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ISOTONIX OPC-3
COMPETITORS By Dennis Franks
Market America™,
along with its thousands of Independent Contractors, leads the field as the #1
supplier of isotonic-capable vitamins in the entire world. We lead the parade in
total worldwide sales and in brand recognition in this field and continue to
grow in North America as well as Australia.
Recently, we have received the ultimate compliment. Several companies have
decided to release their version of our OPC-3 product. The names of these "me
too" type knockoff products include: Ultimate OPC+, Ultra OPC, Total Isotonic
OPC Powder, and believe or not, OPC-4. We have purchased each of the product
knockoffs except for OPC-4, which we are in process, and have conducted tests on
each.
First and foremost, we take great pride in our product development and quality
assurance of each product we represent in our Market America Mall without Walls.
We are proud of selling nearly a billion dollars in goods and services over the
past ten years. We are especially proud of the thousands of satisfied customers
we have created specifically through the Health and Nutrition Store and the
thousands of testimonials we have received on our Isotonix OPC-3 product.
Competition does not bother Market America, and it should not bother you as an
UnFranchise Owner and Customer Manager.
For many of us, it is a matter of comparing the product ingredients and price
and understanding why it is better or worse. The main reason Market America
wants to know is because in our mission statement we state, "to provide the
highest quality of product and service to the end consumer."
First and foremost, after careful examination of each product beginning with
taste, we determined that Isotonix OPC-3 is great tasting, a bit tart but
refreshing. The flavor technology is superior as well as its solubility, how
well the product mixes with water. Total OPC Powder is not sweet or tart, but
somewhat weak and watery, and it clumps when mixed with water. The Ultimate OPC+
is very bitter with a synthetic grape flavor, but mixes well. Ultra OPC has a
Kool-Aid type synthetic sweetness with an aftertaste, but mixes well with water.
OPC-4 was unavailable for taste and mixing.
The cost comparisons of each product per serving are: Isotonix OPC-3 - $0.72,
Ultimate OPC+ - $1.65, Total OPC Powder - $0.71, OPC-4 -$0.67, and Ultra OPC -
$0.33 per serving. No doubt, Ultra OPC is the lowest priced and to date, the one
that a number of you have contacted Market America about.
Looking deeper into the products scientifically, we tested each for their
isotonic capability through an independent laboratory, SGS Labs. Only OPC-3
tested within range to be an isotonic-capable product. In fact we purchased, in
particular, Ultra OPC, on two occasions, six weeks apart. In both cases, the
tests showed that the product, Ultra OPC, was not isotonic-capable. It
registered hypotonic, falling below acceptable isotonic range, in the first test
and six weeks later it registered hypertonic, registering above and outside
acceptable isotonic range. I have a real concern whether this product is being
made in an FDA-approved facility using Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs). In
fact, while most of the OPC-3 knockoffs as well as OPC-3 carry a lot number on
each label for product identification purposes and quality assurance, a lot
number was not printed on the Ultra OPC label. To make matters worse, with the
exceptionally sweet taste of the Ultra OPC and the supplement facts posting only
2 grams of carbohydrate, quite frankly, I have to question the carbohydrate
content or the ingredient content of the product. The product is not
isotonic-capable and perhaps should list an artificial sweetener on the label.
Although the product is very sweet-tasting at first, it has an intense bitter
taste on the back of the tongue, quite unlike Isotonix OPC-3. Also, Ultra OPC
has an artificial grape flavor like some kids' grape drinks. This artificial
grape taste is not typical of natural grape seed and red wine extracts.
Market America is currently utilizing all of its legal capabilities to make sure
that any competitor producing "me too" type products is presenting a truthful
and honest position. This is especially true if they are making direct
comparisons to Market America, its products, pricing and distribution channels.
Below are the actual independent tests for isotonicity conducted at SGS Labs.
Osmolarity *
Lot Number
Price
Taste
ISOTONIC CAPABILITY:
Acceptable Range 275 to 310 milliosmoles/ kg (mOsmol/kg)
Isotonix OPC-3
285 mOsmol/kg - Isotonic
Yes
$ 0.72/serving
Good tart taste
Ultra OPC
1st Test - 249 mOsmol/kg - Hypotonic
No
$ 0.33/serving
Poor taste, synthetic sweetness
2nd Test -345 mOsmol/kg - Hypertonic
No
Ultimate OPC
405 mOsmol/kg - Hypertonic
Yes
$1.65/serving
Very bitter, Synthetic grape flavor
Total OPC Powder
66 mOsmol/kg - Hypotonic
Yes
$ 0.71/serving
Not sweet, weak, watery
* Solutions prepared per use - Instructions on the product labels.
INGREDIENT COMPARISON:
Grape Seed Ext.
Red Wine Ext.
Pine Bark Ext.
Bilberry Ext.
Citrus Ext.
Potassium
Isotonix OPC-3
25 mg
25 mg
25 mg
25 mg
25 mg
93 mg
Ultra OPC
25 mg
30 mg
25 mg
25 mg
25 mg
93 mg
Ultimate OPC
25 mg
25 mg
25 mg
25 mg
25 mg
385 mg
Total OPC Powder
75 mg
75 mg
75 mg
75 mg
75 mg
100 mg
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Other
Isotonix OPC-3
Ultra OPC
10 mg
5 IU **
--
Ultimate OPC
60 mg
15 IU
Na,Vit A,Folate,B12, Mg,Lycopene, Ginkgo, Vegetable concentrate
Total OPC Powder
--
--
--
** We tested this sample for tocopheryl acetate, a dry powdered form of Vitamin
E.
SGS Labs results indicate that there was "no tocopheryl acetate present in the
sample". We conclude that this ingredient does not meet label claim for the
product.
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