Is the SeroVital-hGH really the anti-aging miracle it’s cracked up to be? Not really. Yet it’s been the subject of some shameless marketing lately.
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It appeared in an ad in my USA Weekend magazine this morning. The magazine had a full two-page ad for SeroVital-hGH. The ad was full of promises to turn back your aging clock by boosting your growth hormone levels to what they were when you were much younger. The ad even invoked the great and powerful Dr. Oz, albeit in a very shady way. Here is why this is just more junk medicine to not waste your money on.
First take a look at a little bit on the anatomy of this marketing campaign and why the product has no anti-aging benefit for folks in the actual target group — i.e., women who are older than about 45.
On a positive note, at the end of this post is a link to an article that I wrote a while back about what really does work for reversing muscle loss as we age.
The SeroVital-hGH Promise
Let’s start with the smattering breathless quotes that are supposed to make you think they have anything to do with SeroVital-hGH (which they don’t):
Tiffany Stobel, beauty editor at MyFreeDiet.com, commenting in the ad, under the lead photo of a youthful female model:
Barbara just had another birthday. She watches her diet, exercises when she can, and is in pretty good shape. In fact, she could be the poster child for the “Fountain of Youth” headline we see on the covers of fashion mags around the globe. What’s her secret? It’s not just the occasional Botox, peel or filler, or even her assortment of skin creams that could rival the anti-aging section of your local Sephora. Barbara,who was always “cutting edge,” has become a believer in what is fast becoming the most popular (if not the most expensive) anti-aging treatment in the USA… Growth Hormone Therapy.
Vanity Fair magazine:
A 20-year-old produces more than twice as much hGH as [she] will when [she’s] 40… hGH, by turning back the clock, turns back the aging process.
Dr. Oz:
I have been searching for this from the day we started the show. I’ve been looking for ways of increasing hGH naturally because I don’t like getting the injections.
Shape magazine:
When you see a 50-year-old actress who can pass for 35, you can bet that good genes aren’t the only things responsible for her youthful glow.
Dr. Oz again, from the SeroVital-hGH website (this is a real lulu):
A recent study [on SeroVital-hGH] showed patients given a special blend of amino acids saw their hGH levels spike more than 6 times…
Are you convinced yet?
PLEASE NOTE
None of the original quotes specifically mentions SeroVital-hGH. The product name in brackets in the quote by Dr. Oz was added in later. He didn’t actually mention the name of the product.
Also note that Dr. Oz did, indeed, talk about a blend of amino acids for anti-aging on his show. He made a big deal of his acronym, GOAL, to list the individual amino acids: Glycine, Ornithine, Arginine, and Lysine.
How interesting that the actual composition of SeroVital-hGH is not the same as the mixture that Dr. Oz actually endorsed on his show. Furthermore, for some reason, the proprietary mix in SeroVital-hGH includes the curious addition of Japanese catnip (Shizonepeta powder). Here are all of the ingredients as listed on the Supplements Facts label on the back of the box:
The Science Behind SeroVital-hGH
Yes, there is some research. None of it is published in a reputable scientific journal. The closest this research comes to acceptability in scientific circles is a poster on a small study, which was displayed at the 2013 annual meeting of the Obesity Society. The published abstract (that’s all there is), is as follows (Poster T-116P in the meeting abstracts):
Improvement in Physical Endurance by an Amino Acid Based hGH-Secretagogue: A Pilot Study
by Amy L. Heaton, Colleen Kelly, Frank L. Greenway
Background: The ability of an oral optimized amino acid supplement (SeroVital™) to increase serum growth hormone (hGH) levels 120 minutes after oral administration in both men and women has now been demonstrated, but evidence bridging repeated daily administration of the supplement to known benefits of hGH injections has not yet been established.
Methods: This pilot study included 12 [7 male, 5 female; age = 31 ± 6 years; BMI= 25.7 ± 3.8] healthy subjects. The supplement, a 2.9g/dose blend of l-lysine HCl, l-arginine HCl, oxo-proline, N-acetyl-l-cysteine, l-glutamine, and schizonepeta (aerial parts) powder, was taken orally on an empty stomach prior to bedtime every night for two-weeks with no other lifestyle changes. Before and after the 2 week period, a standard maximal aerobic fitness test of graded exercise using a metabolic cart was performed during morning hours in a post-absorptive state. Before and after study VO2 max values were compared with a paired t-test.
