***HGH - Human Growth Hormone

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is often recognized for the important role it plays in helping young people grow normally and naturally as they move through childhood into adolescence and finally into adulthood. However, HGH’s importance to healthy human development extends far beyond its contributions to physical maturation in the young. HGH continues to play a significant role in preserving and maintaining healthy biological functioning throughout the life of a human being. It is for this reason that low levels of human growth hormone production can have a negative impact on the overall health of the body in anyone and at any age.

Causes of Low HGH Levels

Human growth hormone is produced in the brain by the pituitary gland. Production of this vital hormone generally peaks during adolescence, when bones are growing fast and physical development is progressing quickly. Once the transition to adulthood is complete, HGH levels will invariably fall off as we age; however, the important point is that HGH continues to play a critical role in the biological processes of the body even after vertical growth stops. But because HGH production continuously declines, there is less and less of it available to assist with vital functioning. By middle age, HGH levels are usually down significantly, and this drop-off in the body’s ability to manufacture this important hormone is connected to a whole host of health difficulties, including:

• Obesity and loss of muscle mass
• Declined functioning of the immune system
• A generalized loss of energy
• Less flexibility
• Insomnia
• Depression
• Skin problems and wrinkles
• Low bone density
• High cholesterol

Beyond the effects of aging, certain medical conditions can disrupt the pituitary gland’s ability to manufacture sufficient supplies of HGH. In some instances, poor functioning of the pituitary can be the result of an inherited genetic condition, leading to a condition called Growth Hormone Deficiency. Not surprisingly, if left untreated this can lead to stunted growth in the young and a whole raft of health difficulties that manifest later in life.

Growth hormone deficiency can also be acquired if the pituitary is subjected to some kind of trauma or disabling condition. Brain tumors can occur in the pituitary, and if this is not enough to cause malfunction, either the surgery to remove them or the radiation to treat them can sometimes have this effect. The pituitary gland can also be damaged by various types of infection.

The Benefits of HGH

The beneficial effects of human growth hormone are extensive, because this substance plays a key role in the regulation and enhanced functioning of innumerable systems within the body. Bones, muscles, organs and the immune system all rely on HGH to keep them strong and working smoothly and without disruption.

Many of the effects we associate with aging are based on the fact that healthy cells are no longer being replaced at a rapid enough pace to keep the body from showing signs of physical deterioration. Low levels of HGH are not the sole cause of this problem, but they are a huge reason why the body begins to lose its natural resiliency. By the age of 40, nearly everyone can be classified as deficient in growth hormones, and by the age of 80 up to 95% of the body’s ability to produce them naturally will have been lost. By early middle age, as new cell growth begins to lag, visible signs of HGH deficiency begin to show, including loose and wrinkled skin, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, graying hair, memory problems, and a loss of energy and pep.

When steps are taken to replenish HGH levels, however, it can seem as if the process of aging has been reversed. Skin becomes smooth and wrinkles disappear, hair grows thicker and darker, new muscle mass replaces fat, and energy levels recall the days of youth.

The immune system generally becomes less resistant to disease as we age, which is why vaccines are so frequently recommended for older people. With replenished supplies of HGH, this situation can be reversed. Diseases are opportunistic, always looking to take advantage of compromised immune systems, but when HGH is present in adequate amounts, disease agents can no longer easily find fertile ground in which to grow and flourish.

All of the organs of the body, except for the brain, rely on HGH to stay strong and vital. Vital organs do so much important work that fatigue can set in at the cellular level, and when this happens, serious health conditions can follow reduced functioning. HGH does such effective work in helping tissues regenerate that it allows organs to return to their former high levels of efficiency while helping to increase their resistance to chronic conditions, such as high cholesterol and heart disease.

Muscle mass does tend to replace fat tissue when HGH supplies are increased. However, it must be noted that this will not lead to increases in strength unless it is combined with some form of exercise, such as weightlifting.

The Rudman Survey

In 1990, Dr. Daniel Rudman conducted a controlled study at the Medical College of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee on the effects of HGH in men past the age of 60. This study found that regular doses of HGH given for just a six-month period can reverse the aging process by 10 to 20 years, as the men in the study experienced noticeable and measurable health improvements, which included:

• Increased bone density
• Thicker and more vibrant-looking skin
• Darkening of formerly gray hair
• Elimination of wrinkles
• Significant improvements in energy levels and physical stamina

To date, medical researchers have not adequately followed up on this original result. However, what was discovered certainly dovetails with the anecdotes that have been collected from deeply satisfied users of HGH around the world.

HGH Treatments

The FDA has, so far, only approved HGH for those who have been clinically diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency, children with growth disorders (such as dwarfism) and AIDS patients with wasting disease. There is some controversy about just what constitutes a legitimate case of Growth Hormone Deficiency, and a number of clinics have opened up to treat people with low HGH levels that are related to aging. While this isn’t technically prohibited by the FDA, clinics that provide these injections are doing so outside of what injectable HGH has actually bee approved for, though any government regulatory agencies probably do not have the necessary resources to investigate clinics treating low human growth hormone levels with prescription medications.

Synthetic human growth hormones can only be given with a prescription, and they must be given by injection since they cannot be properly absorbed by the body when ingested. Because of the questionable legality of what doctors who work at the various clinics are doing, controlled studies of the effectiveness of these treatments are not being performed. However, anecdotal evidence collected from patients strongly suggests that HGH injections are quite effective in helping to reverse the aging process in many people.

Nutritional supplements are available that can help the body produce greater amounts of HGH on its own. These supplements contain a mixture of vitamins, minerals and other potent nutrients that can help to stimulate the pituitary gland to begin making greater amounts of HGH once again, even if the person taking the supplements is of an advanced age. Sytropin is one example of these types of supplements, and many satisfied customers have left testimonials raving about the improvements in vitality and energy they have experienced after taking this oral spray for a few weeks or months.

One advantage of this method of treatment is that it can work without injection because it is stimulating the pituitary gland to produce HGH naturally. A second advantage is that there is no risk of running afoul of the law, because all ingredients in these supplements have been approved for human usage by the government. Finally, another big advantage is cost: While HGH injections given at clinics can cost as much as $15,000 per year, nutritional supplements like Sytropin are affordable for everyone.

The Evidence is Convincing

Even though it is unfortunate that politics has essentially kept human growth hormone treatments from being studied more completely, the evidence provided by user testimony certainly seems to support the landmark Rudman study. Nutritional supplements are another good option for those who want to save a lot of time and expense, and who would prefer to rely on the regenerative powers of HGH produced naturally by the body, rather than something produced in a laboratory. One thing that is not a good idea, however, is to obtain illegal HGH injections on the black market. This is the route taken by many athletes, who are risking their health – and possibly even their lives – by purchasing unregulated substances containing potentially harmful substances, produced by mysterious “chemists” and sold by unscrupulous operators who are only out to make a buck. All the evidence seems to suggest that human growth hormones can indeed have a miraculously positive impact on human health, but they should only be acquired from those who are legally authorized to provide HGH injections or sell natural supplements that support HGH production.