GROWTH HORMONE
Growth Hormones - Misconceptions and Outrageous Claims
You may have seen all the outrageous claims by now. Here are some examples:
· Take our Human Growth Hormone and you will become Super Man!
· Take HGH Product X and watch your IGF-1 levels shoot through the roof!
· Spray our Growth Hormone up your nose and watch your muscles grow overnight!
HGH therapy is the fountain of youth, the anti-aging solution that will make an 80 year old man or woman feel like 18!
The Truth about Growth Hormone
You can certainly find yourself very confused with all the "information" you have read about HGH. We are going to try to help by giving you a factual overview of the entire HGH story. Supplementing with human growth hormone can produce some great results, but first you need to be able to separate the facts from fiction.
We will tell you right up front that we have found some HGH products that we think are excellent. However, we would prefer if we could first share our research and information on HGH. At The Natural Human, we would rather you learn about HGH supplements and hormone therapy so you don't waste your hard earned money on some supplements that do not work.
There a few things you must learn about human growth hormone (HGH) and the role that it plays in anti-aging medicine.
What is a Hormone?
Hormones are tiny chemical messengers that help our body do different tasks. Hormones are made up of amino acids. Hormones are produced by the endocrine glands and then sent all over the body to stimulate certain activities. For example, Insulin is a well known hormone that helps our body digest food. Our growth, digestion, reproduction and sexual functions are all triggered by hormones.
What is Human Growth Hormone?
Human Growth Hormone (HGH or rGH) is the most abundant hormone produced by the pituitary gland (pituitary is one of the endocrine glands). The pituitary gland is located in the center of the brain. HGH is also a very complex hormone. It is made up of 191 amino acids - making it fairly large for a hormone. In fact, it is the largest protein created by the pituitary gland.
HGH secretion reaches its peak in the body during adolescence. This makes sense because HGH helps stimulate our body to grow. But, HGH secretion does not stop after adolescence. Our body continue to produce HGH usually in short bursts during deep sleep.
Growth Hormone is known to be critical for tissue repair, muscle growth, healing, brain function, physical and mental health, bone strength, energy and metabolism. In short, it is very important to just about every aspect of our life!
What is Recombinant Growth Hormone (GH)?
Recombinant Growth Hormone is GH that is synthesized in the lab. It is a biosynthetic hormone that is identical to human growth hormone, but it is synthesized in the lab. Creating an exact replicate of HGH was not an easy task.
First scientist needed to isolate HGH. Once they achieved this step they could study the DNA make-up of the protein. Scientist quickly realized making recombinant GH would be no easy task since they had to accurately reproduce a 191 amino acid hormone.
It wasn't the quest to help mankind that lead to the invention of recombinant GH, but really it was money! Pharmaceutical companies knew that there was big money to be made if they could create HGH in a test tube. Scientist from the major drug companies raced to produce the 191 amino acid hormone in a test tube. While Genentech first claimed victory in 1985, it was a short lived success. The recombinant GH they made was a 190 amino acid match - they were one amino acid off from HGH. This left the door open for Eli Lilly, who in 1986 created a 191 amino acid hormone that was an identical match to the HGH produced by the pituitary gland. The drug is called Humatrope. Many other pharmaceutical companies have since duplicated it with similar names such as Genotropin, Somatatropin, etc...
What is IGF-1?
IGF-1 stands for Insulin-like Growth Factor 1. IGF-1 is also known as Somatomedin-C. As important as HGH is, it does not last long in our bloodstream. In just a few short minutes our liver absorbs HGH and converts it into growth factors. IGF-1 is the most important growth factor that is produced. So, IGF-1 is a hormone just like HGH, but it is easier to measure in the body because it stays in our bloodstream longer than HGH. You can think of HGH as the hormone that gets the ball rolling, but IGF-1 does most of the work
The Role of HGH on the Body
After reading through the boring HGH definitions this will seem like a thriller. Keep reading to discover the effect of HGH on the body.
What role does HGH play in the body?
Human growth hormone and IGF-1 have been shown to play a significant role in:
· Conversion of body fat to muscle mass
· Growth of all tissues
· Improve energy level
· Tissue repair
· Whole body healing
· Cell replacement
· Bone strength
· Brain function
· Sexual function
· Organ health and integrity
· Enzyme production
· Integrity of hair, nails, skin and vital organs
Basically, anything that goes on in your body is in some way tied to HGH. This is why HGH is often called the "fountain of youth". Elevated HGH levels are what makes you feel young again.
