Mentabiotics still isn’t a thing

/ Frauds, MLM Reviews / By


Last September Kyani was acquired by Amare Global. This prompted me to do a quick check on our 2019 Amare Global review.

I noted changes to the compensation plan so, following the Kyani acquisition, today we’re revisiting Amare Global for a review update.

The Company

Amare Global operates out of California. The company was founded in 2016 by then CEO Hiep Tran (right).

Tran has a financial background, with Amare Global being his first MLM executive venture.

Today Tran is Amare Global’s Chairman. Jared Turner was appointed Amare Global CEO in September 2021.

Turner (right) has a legal background and began his MLM executive career with Young Living.

Turner joined Young Living in 2012 as Associate General Counsel. By the time he left the company in 2020, Turner had risen to President and Chief Operating Officer.

Outside of MLM, Turner founded Utah-based Zulu Piri Piri Chicken Grille in 2017.

Amare Global’s Products

Amare Global’s product line hasn’t really changed much since 2019. The company still markets supplements targeting what it refers to as the “gut-brain axis”.

There have been a few additions, so I’ll provide an updated Amare Global product list below:

Sexual Wellness

  • Amare Ignite – “proprietary blends formulated with all-natural ingredients … to support the balance of important hormones”, retails at $76.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules

Mental Fitness

  • Amare Edge – “all-natural nootropic that supports motivation”, retails at $87.95 for a tub of 30 servings
  • MentaBiotics – a “comprehensive combination of unique strains of probiotics, prebiotics, and phytobiotics that have been scientifically shown to improve mental wellness”, retails at $82.95 a tub
  • MentaFocus – “clinically shown to support focus, mental sharpness, clarity, creativity, and cognitive functioning”, retails at $51.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules
  • MentaSync – “optimize the communication sync of chemical messengers between your brain and your gut”, retails at $62.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules
  • MentaHeart – “features key ingredients backed by multiple clinical studies shown to help optimize the heart”, retails at $87.95 for a bottle of 60 softgel capsules
  • Energy+ – a “mental energy product that delivers rapid improvements in brain and physical performance”, retails at $53.95 for a box of 30 single-serve sticks
  • Mood+ – “significant benefits for mood support such as relief from anxious feelings, sadness, restlessness, and overall stress relief”, retails at $67.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules
  • Relief+ – “supports the body’s natural pain response system”, retails at $68.95 for a bottle of 45 capsules
  • Sleep+ – “rejuvenating, refreshing, restful sleep”, retails at $67.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules

Personal Care

  • DermaBiotics Regenerating Serum –  “all-natural topical serum with targeted prebiotics, probiotics, and phytobiotics that directly nourish the skin microbiome”, retails at $71.95 or a 1 fl. oz. bottle (30 ml)
  • DermaBiotics Collagen Boosting Spray – “daily oral spray with targeted postbiotics, phytonutrients, and minerals that boost your body’s collagen production”, retails at $71.95 for a 1 fl. oz. bottle (30 ml)

Confidence & Weight

  • Reboot+ – “reset your gut-brain axis with this 3-day system”, retails at $29.95 for a box of 12 capsules
  • VitaGBX – a “premium multivitamin”, retails at $46.95 for a bottle of 120 capsules
  • GBX Protein – “microbiome-boosting plant protein”, retails at $45.95 a canister
  • GBX SuperFood – “provides the phytonutrient equivalent of three servings of fruits and vegetables per scoop”, retails at $34.95 a tub
  • GBX SeedFiber – “phytobiotic-rich formula contains seeds as sources of natural microbiome-boosting fibers”, retails at $42.95 a tub
  • GBX Fit – “the world’s first QUADbiotic gut-brain axis product for weight loss”, retails at $77.95 for a bottle of 30 capsules

Gut Health

  • Digestive – “complete GI Support”, retails at $29.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules
  • Probiotics – “broad spectrum, high-potency probiotics”, retails at $35.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules
  • GBX Pep – “a delicious infusion of probiotics, prebiotics, and organic caffeine”, retails at $49.95 for a pack of 12 cans

Essential Nutrition

  • OmMega – “lavender-infused fish oil … that supports mental wellness”, retails at $35.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules

Kids & Teens

  • Kinda FundaMentals – “all-in-one gut-brain axis nutrition for kids and teens”, retails at $75.95 a tub
  • Kids VitaGBX – “comprehensive multivitamin for kids and teens that combines more than 50 vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and phytonutrients”, retails at $41.95 for a bottle of 120 capsules
  • Kids Mood+ – provide significant benefits for mood support, including stress resilience, cognitive performance, calmness, focus, and positivity, retails at $51.95 for a box of 30 single-serve sticks

Note that some Amare Global products feature in multiple categories. I’ve sorted them out above based on the first category they appear in on Amare Global’s online store.

