Is Human Growth Hormone the Fountain of Youth?
As long as people continue to age, they will continue to search for the fountain of youth. For some, that mythical fountain seems to be found in human growth hormone, or HGH. But scientists cannot seem to agree on whether HGH is really effective at slowing the aging process or if the hazards of HGH use outweigh the possible benefits.
What is HGH?
Human growth hormone is produced by the pituitary gland which is a tiny gland located in the brain. This gland produces a variety of hormones which are chemicals that control functions in the body such as metabolism and growth. In young children, human growth hormone regulates growth by controlling the development of the skeleton and muscles. After puberty, HGH continues to affect the amount of muscle and fat the body produces.
HGH Supplements
As part of the normal aging process, the body gradually loses muscle mass, which means the body also loses strength. Some researchers believe it could be possible to slow or even stop this progressive muscle weakening by supplementing human growth hormone in elderly patients.
Some studies consider the benefits of supplementing HGH in elderly patients by looking at levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). This is a protein hormone that is similar to insulin. Production of IGF-1 is regulated by growth hormone. As a natural part of the aging process, both HGH and IGF-1 levels decrease over time. Researchers suggested that boosting HGH levels could result in increases in IGF-1 levels and slow the aging process. However, further studies revealed that higher levels of IGF-1 in elderly men are also associated with increased risk of cancer-related deaths. At the same time, there is little evidence to show that increasing HGH slows aging. While some patients show increased lean muscle mass, their strength did not increase proportionately which lead some researchers to believe the increase in mass was due to fluid retention in the tissues rather than an actual increase in muscle.
HGH Risks
Regardless of any test results, many people have jumped on the growth hormone band-wagon.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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