Results: After 2 weeks of supplementation, mean VO2 max increased by 6% from 44.9 ± 8.1 at baseline to 47.7 ± 9.2mL/kg/min (3.69 ± 0.96 to 3.91 ± 1.02L/min), demonstrating a statistically significant improvement from baseline (P=0.02).
Conclusions: Increased measures of endurance are a well-established outcome of synthetic hGH-injections in adults. Here we show that two weeks of daily supplementation with the orally-administered amino-acid based hGH-secretagogue significantly increased VO2 max compared to baseline with no other lifestyle changes. A larger multi-center study is being planned.
AHA! Taking a daily dose of 2.9 grams of SeroVital-hGH for 2 weeks boosts VO2 max (a measure of aerobic fitness) by an average of 6 percent in 12 healthy people with an average age of 31 ± 6 years.
Are you convinced yet? No?
Wait! There’s More!
How about that unpublished study representing the science of the product on the SeroVital-hGH website:
To summarize the study, growth hormone levels increased 8-fold, 120 minutes after taking SeroVital-hGH in 16 healthy people with an average age of 32 ± 14 years
So far so good, if you are in the younger crowd anyway.
How About That Patent?
It’s great that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (uspto.gov) provides the text of patents online. That’s where you can find U.S. Patent No. 8,551,542 (awarded October 8, 2013):
Methods and compositions for increasing growth hormones.
Inventors: Heaton; Amy L. (Salt Lake City, UT), Friedlander; Mitchell K. (Salt Lake City, UT), Gay; Dennis (Salt Lake City, UT). [Notice that Amy Heaton is also the lead author on the pilot study cited above.]
This is a composition patent that describes the mixture of ingredients in SeroVital-hGH. It is not a drug patent. Composition patents are not allowed to make medical claims. They are allowed to make general statements about health. The complete abstract of this patent is:
Embodiments of the invention generally relate to methods and supplements for improving the health of human beings.
That’s it.
A Bit of Patent Subterfuge
Patents are not that hard to get for new compositions. Sometimes inventors even get by with some pretty sneaky stuff, such as what I found based on the following quote in the SeroVital-hGH patent:
These findings demonstrate that a specialized low-dose amino acid supplement can significantly increase short-term GH levels. Future studies will examine whether such increases in GH with oral amino acid supplementation increase fat-free mass and strength. This indeed may be the case, since elderly subjects administered oral GH secretagogues for 6 and 12 months have sustained increases in lean body mass and improved physical function.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? The subterfuge here is that the study cited above is for a synthetic drug, not a supplement. It has absolutely nothing to do with SeroVital-hGH. Nothing! In fact, here’s the study abstract in its entirety. (If this is too much detail, just skip to my comments about this drug below the abstract.)
White HK, Petrie CD, Landschulz W, MacLean D, Taylor A, Lyles K, Wei JY, Hoffman AR, Salvatori R, Ettinger MP, Morey MC, Blackman MR, Merriam GR Effects of an oral growth hormone secretagogue in older adults. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Apr;94(4):1198-206.
CONTEXT: GH secretion declines with age, possibly contributing to reduced muscle mass, strength, and function. GH secretagogues (GHS) may increase muscle mass and physical performance.
OBJECTIVES/DESIGN: We conducted a randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, multicenter study to investigate the hormonal, body composition, and physical performance effects and the safety of the orally active GHS capromorelin in older adults with mild functional limitation.
INTERVENTION/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 395 men and women aged 65-84 yr were randomized for an intended 2 yr of treatment to four dosing groups (10 mg three times/week, 3 mg twice a day, 10 mg each night, and 10 mg twice a day) or placebo. Although the study was terminated early according to predetermined treatment effect criteria, 315 subjects completed 6 months of treatment, and 284 completed 12 months.
RESULTS: A sustained dose-related rise in IGF-I concentrations occurred in all active treatment groups. Each capromorelin dose prompted a rise in peak nocturnal GH, which was greatest with the least frequent dosing. At 6 months, body weight increased 1.4 kg in subjects receiving capromorelin and decreased 0.2 kg in those receiving placebo (P = 0.006). Lean body mass increased 1.4 vs. 0.3 kg (P = 0.001), and tandem walk improved by 0.9 sec (P = 0.02) in the pooled treatment vs. placebo groups. By 12 months, stair climb also improved (P = 0.04). Adverse events included fatigue, insomnia, and small increases in fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and indices of insulin resistance.