Kyani products have their own category:

  • Kyani HL5 – “collagen support formula”, retails at $86.95 for a box of 30 single-serve pouches
  • Kyani Sunset – “supporting your most important organs—your brain and your heart—while also helping maintain healthy cholesterol levels, cognitive function, immune support, and healthy blood sugar levels”, retails at $55.95 for a bottle of 90 softgel capsules
  • Kyani Sunrise – “provides antioxidant support to help your body fight oxidative stress and maintain cellular health”, retails at $62.95 for a box of 30 single-serve pouches
  • Restore – “less bloating, more energy, and peak digestive performance”, retails at $38.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules
  • Kyani ON – “smart energy shot”, retails at $33.95 for a box of 8 single-serve pouches
  • Kyani Nitro Xtreme – “when taken before another nutritional product, Kyäni Nitro enhances the product’s performance through optimized nutrient delivery”, retails at $72.95 for a bottle of 15 servings
  • FIT20 – “provides lasting energy to power through your workout and your day”, retails at $62.95 for a pouch of 14 servings
  • Kyani Origin – “a complete, macronutrient-balanced, 100% vegan shake sourced from superior quality plant proteins”, retails at $56.95 for a pouch of 14 servings
  • Kyani Electro – “helps replenish essential electrolytes and support nitric oxide regeneration”, retails at $28.95 for a box of 14 servings

Note Amare Global offers a discount if products are purchased on monthly autoship. Discounted bundle packs are also available.

Amare Global’s Compensation Plan

Amare Global’s compensation plan is built around a ten-level deep unilevel team.

Autoship, rank-based and product-credit bonuses are also available.

Amare Global Affiliate Ranks

There are fourteen affiliate ranks within Amare Global’s compensation plan.

Along with their respective qualification criteria, they are as follows:

  • Brand Partner – sign up as an Amare Global affiliate and generate and maintain 100 PV a month
  • Brand Builder – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 1000 GV a month , or recruit and maintain one Brand Partner or higher
  • Bronze – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 3000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 600 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and maintain one personally recruited Brand Partner or higher
  • Silver – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 5000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 1500 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and recruit and maintain two Brand Builders or higher
  • Gold – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 10,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 3000 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and recruit and maintain three Brand Builders or higher
  • Platinum – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 15,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 4500 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and maintain three personally recruited Brand Builders or higher
  • Leader – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 25,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 7500 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and recruit and maintain three Bronzes or higher
  • Senior Leader – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 50,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 15.000 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and maintain three personally recruited Bronzes or higher
  • Executive Leader – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 75,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 22,500 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and recruit and maintain three Silvers or higher
  • Diamond – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 125,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 37,500 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and recruit and maintain four Silvers or higher
  • 1 Star Diamond – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 250,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 75,000 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and maintain four personally recruited Silvers or higher
  • 2 Star Diamond – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 500,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 150,000 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and maintain four personally recruited Silvers or higher
  • 3 Star Diamond – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 750,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 225,000 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and maintain four personally recruited Silvers or higher
  • Presidential Diamond – maintain 100 PV a month and generate and maintain 1,000,000 GV a month, or generate and maintain 300,000 GV a month outside your strongest unilevel team leg and maintain four personally recruited Silvers or higher

PV stands for “Personal Volume”. PV is sales volume generated by retail sales and an Amare Global affiliate’s own orders.

GV stands for “Group Volume”. GV is PV generated by an Amare Global affiliate and their entire downline.

Note that monthly GV can be met, or alternatively GV outside of the strongest unilevel team leg and recruitment criteria can be met.

PV requirements remain the same regardless of which GV qualification criteria or GV and recruitment qualification criteria is met.

Recruitment Commissions

Amare Global affiliates receive a commission when they recruit someone who signs up with a Launch Pack.

