A guide to human growth hormone: What is it and should you use it?
Human growth hormone (HGH) is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the pea-sized pituitary gland, in the base of the human brain. You need HGH to grown into adulthood. But it is also essential to keep your organs healthy, your muscles strong and your energy up. Some doctors see it as the key to the fountain of youth. But, ironically, as you age, your natural production of HGH actually drops.
When you are young and producing this hormone normally, this substance goes all over the body. It goes down through the blood vessels, helping your body to build muscles, and it keeps the skin youthful and vibrant. As we age, the pituitary gland begins to shrink and making less of this growth hormone. The fat cells, then, become growing faster because that hormone is not there anymore, and the skin loses that vitality it used to have before.
When you are young and producing this hormone normally, this substance goes all over the body. It goes down through the blood vessels, helping your body to build muscles, and it keeps the skin youthful and vibrant. As we age, the pituitary gland begins to shrink and making less of this growth hormone. The fat cells, then, become growing faster because that hormone is not there anymore, and the skin loses that vitality it used to have before.
Synthetic HGH was developed in 1985, approved by the FDA and used in children and adults in specific cases. Therefore, many people use this substance as an antiaging medicine. The use of the hormone for this purpose is not approved by the FDA, and experts say it can be really harmful.
HGH, produced by the pituitary gland, spurs growth in children and adolescents. It helps to regulate, too, body composition, body fluids, muscle and bone growth, sugar and fat metabolism, and possibly heart function. HGH is the active ingredient various prescription drugs and in other products.
As said before, HGH injections are approved in just a few cases. Children with short stature of unknown cause can receive human growth hormone treatment, or with poor growth due to a number of medical causes, including:
Children born small for gestational age
Chronic kidney insufficiency
Prader-Willi syndrome, an uncommon genetic disorder causing poor muscle tone, low levels of sex hormones, and a constant feeling of hunger
HGH deficiency or insufficiency
Turner's syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects a girl's development
In adults, approved uses of HGH include:
Short bowel syndrome, a condition in which nutrients are not properly absorbed due to severe intestinal disease or the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine
HGH deficiency due to rare pituitary tumors or their treatment
Muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS
Excluding these cases, the use of human growth hormone is not recommended and is not approved by the FDA. Therefore, the most common use of this substance is to improve the performance of athletes, being used along with other drugs, such as steroids. There is no proof that the hormone actually helps in these circumstances.
Along time, HGH levels in our body decrease. That’s why antiaging experts claimed that HGH products can reverse age-related bodily deterioration. These claims are also unproven and unapproved.
There are also human growth hormone products in the form of fills and spray. Companies that sell these products say that you can “go back in time” and have your old biological clock; being able to reduce fat, build muscle, restore hair growth and color, strength the immune system, normalize blood sugar, increase energy and improve sex life, sleep quality, memory and vision. The Federal Trade Commission, however, did not find reliable evidence to support these claims. If HGH is taken orally, for example, it is digested by the stomach before it can even be absorbed into the body. This hormone works best when taken as injections.
Take a closer look to the most known methods of synthetic HGH available in the market and how they work:
HGH injection: Injectable HGH can’t be taken effectively by spray, tablets, or by swallowing. Injectable HGH, however, is most effective when applied by sub-cutaneous or intramuscular injection, as it entered the main blood stream through injection. Human growth hormone has become the latest fad amongst dozens of ageing celebrities in Hollywood who are desperate to look young forever. Well-known actors and household names are paying $240 a time to inject their bodies with synthetic substances. They can cost anywhere between $1000 and $2500, monthly. HGH users report that they feel 20 years younger, their skin feels tighter and that their sex drive increases. But there is a great deal of side effects of injecting HGH directly into the body which can cause serious problems.
HGH oral sprays: you can easily find a great variety of HGH oral sprays in the market. Therefore, studies show that HGH, being a big molecule, does not pass through the membranes in the mouth, stomach or intestines. You must have come across some claims saying that their HGH sprays contain a “polymer” that passes through, but a polymer is larger than HGH and cannot get through either. The benefit of these sprays has not been proven yet.
Natural HGH releasers: HGH releasers are actually the pills in tablet form that are taken like vitamins. Since the pituitary gland is most active and does its job well when we sleep, it is suggested that these pills be taken before going to bed. You have also noticed that most HGH supplements in the market powerfully claim to be 100% natural made with pure herbs. But reality is different from what is being claimed. Still, there are some genuine supplements available in the market that contains completely natural herbs without having synthetic ingredients. The herbs used are somehow effective in stimulating the production of HGH in the body. In addition, the supplements are easy to consume rather that Injection HGH or their oral sprays.
Side effects of human growth hormone can include:
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Swelling due to fluid in the body's tissues (edema)
Nerve, muscle, or joint pain
High cholesterol levels
Numbness and tingling of the skin
If you want to take good care of your pituitary gland and boost your HGH levels, you can take, safely, amino acid supplements. A recent study showed patients given a special blend of amino acids saw their HGH levels spike more than 6 times more the level they had at the beginning of the study. According to the researches, the result was faster metabolism and increase of endurance. Amino acids can be the key to boost you HGH, renew your energy and recharge your body.