NeoLife Review - 15 Things You Need to Know
We’re always on the lookout for nutritional supplements that offer exceptional benefits. Our search led us to a company called NeoLife that sells products they say will help “end the trend” of poor nutrition. We had to find out if the products worked and if the MLM opportunity is worth buying into.
Our first concern was that, for health products, some of NeoLife’s supplements contain quite a bit of added sugar. After that discovery, we decided to look into the claims the company makes about their products, possible side effects, and what science has to say. Finally, we wrapped all of the information together to bring you this concise report and our bottom line.
NeoLife can be purchased through their Official Site.
What is NeoLife?
NeoLife is a global network marketing company specializing in whole food nutrition supplementation. As part of the GNLD family of brands, which includes Nutriance and Golden, NeoLife aims to enhance wellness through its product line.
Operating on a network marketing model, NeoLife provides individuals with the opportunity to become distributors and earn income by reselling health and nutrition products. The company’s sustainability is attributed to a lower average turnover compared to competitors. NeoLife’s product range claims to address various health concerns, including weight management, heart health, and digestive health, utilizing ingredients purported to replicate the nutritional benefits of whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish. While individual products and Health Packs cater to specific health functions, it is important to note that these claims are made by the manufacturer, and individual experiences may vary.
The two main products aimed at weight loss are the NeoLife Shake and NeoLife Tea, so does the research behind the ingredients in these formulas show they’ll work?
- Food & Function – Hands down, meal replacement shakes have proof they work to help people lose weight. This is especially true if the shakes are used alongside lifestyle changes like adding exercise and reducing overall calorie intake.
- Molecules – “The mechanistic systems in the body through which tea causes weight loss are complex and multi-dimensional. Additionally, the bioactive components in tea such as catechins, caffeine, and products of tea polyphenol oxidation vary greatly from one major tea type to the next.” NeoLife Tea uses green, black and white teas, so all varieties are covered. Good choice.
- Drug and Alcohol Dependence – The teas in NeoLife Tea supply caffeine, but there’s also added caffeine in the mix. Researchers are growing concerned that “Even though caffeine is a functional drug there are concerns about dependence.”
NeoLife Competitors
Product | Review | |
---|---|---|
The Cambridge Diet | read | |
SlimFast | read | |
Protandim | read | |
Kyani | read | |
Noom | read |
How Did NeoLife Start?
NeoLife traces its roots back to 1958 when Jerry Brassfield founded GNLD, the parent company of NeoLife. According to the company’s claims, Brassfield, who grew up in a low-income family, started his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 13, selling family nameplates door to door to save money for college. Born on April 9, 1940, in Porterville, California, Brassfield’s parents were hard-working farmers facing financial hardships in California’s agricultural communities.
The NeoLife website states that Brassfield’s mother, determined to improve her son’s health, introduced quality nutritional products to his daily diet. Allegedly, Brassfield’s improved health fueled his passion to help others enhance their nutrition. NeoLife officially began in 1958 with the introduction of Formula IV, touted as the first whole food nutritional supplement delivering Tre-en-en Grain Concentrates for optimal cellular nutrition. Brassfield later acquired the company and merged it with GNLD.
NeoLife, accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) since 1969 with an A+ rating, boasts positive customer reviews on its website. Some of the products offered by NeoLife include shakes, teas, supplements like CoQ10 and PhytoDefense, as well as nutritional essences such as Pro Vitality and Tré. It’s important to note that these details are based on the claims of the manufacturer, and individual experiences may vary.
Is NeoLife an MLM Company?
NeoLife sells its products through “Promoters.” They describe the opportunity as “kind of like a tech startup but with nutrition.” Though the official website doesn’t call the way they sell products as an MLM, compensation does pay based on products sold by the promoter and everyone else in their “team,” including other promoters and club members. The amount a promoter makes is based on how much they sell and how many people signed up under them and how much those in their downline sell.
NeoLife offers promoters an app called “NeoLife Backoffice.” This app is supposed to help you keep track of your rank, review orders, shop, and more.
One question that people often have regarding companies that use MLM to promote their products is legitimate. It can be challenging to tell the difference between a pyramid scheme, which is illegal and an MLM opportunity.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says that the difference between an MLM and a pyramid scheme is that with an MLM, you make money based on how much product you sell to the public. With a pyramid scheme, the money you make is dependent on how many people you sign up and how much you sell to those people.