  • recruit a Starter Pack affiliate and receive $50
  • recruit an Essentials Pack affiliate and receive $100
  • recruit a Wellness Pack affiliate and receive $150

Residual Commissions

Amare Global pays residual commissions via a unilevel compensation structure.

A unilevel compensation structure places an affiliate at the top of a unilevel team, with every personally recruited affiliate placed directly under them (level 1):

If any level 1 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 2 of the original affiliate’s unilevel team.

If any level 2 affiliates recruit new affiliates, they are placed on level 3 and so on and so forth down a theoretical infinite number of levels.

Amare Global caps payable unilevel team levels at ten. Residual commissions are paid as a percentage of sales volume generated across these ten levels based on rank:

  • Brand Partners earn 5% on level 1 (personally recruited affiliates)
  • Brand Builders earn 5% on levels 1 and 2
  • Bronzes earn 5% on levels 1 to 3
  • Silvers earn 5% on levels 1 to 4
  • Gold earn 5% on levels 1 to 4 and 4% on level 5
  • Platinums earn 5% on levels 1 to 4 and 4% on levels 5 and 6
  • Leaders to Executive Leaders earn 5% on levels 1 to 4, 4% on levels 5 and 6 and 3% on level 7
  • Diamonds earn 5% on levels 1 to 4, 4% on levels 5 and 6, 3% on level 7 and 1% on level 8
  • 1 Star Diamonds earn 5% on levels 1 to 4, 4% on levels 5 and 6, 3% on level 7 and 1% on levels 8 and 9
  • 2 Star Diamonds and higher earn 5% on levels 1 to 4, 4% on levels 5 and 6, 3% on level 7, 2% on level 8 and 1% on levels 9 and 10

Guaranteed Income

Amare Global guarantees a minimum monthly income for Silver to Platinum ranked affiliates:

  • Silver affiliates earn a minimum $1000 a month
  • Gold affiliates earn a minimum $2000 a month
  • Platinum affiliates earn a minimum $2500 a month

Free Product

Brand Builder and higher ranked Amare Global affiliates qualify for a monthly product credit:

  • Brand Builders receive $75 in product credit
  • Bronzes and higher receive $200 in product credit

Autoship Bonus

Amare Global affiliates receive $100 when they refer a retail customer or recruit an affiliate who maintains a 100 PV or more monthly autoship.

$250 is paid out if an Amare Global affiliate has three recruited affiliates earning the $100 Autoship Bonus each month.

Note that to qualify for the Autoship Bonus an affiliate must be generating at least 600 GV a month.

Love Your Journey Bonus

The Love Your Journey Bonus is a monthly bonus that offers a Car Bonus option at Executive Leader and above.

  • Silvers receive $500 a month
  • Golds receive $1000 a month
  • Platinums receive $2000 a month
  • Leaders receive $3000 a month
  • Senior Leaders receive $5000 a month
  • Executive Leaders receive $7000 a month
  • Diamonds receive $10,000 a month
  • 1 Star Diamonds receive $12,500 a month
  • 2 Star Diamonds receive $15,000 a month
  • 3 Star Diamonds receive $17,500 a month
  • Presidential Diamonds receive $20,000 a month

Mentor Pool

Amare Global takes 2% of company-wide sales volume and places it into the Mentor Pool.

Silver to Platinum ranked affiliates receive shares in the Mentor Pool as follows:

  • Silvers receive 1 share
  • Golds receive 3 shares
  • Platinums receive 5 shares

Leader Pool

Amare Global takes 2% of company-wide sales volume and places it into the Leader Pool.

Leader to Presidential Diamond ranked affiliates receive shares in the Leader Pool as follows:

  • Leaders receive 2 shares
  • Senior Leaders receive 3 shares
  • Executive Leaders receive 5 shares
  • Diamonds receive 7 shares
  • 1 Star Diamonds receive 9 shares
  • 2 Star Diamonds receive 11 shares
  • 3 Star Diamonds receive 13 shares
  • Presidential Diamonds receive 15 shares

Global Ambassador Pool

Amare Global takes 4% of company-wide sales volume and places it into the Global Ambassador Pool.

Diamond to Presidential Diamond ranked affiliates receive shares in the Global Ambassador Pool as follows:

  • Diamonds receive 1 share
  • 1 Star Diamonds receive 2 shares
  • 2 Star Diamonds receive 3 shares
  • 3 Star Diamonds receive 4 shares
  • Presidential Diamonds receive 5 shares

Joining Amare Global

Basic Amare Global affiliate membership is $69.95 annually.