CONCLUSIONS: In healthy older adults at risk for functional decline, administration of the oral GHS capromorelin may improve body composition and physical function.
Sounds Pretty Good…Except
Keep in mind that this substance, regardless of the benefits shown in this study, has nothing to do with SeroVital-hGH. Moreover, the drug capromorelin, according to Wikipedia, has not been approved by major regulatory bodies such as the World Health Organization, the European Medicines Agency or the United States FDA. In the U.S. at least, approval is not expected to be forthcoming any time soon, because the FDA does not consider aging a disease, and so requires extraordinary evidence of benefit and non-toxicity to approve a drug for use as an anti-aging agent.
That is what I call a very weak supporting reference in the SeroVital-hGH composition patent.
The Real Kicker Undermining SeroVital-hGH
You might have already noticed that all the research behind this product is based on subjects who are young and healthy. Unfortunately, the age limit for the usefulness of amino acids as hGH secretagogues is about 45 years. Maybe older celebrities are looking younger because of hGH injections. Sylvester Stallone is clearly one of them (he got caught with his hGH supply at Australian customs a few years ago). Check out how great he looks in the 2012 movie, Expendables 2.
Injectible hGH is a fabulous anti-aging treatment for all ages.
On the other hand, hGH secretagogues have a limited influence on human physiology after about age 45. This is a very interesting topic, especially for older folks like me. I wrote a post where I explained what’s behind the research on the main amino acid, L-arginine, that has the greatest influence as a growth hormone secretagogue and why it doesn’t work for seniors, here: When Arginine Fails As A Growth Hormone Releaser.
SeroVital-hGH marketing targets a segment of the population in which the product has almost no chance for doing anything to benefit human health.
Now on a Good Note
In spite of poorly supported supplements that are advertised in underhanded ways, it’s great to know that a few things do work the way they are supposed to. The best way to address one of the biggest problems that faces us as we age — i.e., loss of muscle mass — is with a supplement mixture that includes a derivative of one of the common branched chain amino acids in dietary protein of all kinds.
I’ve explored this substance in detail and have written about it a few times. Here is one that should be of interest to all of you ‘mature’ folks like me: Muscle Building Supplements For Senior Fitness.
Take a look and be heartened that good supplements really do exist. SeroVital-hGH just isn’t one of them.
All the best in natural health,
Statements on this page have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This doesn’t surprise me at all. Human Growth Hormone (the real and expensive stuff) has been used for years with obvious and positive results. The problem is that when it is administered properly, it is an expensive treatment, whether or not it is supervised and / or administered by a physician. If I could afford the real stuff, I would take it so that I can fully rehab from a torn meniscus and return to 100% health.
Hi, Seth…I’m with you, my friend. The best treatment is the real thing, regardless of age.
Cheers,
Dennis
Is there one supplement for purchase that has amounts you suggest: “the Let me also point out that the daily dosages used in this study correspond to reasonable amounts of these supplements: 2 grams of HMB, 5 grams of arginine, and 1.5 grams of lysine.”
Hi, Ed…Great questions. One thing that I should point out is that L-arginine has an age limit. Beyond about 45 years old, no amount of supplementation works (except for causing diarrhea if you take too much). The experimental research on HMB showed 1.5 grams a day to be effective. Most supplements should provide that in a daily dose. For my personal use, I don’t bother with amino acid stacking. I just take HMB. I hope that helps!
Cheers,
Dennis
Dennis, I ordered powder supplements HMB, Lysine and Arginine AKG from Amazon. The manufacturer is Nutricost. So should I return Lysine and Arginine? I’m over 45 yrs old. Thank you!
Hi, Ed…Thanks for asking. As far as the arginine goes, you can send it back. It will give you little benefit. The lysine does have a “hidden” perk for preventing herpes outbreaks (including shingles). Otherwise, it won’t do much for you, either. I’d send it back, too. I’m happy to know that you are using HMB, since it is the one muscle-building supplement that keeps working as we age.
Cheers,
Dennis
Today, you see all kinds of middle aged men going to their doctor and asking for HGH as a way to feel better and more rejuvenated. This seems to be the modern day fountain of youth. I would like to try a cycle of it myself so I can burn more fat and gain more muscle from my strength workouts. But I understand this type of performance enhancing drug is quite expensive. I hope to try that or something similar and less expensive.
