Acai is a small, round, black-purple berry with amazing nutritional properties. Its appearance is similar to that of a grape, but it has a smaller amount of pulp and a single large seed. Scientific experts have referred to the acai berry as the most nutritious and powerful food in the world. 

The acai berry grows in clusters on the acai palm, a genus of 25–30 species of palms native to tropical Central and South America. These tall, slender, and attractive palms can grow 15–30 meters tall, with leaves up to 3 meters long. The prime commercial source of acai comes from the area where several rivers converge within the Amazon estuary, emptying along the northeastern corner of Brazil into the Atlantic Ocean between the states of Para and Amapa. The people of Brazil refer to acai as the “Milk of the Amazon.”

No. In fact, MonaVie is helping to preserve the Amazon rainforest by harvesting the acai berry. Each week, poachers illegally chop down 5,000–10,000 palm trees to obtain and sell a 12-inch section of the palm known as the “palmito.” As a result, the entire tree dies. On the other hand, by harvesting the acai berry, the palm tree continues to thrive and the natives have an incentive to preserve the acai-bearing palm tree. It is estimated that in 2006, MonaVie, by buying the acai berry from Brazilian suppliers, will preserve over 250,000 acai palm trees.

MonaVie products are a proprietary blend of 19 power-packed fruits. Fruits are necessary not only for their vitamin, mineral, and fiber content, but also for the many phytonutrients and antioxidants they offer. MonaVie's goal was to create a blend of delicious and nutritious fruits high in antioxidants and specific phytonutrients. An exhaustive review and analysis of fruits grown all over the world revealed that wild fruits—and particularly those grown in the Amazon rainforest—had by far the most phytonutrients. In the end, MonaVie chose the 19 fruits that would best contribute to your health and give you the variety of fruits your body needs on a daily basis.

While all the fruits contained in MonaVie have unique properties that benefit your body, the acai berry has become the “headliner” fruit because it is packed with nutritional value—proteins, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals. It also has a low glycemic index. So complete is this berry that the Brazilian people living along the Amazon can survive on it as their sole source of food and demonstrate amazing vitality and energy. More important than this, however, is the impressive amount of phytonutrients that MonaVie is able to capture from the acai berry.

In addition to the acai berry, there are 18 fruits, including: white grape, nashi pear, acerola, pear, aronia, purple grape, cranberry, passion fruit, banana, apricot, prune, kiwi, blueberry, bilberry, camu camu, wolfberry, pomegranate, and lychee fruit.

Yes, with an ORAC score of 1,026, the acai used in MonaVie boasts the highest ORAC score of any fruit or vegetable tested to date. The acai fruit is the star among other well-known antioxidants, such as blueberries, grapes, red wine, green tea, cranberries, blackberries, and pomegranates. By comparison, acai has more than 10 times the antioxidant power of cranberries.

An acronym for oxygen radical absorption capacity, ORAC is a way to measure the antioxidant capacity of a food. Foods with high ORAC values are desirable for their ability to inhibit free radical activity. The ORAC measurement was developed by a scientist at the National Institute of Aging in 1992 and has proven to be a valuable tool in quantifying health benefits associated with consuming fruits, vegetables, and other antioxidant-containing foods and supplements.

Antioxidants are “agents” that inhibit harmful compounds known as free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to your cells through the process of oxidation. By donating an electron to unstable free radicals, antioxidants neutralize their harmful effects. Obtaining a variety of antioxidants through diet or supplementation is essential to maintaining your good health.

Free radicals are atoms with at least one unpaired electron. In excess, free radicals produce harmful oxidation that can damage cell membranes. Free radicals are analogous to cattle let loose on a field of planted crops. Uncontrolled, the cattle would destroy the crops. Ranch hands are hired to make sure the cattle stay in place and graze. Antioxidants act much the same way. As the ranch hands for our bodies, antioxidants prevent free radicals from potentially damaging millions of healthy, functioning cells.

Oxidative stress occurs in your body when there are not enough antioxidants to counter the effects of damaging free radicals.

