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The Facts About Growth Hormone and How to Increase Your GH Levels!
Does Growth Hormone Really Produce The Startling Results People Claim?
Yes . . . But With Some Caveats!
Growth hormone (GH) is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland which is located in the center of the brain. A normal pituitary gland stores about 10 milligrams of growth hormone which is usually released in a series of pulses into the bloodstream throughout the day and night.
What does growth hormone do?
Growth hormone has many functions in your body, including promoting cell regeneration in the bones, vital organs and muscles, and repairing damaged tissue. It is responsible for enhancing muscle growth, burning fat, and maintaining the immune system, and even helps support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and reduces C-reactive protein.
Growth hormone production declines with age, so that by the time we reach 60 almost a third of us are no longer producing any GH. This has led some scientists to believe that growth hormone is a key factor in the speed with which we age … and a contributing factor to the loss of skin and muscle tone, an increase in fat tissue, and the tendency for our skin to wrinkle. In fact, GH levels start to decline as early as age 30—which may be one of the reasons that "crow's feet" start to appear shortly thereafter.
Why should you consider taking a GH supplement?
The bottom line is we're all getting older, and the older we get the less growth hormone we produce. Whether you're 30 or 80 years old:
- if you want to maintain good immunity and cardiovascular health,
- if you want to build lean muscle mass while reducing stored fat,
- if you want to improve your overall health and appearance,
- it's never too late to start taking a clinically proven growth hormone releaser.
Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency
Years ago it was thought that growth hormone deficiency was something you were born with, or resulted from head injuries later in life that affected the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland. It was well known that GH levels declined dramatically after early adulthood, but even older adults had detectable levels of GH.
When growth hormone and the tests that measured blood levels of GH became widely available in 1985, scientists and doctors finally recognized that some adults develop a severe deficiency of GH far beyond what is seen in normal aging. This new endocrine condition was termed Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency (AGHD).1
Symptoms of Adult GH Deficiency include increased body fat, decreased muscle mass and impaired exercise capacity, depression, abnormal blood lipids, and cardiovascular problems.
You are probably thinking that the symptoms of AGHD sound a lot like normal aging, and in a sense you are right. GH levels drop dramatically as we age … but people with medically recognized AGHD experience an even more severe version of the GH drop all of us experience. The first studies using GH in people with AGHD resulted in dramatic effects, including: decreased body fat, increased muscle mass, improved exercise capacity, improved mental outlook, increased bone mass, and decreased cardiovascular risk factors.2 In other words, AGHD patients given growth hormone had many of their premature symptoms of aging reversed within a matter of months. Over the last decade, AGHD has become a widely recognized syndrome that is easily and safely treatable with GH replacement, with dramatic positive effects on health and quality of life.3
The # 1 caveat you need to be aware of. . .
It's important to realize that all of the studies about GH supplementation that are commonly quoted are based on GH injections. The previous study2, which reverses premature aging in a matter of months, is a good example. Regardless of what the manufacturer or supplement company claims, you can not expect this rapid response with an oral GH releaser. Most marketing claims will quote the fast acting results of GH given as an injection. But oral GH releasers are generally not as strong and it may take longer for users to notice the desired benefit.
If you want a significant rise in your GH, and if you don't mind the cost and the needle pokes, then please go find some GH from an open minded doctor or from an overseas pharmacy (see our web site, www.smart-publications.com). Otherwise, take what we consider the next best thing—a GH supplement that contains APG/Lysine.
GH and aging
It is well established that GH benefits children who are deficient in it, and adults who have abnormally low or undetectable GH levels. But the effect of GH on normal aging adults is still a subject of intense scientific scrutiny. This mostly stems from the fact that deficiencies in the GH/IGF system in animals often result in very long life spans compared to normal animals.4 Additionally, animals that have been genetically modified to produce extra amounts of GH have reduced life spans.5
This may seem surprising, in light of the popular belief that extra GH extends life span. However, we also know that individuals who don't produce GH and are not given any GH replacement during their entire life have a dramatically shorter life span than normal people, living only about 40 years.6 So, there seems to be some optimum amount of GH needed to maximize life span and health. Too little or too much GH both adversely affect health and life span … while maintaining a proper amount of GH as we age can dramatically improve our number of healthy years.
Editor's Note:
The natural health solutions described in this article are available through many on-line retailers including those listed below. By clicking these links you help support the important alternative health research we provide.
Visit www.amazon.com – a great way to find competitive deals on supplements offered by many different manufacturers.
Visit www.hfn-usa.com – when commitment to quality and freshness is important, this factory direct solution is preferred by many of our readers.
This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult with a physician before embarking on a dietary supplement program.
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