Evidence: Reasonable Possible Benefits: Very High Safety: High
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is Senactiv?
Senactiv is a patented combination of Panax notoginseng and Rosa roxburghii, two adaptogenic herbs with a variety of possible health benefits. Senactiv was created by NuLiv Science and is a product of over 10 years of research and development. The supplement is mainly used for improving muscle recovery and the clearance of senescent cells but may have a variety of other beneficial effects. This article is about the main benefits of Senactiv, its potential side effects, the best time to take it, and more.
Possible benefits
All of the potential benefits mentioned below are dose-dependent. As with other adaptogenic herbal blends, there is a sweet-spot dose that allows you to get most of the benefits without causing meaningful side effects or tolerance buildup in the body. We will discuss the best dosing protocol later in this article.
Major benefits
Faster muscle recovery – Senactive can promote the removal of old cells and replenish with new healthy muscle cells. This results in the human body experiencing quicker recovery within muscle tissues. Panax notoginseng can also reduce levels of creatine kinase, a biomarker of muscle damage, 72 hours after an exercise session when the supplement is taken before the session. This suggests that this herb can improve recovery.
Improved energy production – Senactiv can increase the production of citrate synthase, an enzyme responsible for producing adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This can lead to an increase in exercise performance and a variety of other positive effects.
Lowered inflammation – This supplement can decrease levels of TBARS, MDA, IL-6, CK, and other inflammatory markers.
Improved immune health – Panax notoginseng can improve various aspects of immune health, including innate immunity, adaptive immunity, cellular intrinsic immune defenses, mucosal immunity, immune tolerance, natural killer cell function, healthy T and B cell function, and more.
Minor benefits
Reduced risk of cancer – Senactiv is effective at clearing out senescent cells, which can contribute to a variety of diseases, including cancer. Daily supplementation with Panax ginseng was associated with more than halving the risk of colorectal, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer in one study. While we need more human research to confirm this effect, the research we have so far is very promising and this benefit likely applies to Panax notoginseng as well.
Antioxidant properties – Both Panax notoginseng and Rosa roxburghii can increase SOD, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase, the three main antioxidant enzymes.
Reduced blood glucose – Multiple studies found a decrease in fasting blood glucose in diabetics taking standard doses of ginseng for prolonged periods. The same does not apply to non-diabetics, where blood glucose usually isn’t altered in any notable way. However, a high dose of about 20 grams of Panax ginseng can acutely lower blood glucose levels even in healthy individuals. Since Senactiv contains a high amount of ginsenosides that seem to contribute to this effect, it is likely able to have a similar effect on blood glucose.
Reduced risk of common cold and flu – Senactiv can reduce the rate of these two types of sickness but it doesn’t seem to influence the length or severity of them. This supplement can also increase the effectiveness of flu shots.
Reduced symptoms of multiple sclerosis – Taking Panax ginseng daily for 3 months reduces feelings of tiredness in women with MS. This benefit probably also applies to Panax notoginseng and therefore Senactiv as well.
Slower cognitive decline – The supplement is somewhat effective in this regard.
Cognitive enhancement – Panax notoginseng can acutely enhance some aspects of cognition. This benefit may be secondary to ginseng’s anti-fatigue effects.
Improved mood and well-being – An improvement is mainly seen in people with stress, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, or other issues that ginseng can help with. Healthy individuals without these problems may not experience this benefit.
Increased blood flow – Supplementation can lead to a small increase in blood flow.
Reduced DNA damage – Senactiv can help slow down or even reverse DNA damage, probably due to its ability to remove senescent cells.
Calming effects – This herbal blend was shown to improve self-reported calmness in one study.
Improved sleep quality – This benefit mainly applies when one sleeps in a new location.
Increased testosterone – An increase is seen only in infertile men and doesn’t apply to most fertile men.
Improved reaction time – The effects on reaction time are mixed but slightly positive in most people.
Improved cholesterol levels – Panax notoginseng in Senactiv can both increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol levels. However, this benefit is somewhat unreliable and usually very small.
Possible side effects
The side effects below are dose-dependent. The risk for them increases (often linearly but sometimes exponentially) as you increase the dose. Some of the side effects only apply to very high doses.
Allergic reaction – Some people are allergic to either Panax notoginseng or Rosa roxburghii and may experience an allergic reaction after they start taking Senactiv. Unlike the “initial adverse reaction,” allergic reactions typically don’t go away until one stops taking the supplement.
Nausea – This side effect is most common when people take the supplement on an empty stomach.
Diarrhea – You can usually prevent diarrhea or stomach discomfort by taking this supplement with a meal.
Toxicity – As adaptogens, both Panax notoginseng and Rosa roxburghii act as mild stressors on the body. That is usually a great thing as it allows your body to adapt to specific forms of stress and become more resilient. However, stressing the body too much can be counter-productive and cause multiple side effects, including toxicity. While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking very high amounts of Senactiv could lead to chronic toxicity and cause health problems over time. To prevent chronic toxicity or the buildup of tolerance, staying below 100 mg of Senactiv daily is best unless you have a great reason to take more.
