Does Human Growth Hormone Slow Aging?

Many refer to the human growth hormone as key to the slowing of the aging process, while others claim it has no effect on slowing the aging process – so which is it? Glad you asked. You’ll want to read on to get a clearer picture of the role of the human growth hormone in the aging process.

The pituitary gland produces the human growth hormone. Your pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure that is located at the base of your brain. During childhood, it fuels growth, and throughout your life, it helps to maintain organs and tissue.

However, by the time you reach middle age, your pituitary gland starts to reduce the amount of growth hormone it is producing. It occurs gradually, so it’s not as if you’ll wake up one morning and say, “hey my pituitary gland isn’t producing HGH anymore.” Rather it’s a slow, gradual process. This slowing down has generated a great deal of interest in the use of synthetic human growth hormone to slow down the aging process and keep you younger longer.

If you are skeptical, you aren’t alone. There’s been a great deal of controversy over whether human growth supplements slow the aging process or not. Let’s start by looking at who should take hormone growth hormone supplements.

Injected synthetic human growth hormone is available by prescription, and is approved for the treatment of adults who are suffering from a deficiency of growth hormone. Now, we aren’t talking about the natural decline as we age, but rather for treatment when the body is not producing the amount of human growth hormone it should.

This is actually a rare condition often caused by pituitary adenoma, which is a pituitary gland tumor. It can also be the result of adenoma treatment with radiotherapy or surgery. When an adult has a human growth hormone deficiency, the injections can aid in increasing bone density, muscle mass, and exercise ability, while decreasing body fat.

Human growth hormone is also used (and approved) in the treatment of HIV and AIDS in the muscle wasting that is associated with these conditions.

How HGH Affects Healthy Adults

There have not been a lot of studies conducted in relation to healthy adults taking HGH and its affect. We already know that it can increase muscle mass and decrease body fat, in older adults that are otherwise healthy. However, it does not appear that the increase in muscle mass actually means increased strength. Whether it provides additional benefits is still up for debate as different studies produce different results.

The Study of the Human Growth Hormone on Aging

The New England Journal of Medicine, published in 1990, the results of a small-scale study of human growth hormone. Th trial injected healthy men between the ages of 61 and 81 with human growth hormone for a six-month period. The results were amazing.

The men reported a significant increase in lean body mass, skin elasticity, improvements in blood sugar and blood pressure, improved mood, and decreased body fat. It appeared that organs such as the kidneys and heart were beginning to return to normal size. For all intensive purposes, it appeared that the human growth hormone was going to be that miracle anti aging drug.

Researchers began it hypothesize numerous ways that the human growth hormone might help the elderly, including speeding up the healing process of those who were recovering from a broken hip or other bone type surgeries. They speculated that patients who were bedridden with muscle loss could use the human growth hormone to rebuild muscle waste. The possibilities were truly endless, and when the study hit mainstream media there was plenty of excitement in the health communities.

However, journal editors were quick to stress additional studies were needed. This study had not included women so they didn’t know how women would react to HGH, and the study on the men only lasted six months so the long-term effects had not been established.

There was also an admittance that even though the organs had returned to normal size it did not prove they were healthier or functioning better. An editorial statement added to the article that read: “Our understanding of growth hormone, its interrelations with other hormones, and its regulation of metabolism is considerable. Although its actions and benefits are fairly clear in children with growth hormone deficiency, they are not at all clear in adults”

However, this one study was enough for companies to come out of the woodwork and begin to make all kinds of claims about HGH. Even today decades later there are still companies citing this study. In 2003, the Journal added another statement denouncing the misleading advertisement that was running rampant.

Today, it still has not been proven without a double that the human growth hormone will reverse the aging process, especially for those who are in their 40s and 50s where your body is still producing some HGH. And while studies continue to prove that there is an increase in lean muscle mass and a reduction of body fat when older individuals take HGH, there still needs to be studies that show it also increase endurance and strength.

However, even though the formal research may be lacking, there is no shortage of individual testimonials that will tell you how well it has worked for them to slow the aging process. Many have personally enjoyed the return of their energy, youthful vigor, and the disappearance of their wrinkles and improved skin.

Does human growth hormone slow aging? As you can see, the answer is not that simple, so the best advice is to try it for yourself and be your own judge.

Anti Aging Supplements

Medical Review Desk