The FTC offers the following tips for determining if an MLM opportunity is legitimate:
- Learn about the products. Find out if they are good quality and do what they claim to do.
- Find out about the company. Including how long they’ve been in business if they have a good reputation, and whether they’ve have any past lawsuits questionable practices in the past.
- Take time to read information, including the terms and conditions, and think about your decision before signing a contract.
Scroll below for one of the best products we’ve seen over the last year.
NeoLife Claims
About the NeoLife Bar:
- Provides long-lasting energy.
- Curbs hunger.
- Contains antioxidants.
They also claim that having a healthy snack twice a day will improve your weight loss success.
One of their best-selling products is the 3-Day Detox. They claim that it will:
- Kickstart weight loss.
- Remove toxins from the body.
- Promote gut health.
Another product, the NeoLife Shake, is supposedly clinically proven to:
- Reduce body fat.
- Help with weight loss.
- Lower BMI.
- Provide cardiovascular protection.
One thing it is important to note about the claims made by many supplement companies is that they are not evaluated for accuracy by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
When it comes to supplements, the FDA only looks at whether the label is accurate, and the product contains only what is on the ingredients list. That means they don’t determine if a supplement is effective.
NeoLife Ingredients
There are a lot of NeoLife products, so obviously we can’t list all of the ingredients here.
However, some of the ingredients they use are:
- Proprietary protein blend.
- Fructose.
- Proprietary protein and fiber blend.
- Evaporated cane juice.
- Senna extract.
- Lactobacillus Plus proprietary blend.
They also use many ingredients you’ll recognize as things you have in your cupboards and refrigerator, such as:
- Pumpkin seeds.
- Raisins.
- Dried cranberries.
- Peanut Butter.
- Honey.
Does NeoLife Work?
One positive aspect of NeoLife is that they provide information about clinical studies using the ingredients in their products.
While that’s a positive thing, they may only be giving customers one side of the story.
Some of the NeoLife products, like the NeoLife Shake, use a proprietary blend of protein. NeoLife says that their protein shake will help users to lose weight. They suggest that you use the shake as a meal replacement.
The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology says that overeating protein can also be detrimental to your health. According to the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, when you consume too much protein, your kidneys have to work harder to remove the excess nitrogen from your system. The average adult only needs to consume between 46 and 56 grams of protein daily.
Another concern is with the idea of people needing to detoxify their bodies. NeoLife suggests that their 3-Day Detox pack can remove toxins from your body and help you lose weight.
A group of scientists in the UK looked into claims made by companies that sold products they claimed would detoxify the body. In their extensive research, they found that companies used the word “detoxify” to mean many different things.
Also, most of the products they studied didn’t live up to their claims.
NeoLife – Too Much Sugar?
One of the things our research team does when researching a product or company is to read what people are saying about it. One concern we saw frequently was about the amount of sugar in some of the NeoLife products.
The recommendation for women is to eat no more than 25 grams of added sugar per day and that men eat no more than 36 grams.
The NeoLife Fruits & Nuts Bar and the NeoLife Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, products touted by the company as a healthy snack, contain 10 grams of sugar. NeoLife suggests consuming two bars per day as part of a weight management diet, so that’s 20 grams of sugar.
Now, if you were also to use NeoLife Shakes, which are part of the Weight Loss Pack, you’d be eating even more sugar. NeoLife Shakes contain 11 grams of sugar per serving. If you replaced a meal with a shake and then ate two NeoLife Bars as snacks, you’d be getting 31 grams of sugar per day.
If you’re female, you’re over the recommended limit. If you’re male, you’re left remarkably limited in what you can eat for the rest of the day.
NeoLife Benefits and Results
NeoLife suggests there are many benefits to using their products.
Some of the things they say their products will do are:
- Make you healthier.
- Help you lose weight.
- Detoxify your body.
While we agree that the products offer many nutrients, you can get all the nutrients you need by eating a balanced diet.
Yes, it may take a little more thought than grabbing a protein shake or a bar, but it will likely be less expensive and better for you overall.
Choosing healthy, whole foods, you can avoid a lot of the added sugars that are present in some of NeoLife’s products.
Details on NeoLife and Weight Loss
Although protein shakes and detoxifying supplements are popular as weight loss products, science suggests that they aren’t as effective as NeoLife would have you believe. Using a protein drink as a meal replacement may result in temporary weight loss, but let’s take a closer look at the research into the two main weight-loss products from the company.