Does your body always produce HGH?
The good news is that your body must always produce HGH or you would not be able to function. The bad news is that as you get past about 20 years old, your body produces less and less HGH each year. By age 60 you will probably have lost 75% of the HGH that your body produced.
If you are a numbers person, here are some average HGH secretion levels:
· At 20 years old we average 500 micrograms/day
· At 40 years old we average 200 micrograms/day
· At 80 years old we average 25 micrograms/day
Why does the body produce less HGH as we get older?
This is the million-dollar question. It really ties into the bigger question - Is aging a preventable disease? For years people have believed that as we get older our body basically wears out. The theory went that all of our organs, tissues, muscles, bones, etc. have a set life span and will get weaker as we age. When someone is 40 and complains that they can't do what they did at 20, we accepted this as the natural process of getting old.
Research into HGH shows that aging may be preventable to a certain extent. Let's clarify that, that we are not saying that we will all become immortal. What we are saying is that research indicates that our body is very capable at the age of 40 to have the same makeup as we did at the age of 20.
It was originally believed that the pituitary gland just didn't have the capacity to produce large amounts of HGH as we get older. However, recent studies have shown that aging pituitary glands are capable of producing as much HGH as young pituitary glands, if it is adequately stimulated. This shows that the somatotrophe cell, the cell in the pituitary gland that releases HGH, does not "lose power" as we age.
The questions still remains, if the problem is not with the pituitary gland, then why does HGH decrease as we age? One theory is that the pituitary gland does not "know" it should be producing more HGH. Our body has a feedback loop that says when the IGF-1 levels decrease, produce more HGH. For some unknown reason it is possible that this loop is broken and the pituitary gland has a harder time getting the signal to produce more HGH as we age.
Another theory is that as we get older our Somatostatin levels increase. Somatostatin is a natural inhibitor to growth hormone. So, as we age the somatostatin levels increase and this leads to a decrease in HGH.
As we speak a lot of very smart people are trying to come up with a definitive answer as to why HGH levels decrease with age, but as of now we just have theories.
Is there any way to maintain high HGH levels as we age?
Yes. Above on the section of growth hormone, we discussed the recombinant GH. A doctor can do a daily injection of this GH and it will lead to an overall increase of growth hormone in the body. It is important to understand that recombinant GH is only available in injection form. The 191 amino acid hormone is too delicate to be made in any oral form.
What effect does this increase in HGH have on the body?
While numerous studies have been done on the effects of HGH injections, the most ground breaking study was done by Dr. Rudman and published in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 5, 1990. The journal reported that men who had taken HGH injections had shown a 8.8 percent gain in lean body mass with a 14 percent loss in body fat - without any change in diet or activity! It bears repeating that there was no change in diet or exercise - and the subjects who received HGH injections had a 8.8 percent increase in lean body mass.
If you look at all the studies that have been done on HGH injections you get the following list of benefits:
· 8.8% increase in muscle mass on average after six months, without exercise
· 14.4% loss of fat on average after six months, without dieting
· Higher energy levels
· Enhanced sexual performance
· Regrowth of heart, liver, spleen, kidneys and other organs that shrink with age
· Greater cardiac output
· Superior immune function
· Increased exercise performance
· Better kidney function
· Lowered blood pressure
· Improved cholesterol profile, with higher HDL and lower LDL
· Stronger bones
· Faster wound healing
· Younger, tighter, thicker skin
· Hair regrowth
· Wrinkle removal
· Elimination of cellulite
· Sharper vision
· Mood elevation
· Increased memory retention
· Improved sleep
(* The above is taken from Grow Young with HGH by Dr. Ronald Klatz)
Is there any negative to taking HGH injections?
Yes - but isn't there always a catch? There are actually a few problems with HGH injections:
· Extremely Expensive
A year's supply of HGH injections can cost $20,000! Insurance will not cover the injections because you are not treating a "classified disease".
· Available by prescription only
Recombinant GH is a drug that is available by prescription only. So, even if you had $20,000 a year to spend, you would need to get a prescription.
· Possible Negative Side Effects
Anytime you introduce a large amount of a foreign hormone into the body there is the risk of side effects. In Dr. Rudman's study he found that some of the patients suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome and gynecomastia (enlarged breasts). Dr. Rudman believed that with less HGH the side effects would go away, but tragically he died before he could test his theory.
