You look in the mirror and see just what you’ve been dreading; that first grey hair. Or maybe it is the second grey hair, and some lines around the eyes, and wrinkles on your neck. Either way it’s the signs of ageing that you never wanted to acknowledge, and now they are here, what can you do about it? You’ve heard something about HGH, so what exactly does it do? And does it work?
It can be considered to be the Fountain of Youth. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) was once just familiar to those who moved in the realm of body builders and elite athletes, now the basic benefits it can provide are creeping in the mainstream. But there is much research on both sides of the HGH spectrum, and for those that claim all the good it can do, there are just as many that warn about its side effects. At the very least using HGH may result in nothing, at worst it could actually really hurt you.
Some products claim that due to the presence of HGH as an ingredient they can improve your skin’s elasticity, make your hair thicker and darker, improve your eyesight and your memory, increase your energy levels and enhance your sexual performance.
An anabolic hormone, your body naturally produces HGH in the pituitary gland; it is a testosterone booster that also helps the body with cell regeneration, and with growing human tissue including in the brain and other vital organs. It regulates body composition and fluids, spurs muscle and bone growth particularly in children and adolescents, regulates the metabolism of body fat and sugar. It may also assist heart function. Males have less HGH in their bodies than females because females need extra to grow babies.
The HGH once secreted only stays active in the bloodstream for several minutes, however during this time liver puts it to good use. The liver works in partnership with HGH to turn it into growth factors which can affect every cell in the human body. The most important of these is IGF-1, known as insulin-like growth factor, which has been found to play a key role in human growth and recovery.
Prescription HGH for approved medical purposes is always given via injection. Supplementary HGH can be present in a wide variety of medications and additional products you can buy over the Internet, including pills and sprays. These additional products claim to provide a great many benefits however none of these are approved either by the FDA or FTC. At this point in time it is still unknown how the body reacts to HGH which enters the body other than by injection, for example through the stomach or the skin.
Studies show that many people are HGH deficient, with some being born with this affliction, and others showing a reduction in HGH with age. There are some shared symptoms of people who are naturally low in HGH, which may be improved with increased levels of synthetic HGH. This supplementary version of HGH was first developed in the 1980s and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for very specific uses in children and adult patients.
Some approved uses include:
- Turner’s syndrome which affects development in girls
- Prader-Willi syndrome which affects muscle tone, and sex and hunger drives
- Chronic kidney disease
- To help growth in children born small for their birth age.
- Short bowel syndrome
- Muscle wasting diseases such as HIV/AIDS
The majority of use up to date has been unapproved and as an enhancement for professional sportspersons. Much talk is going on about the possible uses of HGH for anti-ageing purposes, because HGH naturally reduces with age and occurs in partnership with many ageing effects. Additional studies are looking into the wider uses of HGH to assist people with their health, illness and recovery from exercise and injury.
Signs of reduced HGH in children
Children who were born with HGH deficiency show many of the same symptoms including:
- Being shorter than their cohorts, and grow at a rate of less than 2 inches annually
- Look younger in the face than their cohorts
- Delayed puberty, sometimes don’t go through puberty at all
- Teeth and hair slower in development
- Increased fat surrounding the belly and face
- Bridge of the nose is underdeveloped
- Prominent forehead
It has been noted that HGH deficiency while affecting does not have an effect on a child’s intelligence.
Signs of reduced HGH in adults:
- Depression and anxiety
- Poor memory, focus and concentration
- Decreases sexual drive and function
- Fatigue
- Hair loss and fine, dry skin
- Reduced muscle strength
- Increased levels of tryglycerides, cholesterol and heart disease
- Reduced bone strength
- Carrying extra weight around the belly
- Resistance to insulin
- Heightened sensitivity to temperature changes
Studies have hypothesised that obese adults are obese in part because they are low in HGH. Increased levels of synthetic HGH has been shown to assist with weight loss. If you are wondering about your HGH levels and the possible benefits of increasing HGH in your body, you can ask your doctor to take a blood test.
Some possible new benefits as shown by early study results
Synthetic HGH has been shown to benefit people of all ages, and may even be safe for children. The hormone is injected for optimum benefits, which can include a wide variety of uses. Studies have been published which show the following possible benefits of increased HGH:
- Weight loss including increased lean body mass and visceral fat reduction
- Muscle strength and size can be increased by stimulating collagen in the tendons and muscle of the skeleton
- Improved exercise performance
- Improvements in sexual performance and erectile dysfunction have been shown in some studies which indicate that male reproductive functioning can be lower in men who are HGH deficient in puberty
- Recovery from injury
- Promotion of good health and enhancement of the immune system
- Anti-ageing including improved skin elasticity and collagen production
- Bone growth and healing can be improved with the regeneration of bones being speed up and there is a reduced risk of osteoporosis. The IGF-1 and HGH combination has been shown to stimulate bone-forming and other relevant bone regrowth cells, which can result in enhanced bone mass.