NeoLife Shake is formulated with soy protein, whey protein and a proprietary fiber blend. According to Obesity, prepared meals and meal replacements are an effective means of weight loss for people who have trouble with plan adherence. There’s even evidence that total meal replacement is even more effective than partial meal replacement for weight loss, according to the BMJ. The extra protein provided by products like NeoLife Shake has been shown to help improve function in obese individuals with frailty issues, says the Journal of Gerontology.
NeoLife Tea contains ingredients like caffeine, green tea, panax ginseng and rhodiola rosea. A recent review of all available literature supports the claim that caffeine can promote weight loss, based on research published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. As for green tea, “scientific evidence supporting the beneficial anti-obesity effects of green tea and GTCs [green tea catechins] has been increasing,” according to Molecules.
How to Use NeoLife
How you use NeoLife’s products depends on the product you are using.
They provide instructions for each supplement on their website. For example, the instructions for NeoLife Shakes say to mix two scoops of the powder with 8 ounces of cold water.
Where You Can Buy NeoLife
NeoLife products are not available from retail stores, but you can purchase them directly from the NeoLife website. Some of their products are also available on Amazon. You also have the option of buying products through a promoter.
The cost of NeoLife products, of course, depends on which products you’re interested in. They’re a little hard to find, though.
To find the costs on the official website, you have to begin signing up as a Club Member. Once you do that, you can see the prices of products with and without the auto-ship option.
Some of the costs are below:
- Vitality Pack: $66.02, $62.72 with auto-ship.
- Weight Loss Pack: $266.45, $253.13 with auto-ship.
- 3-Day Detox: $58.94, $55.99 with auto-ship.
What is the NeoLife Club Membership?
NeoLife offers a Club Membership that enables customers to purchase their products at a discounted rate. There is no cost for signing up. Benefits of the NeoLife Club Membership are:
- Exclusive Products
- 15-30% Off Suggested Retail
- Nutrition & Personal Development
- Complimentary Personal Website
- 3 for FREE Program
- NeoLife Challenge
- Fun Events & Community
Since it doesn’t appear that you can purchase a product on the official website without becoming a Club Member, we can’t help but question whether you’re getting a discount unless you agree to have products auto-shipped.
Potential NeoLife Side Effects
All products have some potential for side effects. Some people may have no problems with a product at all, but others might have some difficulties.
To determine the potential NeoLife side effects, our researchers looked at some of the ingredients they use.
NeoLife shakes use a protein blend that contains:
- Soy protein isolate
- Nonfat dry milk
- Whey protein isolate
- Calcium sodium caseinate
People who have difficulty digesting milk products may experience side effects like:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Cramps
- Bloating
- Gas
Whey in high doses can cause:
- Increased bowel movements
- Nausea
- Thirst
- Bloating
- Cramps
- Lack of appetite
- Fatigue
- Headache
NeoLife Detox uses senna extract can cause:
- Stomach discomfort
- Cramps
- Diarrhea
And, since detoxifying products clean out your intestines, you can expect to spend some extra time in the bathroom.
NeoLife Product Warnings
The warnings listed for NeoLife depends on the individual product.
Any NeoLife Lawsuits?
Our researchers did not find mention of any NeoLife lawsuits or NeoLife recalls.
Is NeoLife a Scam?
We do not think that NeoLife is a scam. However, that doesn’t mean we think you should rush into using the products or becoming a promoter. Instead, we recommend taking the time to read the scientific evidence the company provides about its products. Then, do some more research of your own to get all sides of the story.
As for the MLM opportunity, follow the FTC’s suggestions and give the available information a thorough read through. Don’t skip over the “fine print.”
Read the terms and conditions, too. Set up a meeting with a promoter in your area to talk about their experience with the company. Find out if they’ve had any problems or if they’re making the amount of money they expected to.
NeoLife Alternatives
The best NeoLife alternative we can think of is to follow a healthy diet. Make sure you eat a diet that includes lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean protein. Avoid eating processed foods that contain added sugar and salt.
If you’re unsure of what you should be eating and how much to eat, talk to your doctor. He or she may refer you to a dietician for assistance.
However, if you’d still like some support from nutritional supplements, some alternatives to NeoLife are:
- Activated You
- Daily Greens
- Fitteam Global
What Users Are Saying
“This medication help me alot.”
