammit, I'm heading down another rabbit hole aren't I
@@RebeccaWatson the place was called Gracias Madre. Hope that sets you on the right path!
I know, I’ve eaten there and was sad to hear they had closed. I had no idea about all of this so thanks
The perpetrators of the plant-based con know it’s a con.
Reminder to all the vegans out there to supplement their b12!
I'm not even vegetarian but often eat no meat for a couple weeks. Pretty sure I ran into B12 deficiency living of vegetarian/ vegan readymade salads. Kinda unaware any vitamin is not in veggies. Also drank a beer or 2 every other day,more than usual , n excessive caffeine which apparently can flush vitamins. Hat the hot feet. Walking around barefoot at night. Still hot n tingling.
I also learned recently that poor b12 absorption was a side effect of a number of common medications.
seaweed, algae, and certain mushrooms all contain b12
And then there is the powerhouse of Nutritional Yeast
Now try getting Vit C on meat only
@@gur262you need to be not getting enough b12 for at least 2 years before you'll become deficient, because it's stored in your liver. Something else might have been up. Protein maybe?
You can lose bone density quickly if not getting enough calcium or protein , but you wouldn't notice that for years, even though every bit you lose never comes back
so I noticed at the gym once.. because the gym HAS to broadcast Fox News apparently. I quickly noticed there were many ads specifically on Fox News about ways to get "what you need from fruits and vegetables" without eating well... fruits and vegetables. I immediately thought to myself (growing up in Indiana) people who watch Fox News are obviously a target audience for these supplements..
Thanks as always Rebecca for your work. Love your program.
So entertaining! No one Dora-explores rabbit holes better...
Have you read "Lost Boy" by Brent Jeffs? More than just documenting the horrific abuse extent in the FLDS Short Creek community specifically, his story illustrates how such abuse becomes perpetuated in general.
I don’t know where I thought it was going but I am so glad you covered this. Absolutely wild and I love it
In Federalist 51, James Madison wrote: "...But what is government itself but the greatest of all reflections on human nature?"
I would paraphrase that thought into: "But what is advertising and the products being purchased but the greatest reflection of human nature?"
My dear lady Rebecca, you are a treasure to us all. Please continue traveling down those rabbit holes and we will be right there with you. Fortis Mane!
Yooo, Vitamin D gang! I had that and also iron deficiency because my body just sucks. I also can't eat fruits without having digestive issues, so I am truly fucked.
Yeah I also do a lot of supplements because of colitis. It’s annoying because I looooove fruits and veggies but omg they hate me.
I live in the general area of the company's HQ and listen to the radio on my work commute. I hear ads for this company at least twice a day during my drive (which is only 7 minutes each way) across all five stations that I rotate between. Glad I followed my gut instinct and stayed far, far away from them.
ETA: I'm pretty sure one of those radio ads mentioned that they built a new factory in Hildale so they're not even trying to hide their FLDS connections any longer.
At what point is a human more rabbit that human because of all that crawling and digging in dark burrows?
Asking the important questions.
There was a Scientology front group in Portland in the 1990s when I lived there. They did business consulting and they pushed the Hubbard business stuff.
The core part of the business tech was: identify the parts of the business that are making money and continue doing that, while looking for additional revenue streams.
They charge people thousands of dollars for that.
I love that you went into all this.. I had a family member buy this crap, which they probably saw on Fox News, or CNBC, or some crap like that. I actually “get to” watch a decent amount of Fox News, because it’s the media outlet of choice for my family, so I see this stuff ALL THE TIME. Literally, several times a week I see this stuff advertised, and I’ve always wondered how far on the spectrum of fraud this stuff was. This is beyond anything I could have dreamed, and I both love it and hate it..
But now I know, and I will be trying to warn people. If that will help them probably will in part be a matter of if my sources are found to be “woke” or not (that’s unfortunately not a joke).. so.. I won’t be sending them to you, Rebecca, but I will be using your sources. Thank you!
PS - to anyone wondering why I just don’t watch the Fox News, I’m a caregiver for a couple of family members, so it’s not entirely a choice... Also, I’ll admit, I sometimes get a sick kick from some of the crap I see there..
Thank You! I watch a lot of baseball on line & other stuff where I get a ton of their crappy ads. I had wondered how many other people were as annoyed by them as I am. And that was based only on their stupid nutritional/health claims. But now you have given me a bonus by adding in other things I hate like religion, scientology & Utah.