- Reduced risk of heart disease
- Better cognition, memory and mood has been shown to occur in partnership with increased HGH levels
- Studies have shown that reduced sleep is a common symptom of people who are HGH deficient, and that people low in sleep are also low in HGH, leading to hypotheses that improved HGH may improve sleep
- Reduced hair loss
These benefits are in the early research stages; for each study that claims HGH may result in any of the above effects, there is an equal one claiming that effect to not result at all. It is also important to read the studies carefully; many of the effects just occur concurrently to HGH rather than as a result of it.
Different impact of HGH on men versus women
The majority of women using HGH now appear to be using it for assistance with weight loss and also for its anti-ageing benefits. Reduced levels of HGH could be responsible for carrying more weight around the belly, drying skin and increased wrinkles and thinning hair. Supplementary HGH in women can enhance skin elasticity and the body-fat ratio, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis while improving the general immune system. It can also improve sleep.
The majority of men use supplementary HGH for sexual performance enhancement and improved exercise performance and muscle mass.
Some possible natural ways to increase your HGH levels
This might be your best bet; if there are all the benefits of HGH available but by enhancing your own levels of the hormone not supplementing it synthetically. Some natural ways that you can increase your HGH levels include:
- High-intensity exercise: High endurance exercise with load, intensity, duration and frequency. HIIT workouts are ideal.
- L-glutamine supplements, can assist particularly with weight training
- L-arginine supplements
- Mixed supplements; look into GenFX, HGH Energizer or HyperGH14x
- Alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine (A-GPC) supplements can increase HGH levels in the body particularly levels after exercise
- Laughter has been found to increase both HGH and endorphins
- Liver detox: because the liver works in partnership with HGH to produce insulin with growth properties, you need to keep your liver healthy for your HGH to perform
- Vitamin C: studies have shown a correlation between low Vitamin C levels and lower HGH levels and related body issues, indicating that increasing Vitamin C may increase the HGH that your body produces.
- Improved sleep
- Healthy, balanced and lean diet
Precautions about Human Growth Hormone
The use of HGH as a beneficial supplement is in its early stages. There are many studies indicating the possible benefits of higher levels of HGH, however there is still a long way to go before it can be considered a reliably safe substance.
Noted side effects of HGH include:
- Enlargement or swelling of the fingers and toes
- Fluid retained in the body
- Nerve, muscle or joint soreness
- Skeletal changes
- Orbital growth
- Jaw lengthening
- Enlargening of internal organs including the heart
- Pins and needles
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Face feeling fuller
- Thickening and coarsening of skin
- High cholesterol levels
- Increased blood sugar
Increased levels of HGH can preclude the risk of diabetes, heart disease and the growth of cancerous tumors.
As with any supplement it is possible to abuse the use of HGH, and some body builders and athletes over the years have been shown to abuse HGH. Some of the side effects of continuing extremely high levels of HGH also include a shortened life span for heart conditions.
Because in its present state HGH is not approved, if you buy it illicitly you can never be sure what you are getting, and the prices charged can be exorbitant. You may result in putting all sorts of dangerous things into your body, and the need for anti-ageing magic can’t be worth that much.
You should discuss this with your trusted physician before trying anything new like this.
Conclusion
In your body HGH can accomplish amazing things. Its levels peak at adolescence and start to lower after that, leading people to believe that it is the hormone that keeps you looking and feeling young. It’s very tempting to want to enhance your HGH for peak health and fitness. We all want the Fountain of Youth.
But at this point in time, there are select FDA approved uses for the hormone which will involve medically prescribed injections from your doctor. Currently it is not safe to source HGH from anywhere or anyone else and use it in your body in any other way. Studies need to continue and approval must be given before you can access HGH for any of its additional benefits.
So the best option for you if you want to enhance the awesome power of HGH in your body is to do so naturally. This is not necessarily the easiest option however, as it involves exercise, healthy diet, better sleep patterns, and maintaining a lower level of body fat. But the harder path maybe the best way to go.
Resources
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/human-growth-hormone-hgh#1
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/supplements/build-muscle/everything-you-need-know-about-human-growth-hormone
https://draxe.com/human-growth-hormone/