“Neolife Company provides the best food supplements and health medications .delivers the product i ordered on time, and had great stepups.”
“Great for cellular nutrition, however its Very hard to swallow due to the capsule is too large.”
The Bottom Line on NeoLife
After all the research, our bottom line on NeoLife products is that it has some pros and some cons. We like that the ingredients are natural. We also like that NeoLife provides information about some of the science behind their products.
However, we do have some reservations. Some of our concerns are:
- The possible side effects some of the NeoLife products may cause are uncomfortable and unpleasant.
- Some of the NeoLife products contain 10 grams or more of sugar, which is more than a health product should.
- The cost of NeoLife’s supplements is quite high, putting it out of reach of some consumers.
If you’re looking for clinically-proven weight loss, we have a suggestion.
One of the top products out there is Noom. It’s a collection of weight-loss resources and tools from nutritionists, doctors and other experts that helps you learn how to lose weight once and for all. We love human coaching and personalized meal plans, but it’s about more than that. There are food tracking, exercise tracking and articles from weight-loss experts.
We couldn’t find any talk of negative talk about Noom and the customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive. We’re seeing a lot of real people seeing real results.
The makers of Noom even offer a free trial offer. We like the confidence that shows in the product.
Learn More About Noom »
Gary Knox (Verified Purchase)
I am unable to receive a refund. Customer service said they would email a return label and I never received one. A product called Lipotropic made me jittery and raised my BP. . I want my refund and will return opened bottle.
J Doh
Way overpriced. Don’t buy “proprietary formulas,” aka mostly cheap ingredients as fillers.
Tricia (Verified Purchase)
Loaded with sugar. Avoid!
Hi..do one take Neolife tea in an empty stomach or between meals?
NeoLife does not mention whether or not their product should be used before or between meals, only that it can be consumed once or twice a day.
Jonas (Verified Purchase)
Very poor description here. It is super products, Best in the market and more much more ! I did many years of research of quality and safe products and I stopped with neolife. The products and how they works actually changed my life completely, so good they are……… And please don’t mess about this beautiful company. They real!
Jamie W (Verified Purchase)
I have been using the Neolife products for about 9 months. I have had amazing physical results in my body. I highly suggest anyone go listen to the 100’s of very positive videos of what real folks who use these products have experienced first-hand.
I have been using the Neolife products for over 10 years with very beneficial results.I’m 76 years old and in good health; I believe the use. Of the Neolife products is a big contributor to my good health.
Are Neo Life products, worth the Cost
Hello Akpam. We have a couple concerns about NeoLife, including their high cost, potential side effects, and high sugar content. You may want to go with a different weight-loss program that can be individualized to your needs and is backed by multiple studies, like Noom.
As a user of these products for over 10 yrs now, I say yes.It sure beats the cost; in comparison, if I had medical bills to pay.
Nate (Verified Purchase)
A decent supplement but, Extremely Over Priced !
Yes its costs because Neolife company uses the finest and purest of ingredients to produce their products: such as their health supplements and their non- caustic cleaning products.
Bantu Majozi (Verified Purchase)
According to my experience with Neolife, I’ve always been loaded with satisfying and convincing proofs of its worthy products to buy. I’ve learned also the fact that their products are scientifically proven. Moreover, the company and its pioneers lives and portays the healthy professionalism to the public as a whole, globally. I LOVE NEOLIFE.
As a 10 year user of Neolifes products I heartily agree !
Happiness Pitalis
I want to join in this company as promoter
Neo life was a reputable company, The owner, Jerry Brassfield did the unthinkable when he made his young daughter with no experience the CEO. It’s been a downhill slide ever since, They outsourced their supplement shipping to a below average company in order to save some money, Distributors who used to get their orders in a timely and error free fashion now get the complete opposite, long wait times with several shipping errors. They claim they care about their distributor “family”, but they sacrificed the quality and care of the distributors lifeblood, their product orders, .just to save a few bucks. This never was the “Neo life way” before. A legacy tarnished. .
Neolife uses Fed-ex
I dont know anything about this but will check into this..Neolife has great products: If this is true;I hope they will recover their good name and continue to produce their excellant products.
I just put my first order in on Sunday and I thought with Memorial Day being on Monday that it would take longer to get my shipment but I was so amazed when it came on Thursday…that’s super fast so I didn’t have any problems with waiting