Many years ago, in college (near Buffalo) I learned in a Biology course about those BS claims that people make about diet & nutrition.The claims we heard then (late '70s) were exactly the same. I have more energy, I sleep better, I don't get sick as much. All things that are almost impossible to measure.
Thanks again! And I'll hit 'subscribe'.
As soon as you referenced where the ads were played, I became certain, absolutely certain... That my dad was taking them. I checked in, and was correct. I had warned him that they sounded fishy, but what do I know? Was able to send your video to my mom and hopes that she can help my dad make better choices. the good news is he only took them for a couple of months because they were too expensive for their budget...
Nice work
I read an article that said that the main flaw of Balance of Nature's fruit & veggie pills is that they are relatively expensive, and that they may actually do some slight good aside from that. It's also worth noting that your parents may feel better taking them, even if they do nothing real at all. If I were you, I'd find them a source of similar, but less expensive, fruit & veggie pills from another, more reputable, maker, then buy them some to ease their switch, and that would probably help them the most. Believe me, many other supplement makers have taken note of Balance of Nature's success and have created their own iterations of such pills.
"Voltron of bullshit" - I'll be using that from now one.
I just saw this ad and so glad you draw attention to these scams. And that you spent so much time following your instincts to find the link to a cult! What a twist in the story! Love your channel!
Loved this, great job on it. How about AG1 next.
Mid way through this vid there was an ad for green miracle powder.
that one is probably legit
"A debilitating illness...like pregnancy": it's throwaway lines like this that keep me coming back. And the intelligent commentary, of course.
Nobody who is in a cult will admit to that. But they can easily label of others as such
The world could use more videos like this.
As a fellow sufferer of *severe* Vitamin D deficiency, I appreciate your "not a euphemism" comment
This one didn't go where I was expecting. Neat episode, +1
Not unlike some of those supplements you see hocked online😂
Yes yes yes!! I’ve been waiting for someone to cover this! I always see ads for them when I’m forced to see Fox News on the TVs at the gym I go to and always thought that it was a scam
Okay, this was a great episode... it was like one of those animated unfurling rose mandalas you see at a grateful dead show, only this time the rose was made of elephant dung.
FWIW, I don't think Evig Group is the same as the Evig LLC that's mentioned in the letter? Evig Group is a German-based investor and company incubator focusing on meat alternatives.
damn, when you said warren instead of hole you werent joking! this makes the warren in watership down look like a burrow
I worked for a veterinarian that forced us to take Scientology cult courses I can verify that ALL of this about balance of nature cult connection is true!!
"...from the balance of nature xitter account", Rebecca Watson, you wonderful lady, you just made my day!
:))
Oh, so THAT's how you spell it ...
The x is pronounced “sh”.
The only use case I can see for this is for folks who can't eat veggies for mental health reasons. I remember something like this being popular among autistic folks on tiktok when I was still using the app a while back. They often get hung up on safe foods that exclude fruit and veg, and no amount of force of will can change it until it runs its course weeks or months later. It wasn't sold by a cult or mlm as far as I could tell, but it was expensive.
That was a hecka ride. Good digging.
Excellent... as always. Thank you Rebecca.
The snark is strong in this one 😏 I was not expecting Scientology to pop up! Love Indy and the cheese 🧀
I have always wondered about this when seeing the ads, so I am unbelievably excited for this video.
I have nothing of value to say about the video, I just wanted to tell you that Indy's tail is one of the best things on the internet.
Balance of Nature is nothing more than a modern day pet rock.
What a Journey this was 🤣
Amazing that insurance pays for chiropractic care.
Wow!!! Layer upon layer of cult shenanigans. Thanks for this deep dive!
After taking balance of nature I can turn invisible and hear the screams of mighty sumac bush.
Lots of MLMs in the Mormon church.
No wonder, as it stands for Mormons Loving Money.
"The Voltron of bullshit" is my new favorite phrase.
Jesus, that was one hell of a ride.
How many greens can they fot in a pill, one broccoli bite and a current? But well the power of positive thought. They had people drink a glass of water once on the street, telling them it had special vitamins in it. Then they asked them how they felt and the people said all the same things, more energy, feel better etc. People are quite sensitive to thinking they are getting a good thing.
My parents bought me some of that stuff around a decade ago! The only difference I noticed when I was taking it was that my fingernails grew faster... I assume from the gelatin in the pill casing.