Here’s our Serelax review. Does Serelax work for stress, anxiety, and sleep? Will it induce relaxation without giving you negative side effects? What do the customers say about this product? Our in-depth review touches upon all of these questions, and more.
Serelax Review at a Glance
Pros
- Contains chamomile which is effective for stress & anxiety
- A few good sedatives to promote sleep
Cons
- Key ingredients underdosed – including L-Theanine
- Some ineffective and unproven ingredients – including GABA
- Missing core herbs and nutrients for relaxation, such as magnesium, Ashwagandha, and Phosphatidylserine
- Contains Kava Kava which is known to cause liver strain
SUMMARY: Serelax is a natural product with a fully transparent ingredient label. It contains different herbs and amino acids that may help support your body and mind in unwinding, along with sedating you for a better night’s sleep. If you’re a healthy individual, Serelax could be a good option for you. However, certain ingredients in Serelax are underdosed, and some don’t work for sleep or stress at all – lacking human studies to prove their effects. Serelax also contains Kava Kava, which, while great for anxiety symptoms, can cause liver issues in some people. This is why it’s best left alone and replaced with safer stress-reducing ingredients.
What do we use?
>Top 3 OTC Stress Reduction Supplements<
About Serelax
| Benefits: increases relaxation, eases stress, balances mood swings, improves clarity | |
| Ingredients: Chamomile, GABA, Valerian, L-Theanine, Skullcap, Kava, Passionflower, Jujube, Griffonia, Wood Betony | |
| Company: Pharmaxa Laboratories | |
| Available: Manufacturer’s website | |
| Price: $39.50 (plus shipping) |
What does Serelax do? Serelax is marketed as an “ultra-potent”, all-naturally supplement designed to provide you with a relief of stress and anxiety symptoms. Serelax works naturally by supporting your brain’s “feel good” chemicals, along with reducing hormones linked to stress and insomnia – such as cortisol.
Sounds good on the paper, but what effects can you expect from Serelax in reality? What do the studies say about its ingredients? We investigate below!
How to use Serelax
Serelax dosage is 2 capsules as needed. Ideally, you’ll want to take Serelax with food to help with the absorption of some of its ingredients, and to avoid nausea and other common side effects.
Serelax Ingredients
Serelax contains the following ingredients:
- GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid) (200mg)
- Passionflower (150mg)
- Valerian Root (150mg)
- L-Theanine (100mg)
- Kava Root (100mg)
- Skullcap Root (75mg)
- Chamomile (75mg)
- Jujube Fruit (50mg)
- Wood Betony Herb (50mg)
- Griffonia Seed Extract (50mg)
Some of these ingredients are common in sleep aids and stress reduction pills. Others, not so much. Seralax is missing some of our top-rated ingredients for stress & anxiety, including Phosphatidylserine, Ashwagandha, and Magnesium.
On the other hand, it’s good that we can see the ingredient doses. They’re not hidden in a proprietary blend, which means you know exactly how much of each ingredient you’re getting for your money.
So, what does each of the ingredients in Seralax do? Are they safe? What effects can you expect? Let’s take a closer look:
GABA (Gamma Amino Butyric Acid)
This is one of the most common ingredients in cheap sleep aids and anti-stress supplements. GABA is made by your brain, typically at night, lowering stress hormones to help you relax and fall asleep. The issue is, GABA has a large molecular structure so it can’t pass through the blood-brain barrier when you supplement it. Instead of using a GABA supplement, it’s always better to supplement with herbs and minerals that act as GABA precursors – stimulating your brain to make more of its own GABA.
Passionflower
Passionflower induces relaxation, not only because of its sedative properties but also because it has a calming effect on the nervous system. It can make you drowsy so it’s best taken before sleep.
Valerian Root
Valerian is a plant that has been used as a sedative in both ancient China and in Europe.
In ancient times, Valerian was used to treat patients who had trouble sleeping. This plant can be found around the world, especially in Asia. Although there is not enough evidence to show that it is an effective treatment for insomnia, some people still use it today with that intention.
Valerian may also work as an anti-anxiety herb and as a way to reduce stress levels. Again though, most of the evidence is anecdotal. Reputable studies to support the traditional uses of Valerian are few and far between.
L-Theanine
L-Theanine is an excellent choice. It’s a natural amino acid found in high amounts in green tea. It helps your brain change gears from fast-paced, stressful brainwaves, to more relaxed and focused alpha waves. This will help you have fewer ruminating thoughts.
However, Serelax contains only 100mg of L-Theanine per serving; meanwhile, the optimal dosage is between 150-300mg. As a result, it may not be strong enough to produce the aforementioned effects.
Kava Root
Kava Kava is a plant that has been used for centuries traditionally by Pacific Islanders to drink during ceremonies. The plant is believed to have properties that improve mood and sleep and reduces nervousness. It contains the kavalactones which produce these effects.
The safety of Kava is still an issue of debate, some experts suggest it’s unsafe because it can cause liver damage. In 2002, FDA issued a warning stating that “Kava-containing products have been associated with liver-related injuries—including hepatitis, cirrhosis, and liver failure—in over 25 reports of adverse events in other countries.”
