My thoughts and experiences with the product known as Serovital-hgh, along with updated information for 2016.

HGH

I remember hearing about Sylvester Stallone’s use of human growth hormone (HGH), and realized how good he still looked at nearly 70 years old. Although I had been reluctant to go the HGH route, I heard of a product back in 2013 that supposedly helps your body boost hgh, called Serovital-hgh.

Back in late 2013, it was hard not to browse the web without eventually seeing an ad for Serovital-hgh. It could have just me, because I Google a lot of anti-aging stuff, and I know Google delivers ads based on search history. OK, so it was hard for ME to browse the internet without seeing ads for Serovital.

Here were are over two years later, and Serovital-hgh still appears intermittently in ads on television and online.

What is Serovital-hgh?

The website claims Serovital is a blend of amino acids which raises growth hormone in the body. However, it is not human growth hormone but an amino acid supplement. The official website states that taking a blend of amino acids can raise growth hormone levels after two hours:

Our results show that a single oral dose of these amino acids can significantly increase GH Levels after 120 minutes in healthy men and women. Whether these GH changes persist over a longer duration or have other positive effects is being further examined.

The website claims that benefits of Serovital include reduced body fat, improved mood and energy, increased sex drive, stronger bones, increased lean muscle mass, and reduced appearance of wrinkles.

The product cites a study of 16 people whose growth hormone levels were measured in multiple increments of time after taking Serovital vs placebo. The results showed that growth hormone had increased after 2 hours “8 fold from baseline” and were higher than placebo. “Whether these GH changes persist over a longer duration or have other positive effects is being further examined,” it concluded.

Livestrong offers a good recap of some of the benefits found in studies of amino acids. It also warns that amino acids can negatively affect kidney function in some people, or lead to adverse reactions by those who have food allergies.

How much does Serovital-hgh Cost?

It is not cheap at $99 for a one month supply. You may also find it locally at stores such as Ulta or Costco. At least that way you can save yourself the $7 shipping they want to charge, plus the week or so it will take to arrive.

Another reason I suggest picking it up locally is because the official website (serovital.com) wants to automatically bill you every month to keep replenishing your supply at a reduced cost of $80 a month.

The Catch

The website admits there are three conditions to using the product:

• You have to use it alongside a sensible diet and exercise regimen – That probably excludes half of the potential customers right there.
• It has to be taken on an empty stomach – Easy enough.
• It’s cheaper than HGH injections, but will still cost about $100 a month – Youthful vigor is apparently only for the rich.

One more “catch” they don’t really advertise is that you have to use it for about 2 months to even begin to notice any results.

Other Reviews

If you poke around the internet, you can find a wide array of reviews. Consider:

Ulta (896 Reviews)
At Ulta.com, a couple of hundred reviewers in January 2015 gave Serovital a 3 out of 5 star rating. As of July 2016, this has raised to a 3.8 rating.

Wafflesatnoon.com (163 Comments)
Sifting through the reader comments at wafflesatnoon.com, we find a slightly more negative tone. Readers seem to be split down the middle regarding effectiveness. Comments range from the product doing nothing, to a complete reduction of chronic pain.

Supplement Critic (43 Reviews)
In January 2015, the community at SupplementCritic.com had a 1.8 star rating for Serovital, with a mostly negative view of it. That rating has changed to a “67%” rating, or “decent” as of 2016.

The Serovital website concludes with this “irresistible,” if not exaggerated, closing statement:

But there’s no denying that something that has a chance of making you look and feel decades, not years, but DECADES, younger, is… at the very least… irresistible. Frankly, I’m ready to try it. How about you?

What’s in Serovital-hgh?

As it turns out, Serovital is a blend of amino acids with a rather hefty price tag. Several of these are available at supplement vendors such as GNC for a fraction of the price.

• L-Lysine HCI
• L-Arginine HCI
• Oxo-Proline
• N-Acrtyl L-Cysteine
• L-Glutamine
• Schizonepeta (aerial parts) powder

My Experience with Serovital-hgh

So I decided to plunk down a C-Note for a month supply back in ’13. I went through a local Sephora located inside a JC Penney here in Southern Nevada.

I wasn’t even sure at first what it was – a pill, a cream, something else? (It’s a pill, although a liquid form has since been introduced) I can see a fancy cream making me look decades younger, but a pill?

Anyway, I tried Serovital-hgh for a month, following the instructions exactly as stated – taking it in the morning two hours before eating breakfast.

After a month… well, I can’t say I noticed much. Actually I noticed nothing at all. No side effects, and no benefits.

Better at Night?

A gym rat friend of mine said that it would probably work better taking it at night rather than in the morning, even though Serovital’s website says you can take it either time. I wonder if this is why it works for some people and not others?

On the product’s Facebook page, a SeroVital rep responded to a question from a consumer, and highlighted the stringent requirements for using the product:

We only suggest drinking water two hours before and two hours after taking the product. The directions for use are consistent with the study. If you take it out of line with the directions of use we cannot guarantee that it will work as intended.

Competition

I should point out what should be obvious – that Serovital isn’t the only game in town when it comes to HGH boosters. Take a look at Fountain of Youth HGH Complete, which contains many of the ingredients of Serovital – and actually quite a few more. Its cost? $40.

There are also a dizzying number of amino acid supplements available. You can find a seemingly endless stream of amino acid supplements containing many (or all) of the ingredients found in Serovital, usually for significantly less.

After my test with Serovital, I decided to get my amino acids from a highly-rated blend sold by GNC – a 240 count for about $30. As with Serovital, perceived benefits minimal at best, but at least the cost savings was apparent.

Bottom Line

I decided not to offer up another Benjamin in hopes that Serovital-hgh would work for me in month #2. Even if I started to notice something – at what cost is it? $200 to start noticing something? I decided it wasn’t worth it. I may give one of those other HGH boosters a try at some point.

There are simply too many alternatives to ignore. You can find high-quality amino acid blends for a significantly lower cost at virtually any online or local vendor. While supplementation with amino acids is a good idea for most people as a part of a healthy lifestyle, results will not likely be as dramatic as advertising for Serovital suggests.

There is no magic bullet.

Updated July 8, 2016
Originally published November 2013