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Wondernut: ARB Ruling

Posted 28 March 2022

A consumer laid a complaint with the Advertising Regulatory Board against the claims being made for Wondernut arguing that there is no robust evidence to support the claims being made for this product.

The product claims, inter alia:

  • May Lose centimetres
  • May Improve Muscle tone, May Increase weight loss and detoxifies your system.
  • May Maintains Energy levels
  • May Enhances skin – Making it soft and shiny May increase your skin elasticity
  • Transform food into energy instead of fat

After a thorough consideration, the ARB agreed and ruled against the claims being made for this product.

Decision of the ADVERTISING REGULATORY BOARD

Complainant: Dr Harris Steinman
Advertiser: Wondernut (Pty) Ltd
Consumer/Competitor: Consumer
File reference: 1936 – Wondernut – Steinman
Outcome: Upheld

Date: 28 March 2022

The Directorate of the Advertising Regulatory Board has been called upon to consider claims made by the Advertiser for its “Wondernut Capsule” … Read the rest

March 28th, 2022 | Tags: , | Category: ARB Rulings, Wondernut | Leave a comment

Wondernut: If this diet aid is dangerous, why is it still on the market?

Posted 04 May 2018

By Katharine Child Times Select

Activist puts the blame on SA’s new drugs regulator, which in turn claims it is under-resourced

Desperate to lose weight, a Joburg woman was eager to try a weight-loss pill readily available online – one that promised to be a herbal remedy. But then things took a turn for the worse for her health.

Four days after starting to use Wondernut, she started shaking all over. The woman has severe bipolar disorder but has been stable for years on a range of psychiatric medications.

“We thought she was having a ‘depressive’ episode as she was a wreck and couldn’t talk properly. This was accompanied by gastritis with nausea, vomiting, inability to eat and severe pain. She was in bed for 10 days. She stopped using the product, and is only just getting better now, physically and emotionally,” her daughter explained.

… Read the rest
May 4th, 2018 | Tags: , | Category: Wondernut | 19 comments

Wondernut, Zemiente, Nuez de la India, Indian Walnut – all the same and toxic

Posted 25 April 2018

We have pointed out a toxic nut being sold as a weight-loss product. Most of our postings are about Wondernut. However, the same nut is being sold on other websites and Facebook under different names: Zemiente (zemiente.com); Nuez de la India (nuezdelaindia.co.za); Indian Walnuts (indianwalnutsa.co.za); Leynate (indianwalnutsa.co.za); Magic Nut (magicnut.co.za); and others.

They are all the same ingredient: the nut from Aleurites Moluccanus, or closely related. They all have the same degree of toxicity.

Almost all make the same argument:

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). On the official website of the USDA there is a page specially made for Nuez de la India (Indian Walnut), This page contains information that indicates more than 50 physical and morphological characteristics of this seed, the most important being the one that indicates that:
A) Nuez de la India is NOT TOXIC
B) Nuez de la India … Read the rest

April 25th, 2018 | Tags: , , | Category: Wondernut | 7 comments

Wondernut: ‘Weight-loss’ nut product highly toxic – Herald

Posted 13 April 2018

Ingestion of the nuts has been reported to cause vomiting‚ gastrointestinal pain and diarrhoea.

BY Wendy Knowler – 12 April 2018 

IT is marketed as an all-natural‚ 100% organic‚ certified non-toxic product which results in weight loss‚ detoxifies and lowers cholesterol‚ but the nut has been described as highly toxic to humans.

In November, South Africa’s Medicines Control Council – now the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority – issued a strong warning that the nuts of Aleurites moluccanus (L.) Willd. – also known as Indian Walnut‚ and marketed in South Africa as the Wondernut – had reported toxic effects in humans‚ ranging from severe gastrointestinal irritation to death.

That was because it contains compounds that have irritant properties and are very strong purgatives‚ the regulator said.

“They may also act as potent tumour promoters and be very irritating to the skin and eyes.

… Read the rest
April 13th, 2018 | Tags: , | Category: Wondernut | 3 comments

Wondernut: the owners, and accountability?

Posted 03 April 2018

One would think that any person with any moral or ethical standards would think twice before selling a product with false claims of weight-loss. But in our experience, often these people are simply people with no moral fibre, often simply scam artists, and rarely, uninformed. Some may have features associated with being psychopathic, e.g., show no remorse.

What do we make of Piet, Hennie and Maureen Botes who are the Board of Directors & Co-founders of Wondernut? In spite of the Medicines Control Council saying that this product has no proof of causing weight-loss, and is potentially highly toxic, they continue to make false claims on their website (and of their agents), claiming that the product can result in weight-loss, and is safe.

Worse: a blatant “lie”: they state: “This Organic weight loss Seeds has not been evaluated by the MCC. The Organic weight loss … Read the rest

April 3rd, 2018 | Tags: , , , | Category: Wondernut | 2 comments

Wondernut -ASA ruling

Posted 21 March 2018

In spite of CamCheck highlighting the false claims being made for this product, as well as the MCC statement, Wondernut continued to make false claims for this product. It is evident from the ‘comments’ section that Wondernut agents have read CamCheck postings, but continue to sell this product. That alone makes their actions disgusting.

A complaint was laid with the ASA regarding the false claims being made for this product.

The ASA have ruled against the product’s claims, including the absolute rubbish claim that the product is homeopathic!

ASA: “Given this, all the claims listed by the Complainant, in so far as they appear anywhere on the Facebook page, including but not limited to the ”about” section, are unsubstantiated at this time.”

If the company starts with a lie, how can one believe anything else they say?

ASA Ruling

… Read the rest
March 21st, 2018 | Tags: | Category: ASA (SA) Rulings, Wondernut | Leave a comment

Wondernut (Indian Walnut) – Toxic weight-loss product

Posted 03 October 2017

This press-release today from the Medicines Control Council, warns that a weight-loss product containing Indian Walnut, it toxic and can harm consumers.

The product is sold at www.wondernut.co.za and www.wondernutjoburg.co.za

[note note_color=”#fcfbfb”]Most of our postings are about Wondernut. However, the same nut is being sold on other websites and Facebook under different names: Zemiente (zemiente.com); Nuez de la India (nuezdelaindia.co.za); Indian Walnuts (indianwalnutsa.co.za); Leynate (indianwalnutsa.co.za); Magic Nut (magicnut.co.za); and others.[/note]

[note note_color=”#fdfba8″]I have searched everywhere for credible evidence that this product will result in weight-loss. I cannot find a single source to confirm the claims, even in traditional sources.  Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (“Unbiased, Scientific Clinical Information on Complementary, Alternative, and Integrative Therapies”) does not mention its use for weight loss, but “is used [traditionally] for asthma, bloody diarrhea, dysentery, sprue, and as a bowel stimulant“. For safety, it states, among … Read the rest

October 3rd, 2017 | Tags: , , , | Category: MCC (Medicines Control Council), Wondernut | 189 comments