Although many people find Kava to work amazing for stress without producing any side effects, it’s best to talk to your doctor before taking Kava if you have a liver-related condition.
Skullcap Root
Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is a flowering plant that is mainly native to North America and the Western and Central Asia. It is also found in Europe, Japan, China, Brazil, and the Philippines.
Skullcap contains an anti-inflammatory substance that has been used for centuries to treat many ailments including headache, allergies, stress and insomnia. However, the evidence on Skullcap’s effects on stress reduction & sleep is weak. Better ingredients could be included in its stead in Serelax – such as Phosphatidylserine or magnesium.
Chamomile
Chamomile is a herb with a long history of use as a relaxant and sleep inducer. Often made into a tea, chamomile has active compounds that bind to your brain’s benzodiazepine receptors. Resulting in increased drowsiness and sedation. The optimal chamomile dosage for these effects is 100mg of a high-quality extract, whereas Serelax only contains 75mg.
Jujube Fruit
The jujube fruit is a good source of vitamin C. It also contains riboflavin and thiamin, which are important for general health and the functioning of the brain and body.
Wood Betony Herb
Wood Betony was first used by the Greeks and Romans in order to help with digestive, respiratory, and nervous system problems.
The most common claimed health benefit of Wood Betony is nervous system support. Although there are very few studies currently on this herb, some people say it helps them with insomnia, anxiety, depression, and emotional problems in general.
Griffonia Seed Extract
Griffonia is a plant that produces natural alkaloids which have been shown to have an effect on mood and memory. However, most of the studies on Griffonia have been done on animals. It’s still not clear what long-term effects it produces in humans.
It’s clear Serelax has included many herbs with good amount of anecdotal evidence behind them, but many of these aren’t supported by scientific evidence – Griffonia Seed included.
Customer Reviews
Most of the Serelax reviews you’ll find are on Amazon, where the product is unavailable at the time of writing. Here’s what some of the customers had to say about Serelax:
“You do not even have enough for one month to see if it will work for you. The bottle is so big but when you open it I would say that 1/4 maybe 1/2 of product. Most of it is covered with cotton. For the small amount of product they should have designed the bottle in such a way that was not overkill. I thought there would be a great deal of tablets in this bottle. Whether it works or not, can’t say. Normally it takes 2 months to know about anything in supplements. If I would have know there was so little tablets I would Neve have purchase it. I have the bottle next to my table.” – Anchorables (Amazon Customer)
“It seems to have calmed my anxiety, and I have ordered a second bottle.” – Glen Mitterr (Amazon Customer)
“I wanted to try for my chronic insomnia. First night I took one capsule last night took two caps. In short I was awake all night and this morning feeling more than tired, feeling pretty disconnected. This is not the solution for me.” – iguy (Amazon Customer)
Does Serelax Have Side Effects?
The ingredients in Serelax are all well-known in the scientific and alternative medicine community, and don’t usually cause any negative side effects in healthy individuals. The online reviews also seem to agree with this, with very few reports of Serelax side effects from users.
However, it’s important to mention that Kava Kava in Serelax may cause liver strain in certain groups of people. Another obvious side effect of Serelax is sedation. Never take it before driving or performing and important task or activity.
*You should check with a qualified professional if you aren’t sure whether to take this product or not. Remember, our posts aren’t meant as advice – they’re for informational and entertainment purposes only!
Where to Buy?
Serelax is currently only available on its official website. At the moment, Serelax isn’t available at Walmart or on Amazon. Additionally, there are no coupon or discount codes for Serelax right now.
Serelax costs $39.50 for a bottle of 60 capsules (without shipping).
The Bottom Line
Serelax is a product with some good sedatives and herbal medicines for anxiety & stress. It will help you fall asleep faster and may also improve your mood.
However, there are a few downsides, too. Serelax doesn’t boost focus or mental clarity like the manufacturer claim. In fact, it’s the opposite – the sedatives in this product will make you drowsy, so it’s best to take it when you know you’re done for the day.
Another issue with Serelax is the use of ingredients that haven’t been studied enough on humans. So we don’t know their long-term benefits and safety. Even more problematic is the use of Kava Kava, which is known by FDA to cause liver damage in certain individuals.
Alongside this, key ingredients like L-Theanine are underdosed, which means you won’t experience the full benefit.
Weighing in the pros and cons, Serelax could work well for you if you’re a healthy person and just looking to get a better night’s sleep. However, for the price it’s charging, there are definitely better options available on the market when it comes to reducing stress and anxiety.
What’s best?
What are the chances if you have missed two days worth of your Serelax pills, would a person have withdrawal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting?
Hi Caroline,
The chances are extremely slim. Serelax doesn’t contain anything known to cause dependency or withdrawal symptoms. What it does contain, though, is Kava Kava, which can be hard on a sensitive liver. This can result in the side effects you mentioned – but only from consuming it, not after stopping it.
It’s best to check with your doctor if your side effects continue.
I hope that helps.