Procera AVH Review Summary
Like the other Procera supplement we’ve reviewed on this site, this is a complete rip-off. Procera AVH claims to support both long-term brain health and cognitive function. In our opinion, it doesn’t do either of these things. In reality, Procera AVH is a cheap, thin proprietary blend. The blend contains an obvious filler – ALCAR – and an ingredient known to cause side effects when used continuously for long periods of time. There are no powerful cholinergics in here, and no serious memory boosters.
There’s no good reason that a manufacturer needs to be using a proprietary blend. When a proprietary blend contains an ingredient that provides no added benefits, but which can be bought cheaply in large amounts, we can guess why they’ve chosen to hide the serving sizes.
Where To Buy Procera AVH
You can buy all Procera supplements directly from their independent online store.
Full Procera AVH Review
Procera produce a wide and ever-growing range of brain supplements. Each product is supposedly designed to do something slightly different; some are stronger than others, some focus more on memory, and so on. They now have a sleep supplement and a natural mood booster too. Their current line of nootropics includes Procera XTF, which we reviewed a few months ago. Our findings weren’t very positive. Hopefully this iteration is a lot better!
So, what is Procera AVH designed to do exactly?
How is it supposedly different from every other Procera supplement?
According to the official website, Procera AVH is the “leading brain supplement in the US”. We’ve heard that before!
They make a big deal about their “potent” ingredients, which they say work synergistically to bringing about the following key enhancements:
- Optimizing brain chemistry
- Restoring depleted nutrients
- Protecting the brain over the long-term
These aren’t benefits we typically see promised by a natural nootropic supplement. There is no specific talk of boosting focus, improving memory recall speed, or aiding information processing.
However, the bottle does say that Procera AVH supports cognitive function. Indeed, if it can actually deliver on all of the promises listed above, then better cognitive functioning will follow.
The question is; does Procera AVH actually do all of these things?
What do the manufacturers mean by “optimize brain chemistry”?
Is Procera AVH safe? What side effects are likely?
How does it compare to other Procera products? How does it compare to other stacks on the market promising to do the same things?
Find out by reading our full Procera AVH review below. We take a long, hard look at this nootropic’s formula to see if it stands any chance of delivering on its claims. We draw on the latest scientific findings as well as our own experiences to decide whether or not the formula is really capable of doing all of the things it says it can. If you have any questions, or if you have a product you’d like us to review, then leave a comment at the bottom of the page!
Procera AVH Formula Analysis
Here is the Procera AVH ingredients list, as it looks on the label:
That is one terrible formula.
Proprietary blends are never a good option.
But this proprietary blend is particularly awful.
It contains one ingredient that is a prime candidate for a ‘filler’ – a substance used to bulk out a formula at low cost.
It contains one ingredient known to cause side effects if used improperly.
And it contains a final ingredient with proven but very weak nootropic properties.
All things considered, this is one poor brain supplement.
Main Problem – Proprietary Blend With ‘Filler’
We’ve said it time and again – you should always avoid supplements that don’t tell you each individual ingredient serving size on the label.
There is absolutely no need for a manufacturer to use a proprietary blend.
Countless supplements in multiple sectors have no problem listing their full formula specifications on their website and on the their labels.
In fact, they shout it from the roof tops whenever they get a chance.
That’s because they rightly see their formulas as a major selling point.
They know that nobody ‘steals’ anybody else’s formulas these days. It just doesn’t happen. We all know a great deal about the ingredients used in natural nootropics. We know how they’re supposed to be dosed, cycled, and stacked.
There’s nothing Procera know about Huperzine A, for example, that anyone else would want to steal – no secret, special dose that brings out amazing benefits you don’t get at other doses.
So when products do hide their formula behind a proprietary blend, they’re either being unnecessarily frightened and uncompetitive, or they’re purposefully trying to hide the formula from potential customers.
Either way, we’re not interested.
We value transparency.
If one product offers it and another doesn’t, the reasons why are not our concern.
Moral of the story: stay away from proprietary blends.
However, not all proprietary blends are equally bad.
Some are much worse than others.
Procera AVH is a particularly bad proprietary blend. This is largely because it contains a common ‘filler’ ingredient: Acetyl-L-Carnitine.
A ‘filler’ is an ingredient used by a manufacturer to bulk out a proprietary blend.
To list a substance on the ingredients list, a manufacturer only needs to include a trace amount – a milligram will do. Even a single microgram is enough to have a substance shown on the proprietary blend ingredients list.
A ‘filler’ ingredient allows a manufacturer to cheaply bulk out 90% of the proprietary blend.
This lets them cut back on the more expensive ingredients while still being able to show them on the ingredients list.
