HGH – The Unknown Hormone
Mention “hormones” or “hormone therapy” and most people will think of estrogen or testosterone.
That’s not necessarily surprising. Estrogen and testosterone replacement have both been around for many years.
But there are other hormones that are critical to an optimally functioning body.
One that is powerful but seldom discussed is human growth hormone (or HGH).
What is HGH and Why Is It Important?
Human growth hormone is produced by your pituitary gland, and it has an important job: promoting cell growth and repair. More specifically, HGH triggers the secretion of “insulin-like growth factor” in your liver, and insulin-like growth factor stimulates cell growth and repair throughout your body.
The Problem With HGH
HGH is vital when we’re children because it stimulates the growth of everything in the body including bones, muscles, and the nervous system.
But just because you stop growing at the end of childhood doesn’t mean you stop needing HGH. On the contrary, HGH is still needed for the repair and replacement of damaged or worn-out cells.
Unfortunately, like most other hormones, growth hormone production declines with age. In fact, HGH levels decline by 10-15% per decade once you’ve turned 30.
Think of your body as if it were a finely tuned machine. With age, parts wear out. Routine maintenance is needed. If you skimp on this maintenance, the machine breaks down.
Your body works the same way. Cells need repair or replacement. But with less and less HGH available to stimulate the needed repairs, symptoms of aging occur, including:
- Persistent weight gain
- Loss of muscle mass, strength, and endurance
- Lower energy level
- Loss of skin elasticity
- Lower sex drive and increased sexual dysfunction
- Increased frequency of illnesses and longer recovery time
- Slower healing from injuries
- Cognitive impairment and memory loss
- Difficulty with sleep
- Irritability and depressed mood
In short, reduced HGH production by your pituitary gland can be blamed for most of the symptoms attributed to aging.
What You Can Do
Fortunately, you don’t have to resign yourself to diminished HGH levels.
For starters, a healthy lifestyle can go a long way toward preserving pituitary function and growth hormone production for as long as possible. Maintain a healthy weight, get plenty of sleep, and exercise regularly.
Eating a healthy diet is also important when it comes to pituitary gland health. Important nutrients include protein and antioxidants.
Once growth hormone production slows (as it eventually will even with healthy lifestyle habits), there are options.
First, growth hormone stimulating peptides (also known as secretagogues) are available by prescription and can stimulate your pituitary gland to produce more of its own growth hormone.
If the pituitary gland doesn’t respond to this stimulation, growth hormone injections are also available by prescription.
At Renew Youth, we know that hormone optimization is about more than estrogen and testosterone. If you’re suffering from accelerated aging due to growth hormone deficiency, we can help.
Schedule your free consultation today. Call us today at 800-859-7511 or use our convenient contact form to sign up.