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Aloe Vera? Mum falling out with her friends...

I'm a bit upset because my Mum keeps falling out with her friends over me.
One of her old friends from college has recently started her own nutrition business. So she says. I have a degree in nutrition and I'm a registered associate nutritionist. I looked into her new business and found out its just pyramid sales. Its selling aloe vera. She keeps calling my mum every few weeks and going on about how I should get involved. I'm not interested in sales, thats not why I became a nutritionist.
Anyway, when my mum told her about me being in hospital over xmas, she started going on about how much aloe vera can help. My mum got really annoyed at her, it sounded like she was completely disregarding my degree. Mum was saying, you can't tell her what to try, she knows enough to do her own research etc. etc. Basically she said stop telling us what to do.
Then a couple of days later, we got some information in the post from her about crohn's and aloe vera. I don't know where she got it from but they were "case studies" about how aloe vera worked for these people.
Then my mum wrote her a letter and I don't know what it said....
This is the second friend she has almost fallen out with over me in the last two months.
Anyway... Anyone tried aloe vera?
 

afidz

Super Moderator
It seems like I have been hearing a lot about this lately. I did find a wiki entry that may help you out a bit
" It is recommended that it should not be used in people who have undergone abdominal surgery, or who have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis."
Here is a link to the wiki if you want to read the whole article
http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Aloe-Vera
Hope this helps!
 
I tried aloe vera and I have no (I mean zero) tendency toward diarrhea or stomach problems. It made me sick and gave me D. I am not saying that it isn't good for the long-term because I obviously don't know. Let's just say, E isn't trying it anytime soon though.
 
It has a laxative effect. What we don't know is if that would subside and if (in the long term) it would be beneficial to crohns? It would be a gamble. I would only try it if you know real people claiming, "wow, this really works". Not some random info published by someone who wants to make $$. Some supplements "cure" everything from MS to Crohn's to ADD...marketing to sell a product. If they are just throwing IBD out there with their list, be cautious.
 

KWalker

Moderator
Pyramid sales are the worst! The guys at the top are the only people who ever benefit from that, and "you" will never see the top. I almost got sucked in once.

I've heard mixed things about Aloe Vera. A lot of what I've heard is that it can make you feel a lot worse before you start to see improvements, and a lot of people don't actually see improvements
 
Tipical MLM tactic. They will do and say anything just about anything to get people involved in their schem
NO matter what ails you, their product is virtually a miracle cure, or so they claim, but're almost always just one level below total scam.
 
I don't want to try it, I'm not interested.
But I kinda want to have information to be able to explain why, as she is my Mum's friend and isn't taking no for an answer.
My mum was talking to my aunt about it earlier on the phone, and my aunt said that this friend of theirs really believes it and she is just trying to help.
So I guess whoever this company is she is working for has really sucked her in.
 
I've taken the whole leaf mix and the inner fillet mix as well as supplement capsules with the good polysaccharides with no problems. Not sure the benefit though.

Then there are the super expensive versions that purport to contain certain "dalton ranges" of ingredients which may or may not be more effective for various ailments. I haven't done the research or paid the money to find out. This kind of aloe was reccomended by my osteopath, and he's pretty sharp.

In the end, I wish I lived in a climate where I could grow my own, with good soil and watch everything that goes into to it, so I could ingest the fresh gel and/or leaf with no worries. I think this stuff is probably best.
 
How about because the results of studies are just now being released that indicate some health concerns regarding Aloe Vera, including some possible indications of carcinogenics?

See link: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/interviews/aloevera/index.cfm

But no matter what you say, these pyramid organizations have already come up with some BS way of countering every single argument imaginable. They actually want you to argue with them, because that keeps you going, providing them with a continuing opportunity to get you to buy--and if they can keep you going long enough, they will probably succeed.

Only way to get rid of them is to stop talking to them. Do not try to argue or reason. It is pointless. The biggest problem that most people simply are not obnoxious/rude enough, and their desire to be polite, decent human beings, only provides these bottom feeders with the opportunity to keep them going long enough, so they can figure out what your "hot buttons" are, and how to push those buttons, to get you to respond the way they want.

I'm sorry, but Aloe Vera does not, and never has, helped Crohn's decease. I have never even heard of such a thing, and neither did they, not until they got your mom's friend to sit down, and fill out some stupid form, listing every single thing, about everyone she knows, including and especially health problems, that they could use, to make up some total bull about, to make money off you, by exploiting your greatest weaknesses and fears.

That's what they do. That's what they ALL do, and is the very thing that makes them such slime. True scum of the earth.

If you try to beat them, you will lose because they have been doing this all their lives, have it down to a fine science, and it is THEIR game. Any time you try to beat someone at their own game, you will inevitably lose.

It doesn't matter what you say. They will never take "NO" for an answer. They don't care about truth, and they certainly don't care about your health. They only care about making money. Although I would say that, more accurately, they only care about suckering you out of your money.

So walk away and don't feed the vampires.

edit: didn't mean to come across as sounding so harsh--not about your mom's friend, who probably has bought into everything she's been told by this company, and very likely does believe it. That's also something MLMs excel at.
 
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Hey, sorry I meant to reply to this ages ago and forgot!
You didn't sound too harsh don't worry. I know exactly what you mean. Its just its frustrating that she keeps on to us about trying it and we don't want to! It makes it harder that she does actually believe it.
 
Hey, sorry I meant to reply to this ages ago and forgot!
You didn't sound too harsh don't worry. I know exactly what you mean. Its just its frustrating that she keeps on to us about trying it and we don't want to! It makes it harder that she does actually believe it.
I just don't like MLMs. It's not even so much the concept, but their marketing practices, and the way they tell newcomers things like, "fake it till you make it" and You have to spend money to make money" to get them to spend literally thousands of dollars buying their products, samples, and advertising costs.

Most people who join end up spending several thousands of their hard earned money before they figure it out--and it's also mostly those who can can least afford it. I know people who have gone bankrupt as a result.

So, I feel sorry for your mom's friend, and hope it doesn't end up costing her thousands before she realizes they're just taking her for a ride. My bet is that within the year, she will have gotten out. Most do.
 
Location
Scotland
I have a friend who sounds very familiar to your mums friend. The best way for your mum to deal with this is to nod her head and say "oh right maybe she could try that" If she keeps bringing it up she says "yeah I mentioned it to her" Some people actually believe they read a leaflet, watch a tv program or sit through a lecture and they know everything about everything. They dont normally let up and its annoying as they havent a clue what we are going through, but they think what your doctor has told you to do is wrong cos they saw a leaflet...sigh! You wont win with people like this and I know exactly how to answer my friend now when she tells me to try something
 
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