When I tell you that I gasped when I saw this news, I’m not even joking. I never thought I’d be talking about Pure Romance (the sex toy MLM), yet here we are.
Couple notes before we jump in:
- I typically do my MLM diet reviews over on YouTube, but will be building out my blog for easier and quicker sharing of information.
- This review will continue to be added to as I receive more information. I’m currently trying to get my hands on the program guide.
- The information in this article is coming from pureromance.com and https://blog.pure21.com/ and is coming from the perspective of a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
- Always talk with your healthcare provider before taking a supplement. Supplements might interfere with medicines you may be taking. If you are pregnant or chest-feeding, check with your healthcare provider before taking any supplement.
Alright, let’s go!
Pure Romance, like many other companies, decided to jump on board the New Year’s dieting trend by dropping a new wellness challenge.
The website claims “Pure 21 is the first step in a lifestyle change that reshapes the way you think about your nutrition and your body. It’s a challenge and commitment you make to yourself: 21 days, 5 supplements, 1 transformation.”
They describe it as a “21-day program with detailed nutrition guidelines and your choice for exercise. Pure 21 is the perfect jump start to a healthier future, whether that means refreshing your commitment to simple daily changes or taking the first steps toward major lifestyle goals. The purpose is focusing on what your body needs, not what it wants, and the goal is a new you: a you that feels healthier, leaner, more active, and better than ever.”
The program is broken down into 3 weeks, with a different focus each week.
Week 1: The first week is focused around digestive health, or as diet culture likes to call it “gut health”.
A blog post written about week 1 states:
“This first week, we’re setting the stage for the best results by supporting your digestive tract. The Digestive Enzymes will help your body break down the foods you eat so you can better utilize the nutrients you consume. It’s important to keep your diet as clean as possible to allow these digestive enzymes to work as effectively as possible. This will help increase your metabolism, aiding in weight loss.”
In reality, most people don’t need digestive enzyme supplements. Pancreatic insufficiency isn’t something everyone experiences, yet, you’d think so with how many MLMs have digestive enzymes these days.
Unless you’re experiencing pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, cystic fibrosis or other pancreatic-related condition, the likelihood of needing digestive enzymes in supplement form is low. And if they are needed, it’s recommended to get them prescribed by a physician.
Next up, the note about keeping your diet “as clean as possible” is concerning, because unless we’re talking about the difference between food with dirt on it, versus rinsed food, “clean” is a worthless and harmful term that we often see in cases of orthorexia – disordered eating centered around the fear of “unhealthy/unclean” foods.
Also, if people changing their diet to mostly nutrient-dense foods and more balanced meals – which I’m assuming is recommended in the guidebook – they are likely going to feel benefits from the food itself, which may include improved digestion.
Adding a product, while changing intake, introduces many variables, and the results typically get wrongly attributed to the product versus the change in food intake.
Week 2: Will be updating as more information comes out
Week 3: Will be updating as more information comes out
In addition to the weekly-focused actions, the program includes supplements: whey protein, digestive enzymes, a probiotic, multivitamin, and a fiber/herb supplement – all for $299.
Pure Romance Whey Protein:
Their whey protein supplement comes in chocolate and vanilla, and is in an isolate whey form, with lecithin (an expected thickener additive).
Whey isolates are more processed than whey concentrates (which isn’t a bad thing). The processing reduces carbohydrates making it a better choice for those who are lactose intolerant versus whey concentrates – which are less processed and therefore have more naturally-occurring carbohydrates.
Whey protein is one of the two major proteins found in milk, and it’s one of the most popular supplements for good reasons. It’s a food-based, quick source of protein that some find helpful after a workout when food is recommended, but a heavy meal might not sound appetizing. It’s ideal for timing around workouts because of generally easy digestion and less GI distress than a solid meal.
Unfortunately, the dieting industry has turned a helpful tool into a dieting tactic by promoting the use of whey as a meal replacement for weight loss. Whey isn’t generally recommended for use as a planned meal replacement due to its low calorie content.
As with any protein supplement, it’s recommended to choose one with third party testing to ensure there aren’t any fillers or contaminants.
There are several high quality, non-MLM whey protein options that are priced at a lower cost.
Pure Romance Probiotics:
Their probiotics product contains 10 bacteria strains, with the blend coming out to 7 billion colony-forming units (CFUs).
Current evidence suggests consuming anywhere from 5-20 billion CFUs (at time of production), depending on need and desired outcome.
While there are some medical conditions where probiotics may help, this can vary between people. A summary of research suggests inconsistent benefits in digestive health over placebo and other studies suggest no other benefits on overall or individual symptoms.
Several of the strains in this product are found in OTC probiotics.
Probiotics are generally considered safe as they naturally occur in the body and in probiotic-containing foods, however it’s important to remember they may cause mild stomach upset, diarrhea, bloating (especially when first starting to take them), as well as potentially triggering allergic reactions and microbiome issues, especially in people who have an increased risk of infection, including those with a critical illness, those with a weakened immune system (such as those undergoing chemotherapy), and those who recently had surgery. Always talk to your healthcare provider before starting a probiotic supplement.
Pure Romance Multivitamin:
Multivitamins are one of the most common supplements. Most studies find little to no benefit from multivitamins, however others show potential benefits.
Generally, multivitamins aren’t beneficial if food intake is varied and adequate calories consumed, unless specific deficiencies are present – which is found by testing and treated generally by a physician, registered dietitian, or other qualified healthcare professional.
Their multivitamin contains excessively high amounts of micronutrients compared to the recommended daily values (mind you, you’re still getting micronutrients in with food intake).
There are a few added nutrients not typically found in multivitamins, however they don’t appear to be in therapeutic studied amounts – like the inositol included for example.
Pure Romance Digestive Enzymes:
Enzymes are naturally part of the digestion process. They break apart our food (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) for our bodies to utilize the nutrients.
While there is a wide range of enzymes in this product, most people don’t need digestive enzyme supplements. There is little evidence for the use of reducing common digestive discomfort symptoms.
Certain conditions can lead to a lack of enzymes, however working with a physician is important as they can prescribe enzyme replacement therapy specific to your needs.
At this time, digestive supplements, across the board, usually end up being a waste of money.
Pure Romance Fiber/Herb Supplement:
The last supplement included in this program is their Pure Start – a fiber and herbal supplement.
The website states: “This powerful, 7-day detox is formulated with 10 select ingredients including fiber, herbs, extracts, and nutrients to strategically eliminate harmful toxins from your body while improving the strength of your immune system and promoting weight loss “ – side note: I did report this to the FTC, because those seem like pretty steep claims.
There are currently no studies using this product to suggest that this product does what it says.
I am not holding my breath that there will be one as typically, if we get a variety of nutrients from food intake and adequate calories, our liver and kidneys are sufficient at naturally detoxing our body.
The benefits you’d receive from fiber, like psyllium husk, are seen from intake at higher amounts than what would be found in two capsules, mixed with other ingredients.
Do I recommended it or not?
In summary, looking at the supplements included in the program and the blog articles, this program doesn’t appear to be anything ground-breaking or new in the field. Not only that, but in my professional opinion, this program encourages habits typically seen in disordered eating habits, and is not something I’d personally recommend to someone wanting to build a more nutrient-dense intake and healthy relationship with food and body. As I end my videos, remember, you can strive for health, without subscribing to diet culture.