Affiliates can also opt to purchase a Launch Pack:

  • Starter Pack – $264.95 and then $69.95 annually
  • Essentials Pack – $499.95 and then $69.95 annually
  • Wellness Pack – $749.95 and then $69.95 annually

The difference between the Launch Packs is bundled Amare Global products.

Amare Global Conclusion

I was pretty skeptical of Amare Global’s marketing pitch in BehindMLM’s original review. That hasn’t changed.

We combine ancient natural wisdom with modern scientific innovation to develop natural health products and programs based on our emerging science of MentaBiotics.

For all of Amare Global’s “scientific” posturing, one can’t help but notice the abundance of asterisks all over its website.

Amare EDGE, the all-natural nootropic, that helps give you the motivation to crush your to-do list and tackle your day with ease. Kinda like your secret superpower.

Mango Leaf: Supports mental flow*
Lychee Fruit: Supports body & mind endurance*
Palm Fruit: Supports enhanced neuron regeneration

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

This is your standard “we can’t prove any of the claims we make about our products” FDA disclaimer. On it own its nothing special but with Amare Global it stands out as they desperately want “mentabiotics” to be a thing.

Having been around since 2016, I think some peer-reviewed studies of Amare Global are long overdue.

MentaFocus: Supercharge your brain with key phytonutrients clinically shown to support focus, mental sharpness, clarity, creativity, and cognitive functioning.

Prove it.

Studies on phytonutrients doesn’t cut it. There needs to be studies on Amare Global’s supplements if they want their claims to be taken seriously.

Until that happens, there’s a big question mark over Amare Global’s marketing claims. And that’s no good for retail viability.

Shawn Talbot is still around to lend credibility to Amare Global’s marketing claims. I covered Talbot’s dodgy past in our original Amare Global review. Suffice to say it’s not exactly confidence inspiring.

Pricing wise I noticed most of Amare Global’s products have increased by $4 to $6. Given the current economic climate this isn’t unreasonable but I’m not sure how far back the price increases were.

Moving on to Amare Global’s compensation plan, the first disappointing thing to see was removal of the Personal Customer Volume Bonus.

In 2019 Amare Global rewarded affiliates for generating retail PV. This is no longer the case.

In fact there are no retail volume requirements in Amare Global’s compensation plan. This begs the question whether the company is full of 100 PV a month autoship affiliates, getting paid on recruited 100 PV a month autoship affiliates.

This would of course make Amare Global a pyramid scheme.

Other changes include increasing residual commissions to ten unilevel team levels. But also taking away the Infinity Bonus.

Bonus pools have had name-changes but are otherwise the same.

Guaranteed income is a nice addition, albeit restricted to only a few ranks. The good news is these are lower ranks, where more affiliates are likely to benefit.

Amare Global’s simplified compensation plan fortunately makes due-diligence easier. All you need to know is whether your potential upline is satisfying their 100 PV requirement with personal autoship or retail sales.

Personal autoship is acceptable but only if there’s at least 100 PV a month in retail sales volume to match. If your potential upline is just on 100 PV a month autoship and looking to recruit others who do the same, that affiliate is running their Amare Global business as a pyramid scheme.

Lastly there’s the Kyani integration. Kyani’s marketing schtick was “wild Alaskan blueberries”.

Amare Global still sells Sunrise but the wild Alaskan blueberry marketing is gone. Sunrise is also no longer available bottled, you can only buy the pouches.

If you look at Amare Global’s Sunrise description on the right, you’ll note they’ve weaved in “memory and executive function”, as well as “cognitive benefits”.

This was never part of Kyani’s Sunrise pitch. I’m not sure if this means the formula has changed.

Amare Global’s compensation plan (assuming 100 PV autoship recruitment isn’t a thing), and the Kyani changes could be overlooked. What can’t be overlooked though are the unsubstantiated marketing claims.

 could look past Talbott’s previous stoush with the FTC, if Amare Global’s products were backed by scientific research.

As it stands though there’s a lot of “gut-brain axis” marketing on Amare Global’s website, but not much substantial scientific research to back it up.

Those are the closing lines of BehindMLM’s 2019 Amare Global review. Pending Amare Global demonstrating “mentabiotics” is a thing, I still stand by what I wrote three years ago.