One of the most important hormones secreted by the pituitary gland is HGH or human growth hormone. HGH stimulates the growth of muscles and bones and helps regulate metabolism, and influences sexual enjoyment. Human growth hormone can sharply increase the flow of sugar into muscle and fat, stimulate protein production in liver and muscle, and slow the production of fatty tissue. More prolonged effects of HGH -- blocking the uptake and use of sugars, causing blood sugar levels to rise, and increasing the production of fat and fat levels in the blood-- seem to counteract its immediate effects. These two actions of human growth hormone are important because the body must adapt to the lack of food when fasting. Along with cortisol, human growth hormone helps maintain blood sugar levels for the brain and mobilizes fat, making it available to other body cells as an alternative fuel. In many cases, human growth hormone appears to work by activating a number of growth factors, the most important of which is insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). For more up to date information on human growth hormone or if you would like to receive a FREE supplement newsletter at the web site Physician Formulas.

Does human growth hormone increase lifespan?
Many symptoms being part of the Human-Growth-Hormone deficiency syndrome in adults like decrease in muscle mass and bone mineral content, increase in fat mass, and skin atrophy are observed also with aging. Indeed, short term trials with HGH administration to persons over 60 years old revealed that many of these symptoms could be reversed by growth hormone. However, reports of an association of high insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1)-concentrations and increased risk of prostate, lung, colon and breast cancer as well as a possible decrease of insulin sensitivity prohibit currently the use of human growth hormone in an attempt to reverse a normal ageing process. Prospective, randomized and placebo-controlled long-term trials are necessary to prove safety and efficacy of human growth hormone therapy in the aging population before it can be recommended. In addition, no data are available as to the right human growth hormone dose and the correct monitoring. Expectations of the society and the search for the fountain of youth should not motivate physicians to leave the firm ground of evidence based medicine and prescribe experimental therapies to healthy older persons, the least being the cost of such therapy which could run into thousands of dollars a year.

Could human growth hormone treatment reduce lifespan?
Although pharmaceutically made human growth hormone (a complicated hormone made by joining about 190 amino acids) has been shown in certain studies to have short term anti-aging potential, long term consequences are unclear. Growth hormone excess can lead to a condition called acromegaly. There is no guarantee that real pharmaceutical growth hormone extends life span. In fact, in some animal studies, reducing the release of growth hormone extends life span.

Over the counter human growth hormone products
Over the past few years, there have been untold number of over the counter products that claim to work in a way similar to the real pharmaceutical human growth hormone, or claim that their product stimulates growth hormone release. As of January 2008 none of the companies (as far as we know) have done any significant humna research to prove that their product has anti-aging benefits over the long term. In fact, almost none have done any research at all. There are nutritional supplements that enhance the release of growth hormone, but whether this leads to long term beneficial effects is not known at this time.

What about supplements that enhance human growth hormone release?
Research is gradually starting regarding the positive benefits of certain supplements in their ability to release human growth hormone. One such combination is glycine, glutamine and niacin.
   Two of the best ways to maintain healthy human growth hormone release are to exercise frequently, and to have deep sleep.

Human growth hormone treatment in children
In children previously diagnosed with a deficiency in growth hormone, retesting of growth hormone levels during puberty -- and withdrawal of human growth hormone therapy if appropriate -- does not diminish adult height.
"Growth hormone treatment can be safely interrupted, in subjects with non-severe growth hormone deficiency, at mid-puberty if human growth hormone secretion has proved to be normal. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, November 2006.

Human Growth Hormone Research Update
Effects of an oral mixture containing glycine, glutamine and niacin on memory, GH and IGF-I secretion in middle-aged and elderly subjects.
Arwert LI, Deijen JB, Drent ML. VU University Medical Center, de Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HVAmsterdam, The Netherlands.
Nutr Neurosci. 2003 Oct;6(5):269-75.
Aging is associated with declining activity of the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-I (GH-IGF-I) axis and with a decrease in cognitive function. The stimulatory effect of an orally administered nutritional supplement, mainly containing glycine, glutamine and niacin on the HGH-IGF-I axis and on mood and cognition was investigated. Forty-two healthy subjects (14 men and 28 women, aged 40-76 years) were enrolled in a randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. They received 5 g of a nutritional supplement or placebo, twice daily orally for a period of 3 weeks. At baseline and after 3 weeks, blood was collected for measurement of serum GH and IGF-I levels and mood and cognitive function were tested. The nutritional supplement ingestion for 3 weeks was found to increase serum human growth hormone levels with 70% relatively to placebo, whereas circulating IGF-I levels did not change. Mean GH (+/- SD) increased in this group from 3.23 (+/- 4.78) to 4.67 mU/l (+/- 5.27) (p = 0.03). HGH increase was not associated with improvement in mood or memory. Correlation analyses, however, revealed that individual increases in IGF-I, but not human growth hormone, were associated with improved memory and vigour. It is concluded that an oral mixture of glycine, glutamine and niacin can enhance human growth hormone secretion in healthy middle-aged and elderly subjects.

human growth hormone research