Human growth hormone (HGH) and anti-aging
Human growth hormone (HGH) is produced in the pituitary gland of humans, and the hormone is secreted throughout a persons lifetime. It promotes growth in children and plays an important role in adult metabolism. Human growth hormone is responsible for many effects on growth, development, immunity and metabolism. Produced and secreted by the anterior pituitary gland in the brain, hGH is normally released in pulses in response from signals from the hypothalamus, usually during sleep. hGH exerts anabolic effects throughout the body favoring the tissues, bones and muscles.
Studies show that an aging person exhibits lower levels of growth hormone than a younger one. Over time this decreased hGH level has significant negative effects on fat deposition, immunity and overall energy.
Two hormones also have a negative impact on the body. One is insulin; if you eat an excess of refined carbohydrates and sugars over a long period of time, the body creates much more insulin than it needs, and adult-onset diabetes can occur, where the whole metabolism starts to malfunction. The other dangerous hormone is cortisol, the fight-or-flight hormone, which tears down tissue, especially brain tissue. It's the opposite of human growth hormone, the anti-aging hormone which builds up the body's tissues. Human growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor have anti-aging benefits that include increased immune function, stimulation of lean body mass and stimulation of the growth of organs that shrink with age-the heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, thymus, thyroid. IGF also improves energy levels, enhances kidney function, strengthens bones and lowers blood pressure. It works by balancing electromagnetic fields in the body. It helps to optimize who people are" by improving communication between the immune, nervous and hormonal systems.
HGH and its mediator, IGF 1 may actually help treat the blueprint of aging, keeping the cells in as healthy a state as possible. The cells' ability to function depends on the genetic codes for all the proteins, hormones, and enzymes that make the cell run. Antioxidant supplements such as vitamin C and E help limit the damage to the DNA and bolster immunity. HGH and IGF 1 go further and do what antioxidants cannot do. HGH and IGF1 help the DNA repair itself better prior to cell division. HGH initiates the transport of amino acids and nucleic acids into the cell, including the cell membranes. IGF 1 facilitates the transport of nucleic acids into the nucleus of the cell where the DNA resides, giving it the raw materials needed to repair damage to the DNA and initiate cell division.
Human growth hormone is one of many endocrine hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, melatonin and DHEA, that decline with age. While many of these hormones can be replaced to deter some of the effects of aging, HGH reaches far beyond the scope of any one of these hormones to not only prevent biological aging, but to significantly reverse a broad range of the signs and symptoms associated with aging. When Growth hormone decreases, the aging process increases. Total daily HGH secretion declines in humans with increasing age. "Elderly" levels are reached by age 35-40. At the age of 25 - the peak time for growth hormone, the total secretion amount is 600mg. The secretion amount will be reduced over the years and can go down to 15% at the age of 60 - 70 years. For people who do not have a balanced diet, the 15% secretion can happen when they are only 40 -50 years old. These people will have older and worn looks than the other people at the same ages. In humans, the amount of growth hormone after the age of 21 to 31 falls about 14% per decade, so that the total 24-hour growth hormone production rate is reduced in half by the age of 60. In numerical values, we produce on a daily basis about 500 micrograms at 20 years of age , 200 micrograms at 40 years , and 25 micrograms at 80 years old.
People with age related deficiency of HGH become fat, flabby, frail, and lethargic, lose interest in sex, have trouble sleeping, concentrating, remembering things, tire easily, and in general, lose their zest for life. With HGH, all these so-called signs of aging are reversed. HGH appears to be the silver bullet of life extension. The most consistent extension of life span comes from experiments in which animals have their food intake restricted. In well-carried out experiments, animals on a calorically restricted diet have enjoyed a maximum life span that was more than twice the average life span for that species.
The easiest way to measure growth hormone in the body is by measuring plasma IGF-1 levels. Under 350 IU is considered evidence of deficiency. Between the ages of 20 to 40 years, less than 5% of healthy men have less than 350 IU per liter of IGF-1 levels. But after 60, 30% of apparently healthy men have this low amount. And after age 65, about half the population is partially or wholly deficient in growth hormone. |
