HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE (HGH)
SOURCE: Pituitary gland
NORMAL LEVELS: Adults <10 ng/mL
FUNCTIONS: Growth and repair of tissuesHuman growth hormone (HGH) is the quintessential anti-aging hormone. For
simplicity’s sake, I will refer to it as either HGH or growth hormone. HGH is
released from a small gland in the brain called the pituitary. Without HGH, we’d
all be dwarfs. With too much, we’d all be giants. Doctors call HGH the fountain
of youth, and they’re right; it’s the closest thing we have to it. HGH was first
discovered in 1920. The medical community has long considered it to be
necessary to help us grow to adult size, and unnecessary past age 21. Recent
studies have overturned that notion. HGH gets a bad reputation because of its
abuse by athletes, but this is unjustified.
HGH levels in our bodies start to decline gradually from age 21 forward, all
the way until we die. That’s why the body regenerates itself at a much slower
rate as we age. Many Americans are deficient in HGH, mostly because of their
body fat. Body fat is a great inhibitor of the HGH secretion. The more body fat
you have, the lower your HGH will be. HGH keeps us fit, and that’s why it’s
harder to lose weight when you’re already overweight.
HGH puts the brakes on insulin, the fatstoring hormone. Let’s see what
happens when you get old. HGH declines with age, but insulin remains the same
or rises if you are on a sugary diet. You’ll start to accumulate fat even if you
don’t change your diet or physical activity. It is no wonder as a kid or a teenager,
you could pig out on pizza and French fries without consequences, but as you’ve
gotten older, you probably gain weight more easily.
HGH levels are also disturbed by frequent meals. In developed countries like
the United States, we have an abundance of food, which keeps our HGH levels
low. HGH levels rise when you fast, a response to the days when humans were
dependent on an unstable food supply. Indeed, fasting has been used for
centuries to promote longevity, and it is among the most potent ways to induce
HGH secretion.
Symptoms of HGH deficiency include wrinkled, sagging skin; thinning bones;
accumulation of body fat; thinning hair; depression; anxiety; fatigue; decreased
libido; and lowered immunity. Why does HGH play a role in immunity? Because
HGH helps grow the thymus gland, a gland in the chest that makes T-cells, the
cells responsible for fighting infections.
People who take HGH for anti-aging swear by it. Their energy levels rise,