Growth Hormone
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The master hormone is the Human Growth Hormone (HGH). This is secreted by the brain (pituitary gland) and gives us our sense of well being, energy, vitality, helps control our moods, stops body fat from accumulating and keeps muscles and bones strong. It is seen as the hormone of youth and at the age of 20 we have a blood level (measured as the hormone IGF1) of about 450ng/ml (varies from 182ng/ml to 780ng/ml). If we replaced it, we would aim to get it back to the 30 year old level of 350ng/ml. A typical person suffering from mild HGH deficiency would be a stressed 45 year old male executive. His initial complaint would be that he no longer has the get-up-and-go in the morning, his mood is somewhat depressed, his libido is poor and his memory is not what it used to be. On looking at him we would probably see that his arm and leg muscles are starting to thin, his facial skin is thinning and aging and he may be starting to develop abdominal fat. A blood test would confirm that his HGH levels are half that of what they were at the age of twenty. Although the published studies show dramatic improvements in as little as six weeks if this patient used injectable HGH, we would tend to start with the HGH supplemental tablets and lifestyle changes. Stress reduction and formal exercise both contribute significantly to better surges of HGH from the brain. We would review this every six months for the client to ensure satisfactory progress. If there were to be ongoing symptoms we would look at the other hormone profiles (DHEA, testosterone) for possible supplementation or consider injectable HGH if his blood levels were not improving. |