Who should not take Senactiv?
You should probably avoid taking Senactiv if you:
are allergic to either Panax notoginseng or Rosa roxburghii
experience a severe adverse reaction after taking the supplement (though a mild adverse reaction is usually a great thing as it is a sign that the supplement is working and causing a hormetic response that allows the body to adapt and become more resilient)
are pregnant or breastfeeding (while it can be safe to take this adaptogen during pregnancy or breastfeeding, it acts as a mild stressor and can cause some unnecessary risk to the child)
suffer from an autoimmune disease (many adaptogenic herbs, including Panax notoginseng and Rosa roxburghii, can stimulate the immune system, which can worsen symptoms of some autoimmune diseases)
Who will benefit the most?
You should consider taking the supplement if you:
are an athlete and wish to optimize exercise performance
are an older person experiencing aging-related muscle loss
wish to remove senescent cells from your body to maximize healthspan and lifespan
are predisposed to colorectal, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer or other types of cancer
don’t suffer from any autoimmune condition and wish to improve immune health
wish to optimize overall cognitive and physical health
have a high budget for supplements and are willing to experiment with a variety of them (Senactiv appears safe and is unlikely to do more harm than good for most people)
How much Senactiv should you take?
The recommended dailydose by NuLiv science is 50 mg of Senactiv.
While higher doses are generally safe, taking more than 50 mg daily would be counter-productive as your body would quickly develop tolerance.
Like with most other adaptogens, it is best to cycle Senactiv and take at least 2 days off weekly to reset your tolerance. This will allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.
Keep in mind that some effects of this herbal blend are cumulative. Therefore, you must take it for at least 2-4 weeks to notice most of the benefits. But again, cycling the supplement and not taking it at least twice a week is necessary to prevent tolerance in the long term.
Best time to take Senactiv
You can take this supplement with or without food. Each of these options has its benefits. The main bioactive compounds in the herbal blend should absorb well either way.
If you experience nausea or stomach discomfort when you take this supplement, taking it with food should prevent these unpleasant effects or at least make them less intense.
If you take this herbal blend on an empty stomach, the short-term effects will kick in faster and they will be more pronounced but will not last as long.
Whether you take this supplement in the morning or the evening typically does not make much difference. Both options are fine so feel free to experiment.
Interactions
Ginkgo biloba This combination may benefit recall time and the vividness of memories.
Where to buy Senactiv?
Amazon is the best option for ordering Panax notoginseng and other herbal supplements in most countries. They offer some very affordable products backed by many positive reviews. Also, you can choose from a wide range of brands without having to search through other markets on the internet.
Some brands display the dosage per serving instead of per pill or capsule. Therefore, you may accidentally buy something less potent than you intended. Do not fall for this marketing trick.
FAQ
As with most other herbal supplements, it is best to cycle Senactiv and stay off of it for about 2 days per week to reset your tolerance back to baseline. This will keep your body sensitive to the supplement and allow you to keep getting the benefits in the long term.
Yes, you can. This supplement should not impact your sleep in any negative way. Whether you take it in the morning or the evening typically doesn’t make much of a difference. Both options are fine so feel free to experiment.
This supplement should not become harmful once it exceeds the expiration date but it can lose potency over time. Keep the herbal supplement in a cold, dark, and dry place, and it should remain just as potent for many months or even years.
As an adaptogen, Senactiv acts as a mild stressor on the body. This is usually a great thing as it allows your body to adapt to specific forms of stress and become more resilient. However, putting too much stress on the body can be counter-productive and cause multiple side effects, including toxicity. While acute toxicity is extremely rare, taking very high amounts of this supplement could lead to chronic toxicity and cause health problems over time. Very high doses can also make you develop tolerance much faster than lower doses so they may be less effective in the long term.
While you could safely take higher doses, there is usually no point in taking more than 50 mg of the Senactiv blend daily. This amount should give you most of the benefits without meaningful side effects. Paradoxically, taking a higher dose would likely lead to fewer benefits as the body would quickly become accustomed to the herbal blend.
While the half-life of Senactiv itself is not well studied yet, the half-life of Panax notoginseng in the body is about 3-4 hours. This herbal blend should be processed in your body within 16 hours of consuming it.
Some of the cognitive-enhancing effects of this blend are acute and you may notice them right away. However, many of the effects of this supplement are cumulative. Therefore, you must take it for at least 2-4 weeks to notice most of the benefits. But again, cycling the herbal blend and not taking it at least twice a week is necessary to prevent tolerance in the long term.
Yes, Senactiv is vegan-friendly. If you buy this herbal blend in a capsulated form, beware that the capsules often contain animal-based gelatin. Instead, find a brand that puts its products into cellulose capsules.
No, it doesn’t. The herbal blend does not interfere with fasting in any significant way.
References
Most of the information in this guide is based on scientific research that can be found and verified in the PubMed medical library. We highly encourage you to use the library to verify anything you read in this article. We excluded from consideration studies that are either confounded or have a high conflict of interest.
