Mannatech.
Business
cult/scam. American based company, makes various dietary supplements
including Ambrotose. Mannatech operates
as a business cult, featuring a pyramidal form (see Multi-level
Marketing Scheme) to distribute its products, concealment of information
from non-members (apparently the information is actually illegal in
New Zealand to give to non-members, so that gives you some idea of
how "on the level" they are), non-scientifically sustainable
claims, etc. Mannatech is a scam because there is no scientific evidence
that consuming Ambrotose does anything that consuming any sugary food
won't also do, since the body converts sugars from one type to another
as needed.
Jargon includes the term "glyconutrients" which is a genuine
scientific word but misused by Mannatech. For example, Mannatech and
its resellers push genuine glyconutrient science as evidence that Mannatech
products work, and are either unaware themselves or hope the listener/reader
will not realise that glyconutrient science does not provide evidence
that Mannatech's sugar pills work, or that they work as claimed, or even
that they could work in the way claimed. Read 
Ambrotose
and Down Syndrome for an overview of this. Because of the deception involved
this practice is highly misleading (and illegal, depending on the specific
claims) and the New Zealand Cult List condemns
it categorically.
In a July 2005 NZ Herald article, reporter Chris Barton asked George Howden, Mannatech's general manager in Australia, for "evidence that our diets are lacking in the glyconutrient sugars Mannatech says they are; and for scientific studies that show that by taking Mannatech products there are measurable health benefits." His reply was that he was not qualified to give that information. Without that sort of conclusive information readily available and the exorbitant prices charged Mannatech can only be described as a con.
From a New Zealand Press Association article, 9 March 2003:
New Zealand Aids Foundation executive director Kevin Hague said today the pills were "shonky" and had no scientific basis. ...
"Over the years there have been very many of these essentially 'snake oil' solutions to HIV," Mr Hague told NZPA. ...
Mr Hague said the foundation was angry that sick people and people with children suffering from illnesses and disease could be taken in by the claims attached to the pills.
He said the claims amounted to "cynical exploitation of the desperate and vulnerable".
The New Zealand Cult List has investigated a few specific Mannatech-related claims and has compiled Mannatech-related quotes.
Mannatech is only given a Caution rating here because it is likely to harm only your wallet, perhaps to the tune of $250-$350 per month (the NZ Herald claimed New Zealanders bought NZ$19 million of Ambrotose in 2004, TVNZ mentioned $20 million of products for 2005), although some long-time buyers of such products (not just Mannatech) are said to have serious problems with discernment. However, the rating of Danger was considered because of the claims made by resellers that it is able to cure life-threatening conditions, and for claims from Mannatech distributors that revelation from God was the source of discovery for Ambrotose, meaning it's a religious product being falsely marketed to a religious (in particular Christian) audience, playing on their religious beliefs. Christians market the stuff by claiming it is natural and therefore "God's way". Deception is not God's way.
For Christians selling the stuff, it has been suggested the name should be Mammontech, from Matthew 6:24 "You cannot serve God and mammon (money)".
A probably related topic is the placebo effect, and it's interesting to note the more expensive the placebo the more likely it is to work. With Mannatech we're talking about very expensive sugar pills. (That's literal sugar pills, BTW, not "sugar pill" as a euphemism for placebo.)
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Printed on 20 January 2021 at www.cults.co.nz.
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