Hi, Mary: Yes, that is one of the drawbacks. The price has come down over the years, although it still hovers around $1,500 per month, depending on the clinic. As long as the price continues to decrease, it may reach my affordability level someday.
All the best,
Dennis
Whoever is trying to pull a bait and switch on people by suggesting that Dr. Oz is endorsing a phony HGH product is slick and shady. We know that Dr. Oz would not endorse a scam. Speaking of Dr. Oz, I saw him playing flag football at the Super Bowl’s celebrity Beach Bowl, which aired on the NBC Sports Network. It was a fun flag football game to watch. Some of those non-athlete celebrities could use some shots of real HGH.
Hi, Shawn: Now THAT is a fun peek into flag football. I’ll take you advice to heart for those of us who are non-athletes AND non-celebrities. Oh, by the way, bait and switch has been a problem since marketing started. Buyer Beware comes at least from back in old Roman times, when the phrase was in Latin…Caveat Emptor.
All the best,
Dr. D
Oh please, Dr. Oz is one of the biggest sell- outs ever. He and his wife push a bunch of hippie-dippy supplements. Any person that would sale out to the likes of Ophra cannot be trusted.
Indeed, Betty…the challenge has always been in separating good information from hype or disinformation. I suppose this will always be a problem, so keeping up with what helps and what doesn’t is always going to be important for the consumer. Speaking of Dr. Oz, the video he has (had?) online, from his show, cited resveratrol as an anti-aging supplement. However, he failed to mention that it works very well in nematodes. Good if you are microscopic worm.
All the best,
Dennis
The video spoof commercial for “Fotoshop by Adob is a brilliant little piece of satire that has gone viral because of its truth. If you have not seen it, do a search for it. The most crucial point of this video is that most beauty products don’t do what they say they will. It is important to be wary of any kind of claim by cosmetics manufacturers who promise great results with no tradeoffs. Maybe some natural supplements actually do work.
Hi, Bradford…Right on. It has always been ‘Buyer Beware’, regardless of the industry. Maybe in cosmetics even more so than in supplements.
All the best,
Dennis
Thanks Dr. Clark, for that interesting glimpse into the history of scams and snake oil salesmen. I am a history buff, so I appreciate those nuggets of information. I hope one day, before I get too old, we reach a time when HGH Is affordable to everyone. I suppose it is if you have health insurance, but the U.S. ain’t like Canada, where every citizen has insurance, and the richest country on Earth should do that for Americans.
You certainly have a nugget of wisdom, Fonda. Just imagine if we could all get hGH. Of course, we would probably be happy to blow the doors off those pesky actuarial tables.
Cheers,
Dennis
Unless you have grown used to it, like diabetics, for instance, then chances are you don’t like being pricked by needles. But that is the small price to pay for youth. It is the dollar cost that really hurts the most. If I could afford it, I could overcome my fear of needles for the sake of vanity. But if this anti-aging cream really works, then I’m sure many women will soon be reviewing it.
The fact of the matter is that there really isn’t any anti aging medicine out there, I mean sure there are things you can do or take that is going to plump up your face and take out the wrinkles but is it really worth it? Age gracefully people, we all do it and it is something that is going to happen naturally anyway so why fight it and end up looking plastic?
Ah, you nailed it, Seth. We want to age gracefully, not stop aging. Well, some folks may have a Ponce de Leon complex, although look what good it did him!
All the best,
Dennis
I have been looking for some product or some natural home remedy that can eliminate bags from under the eyes. I’ve read about several so-called anti-aging creams that remove wrinkles and the inflammation that causes those bags. I find it hard to believe in this marketing hype. Is it even possible without having to have some kind of cosmetic surgery? I sure would appreciate some advice on this.
Hi, James: Yes, it is possible. The best treatment is growth hormone injections, although this is impractical and too expensive for most people. The next best is reducing inflammation from the foods we eat (mainly sugars and processed carbs) and other sources of stress. That is a tall order that is more than I can describe here.
All the best,
Dennis
So, has this product, SeroVital-hGH, been tested on subjects of those specified ages? Is this some derivative of the actual human growth hormone? Who isn’t looking for an anti-aging solution? Once we figure out why cells regenerate themselves more slowly as we get older, then we will solve the stigma of aging. This cycle should go on every 24 hours and should last forever, but for some mysterious reason, it slows down over the years.