Sounds like having more HGH and IGF-1 is a good thing, but taking injections can be dangerous - is there any other way to elevate HGH levels?
It is clear that elevated HGH levels can have a very positive impact on just about every aspect of your life. With this information in mind, thousands of companies have scrambled to make Dietary Supplements that increase HGH levels.
While there are some great products out there, there are also a lot of companies just out to make a quick buck.
The Role of HGH on the Body
It is time to separate fact from fiction and look at some of the products out on the market today. Is it possible to increase HGH levels by taking dietary supplements?
Every web site claims they have a simple supplement that will cause my HGH to skyrocket. Do these supplements work?
For the most part - NO! We hate to be the one to break the news to you, but most companies in the HGH market are out to make a quick buck with exaggerated claims. Here are some claims you will see on the web and our feeling on their accuracy...
· Claim: HGH will give you a 8.8% increase in muscle mass and a 14.4% loss of fat - without dieting or exercise!
This is the old bait and switch. Technically, they are not lying when they quote Dr. Rudman's number. With HGH Injections, Dr. Rudman did see a 8.8% increase in muscle mass and a 14.4% loss of fat. The problem is, they are not selling HGH Injections! These companies do not provide any evidence that their pill, powder or spray will have the same results as HGH Injections. So, they bait you with all the positives of HGH injections and then switch you to their untested supplement.
· Claim: Our spray/pill/powder contains real HGH!
This statement is at best a tremendous exaggeration and at worst a complete lie. There are a couple of reasons why companies who claim to have a significant amount of HGH in their products are not being truthful. First, HGH is a prescription drug. If you put significant amounts of HGH in a dietary supplement it is no longer a supplement - it is a drug. As a drug, it must meet FDA approval and only sold with a prescription. So, the phrase HGH dietary supplement is an oxymoron. If a product has a significant amount of HGH, it is a drug.
If you remember, HGH is a delicate and complex 191 amino acid hormone. This brings up the second problem with the above claim - you can not take HGH orally. So, even if a company wanted to break the law and sell HGH as a pill/spray or powder - it would not work because the HGH would break down before it ever reaches the bloodstream.
Finally, you have a financial problem with the above claim. Research pricing for GH and see how much 200 micrograms (the amount a 40 year old secretes each day) of recombinant GH cost. You will quickly find out that the math just doesn't work. How can they sell a 1 month supply for $100 when the raw material would cost over $1,000 a month?
There is a case when the above claim can be true - but very exaggerated. The FDA has determined that if there is less than 2001 nanograms (ng) of the HGH drug present in a supplement - it is NOT considered a drug. The theory is that in such small trace amounts, the drug has no impact so it is not classified as a drug. A nanogram is...
1,000 nanograms (ng) = 1 microgram (µg)
1,000,000 micrograms = 1 gram
So, even a product that had the highest legal amount of HGH would only have 2 micrograms. Dr. Rudman gave his patients 49,500 microgram - three times a week! What this means is that technically and legally you could make the claim that your product contains real HGH. The problem is, that claim is pure marketing hype. It is not a significant source of HGH.
· Claim: Our product are FDA approved!
There are no FDA Approved Dietary Supplements. The simple truth is that the FDA does not approve or disapprove of Dietary Supplements. The Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 says that Dietary Supplements do not need FDA approval. This is why we only use FDA pharmaceutical grade GH.
Are there other ways to naturally increase HGH levels?
Yes. Diet, exercise and lifestyle all have an impact on HGH levels. Certain foods can spike HGH levels and exercise leads to an increase in HGH. In addition, something as simple as getting more sleep can increase your HGH levels. Our pituitary gland produces HGH while we are in deep sleep. Therefore, the more we sleep the more opportunity we have to produce HGH.
We highly recommend a book called "Natural Hormonal Enhancement" by Rob Faigin. Even if you don't like to take any supplements - this book is amazing. It is basically a bible on how to develop an eating plan that will naturally increase your GH levels. With over 1700 references to medical studies, it is hands down the best book on Natural Hormonal Enhancement we have ever read.
CONCLUSIONS ON HGH
The effects of elevated HGH levels can be truly amazing. Raising HGH levels is the closest science has come to the elusive "fountain of youth". Unfortunately, the advances of science have also led to an avalanche of con artists. It seems as if suddenly everybody has a pill that will make us young again. The truth is that most pills will just make you poor again!