‘Filler’ ingredients are easy to spot.
Typically, they will offer very few benefits. They are cheap to buy in large quantities, and they can be safely consumed in large doses.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine, or ALCAR, is an amino acid usually consumed as a supplement to help with athletic performance. It has some well established but extremely weak nootropic properties.
When used by athletes to boost athletic performance, doses of up to 2,000mg are not uncommon.
At this dose, few people report significant cognitive enhancements. An argument can be made that the effects are subtle and long-lasting, but we think this is only done when people want to believe in ALCAR.
We have no idea how much of the Procera AVH formula is ALCAR.
It could be 1mg.
It could be 1,500mg.
But since doses of 2g per day do not bring about significant improvements in cognitive function, we have to ask ourselves:
Why would the manufacturer include it at all unless it is going to command the vast majority of the 1,515mg proprietary blend?
If ALCAR makes up 99% of the formula, then results from using Procera AVH are going to be extremely limited.
If it makes up the vast majority of this stack then you would be better off just buying an ALCAR supplement.
If it doesn’t, then we’ve still got a poor stack on our hands.
Minor Problem – Vinpocetine Not Very Powerful
Vinpocetine is not a poor cognitive enhancer by any means.
It has multiple proven benefits when taken as a supplement. Studies have shown that it can improve memory. This is probably because it is known to increase brain circulation.
We think it makes a great addition to a comprehensive brain boosting supplement.
But when it is just one of three ingredients – and one of two effective ingredients – that’s a different story.
Vinpocetine’s effects aren’t all that tangible.
Unlike Citicoline, Bacopa monnieri, and the like, Vinpocetine can’t really be “felt”.
You may not even notice much in the way of increased work output or higher energy levels while using it in isolation.
To get the kind of ‘kick’ we look for from modern nootropics, we really need to employ a potent cholinergic, some powerful antioxidants, and something to enhance neuron function.
Aside from Huperzine A (which has its own problems), we don’t get any of these things from Procera AVH.
-How Does Reading Affect Cognitive Function?-
What Are People Saying About This Stack?
Let’s take a look at what other people have been saying about Procera AVH.
A good place to start is the manufacturer:
That may be one of the cheesiest sales videos we have ever seen.
Another competitor is this segment on a show called The Mental Edge – a supposedly informative show, but in reality a thin promotional channel:
We don’t find those kinds of videos or promotional segments very encouraging. You probably don’t either. It’s clear from these videos who Procera see as their main market for AVH – the easily impressed!
Procera AVH Side Effects – Is It Safe?
Procera AVH is a completely natural brain supplement. But that does not mean that it is 100% safe and side effect free.
We actually think this stack poses relatively large side effect concerns.
This is in part due to the inherent uncertainty created by proprietary blends.
When we don’t know doses, we can’t talk in absolute certainties when discussing side effects.
But a bigger concern is the presence of Huperzine A.
Huperzine A prevents the brain from making acetylcholinesterase. This is the enzyme which removes excess acetylcholine. We do generally want more acetylcholine available for the brain to use, but too much causes problems.
Side effects of having excessive build-ups of acetylcholine include, but are not limited to:
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Loss of focus
- Lack of motivation
- Low mood
- Irritability
- Anxiety
This is why Huperzine A must be cycled regularly – to allow acetylcholine levels to return to a healthy range.
The likelihood and severity of side effects is determined by the dose used and the length of a given cycle.
The ideal length of a cycle is determined by the dose used.
If we don’t know the amount of Huperzine A present in each serving of Procera AVH, we have no way to gauge the side effect risks.
This is a SERIOUS problem for us.
We wouldn’t use a supplement ourselves unless we knew how much Huperzine A was present in each serving size. We wouldn’t be able to judge the severity of short term side effects or how long we should be using it for before taking a break.
-Learn More About Huperzine A-
Procera AVH Review Conclusion – Should You Buy It?
We don’t think this is a wise choice for anybody, regardless of your specific goals or needs.
You should avoid proprietary blends at all times anyway.
But when they contain weak ingredients and blatant fillers like this, you really shouldn’t waste your money.
We are also very concerned about the irresponsible use of Huperzine A. We really need to know how much Huperzine A we’re using so we can cycle it properly.
If it isn’t cycled properly, then side effects are inevitable. The longer a cycle stretches beyond its proper limit, the worse these side effects can become.
The ingredients themselves aren’t particularly powerful. Of the three, only Huperzine A has the potential to drastically improve your cognitive performance, and as we said, we don’t know how much we’re getting.
A poor quality nootropic providing even poorer value for money.
Procera AVH may be the “leading brain supplement in the US” in terms of sales. But if it is, it doesn’t deserve to be.
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