HGH or human growth hormone is secreted by our pituitary gland. It acts on your liver to stimulate the production of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), responsible for the effects of growth hormone. As we age the amount of IGF-1 circulating in the body decreases and we put on weight, begin to age, etc. You can learn more about HGH here. Anti aging has become big business and many HGH providers have jumped on the bandwagon making outrageous claims. Human Growth Hormone Scams are rampant.
Where it all began…
The goal to popularize human growth hormone started nearly 20 years ago when a book titled “Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach,” by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, hit the market. The focus of the book was around large quantities of vitamins and minerals, amino acids, and other substances that would help the body burn fat, build muscle, and liver longer. While there wasn’t a lot of scientific basis around there claims, they made tons of talk show appearances and sales went through the roof.
It didn’t take long after the book was published for all kinds of different amino acid products to hit the market, many making outrageous claims like ‘overnight weight loss.’ HGH supplements were also marketed to the bodybuilding community claiming they would ‘double their muscle size almost instantly,’ and other ridiculous claims.
The trouble is many of those products referred to studies and research that was done on HGH injections which affect the body much differently than HGH supplements do. They also require a serious medical condition, and a prescription from a medical doctor. FDA approval is for only a limited number of conditions. Today, there are some excellent products on the market that are honest about what an HGH supplement might do for them, and there are still the ‘snake oil’ salesman with their inferior products and outlandish claims. It’s a good idea to read HGH supplement reviews before making a decision on the product you want to try.
The Research Everyone is/was Talking About
In 1990, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that attracted mainstream media attention.
- The study involved 12 men, aged 61 to 81, who appeared healthy but had IGF-I levels below those found in normal young men.
- The 12 men were given HGH injections three times a week for six months and compared with 9 men who received no treatment.
- The treatment resulted in a decrease in fatty tissue and increases in lean muscle mass and lumbar spine density.
- An editorial warned that some of the subjects had experienced side effects and it was unknown what that the long-range effects of administering HGH to healthy adults was.
- It also warned that the hormone shots were expensive and that the study had not examined whether the men receiving the hormone significantly enhanced their muscle strength, mobility, and/or quality of life.
Even with the warnings, the study motivated numerous out of the ordinary physicians to begin marketing themselves as ‘anti-aging specialists.’ Many of these doctors offer expensive tests that apparently establish the patient’s “biological age,” which they then go on to promise that they will lower that age using expensive hormone shots and dietary supplements.
In 2001, NBC’s Dateline aired a show that showed what occurred when a 57-year-old woman visited a Cenegenics clinic in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was there that she underwent $1,500 worth of tests and was then offered a hormone and 40-pill-a-day supplement program costing $1,500 a month. She was told that she tested at “age 54,”and that her hormone levels were “sub-optimal.” She was then told that the optimal level would be that of a 30-year old. Of course, this was nothing but a huge scam.
The Internet and HGH
The internet has led to yet another dimension in the HGH market and the promotion of HGH products. Thousands of Web sites and spam e-mailers are selling ineffective products, or stretching the truth about what their product is or does.
It is Necessary to Use Caution
HGH Is approved by the FDA to treat growth hormone deficiencies in children and adults, along with a number of other conditions. These are HGH injections administered by a physician.
Gerontologist Robert N. Butler, M.D., founder of International Longevity Center-USA warns that, “So-called anti-aging medicine is largely a sham. We simply do not have the equivalent of a blood pressure cuff for testing aging. Doctors who claim to have the ability to measure “biomarkers of aging” and favorably affect them are not scientifically-based.”
More Studies and What They Have to Say
The New England Journal of Medicine, in March 2003, went do far as to denounce the misuse of Rudman’s 1990 article. The full text of the article was posted online so that it was available to everyone concluded:to see for themselves what the study said, rather than just picking and choosing parts of the study.
A surprising number of studies show that excess serum insulin (hyperinsulinemia) is a major health problem (Despres et al. 1996; Chu et al. 2001; Thakur et al. 2001). For people trying to reduce body fat, excess insulin suppresses the release of growth hormone in addition to preventing fat from being released from cells.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 393
Numerous studies using immature mice have shown that LH, FSH and prolactin (the reproductive hormones), HGH (growth hormone), ACTH (adrenal regulating hormone), and TSH (thyroid regulating hormone) were all decreased following exposure to MSG. These hormone deficiencies were reflected in the animals by small size, low reproductive ability, gross obesity and low metabolism.
Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 187
Conclusion
HGH supplements are a great way to help your body do a better job of distributing the HGH it’s already producing. HGH injections are used only when there is a serious health condition and the patient is under a doctor’s care.
When you purchase HGH supplements make sure you do your homework and choose reputable manufacturers. For more info on HGH releasers go here!
$1500 per month?! I could see the temptation though if the docs were telling her that she could turn back the clock 24 years right away. These scams are terrible!