Fortunately, there are a few legitimate HGH enhancing products on the market that are safe and effective. The book Natural Hormonal Enhancement provides detailed information on how to eat and live in such a way as to naturally elevate your HGH levels.
We will continue to evaluate new products as they are developed. In addition, we will use this site to provide information on clinical studies and research, as they become available. It is truly an exciting time to be alive, and if advances in HGH research continue, we may all be alive for a long time!
Frequently Asked Questions on HGH
Can I get mad cow disease and other diseases from taking HGH?
In order to answer this question, we need to discuss some of the history to HGH supplementation. Back in 1958 HGH injections were first used to treat children with an HGH deficiency that resulted in stunted growth. The thought was, if they could raise the HGH levels in children with an HGH deficiency, they may be able to get the children to grow normally.
In order to get HGH for these injections, there was only one source - the brains of cadavers. Yes, morbid as it sounds they used thousands of dead people's brains to extract HGH to inject into children. The good news was that it did help children grow. From 1958-1980 thousand of children received HGH injections.
The bad news was that the HGH supply had become contaminated with the virus that causes Creutzfeld-Jakob or "mad cow" disease. Normally when an extraction from a human part is done, heat is used to kill any possible virus. The problem was that HGH can not be heated or it breaks apart. The best they could do was pasteurize the HGH. In the 80's it became painfully clear that this was not good enough. The evidence mounted that the HGH injections were responsible for children developing mad cow disease. Obviously, the FDA immediately put an end to growth hormone injections.
In 1985 scientist were able to create synthetic growth hormone in the lab - recombinant HGH (click here for a definition of recombinant HGH). This was a major breakthrough, as growth hormone was only the second recombinant DNA drug ever developed (insulin was the first). By producing a synthetic growth hormone scientist were able to remove the risk of mad cow disease. No more squeezing brains to make HGH - now it could be made in a test tube. With the risk removed the FDA once again approved HGH injections. As long as you take a recombinant HGH, you are not at risk for mad cow disease. In 1985 scientist were able to create synthetic growth hormone in the lab - recombinant HGH (click here for a definition of recombinant HGH). This was a major breakthrough, as growth hormone was only the second recombinant DNA drug ever developed (insulin was the first). By producing a synthetic growth hormone scientist were able to remove the risk of mad cow disease. No more squeezing brains to make HGH - now it could be made in a test tube. With the risk removed the FDA once again approved HGH injections. As long as you take a recombinant HGH, you are not at risk for mad cow disease.
Why is the 1990 Dr. Rudman HGH study considered such a landmark?
Dr. Rudman's study - Effects of Human Growth Hormone in Men over 60 Years Old (New England Journal of Medicine, 1990;323:1), marked the first time a therapy had been shown to reverse aging. Up until this point most people just accepted that we all age and there is nothing you can do about it. Dr. Rudman showed that this was not the case. In fact, his study showed that 6 months of growth hormone injections turned the clock back 10-20 years on his subjects.
The other key to Dr. Rudman's study was that it was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study done on humans. This is one of the highest level of clinical studies.
While we at The Natural Human consider the study a landmark, it has been seriously taken out of context on many web sites. Dr. Rudman injected very high levels of recombinant HGH on 60 year or older patients. When a web site says that their oral HGH supplement will have the same effect on 20 year olds - it is just not true. As we discuss in our articles, there are some HGH enhancing supplements that work very well, but just beware of people misquoting Dr. Rudman's study.
Does HGH supplementation cause cancer?
All indications are there HGH supplements do not cause cancer. The best evidence for this comes from the work of Dr. Chen and Dr. Terry. Chen and Terry run a clinic where they perform HGH injections. From 1994 - 1996 they treated over 800 patients with HGH injections. Amazingly there have not been any reports of cancer from any of the patients. As Dr. Terry stated in Grow Young with HGH, "With 800 people over the age of about 40, you would think that given normal incidence rate of cancer, some of these people would get cancer. It could be that there is some sort of protective effect from growth hormone replacement."
How can I measure my HGH levels?
HGH is only present in the body for a short period of time. However, IGF-1 is present in the body at all times. Since, IGF-1 does most of the work for HGH - it is easiest to measure IGF-1 levels. Blood and saliva tests can show your IGF-1 levels. Generally, the lower your levels, the more you stand to gain from HGH enhancing supplements.
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