The Mannatech pitch

During our phone conversation (see Commission-based healthcare), Dr Wilson didn't mention the specific name of the supplements. Instead, she invited me to a presentation later that month at Wellington's Duxton Hotel where a "Dr Fouts" would be speaking.

Dr Fouts, whose credentials include a doctor of chiropractic degree, turned out to be a Mannatech enthusiast from the US and the event consisted of a lengthy presentation by him on the benefits of the company's products.

The Mannatech line is that everyone needs to take supplements because our diets are deficient in essential plant-based "glyconutrients". Mannatech's products claim to provide these nutrients which it says "support your immune system, protect against free radicals [and] slow down the process that causes premature aging".

The company has previously come to the attention of regulatory authorities in the US. In July 2007, the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, filed a law suit against Mannatech alleging the company had aggressively marketed supplements to unwitting purchasers "aided by an army of multi-level sellers and their fictitious claims".

Under a settlement reached in February 2009, the company agreed to pay $4 million in restitution to Texas customers and agreed not to advertise or otherwise claim its dietary supplements can cure, treat, mitigate or prevent disease. The company's founder and largest shareholder, Sam Caster, must pay a $1 million civil penalty and is prevented from serving as an officer, director or employee of Mannatech for five years.

Mannatech tactics

Mannatech has come to our attention twice before. In 2003, we warned that misleading health claims made by company salespeople risked breaching the Fair Trading Act. The Ministry of Health also cautioned the company (in writing) that salespeople faced prosecution under the Medicines Act for claiming the pills could cure or treat cancer.

In 2005 we reported on Mannatech Manna-Bears, sugar-coated gummi-bears containing powdered fruits and vegetables. Designed for children, they're marketed as "every parent's answer to the continuing challenge of getting kids to eat the right foods in the quantities growing bodies need". According to the US Food and Drug Administration, these types of products have minimal nutritional value.

The company also sells skincare and weight-loss products.

New Zealand sales of Mannatech products in 2007 were worth US$6.9 million.

The cost

Mannatech products aren't cheap. A 60-capsule bottle of the company's main supplement - a month's supply if you follow the recommended dose - costs around $70. Other products are more expensive. However, you can buy the supplements at a discounted price if you sign up as an associate. Dr Wilson suggested this is what I could do.

To become an associate, I was told there would be an initial "investment" of $1500. Once I'd paid this, I would be able to get products at the cheaper rate. The way Mannatech's system works, Dr Wilson stood to gain a bonus for bringing me on board, as well as a commission on any products I bought in the future. Dr Wilson explained that I could also earn money in this way by signing up my friends and relatives.

Dr Wilson says she takes Mannatech supplements herself. Evidently, she genuinely believes they work and she's entitled to that opinion. That's not our concern. What we do take issue with is doctors using their contact with patients to sell products in which they have a financial interest. In our view, this practice risks compromising the doctor-patient relationship.