Herbalife

Herbalife logo

Herbalife is a leading producer of weight management and nutritional supplements.

Products

The company offers a range of products that cater to various conditions, including weight loss, digestive health, heart health, personal care, energy and fitness, general health, wellbeing, and [[immunity boosting. The company's products are marketed as herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) and are widely distributed through independent distributors and the internet.

Herbalife products

Publicly traded

Herbalife International of America, Inc. is a publicly traded company located in Torrance, California. The company's products are formulated with a blend of ingredients such as proteins]], amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and botanicals, including green tea, ginseng, ginger, bilberry, and [[other extracts. The company has a history of modifying the ingredients and their concentrations in some of their products.

Aloe

Business model

With operations in over 90 countries, Herbalife operates as a direct-selling company, meaning that its products are marketed and sold through a network of independent distributors, who are also its customers. The company operates on a multi-level marketing (MLM) model, where its independent distributors earn income not only from the sales of Herbalife products but also from the sales made by their downlines. This structure creates a chain of distributors that can extend for several levels, creating a vast network of salespeople. The Herbalife business model is based on a commission structure, where independent distributors earn a percentage of the sales made by their downlines. The company provides various incentives, such as bonuses and promotions, to motivate its distributors to increase their sales. Herbalife also provides training and support to its distributors to help them build their businesses and increase their earnings.

Safety

However, there have been several reports of severe liver injury among users of Herbalife products. The connection between the products and the liver injury has been a topic of debate, and the specific ingredients responsible for the adverse effects have not been identified.

Harbalife branded car

Regulation

Nutritional supplements, including Herbalife products, are not regulated like medications and are not intended for the treatment of specific medical conditions. Instead, they are marketed as supportive of general health]], wellness, and [[weight reduction. Although these products are considered safe and well-tolerated, the efficacy, safety, and tolerance have not been extensively studied in the clinical setting.

Ingredients of Herbalife products

The constituents of the various Herbalife products vary but are largely proteins, amino acids, vitamins, minerals and selected botanicals such as aloe vera, green tea, ginseng, gingko, guarana, valerian, lavender, saw palmetto, echinacea, astragalus, ginger, hops, bilberry, vegetable and fruit extracts and many others.  The ingredients and their concentrations in some of the products have been modified over time. Because the products are considered nutritional supplements, they are not subject to the usual efficacy and safety evaluation given to medications.  However, all nutritional supplements are subject to rules regarding purity and good manufacturing practices.  Nutritional supplements are not recommended for specific medical conditions, but can be advertised as being supportive of general health, wellness and weight reduction.  These multi-ingredient products appear to be generally safe and well tolerated, but prospective studies of their efficacy, tolerance and safety have not been published.

Herbal and dietary supplements

• Aloe Vera, Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Bilberry, Black Cohosh, Butterbur, Cat's Claw, Cascara, Chaparral, Comfrey, Crofelemer, Echinacea, Ephedra, Fenugreek, Flavocoxid, Garcinia cambogia, Germander, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Greater Celandine, Green Tea, Hoodia, Hops, Horse Chestnut, Hyssop, Kava Kava, Kratom, Lavender, Maca, Margosa Oil, Melatonin, Milk Thistle, Noni, Passionflower, Pennyroyal Oil, Red Yeast Rice, Resveratrol, Saw Palmetto, Senna, Skullcap, Spirulina, St. John's Wort, Turmeric, Usnic Acid, Valerian, Yohimbine

Chinese and Other Asian Herbal Medicines

• Ba Jiao Lian, Bol Gol Zhee, Chi R Yun, Jin Bu Huan, Ma Huang, Sho Saiko To and Dai Saiko To, Shou Wu Pian

Multi-Ingredient Nutritional Supplements

• Herbalife, Hydroxycut, Move Free, OxyELITE Pro, SLIMQUICK

See also Nutritional supplements