Pantagonian Maqui Juice

What is this drink, you may ask. Actually I have not heard of it either lol! But Carol was giving away free samples (it's a whole bottle worth RM 180!!) so I asked for one.

I certainly don't need to lose anymore weight but I'm more interested in the other benefits of this drink. Initially, I was going to let my sis drink it but then she doesn't seem interested (and she's already taking something else) so I decided I'll be the lab rat lol

You can read more on the ingredients and wonders of this drink HERE. According to Carol, you can feel the effects within 15 minutes, where you will feel warm and a lil sweaty. It's supposed to also support healthy aging, increase energy level, good for anti-inflammatory activity & clears skin as well as help protect against sun damage.

I quote "Therefore it actually helps us in balancing our lifestyle, from sleep-time to promote weight-loss....consume for 2-4 weeks you can definitely experience the difference!"

First of all, she sent it to me using City Link, which isn't cheap. I expected to receive it by registered post or something. I didn't know her name so I wasn't sure what was inside the parcel.

Did you know that City Link parcels are so hard to open? >.< The bag is even tougher than the Poslaju ones.

And I was a lil shocked when I unwrapped it and saw the box o_0 HUH?! What is this? 

Then I realised oh.. It's the juice. This bottle is HUGE! It didn't look this big in the photo.. You can compare it with my monitor behind.

Close ups of the bottle. Sorry first pic looks cacat. Joined 2 photos for it lol

So I opened it to try out this morning (10/9/2010). First thought : URGH! What is this!!?!?! There's black stuff in it x.x Nvm.. Braved myself to try it anyway. Convincing myself it's just berry seeds or whatever.

Usually, when there's a certain amount you should be taking, they would provide you with a measuring cup or it would say "drink two caps full". This cap is neither 30 ml (product suggested 29 ml but I'll just take 30 ml) nor 15 ml. It can fit 15 ml but it's not quite exact. A small measuring cup was used to measure the 15 ml.

Then I found a shot glass that could fit an ounce. Beside it is the measuring cup. I would prefer to use the shot glass since I only have to pour once. For the price of RM 180, I'm surprised they don't even provide you with a measuring cup.

I poured it into the shot glass. It actually looks kinda tasty now.

I can't help but think that it looks very similar to a previous bottle of Dragonfruit Enzyme I was drinking which also had the same claims. It was the same murky colour and also had the black bits. And you know what? You can make them at home! Just Google 'homemade fruit enzyme drink'. If you don't wanna make them yourself, they can be purchased for less than RM 60 per bottle. Sumore those come in glass bottles (they look like wine bottles) while this is a plastic bottle. Btw, I do remember these enzyme drinks have come out in the news before. They were said to have been completely useless! After that, they weren't so popular anymore.

I did not experience any 'heatiness' or sweating. Compared to the dragonfruit enzyme drink, this does not taste much like alcohol (they were fermented). The taste is not bad though. It's a little sour but I can take it. Tastes and smells like berries (duh.. it's made from berries). But my dad said it smells like perfume (dunno where that came from).

2 weeks later : I've been diligently drinking an ounce of this everyday, determined to test its effectiveness. I don't feel any boost in strength or stamina, I'm still as sleepy as before and it definitely did not clear my skin lol I had really bad breakouts and I swear I didn't take any peanut butter or whatsoever. I did however... Lose a kilo o.0 I only realised I lost weight cos my denim skirt felt loose. To you, a kilo may be nothing but I don't normally lose/gain weight. My weight has always remained stagnant. But I don't know if it's the drink or something else.

10/10/2010 - Exactly one month after I started consuming this, I can now truthfully tell you that... I don't feel a thing LOL None of the claims seemed to be true for me. And I think it's beginning to taste more and more harsh. Is it still fermenting in my fridge?! I find myself dreading to swallow this every morning because of that.

Product says :
A Powerful Blend of Maqui Berry, Aloe Vera & Sea Minerals in a Delicious Nutritional Supplement

• Worlds highest known source of antioxidants
• Supercharged with resveratrol
• Promotes weight loss
• Boosts strength and stamina
• Neutralizes free radicals

Size : 32 fluid ounces / 946 ml
Serving size : 1 ounce / 29 ml

Price : RM 180

Bought from : Carol

Made in USA

Pros : Tastes good (initially)

Cons : Expensive, no measuring cup, no visible effect

My conclusion : Despite having so many claims, I'm not convinced this product actually works. Even if fruit enzymes worked, I wouldn't spend 3 times the amount on the same thing. Besides, the dragonfruit enzyme tasted way better.