What is Human Growth Hormone?

Produced by H.F.R.

Human Growth Hormone is one of several endocrine hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and DHEA that decline in production as we age. While many of these hormones can be replaced to deter some of the effects of aging, growth hormone goes far beyond the effect of any one of these hormones to not only retard biological aging, but also to significantly reverse many of the effects of aging. Researchers have proven growth hormone therapy can reverse the biological effects of aging by as much as 20 years with less than one year of treatment.

Human growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is produced at a rate that peaks during adolescence when accelerated growth occurs. Growth hormone secretion decreases with age in every animal species tested thus far. In humans, the amount of growth hormone after age 30 declines about 14% per decade, so that total daily growth hormone production is reduced dramatically with age. In numerical values, we produce on a daily basis about 500 micrograms of growth hormone at age 20, 200 micrograms at age 40, and 25 micrograms at age 80. At age 40 our growth hormone production is only 40% of what we produced at age 20. The fall in IGF-1 levels with age is identical to the decline of growth hormone.

Scientists do not know why persons over age 40 incur such significant decreases in growth hormone secretion with resulting growth hormone deficiency. Medical research has revealed that the aging pituitary somatotroph cells can still secrete as much growth hormone as the young somatotrophs cells if they are adequately stimulated. This has led researchers to the theory that the reason for the decreases in HGH secretion must lie in the factors that regulate its release.

1. Theory 1: Some research scientists believe the problem lies with somatostatin, the natural inhibitor of growth hormone. Somatostatin has been found to increase with age and may act to block the pituitary’s release of growth hormone. When researchers eliminated somatostatin production in old rats, they found growth hormone secretion as great as those of young rats.

2. Theory 2: A second theory is that the precursor hormone, growth hormone-releasing hormone (GH-RH), which stimulates growth hormone release by the pituitary gland, becomes less sensitive to signals from the hypothalamus. Hence, insufficient GH-RH is released resulting in a decrease of growth hormone secretions over time.

3. Theory 3: A third theory is that, not only does the growth hormone secreted and available to receptors in our cells decrease with aging, but that the cell receptors become more resistant and less responsive to the growth hormone available. Under this theory, aging can be viewed as a disease of growth hormone resistance within our cell receptors similar to the way in which diabetes is a disease of insulin resistance

Human growth hormone is primarily released in pulses that take place during the beginning phases of sleep. Growth hormone is rapidly converted in the liver to its powerful growth promoting metabolite, Insulin like Growth Factor - Type 1 (IGF-1), also referred to as Somatomedin C. IGF-1 causes most of the effects associated with growth hormone. It is measured in the blood to determine the level of growth hormone secretion. Most of the beneficial effects of human growth hormone are directly attributable to IGF-1.

The decline of growth hormone with age is directly associated with many of the symptoms of aging, including cardiovascular disease, increased body fat, osteoporosis, wrinkling, gray hair, decreased energy, reduced sexual function and interest, and other ageing archetypal symptoms. Many of these symptoms have been found in younger adults who have growth hormone deficiency.

Most Importantly, clinical evidence and recent medical research clearly demonstrate that by replacing growth hormone in IGF-1 deficient adults, we can significantly eliminate these symptoms, reverse the biological effects of aging, reduce body fat, increase lean muscle mass, strengthen the immune system, improve sexual performance, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, restore hair color and growth, increase bone tissue, strengthen the heart and increase energy. There is no other substance known to medical science that has such extensive and well documented ability to deter and reverse the aging process.

In reviewing the benefits of growth hormone therapy listed above, it is difficult to believe that growth hormone could have so many beneficial effects. However, as we examine more closely the evidence accumulated by medical research and the interaction between growth hormone and the various bodily systems that affect the areas benefited, we develop an understanding as to how an increased level of growth hormone results in so many beneficial effects.