Hi, Jon: No, it has apparently not been evaluated for older adults. This is silly at the outset, since that is the target audience. Secretagogues are not derivatives of growth hormone itself. They are generally mixtures of amino acids, mostly L-arginine, that are supposed to enhance the secretion of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. They don’t work very well beyond the age of about 45.
Cheers,
Dennis
James I have heard that a used tea bag that you put in the refrigerator and let it get cold is a good remedy for bags under your eyes. I haven’t actually tried it yet but it has to be better than the chemicals in a lot of those creams you are talking about. If you decide to give it a try please let me know how it goes and I will do the same.
I have been looking for something that would be all natural and have as little chemicals as possible in it because I have found that I am allergic to most chemicals out there in make up etc. this is going to help me a great deal and I will be looking into this further. Thank you for doing such a great write up I appreciate it and look forward to reading more.
I have seen the anti-aging skin care claims, in newspapers, magazines, and even online: ominous photos of hypodermic needles posed along side innocuous, even innocent-looking jars of cream. The message: Topical cosmetic creams promises the same wrinkle-relaxing, age-defying results as some pricey wrinkle-filling injections like Restalyne and Juva Derm, or even Botox. But can they really? I hope this cream that is being reviewed here comes close to living up to its claims and trials.
So according to these findings, this substance was able to increase the hormone levels of the subjects who were tested. But the question is by how much and how do those increased levels compare to the results of when you take hGH. Probably nothing can compare to a drug, but if it does work by even a fraction and if it’s not too expensive, then it would be worth trying.
I don’t trust anything that tells me it will make me look younger because that is physically impossible unless you pay for plastic surgery and we have all seen what that does to you after you have so many look at Joan Rivers for crying out loud. Aging is a good thing and if done with grace you can be attractive still.
The best all around anti-aging medicine is to eat right and exercise, I haven’t been following my own advice and I can see it in my face especially. I have noticed when you eat right you feel better which makes you look better than if you feel bad it shows on your face as well. Have you ever noticed the way someone looks when they feel sick?
I agree with Mathew in the sense that I believe in preventative medicine. More and more medical professionals are taking heed to this too. One indication of this is the fact that more HMOs are now including in their list of benefits, gourmet meals. Not the type of frozen foods you see at the super market. These are gourmet meals prepared by nutritionists made without preservatives. My mother has these kinds of meals and they’re great for weight loss and overall good health.
Nobody wants to age. It’s a curse in the form of a slow death. I would rather try this and other products rather than go under the knife. That’s why I can’t understand why so many females would go through the pain of breast enhancement, but then again, I got a nose job and I don’t regret it because it improved my confidence. I guess we’ll do just about anything in order to feel better about ourselves.
Trying to buy the fountain of youth is like throwing money into a dry wishing well. The money is gone and you’re left with nothing but empty jars of unfilled promises. And the boomer generation is the exact market that manufacturers of anti-aging productssome legit, many nottarget. It isn’t just the lotions and potions offered these days. Men and women of all ages can be victims of useless supplements and dangerous concoctions, such as purported hormone-replacement therapies being sold by unethical and unregulated sources.
Mary that is true we will do just about anything to feel better about ourselves but what made us feel bad about ourselves in the first place, was it what society put on us that was supposed to be beautiful in the eyes of people? I am trying hard to get away from what society thinks because it is doing so much damage to young girls these days.
The fastest growing “anti-ageing” formulas are the cosmetic “botox” creams. These have impressive names and prices, such as ‘Resolution D-Contraxol Intensive Anti-Wrinkle Treatment Dermo-Crease Reducer” or “Anew Clinical Deep Crease Concentrate with Bo-Hylurox’. Sounds technical. There must be lots of people in lab coats researching these? Unfortuntately not. Instead, there are lots of marketing types out for long lunches and presentations discussing target demographics. Sounds to me that buyer should beware.
I’ll mention something about another class of anti-aging product, since there’s plenty of false information floating around about retinoidsor are they called retinols? Wait, aren’t they the same thing? And don’t they cause sunburn? I read that prescription formulas contain retinoic acid, the magic ingredient that fights visible aging; nonprescription alternatives need to be converted into retinoic acid by the skin at the cellular level. In off-the-shelf formulas, the ingredient called retinol is the only derivative of vitamin A worth using.
