In the last decade, there was news regarding growth hormone release stimulators. All this hype started when the use of progesterone (a female hormone) was suggested to forestall osteoporosis in aging women or to treat the post menopausal symptoms.
Folks the next hormone to hit the news after that was melatonin due to the hormone’s ability to regulate and maintain circadian rhythms to help people have regular sleep patterns. Hence, melatonin was touted as being a mood elevator. Another wave of interest started for DHEA which was named as an immune enhancer. It was largely popular as a tonic for increasing lean muscle mass.
These were some of the examples of good old researches where the scientists tried to find the cure from the endocrine system. Great deal of research still continues regarding hormonal metabolism and the key hormones playing their part in the human physiology. However, on a scale of comparison, human growth hormone emerges as the most important hormone secreted from the pituitary gland.
The presence of human growth hormone in blood is identified by measuring IGF levels. Just like the pituitary gland is considered the master gland of the body, human growth hormone is the master hormone controlling the release of other hormones. Before elaborating the amazing age reversal properties of HGH, first let’s mull over the existing situation.
In the current perspective
The life expectancy of humans have increased in the considerably in the last century. Today, people are living a longer and better life. This is all due to the improved lifestyle, better hygiene, and physical fitness regimes that everyone likes to follow. With the discovery of vaccines and antibiotics in the last century, there is a significant decline in mortality rates from infections. Furthermore, with the advent in pharmacology and medical technology techniques, it has now become easy to take vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in case anyone suffers from any deficiency. This greatly increases one’s life expectancy. All these advances were commendable regarding longevity but the most prominent achievements was discovering the role of endocrine system.
With hormone replacement therapy, it’s possible to obtain cellular maintenance even in the age when the body loses its healing capability. In the last twenty years or so, a number of studies have been conducted regarding human growth hormone that elucidates the effects of growth hormone. After the discovery of recombinant growth hormone, various surveys were conducted to check the effects of this potent hormone on people from different age groups.
All the test subjects were having decline in growth hormone levels either due to the hormonal deficiency or from pituitary tumors. The people involved in the study had gained remarkable benefits from growth hormone supplements thus improving the overall health and well being. A team of researchers under Dr. Daniel documented the positive effects of hormone replacement therapy including: body fat and serum cholesterol levels, increase in stamina and endurance, increase in lean muscle mass and skin thickness along with rise in lower back vertebrae density.
This hormone claiming age reversal actually works by changing your body composition. In a young adult, 80% of the body mass is lean mass comprising of muscles, bones and organs with the remaining 20% comprising of fats and adipose tissues. However, with inevitable aging, your skin becomes thin and less elastic and the muscle mass is replaced by adipose tissues with an average rate of 5% per decade. At this rate you will have a balance of 50% fat and 50% muscle by the time you reach 70.
So far, it was believed that these changes were inevitable and there is nothing that can be done to control this aging process and HGH levels are bound to drop. Initially, it was just predictions that decline in growth hormone levels play their part in aging. Moreover, it’s estimated that by the time most men and women reach their 60s, 30% of them produce very little or no growth hormone. In the late 80s, HGH produced in labs was available to test the possibility of the diminished levels of human growth hormone leading to the possibility of aging.
However, there is a strong need to point out that a specific dose of human growth hormone injections prescribed by the doctor will be effective after the medical studying the medical history of the patient. Taking lower quantities than what you really need won’t help you gain the benefits. And taking excessive self dosage won’t do any good either. You need to inquire about a dose somewhere in the middle of the two extremities.
Required dose
Dr. Rudman’s study involving 21 men in the age group 61 to 81 was meant to study the diminished HGH levels. Twelve of these test subjects were injected with a specific dose of HGH at least three times a week for a continued span of six months. There were some who received no treatment but all of them were kept on a strict diet routine without changing their lifestyles.
The results after six months were clear and promising. The men taking growth hormone injections were the healthiest of them all. The group of test subjects had an incredible increase in blood hormone levels with improved health and reduced signs of aging. Their fat cells reduced by 15% and there was 9% increase in lean body mass while the skin got 7% thick and more elastic. The vertebrae also got denser and strengthened. As for those on strict diet routine, there was no marked improvement.
In essence, hormone replacement therapy improves your internal functions and helps you recover from the signs of aging. With the development of recombinant growth hormone, the hypothesis of age reversal now becomes a reality.
The current cost of treatment from synthetic growth hormone is around $13,000 per hear. This is one reason why most of the people are reluctant to get hormonal replacement therapy. In future, the cost of recombinant growth hormone injections is likely to decrease. Until such a time, age reversal is like a dream to most people and only those willing to improve their lifestyle will invest in such a thing. Until that time, the use of growth hormone injections is limited to very few older adults. Certainly delaying the process of aging is quite possible now but it will take some time before the technology reaches the masses.
