Review: VyoTech 17-HD: The Most Powerful Anabolic Formula?
Note: While there are some Vyotech products still kicking around out there, the company itself now appears to be out-of-business. If anyone has info to the contrary, feel free to let us know in the comments.
VyoTech’s web site doesn’t pull any punches, when it comes to describing the effects of 17-HD.
“Instant Power, Instant Strength, Instant Muscle!
A powerful union of modern science has facilitated the evolution of the most dominant, side effect free, and all encompassing anabolic formula since the inception of pro hormones. Unparalleled muscular density, strength and power are now reachable and realistic goals for anyone wishing to embark on a quest to take their physique to the next level without breaking the law or your budget.”
Instant muscle? Now that would be a neat trick. I like to try out the supplements I review, and—I have to say—”embarking on a quest” is certainly a cool way to look at working on a new PR. I’m a woman, so naturally, I’m a sucker for a good line. I put my order in.
Admittedly, one claim did make me pause for a moment…
Here’s what makes 17 HD the ultimate “testosterone resource” to support all around muscular development:
• Highly Anabolic/Highly Androgenic
• Superior Bioavailabilty accelerates absorption and uptake
• Fast Acting power surge you can actually “feel” minutes after ingestion
Highly Androgenic??? Uh-oh…
“Androgenic” means “pertaining to the development of male characteristics, including body hair, the genital organs and muscle mass…Overproduction of androgen can generate some male characteristics in women and exaggerate male characteristics in men.” Virilization is a risk for female bodybuilders using steroids, even milder ones like Primobolan, Anavar or Winstrol. A supp that’s “highly androgenic” isn’t something to take lightly. I already struggle with adult acne, and I didn’t think I’d look good with facial hair.
Life, however, is nothing without risks. I stripped off the seal and opened my bottle of 17-HD with trembling hands…
Ok, not really. Just funnin’ with y’all. Truth is, I had no fears at all. Why? Because ad claims don’t tell the whole story: as always, you have to look at the ingredients.
17-Halo-Methyl-Dianadrone™ 400mg
Wild Yam 100mg
Glabra 100mg
Beta Ecdysterone 50mg
Phosphatidyl Choline 50mg
Citric Acid 50mg
Hmmm…now “17-Halo-Methyl-Dianadrone™” certainly looks androgenic: “Dianadrone” looks like “Diandrone,” which is an older synonym for DHEA—an adrenal steroid hormone that can convert to testosterone. In addition, oral steroids and prohormones frequently have a methyl (-CH3) group attached at the 17th carbon of the steroid skeleton to prevent breakdown during “first pass” metabolism in the liver. A “halo methyl” group in this position would be one in which a “halogen” atom (typically F, Cl, Br, or I) is substituted for one of the hydrogen atoms.
So is 17-Halo-Methyl-Dianadrone a modified form of DHEA? Not quite…according to the fine print, it’s really a proprietary blend of caffeine and various herbals. It’s just been given a fakey, steroid-y name.
* 17-Halo-Methyl-Dianadrone contains: smilax (root), 1,3,7-trimethylpurine-2,6-dione hydrate (caffeine), pueraria lobota, amylum (fruit), coix (seed), poria cocos (root), cassia (seed), loutus (leaf), cumquat (fruit), waterplantain rhizome (stem), mulberry (leaf), methionine.
Yet there are steroids in 17-HD. Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa), Smilax, “Glabra” and beta-ecdysterone are all sources of naturally occurring steroids, such as diosgenin, sarsasapogenin, smilagenin and beta-glycyrrhetinic acid, among others. “Steroid” is a generic term that describes a very large family of compounds, not just human sex steroids or their synthetic analogs. The question is: are there are any plant steroids in 17-HD that can convert to testosterone, or exert testosterone-like effects?
Nope…or at least none that I could discover.
Wild Yam has been hanging on the fringes of the bodybuilding world for years, thanks to its diosgenin content. Diosgenin is used in the manufacture of synthetic human steroids, and Dioscorea is a particularly rich source of it. The necessary steps to convert diosgenin, however, occur only in the laboratory—not in the body. Diosgenin does have some medicinal uses, such as reducing serum cholesterol, but it’s not a muscle builder.
This is also true for Smilax. Smilax officinalis contains an array of phytosteroids and sterols – none of which have any identified androgenic/anabolic activity in the human body. Smilax is commonly known as “sarsaparilla” and reportedly has anti-inflammatory, diuretic and laxative effects.
