Human Growth Hormone - Anti-Aging Wonder Drug?

Once again, the headlines in newspapers' sports pages are spotlighting human growth hormone (HGH), the latest performance-enhancing drug reportedly used by some professional baseball players.

I asked a colleague who specializes in disorders of the pituitary gland whether a healthy, strong young athlete could get any benefit from injections of HGH. He told me it can help them develop more muscle tissue.

It's unlikely, he added, that healthy young athletes will suffer serious ill effects from short-term use of HGH. But it's also uncertain whether HGH will make them stronger, let alone boost their home run totals or (for pitchers) lower their earned run averages.

HGH is essential for normal growth during childhood and continues to play an important role in body metabolism later in life. Because HGH levels fall as one ages, you may have heard about HGH replacement as a way to overcome some of the less welcome aspects of aging: loss of muscle and bone mass, increased risk of fractures, and accumulation of fat, especially around the belly.

What does the research say? Giving HGH to healthy older adults does indeed increase muscle mass and decrease body fat. But claims for other benefits of HGH replacement in the elderly, such as greater strength and better mental function, have not been proven. Giving HGH to older adults has also been associated with side effects like joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, fluid retention, and abnormal glucose metabolism.

Though HGH replacement in the elderly still holds some promise, problems remain. Who knows whether there are dangerous long-term effects? HGH replacement is also expensive (around $1,000 per month) and painful, since it must be injected. The HGH pills hawked over the Internet are a rip-off - they don't work. And it's illegal to sell or buy HGH for injection without a prescription.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are working to develop pills that stimulate the body's secretion of HGH. One of these products, capromorelin, has been studied in elderly men and women with mild functional limitations. The pills increased HGH secretion and lean muscle mass and led to modest improvements in some physical functions.

Capromorelin has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The author of the study pointed out that the FDA will be cautious in approving any anti-aging drug because aging is not considered a "disease or medical condition that requires treatment."

So don't get too excited about HGH as a potential anti-aging wonder drug. For the near future, at least, your best bet for staying healthy as you age is to eat a proper diet and get enough regular exercise to maintain muscle mass and limit body fat.


Hot Topics In HGH

    The Decline of HGH

    During the growth and development stage of life human growth hormone is responsible for proper growth and development. Once adulthood is reached HGH is still important in that it effects almost every ...

    Human Growth Hormone and Aging

    Why do we age? What happens to the body physically that causes the effects of aging?

    Vladimir Dilman, Ph.D., developed "The Neuroendocrine Theory of Aging". The neuroendocrine system is an ex...

    Human Growth Hormone, Or The Superman Hormone?

    No doubt, if you have heard anything about the human growth hormone, or the Superman hormone as it has become known, it was the claim that it made an 80 year old man feel like he was 18 again! The hum...

    The Secrets of Looking and Feeling Younger and HGH Supplements

    The mankind has never stopped searching for the scerets of youth ever since the dawn of intelligence. The tales date back to at least the time of the Alexander Romance in the West. In the East, the ef...

    The Expected Benefits of Homeopathic HGH

    According to Dr. H.A. Davis, different people notice different results with homeopathic human growth hormone. Some see immediate, dramatic results, while others experience more subtle benefits. With p...

    Do I Need Xenical Hgh Phentermine Detox To Stop Smoking?

    Every smoker needs a good combination of quit smoking aids and products with a strong will to cease cigarettes. Though quitting is not easy always. Here in, I am taking up a quit smoking aid named as ...

Most Recent HGH Supplements

Newly Popular Remedies Articles

    11 Natural Remedies to Fight against Colds, Flu and Fever

    1. Fight flu with elderberry. Compounds in elderberries disarm the flu virus and prevent it from replicating. Take one tablespoon of elderberry syrup three times a day.

    2. Boost immune function. ...

    Home Remedies - Acne, Anxiety and Anorexia

    The use of these simple remedies can help relieve some of the annoyances that plague us every day and provide a holistic alternative solution to our little health problems.

    Acne

    Acne is a ch...

    Healthy Living Through Ayurveda

    In Ayurveda, there are four crucial components to healthy and balanced living: eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and daily meditation.

    For Ayurvedic healers, it is not just ...

    The Decline of HGH

    During the growth and development stage of life human growth hormone is responsible for proper growth and development. Once adulthood is reached HGH is still important in that it effects almost every ...

    Safety Concerns for Chinese Medicines

    Chinese medicines have taken on new meaning lately, especially in the field of traditional Chinese medications. For years the history of the Chinese culture and all those in East Asia has been greatly...

    Definition Of Chemotherapy

    Chemotherapy is the use of chemical agents to treat or control diseases. It works by killing fast dividing cells like cancerous cells and other healthy cells which include hair follicles, bone marrow,...

    Ringworm Home Remedies - Treatment For Ringworm

    Ringworm is a contagious fungus infection that can affect the scalp, the body, the feet (athlete's foot), or the nails. Tinea (pronounced: tih -nee-uh) is the medical name for a group of related skin ...

    Arthritis Treatment Using Natural Remedies

    So much is written about arthritis and you can get confused as to what causes arthritis and what arthritis treatments are effective. Arthritis is an inflammatory condition. This inflammation comes fro...

    Living Naturally With Home Remedies

    I am a firm believer in natural home remedies. I was raised on them and my children were too.

    I am not just talking about herbs and vitamins that you take as a supplement. I am talking about the fo...

    Asthma - Herbal treatment, Ayurvedic Remedies and Home Remedies

    What is Asthma?

    Asthma is a chronic respiratory disorder in which the inner lining of the respiratory tract becomes inflamed. Alternatively it could be blocked with a layer of mucus...

Interesting Today:

Most Recent Remedies Blogs:

Releated to Remedies:

HGH Links: