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What is Human Growth Hormone (hGH) ?
First discovered in the 1950s, and artificially manufactured since the 1980s, Human Growth Hormone (hGH) is an FDA approved drug which has many benefits when taken in appropriate forms.
The hormone is produced naturally in the pituitary gland, which is located just behind the eyes, and is the key hormone is human development and is essential for growth as children and has been discovered to be necessary for the body’s maintenance in adults. hGH is a microscopic protein that bears a chemical resemblance to insulin, it is secreted from the pituitary gland after exercise, or in the first few hours of sleep.
The benefits of hGH for healthy life are best illustrated by the inevitable results of deficiency or overproduction of this hormone.
What is hGH deficiency?
In children, insufficient growth hormone results in dwarfism - small but symmetrical body size. In addition there may be other signs of arrested growth: immature facial development, slow appearance of adult teeth, delayed puberty, and small genitals in males. In adults, a deficiency of growth hormone typically causes weight gain, muscle loss, thin dry skin, and emotional disturbance.
What is hGH overproduction?
In children it causes gigantism - abnormally large, but proportionate size. Individuals that have suffered from overproduction of hGH from birth generally have decreased life expectancy. In adults, overproduction of the hormone results in acromegaly, an overgrowth of bones, predominantly in the face, hands and feet. Because the hormone also acts on metabolic processes in the body, too much growth hormone can result in other medical problems, such as diabetes.
What is hGH anti aging therapy?
Some medical professionals believe that many of the body changes we experience as we age are the result of a natural decrease in hGH production that occurs after full growth has been attained. This suggests that we might be able to delay or avoid some of these signs of aging by either restoring production of the hormone by the pituitary or artificially raising hormone levels in the blood. The benefits of hGH treatment for affected children, to restore normal growth, are well documented, but the evidence is not so clear-cut for hormone deficient or aging adults.
Inappropriate hGH administration can result in many adverse effects such as increased risk of cancer, kidney failure etc. Hence hGH administration can be done only according to hGH prescriptions of the experts. hGH prescriptions are needed for all age groups.
hGH prescriptions recommend injections of two types. The most acceptable injection include the high dose artificial hGH. As to the injection of hGH production inducing substances, secretagogues are the other option. The injection can be subcutaneous or intra muscular. The recommended dose of injection is 3 I.U./week per each pound of body weight. The popular daily dosage of an average man is between 4-10 I.U. per day. The prescribed dose must provide 2,750,000 nanograms of hGH. Special attention must be taken not to inject at the same body area again.
Human growth hormone can be produced synthetically; therefore, it is readily available though quite expensive. To explore the benefits of hGH supplementation, researchers have done clinical trials on deficient adults and on seniors with age related health problems. The hormone must be injected, which makes this therapy both more costly and more difficult to administer than many other drugs. Moreover, though clinical trials have shown a reduction in body fat and an increase in lean muscle, along with more youthful looking skin, it’s not clear that these positive changes exceed what can be attained by other methods.
Some researchers question the long term safety of growth hormone therapy.
What is hGH for anti aging if it isn't injected hormone?
It's usually dietary supplements aimed at increasing the amount of hGH produced by the pituitary gland or intended to have effects similar to those of hGH on body processes. Ultimately, these products hope to restore good health, with normal levels of growth hormone, and the optimal conditions for delaying the onset of age related symptoms.
There is considerable debate about the effectiveness of these supplements.
Regardless, adequate rest and regular exercise are helpful because the pituitary naturally releases the most growth hormone after exercise and during sleep. Combined with a healthy lifestyle, hGH may presently be the most practical path toward anti-aging.
Consult a physician before venturing toward any form of hGH therapy, and keep in mind there are many opinions, and little known hard facts about the long term side effects of hGH. The best approach is to research in a quality form the uses, results, and product arena.
* Consult your physician for more information regarding hGH Therapy *
Additional Resources & Stories:
hGH Suppression Test @ How Stuff Works
hGH Stimulation Test @ How Stuff Works
"Rocky Rockin the hGH"
Growth Hormone @ WikiPedia
Human Growth Hormone & Boomers @ Boomers Making a Difference
Human Growth Hormone: Unproven & Unsafe @ Business Week Nov/2005
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