“Glabra” is Glycyrrhiza glabra—otherwise known as licorice root. It’s an odd choice for a muscle-building supplement, as licorice contains compounds with some less than desirable properties. Glycyrrhizin, for example, inhibits the activity of an enzyme known as 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase—which inactivates cortisol. Even worse, it can also reduce serum testosterone in both men and women.
Yikes! Fortunately, the dose in 17-HD is small, so it shouldn’t have more than minor effects on either cortisol or testosterone levels. Nonetheless, there’s no reason to include it in a supplement that’s supposed to have anabolic effects.
Ecdysterones are steroids found in insects and a number of plants. Beta-ecdysterone’s reputation as an anabolic is based on some Eastern Bloc research demonstrating it increased protein synthesis in animals.
An extensive review of the available data concluded, “They seem to display a wide array of pharmacological effects on vertebrates, many of which are beneficial. However, these claims require more thorough validation and clinical testing.”
This is an understatement, since Eastern Bloc research is often less than reliable. Ecdysterone-based supplements made a big splash when they first hit the market, but over the past 4–5 years, the silence has been pretty deafening.
To sum up, there is nothing in the above ingredients that looks particularly androgenic or anabolic. Nor is the situation likely to be improved by the “highly sophisticated Multi-Fraction Extraction (MFE) process” used to rearrange “the hydrogen and oxygen molecules on the natural steroid ring of the highly anabolic herbal plant substrates.”
You don’t have to know much about chemistry to recognize this is nonsense. Extraction processes are designed to purify specific compounds—not make chemical modifications.
Most of the other ingredients appear to be chosen at random. Some of these are also biologically active, but given the sheer number of compounds vs. the limited space in a single capsule, they’re unlikely to produce any noticeable effects. These are:
- Phosphatidylcholine: this is a phospholipid derived from lecithin, and a component of cell membranes. It’s a good source of choline, which is used by the body to synthesize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter.
- Citric acid: I had to do a double take on this one, as it’s a very common food additive used to give foods/drinks a sour or acidic flavor.
- Pueraria lobata: a.k.a Kudzu. Kudzu is a vine that’s an invasive plant pest. Just like soy, it contains the isoflavones daidzein, daidzin, and genistein, which have antioxidant and weak estrogenic activities.
- Amylum: this is simply starch.
- Coix: this is Coix lachryma-jobi, aka “Job’s Tears.” The seeds are used in traditional Chinese medicine. It displays anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, and hormonal-modulating activities in in-vitro and rodent experiments.
- Poria cocos: a fungus used in traditional Chinese medicine. The organic acids and glucans in “Fu Ling” have anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effects in laboratory experiments.
- Cassia: cinnamon. Cinnamon has antioxidant effects and may help improve glycemic (blood sugar) control.
- Loutus: this is a misspelling of “lotus.” Lotus leaf is eaten as a food in China, and also used in traditional Chinese medicine. “He Ye” may have antioxidant activity.
- Cumquat: another misspelling…it’s “kumquat – a small, oval citrus fruit.
- Waterplantain rhizome: Alisma plantago is yet another medicinal plant, although scientific investigations have been limited. Historically, it’s been used as a diuretic and astringent.
- Mulberry: Mulberry leaf powder has also been shown to have anti-diabetic, anti-amyloid, and lipid-lowering effects in animal experiments.
- Methionine: an essential, sulfur-containing amino acid.
Now you know why I wasn’t too concerned about “androgenic” side effects from taking 17-HD.
Oh—I forgot one ingredient…and believe it or not, this one actually works! It’s 1,3,7-trimethylpurine-2,6-dione hydrate, otherwise known as good ol’ caffeine. Caffeine may not be particularly anabolic or androgenic, but it can help put some energy into a workout. Taken together with all of the above, I guess you could say that 17-HD is the equivalent of an herbal NoDoz.
This was also my impression after using 17-HD before my workouts. I felt reasonably alert and focused. The various ingredients also seemed to smooth out the buzz a bit: the first day I took it, I had a tough time getting to sleep at night, but didn’t feel strung out or wired as I do when taking pure caffeine.
I also had some good workouts while taking it, but this is par for the course, since I plan my work and work my plan. There was nothing unexpected. There was no “instant” power, strength or muscle—just a little more energy, which I could have gotten from any number of caffeinated drinks or supps.
Ah well…so much for that experiment. Then again, I didn’t sprout any facial hair either, so at least my husband was pleased with the results!