I wish we did not have to diminish our production of growth hormone as we get older. It is useless to complain about, but I can’t help but to feel frustrated by the fact that males’ inability to produce testosterone as they get older and they lose hair follicles. Whoever finds a real solution for these conditions should be immortalized because that is what that innovator will be doing for people: making them feel immortal, as if they’ve found the fountain of youth.
In our lifetime we’ve seen the first human liver transplant, heart transplant, and the face transplant. I read this book by a Dr. Joespeh Chang that makes it easy for the lay person to see that being able to reverse and prevent aging at the genetic level is something that is well within our grasp. The questions we now “get to” ask are 1. What if aging were optional? 2. What if I/we could move beyond “just comfortable” in our health and financial status?
It sounds like this is just common sense not that you would have to use anything like a chemical to promote it. If you start doing what they were talking about with a little diet and aerobic exercise then you would see the benefits of this anyway. And the study they did on twenty year olds doesn’t hold water with me anyway they are still too young to worry about it.
Anti-aging medicine is just what you pointed out in the title of your post they are junk and it is something that you are spending your good money on and contaminating your body with and that is what they want you to do. The more junk you put in your body the more you will have to go see the doctor the more money they get as well.
Buyers do need to be aware! My mother was browsing an Internet drugstore when an ad popped up too tantalizing to resist. A company called Syndero was featuring a 14-day free trial of Dermitge, a cream that promised to fade wrinkles and restore youthful-looking skin. My mom, who is 70, was happy with how she looked, but what, she wondered, did she have to lose? So she handed over her credit card number with the understanding that it wouldn’t be charged unless she was sold on Dermitge at the end of the trial. What Cole didn’t realize was that she had actually just agreed to pay $99 a month for monthly shipments, and that the free-trial clock would start ticking the day the product shipped.
There are many skin care products and procedures available to help you look younger and reduce wrinkles. But before you spend half your paycheck on a tiny jar of anti-aging cream, you should know more about how and why your skin ages. For instance, as you age, your skin does naturally change due to bone loss and loose skin and other factors like exposure to the sun and smoking also make skin look older. I think a blog like this does a good job of educating the public.
You have posted a great, very informative post about this anti aging stuff and I think it is very timely because there are more and more people having surgery, evasive surgery even, in order to look younger and it just isn’t worth it. Chemical being put in your body isn’t any better either all you are doing is prolonging a painful death to me.
Preventative measures are the best way to prevent aging. Just because you can’t feel the sun on your skin doesn’t mean ultraviolet radiation isn’t there. As you, say, walk to work on the shady side of the street, sneaky diffuse irradiation (scattered solar beams) present in the atmosphere during daylight hours accounts for a whopping 80 percent of your annual dose of UV exposure. Sun damage is cumulative. So you simply must wear SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen all year round. Even when it’s cloudy, the sun penetrates.
I am just appalled at what Hollywood has deemed acceptable and it has trickled down to the common everyday girls and boys. I was watching something the other day about a kid that wanted to look like Justin Beiber so he kept having surgery to make himself look like him because he didn’t want to look old and saggy (his words) to me this is more of that nonsense.
Scott you are right about the sun just because it feels good doesn’t mean it is. Wear a hat if you have to be out in the sun and definitely wear sun screen of some kind. You have to do the anti aging thing the smart way and the healthiest way you can not with chemicals and surgery. Keep up the good work this was well worth the read.
Thanks, Steven.
What is wrong with the way people look and age, this is called nature and I thought the in thing these days was to eat raw unprocessed food as close to nature as possible so why fight the part of nature about growing old? I have gray hairs and I have a few wrinkles and I am fine with it as long as my husband doesn’t care I shouldn’t either.
These days there are literally hundreds of products available that promise anti-aging miracles. The sad truth is that most of them are junk. That is, they don’t deliver much of anything worth the money. What is needed for consumers is some guidance to help them figure out whether a product will be worth your money. Too bad the FDA can’t regulate everything, but then again, no organization should have that much power and influence. So we do need more options.
I agree with the preventative medicine philosophy. And one way is by Limiting sugar in your diet. It’s a well-known key to longevity, because of all the molecules capable of inflicting damage in your body, sugar molecules are probably the most damaging of all. Fructose in particular is an extremely potent pro-inflammatory agent that creates AGEs and speeds up the aging process. It also promotes the kind of dangerous growth of fat cells around your vital organs that are the hallmark of diabetes and heart disease.