Tobacco smoke, alcohol, pollution, insecticides, radiation, chemicals in the home or at work, and excessive amounts of sunlight are all prolific contributors to the formation of free radicals. Other causes include a high-fat diet, stress, insufficient sleep, and strenuous exercise.

The MonaVie juice blend is a very powerful antioxidant against these additional free radicals; in fact, the SORAC assay score of 1,614 unit/g represents the highest value ever reported for superoxide scavenging activity in vitro of any food.

Phytonutrients are naturally occurring compounds that contribute to the flavor, color, and disease-resistance of plants (i.e., fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes). Phytonutrients are powerful antioxidants, but their value extends much beyond free radical protection. Maximum health benefits are derived from consuming a variety of phytonutrients with a full spectrum of colors and pigments, such as those found in MonaVie products.

Polyphenols are a class of powerful antioxidants that play an important role in preventing cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) and that have been shown to reduce harmful LDL cholesterol. Polyphenols are also thought to be responsible for the French Paradox: the French have a diet relatively high in fat, yet have a decreased incidence of heart disease. This is attributed to the amount of polyphenols present in the grapes used to make French wines. MonaVie products contain a powerful variety of polyphenols, including anthocyanins. It is estimated that MonaVie products have 20–30 times the amount of anthocyanins found in red wine.

Yes. With flash pasteurization, the product is heated for approximately 15–30 seconds and then immediately cooled. By only briefly subjecting the product to high temperatures, most—if not all—taste and color changes are avoided. Flash pasteurization is preferred to other methods because it kills microbes without destroying beneficial phytonutrients.

Yes. The acai used by MonaVie is certified organic through The Institute for Marketecology (IMO). IMO is one of the first and most renowned international agencies for inspection, certification, and quality assurance of eco-friendly products. IMO's worldwide activities are accredited by the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS), according to EN 45011 (ISO 65), which is the international standard for organic certification.

Because MonaVie product formulas are proprietary, the exact amount of acai or the other fruits contained in our blend is not disclosed.

The U.S. National Research Council recommends that you consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain a proper supply of food derived antioxidants for your body. Research indicates that only five percent of the U.S. population consumes five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

To ensure the highest level of quality, MonaVie blends and produces MonaVie products at its manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City , Utah (not far from the corporate office).

Glucosamine hydrochloride is a natural compound found in the body that is used to help make and form cartilage. Glucosamine has also been shown to help lubricate, cushion, protect, and rebuild joints.

There are three types of glucosamine: glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl), N-acetyl glucosamine, and glucosamine sulfate. Both glucosamine HCl and glucosamine sulfate are rapidly converted into “free” glucosamine in the stomach. So, from a medicinal standpoint, they are equally effective. However, glucosamine HCl is 79 percent glucosamine, while glucosamine sulfate is only between 47 and 52 percent glucosamine. MonaVie Active Gel and the MonaVie Active juice contain glucosamine HCl because it contains the highest level of free glucosamine.

If unopened, both the MonaVie juices and MonaVie Active Gel have a shelf life of one year. If the MonaVie juice has been opened, then the shelf life is approximately 30-60 days, as long as the opened bottle is refrigerated. The MonaVie Active Gel should be consumed in its entirety as soon as it is opened.

Yes, MonaVie products are safe and contain only well-tolerated foods. MonaVie contains fruit juices and purees naturally found in the food supply that have been consumed by various cultures for hundreds of years. However, if you have any health concerns, you should consult a physician before starting any new product or program.

There is no special approval or certificate needed from the FDA to approve the sale of a juice product. As long as the ingredients contained in MonaVie products are generally recognized as safe, which they are, FDA approval is not necessary.

It is not the purpose of a natural product like MonaVie to treat, cure, or prevent disease; the FDA approves drugs to treat, cure, and prevent disease. MonaVie's products are made with a specific selection of fruits and other natural compounds such as glucosamine hydrochloride and esterified fatty acids. These fruits and compounds have been shown in some studies to protect from various ailments.

Esterified fatty acids are thought to reduce pain-like symptoms and rapidly promote joint health, improving flexibility and mobility. Esterification is the general name for a chemical reaction in which two chemicals (typically an alcohol and an acid) form an ester as the reaction product.

