Nugenix is a men's health supplement company with products ranging from a multivitamin to testosterone (T) boosters. The brand describes their supplements as sexual vitality boosters, and suggests that their supplements maximize energy and improve lean muscle mass and libido.
But do Nugenix supplements actually contain research-backed ingredients for improving testosterone and libido? Does the brand use any potentially dangerous ingredients? How do real users rate and describe the effects of Nugenix? And which retailer sells this brand for the best price?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in two of the brand's most popular supplements: Nugenix Total-T (used to improve testosterone levels) and Nugenix GH-Boost (used to improve growth hormone levels), to give our take on whether or not they're likely to be effective, and whether or not they're healthy.
We'll also feature real Nugenix customer reviews, and provide a cost comparison to show which retailer sells this brand for the best price.
Can Nugenix Increase T Levels?
The ingredients in Nugenix Total-T, which is used to increase T levels, are shown above.
Vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 are part of a vitamin and mineral blend.
A clinical trial published in a Japanese research journal found that 1,500 micrograms (mcg) per day of vitamin B12 supplementation, or 625 times the amount in Total-T, had no influence on testosterone.
Boron is a mineral that was studied in a 2011 clinical trial, and trial participants supplementing with boron at a similar dose to that in Total-T experienced a 28% increase in free testosterone levels.
Eurycoma longifolia extract, commonly referred to as tongkat ali, is an effective ingredient for naturally boosting T, but may be underdosed in this formulation.
As we documented in our Gorilla Mind review article, the minimum effective tongkat ali dose appears to be 200 milligrams (mg) per day, while there's only 100 mg in Total-T.
Fenugreek extract is included at a dose of 600 mg which appears effective.
A meta-review on fenugreek extract reported a “significant effect” on serum testosterone levels, and most of the studies included used a dose slightly less than the dose in Total-T.
Overall, we consider Nugenix Total-T likely to be effective for improving T levels, given that it contains several research-backed ingredients at effective doses.
Its inactive ingredients should be safe and non-toxic.
A YouTube creator named "Practical Product Reviews" shared his experience after taking Total-T for four months:
Can Nugenix Increase GH Levels?
The ingredients in Nugenix GH-Boost, which the brand claims can increase growth hormone (GH) levels by over 100%, are shown above.
Update: At the time of updating this article, Nugenix appears to have removed this product from its website.
GABA is a neurotransmitter that's typically supplemented for stress support, but it's clinically shown to increase GH by up to 400% for a short period of time when taken at the same dosage as in this supplement.
Glutamine was shown to increase GH levels in a clinical trial published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
L-lysine, l-arginine and l-ornithine are amino acids that have been shown in research studies to increase GH levels, as we documented in our review of the GF9 supplement.
This supplement contains several questionable inactive ingredients that health-conscious consumers may wish to avoid.
Citric acid is typically manufactured using fungus and can cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals, according to a medical review published in the Toxicology Reports journal.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener shown in a 2018 clinical trial to cause negative effects on insulin levels in young and healthy adults, even at only 15% of the daily allowable intake.
Natural flavors is a broad categorical descriptor that fails to specify the flavoring agents used, and a medical review documented legitimate toxicity concerns regarding some natural flavoring compounds.
Overall, we consider GH-Boost likely to be effective for increasing GH levels short-term, but we haven't come across any convincing evidence that these ingredients can cause long-term changes to GH levels.
We do not currently recommend Nugenix GH-Boost due to the inactive ingredients discussed above.
A YouTube creator named "Stay Motivated" reviewed Nugenix GH-Boost in a video with over 17,000 views:
Customers Rate Nugenix
Amazon is a better resource for honest customer reviews than a brand's website in our opinion.
Nugenix Total-T has been reviewed over 16,000 times on Amazon at the time of updating this article, with an average review rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars.
A top positive review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named "John" who gave the product a 5/5 rating:
"I’ve literally only been using this for a week. HUGE difference in my performance (in bedroom and in gym)...You’ll feel like a raging animal ready to bite off your own hand but holy crap if you add preworkout better stand back for blast radius."
A top negative review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named "Keith" who gave the product a 1/5 rating:
"After the first day I felt ill, but I did not think it was the Total T. On the second day I thought I was going to have a stroke. I had a headache in the front of my head. My entire head felt like it was going to pop. It seemed like my blood pressure was going through the roof. I was able to function, but I thought it could be over for me at moment. I realize the Total T pills were the only new change I made, so I took more aspirin to stop my headache and stopped the Total T pills."
Nugenix has highly negative reviews on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website.
The brand currently has an average review rating of 1.02 out of 5 stars.
Several users complain of the brand being a scam due to recurring billing that the user claims to not have agreed to. A user named "William G" states the following:
"Same as other reviews. It is a scam. Repeatedly bilked out of monthly sum. had to change billing criteria (cancel my card) to halt being billed $81.87 each month for product I used the one time."
To the credit of Nugenix, the brand responds to every customer complaint in an effort to rectify the situation, which is a good sign.
Does Nugenix Cause Side Effects?
None of Nugenix's supplements appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it challenging to say for certain whether or not they cause side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on the ingredients.
The majority of the ingredients in Nugenix Total-T and Nugenix GH-Boost are safe and well-studied, so we don't believe it's likely that the average consumer will experience side effects from these supps.
However, taking high doses of vitamins and minerals without any deficiency in those vitamins and minerals could lead to toxicity over time.
We'd recommend speaking with a doctor if you plan to take Nugenix for long periods of time uninterrupted.
A 2015 medical review found that changes in GABA levels are associated with psychiatric disorders, so it may be advisable for individuals with a personal or family history of mental illness to avoid Nugenix GH-Boost.
We can't find any information about potential side effects on the Nugenix website.
Where to Get the Best Price
Nugenix is sold at a wide variety of online retailers.
Here's a price breakdown for Nugenix Total-T at the time of updating this article:
Brand website: $69.99 (plus shipping, link)
GNC: $64.99 (free shipping, link)
Amazon: $59.97 (free shipping, link to Amazon listing)
Nugenix Total-T is currently around 20% cheaper at Amazon than the brand's website when factoring in shipping fees.
Our Testosterone Support Picks
MBG Vitamin D3 Potency+ is our top value testosterone support pick.
Vitamin D3 supplementation has been clinically shown to increase total testosterone levels by over 25%.
Performance Lab Magnesium is our top mineral testosterone support pick.
Magnesium is a mineral that is clinically shown to increase free and total testosterone in athletes and in sedentary individuals.
All of the products recommended in this section are entirely free of ingredients that we consider unhealthy.
Nugenix Pros and Cons
Here's our take on the pros and cons of Nugenix:
Pros
- Research-backed active ingredients
- Total-T is free of questionable additives
- Total-T may increase T levels
- GH-Boost may transiently increase GH levels
- Unlikely to cause side effects based on ingredients
Cons
- GH-Boost contains questionable additives
- Relatively expensive
- Brand website charges for shipping
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