I saw an episode of Dr. Oz that was about how the good Doctor is mad as heck and he is now taking his name back. So apparently he Is well aware of how companies are violating the law…or are they? One thing is for sure, these companies are definitely duping the consumer public. He is not happy about it and neither should you be. You may be buying junk products which is just like giving money away.
I sawvirusoilar ad in Parade, 8/3/14. The second page of the ad is headed “Dr. OZ says…” in white-on-gray display-type with that “I have been searching…” quote in large purple type.
Would naive readers misunderstand and think the display-type heading means Oz is the author of the whole page? Or skip to first-person statements like the boldface-headed “Is it woth it?” paragraph ending: “Frankly, I’m ready to try it…”?
If Oz tried to claim misrepresentation, a Mass Communication Research Ph.D. (like me) would have to point out that the nominal “I” speaker hidden in the ad’s magazine-article-style layout is one Tiffany Strobel, whose byline is in small type at the end of the first paragraph of the previous page.
I wish papers and magazines would require article-style ads to carry a red or black border with the word “Advertisement” or “Paid Promotion” in the *largest* type on the page, especially larger than any use of deceptive “truthy” phrases like “special report,” “facts about” or “breaking news.”
Hazards of posting a long comment from a phone. With the text scrolling off the small screen, I didn’t notice that some”text completion” nonsense in the phone turned a typo in “I saw a similar…” to the meaningless “sawvirusoilar”
Sorry about that… an “edit” function on these comments would be very handy.
I have been using this product for 2 years. It delivered what it promised. After taking the product everyday for 2 months I was able to cut down to to 3 times a week. This is the only product that addressed my belly fat. I will take this product forever.
Thanks for you comment. A personal testimonial is as powerful as it gets outside of a research study.
All the best,
Dennis
I’m 41. I’ve been taking this for two weeks. I used to feel dead. This product has revived me so far.
Hi, Kimberly…Thanks for your input. Self-experimentation (‘biohacking’) is really the only way we can find out what works. I am very happy to hear of your results.
All the best,
Dennis
Love your site Dr D!
Keep up the good work!
i guess i wont be reordering serovital and i will be ordering hmb!
Good move!
Wow! Dr. Clark, you’re the greatest!! Last week I purchased SeroVital’s Glow Sticks. I should send them back, right?
Also, I was wondering what you think of Live Conscious’ product Collagen Peptides. Any thoughts?
Well, I want to follow you and your advice to the moon! I’m printing everything now and just ordered your “How to Lose Belly Fat and Keep it Off.”
I’m 75 years young, 5’2″ and weigh 108, and I think I look younger, am a great exercise enthusiast – cardio, weights, yoga, walker, mini trampoline – well, what can I say, I love to exercise for all the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits it gives me.
I really want to get rid of facial wrinkles which are beginning to show, get a dewy complexion back and get rid of crepey skin on upper arms and upper thighs. Is that too much to ask?
If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.
FYI – I eat lots of fruits and even more veggies, grains, good fat (EVOO), a bit of chicken but otherwise no other meat or fish. My biggest downfall – I’m Italian and love, love, love my bread and sweets.
Hope I didn’t share too much info with you, but once I start, you can’t turn me off!
Anyway, Dr. C, thanks for all you do, God bless and peace be with you.
Jill
Wow, Jill – what a nice note. I did get your order for my book, and sent you a email of thanks. Although the information therein targets belly fat, it’s really a handbook for healthy eating in many ways. I know what you mean about the bonus benefits of exercise. There are so many! BTW, bread and pasta aren’t intrinsically evil – it’s more about how they’re prepared. U.S. preps aren’t so good for you. European ones are much better. Sweets, on the other hand, are the main source of diet-based poor health in the world today. Seafood is the source of brain fats that made humans so smart. I wrote about it here: https://herbscientist.com/will-the-real-paleo-diet-please-stand-up/ and somewhat duplicated it here: https://herbscientist.com/the-real-paleo-diet-made-you-a-brainiac/.
If you’re interested in what I have to say about being healthy in our age class, you may want to check this out: https://boomerhealthcenter.com/lp/healthy-aging-naturally/.
As for that crepey skin issue, I haven’t found any good solutions. The main issue is the loss of fat in skin, and no good products on the market can change that, as far as I know.
Be well,
Dennis