For customers concerned about potassium levels for reasons relating to dialysis, please consult a physician before taking MonaVie products. The potassium level in MonaVie Original and MonaVie Active is approximately 62– 66 mg/oz. MonaVie Original and MonaVie Active contain no potassium additives, grapefruit, or cantaloupe.

For customers concerned about vitamin K levels because of blood thinning medication, please consult a physician before taking any MonaVie products. The vitamin K level in MonaVie Original and MonaVie Active is approximately 1 2.4 µg/oz.

Yes.

To create a blend of water-based fruits and essential fatty acids that tasted palatable, MonaVie considered a number of emulsifiers. The safest, by far, was polysorbate. Polysorbate has been thoroughly researched by the FDA and has been found to be nontoxic and safe at the amounts used in MonaVie Original and MonaVie Active. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (the “food police” for the USDA) awarded polysorbate their highest safety rating.

Sodium benzoate, an organic chemical preservative, can prevent the growth of almost all microorganisms (e.g., yeast, bacteria, and fungi) and occurs naturally in some fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, nuts, wines, and teas.

MonaVie uses natural flavors in its products because a juice concentrate, which contains only the juice from a fruit, does not give you the entire flavor of the fruit. MonaVie's natural flavors make our products more palatable and balanced by staying true to the natural flavor of the entire fruit. The natural flavor used in MonaVie Original, MonaVie Active, and MonaVie Active Gel is a mixed berry natural flavor.

Yes. MonaVie also encourages its distributors and customers to take advantage of recycling services in their state or country (where available).

MonaVie Active Gel is a synergistic blend of 19 fruits, including the Brazilian acai berry, esterified fatty acids, and glucosamine hydrochloride. It comes in a convenient, single-dose gel pack for when you're on the go.

MonaVie Active Gel is a stand-alone product. It offers a convenient way to get all the benefits of MonaVie Active juice—including glucosamine and esterified fatty acids—in a convenient, single-dose gel pack. MonaVie Active Gel is 1 fluid ounce and is approximately equivalent to 2 fluid ounces of the MonaVie Active juice.

In addition to the acai berry, there are 18 fruits, including: white grape, nashi pear, acerola, pear, aronia, purple grape, cranberry, passionfruit, banana, apricot, prune, kiwi, blueberry, bilberry, camu camu, wolfberry, pomegranate, and lychee fruit. 

Glucosamine hydrochloride is a natural substance that stimulates the manufacture of other substances necessary for cartilage repair and aids in restoring proper joint function.

There are three types of glucosamine: glucosamine hydrochloride (HCl), N-acetyl glucosamine, and glucosamine sulfate. Both glucosamine HCl and glucosamine sulfate are rapidly converted into “free” glucosamine in the stomach. So, from a medicinal standpoint, they are equally effective. However, glucosamine HCl is 79 percent glucosamine, while glucosamine sulfate is only between 47 and 52 percent glucosamine. MonaVie Active Gel and the MonaVie Active juice contain glucosamine HCl because it contains the highest level of free glucosamine.

Shellfish are a known allergen and glucosamine is derived from shrimp shells. However, people who are allergic to shellfish are actually allergic to the protein troponin, which is found in the muscle (protein) of shrimp. Analyses do not find any protein in the glucosamine hydrochloride used in MonaVie Active Gel. Glucosamine hydrochloride (GHCl), the form of glucosamine used in MonaVie Active Gel, is more than 99 percent pure. Because shellfish are a known allergen, please consult with a physician before taking MonaVie Active Gel.

Esterified fatty acids are thought to reduce pain-like symptoms and rapidly promote joint health, improving flexibility and mobility. Esterification is the general name for a chemical reaction in which two chemicals (typically an alcohol and an acid) form an ester as the reaction product.

Stevia is a plant native to South America . The whole leaf of the stevia plant contains numerous phytonutrients and trace minerals and is much sweeter than sugar, without the negative effects—it can sweeten with no calories, no carbohydrates, and no tooth decay. Stevia is safe for diabetics.

A natural carbohydrate gum used as a thickener and emulsion stabilizer.