Benefits of Growth Hormone Therapy
Growth Hormone (GH) also called the Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is a small protein produced in the pituitary gland and secreted directly into the bloodstream. This hormone is produced in bursts by the pituitary gland and its levels rise following exercise and sleep. Under normal conditions, more GH is produced during sleep. Since its level alternate during the day, that should be considered while measuring it in any medical facility or health care provider. Once GH is secreted into the bloodstream, it remains active for a few minutes.
The liver then converts its growth factors which have growth-promoting properties on every cell present in the body. Due to its important functions, GH was first synthesized in 1985. Subsequently, the FDA approved it for the following uses:
• In children: for treating poor growth, short stature of unknown causes, genetic disorders affecting girls' development, chronic kidney disease, genetic disorders causing a constant feeling of hunger and low levels of hormones, and deficiency of HGH.
• In adults: treatment of a muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS and deficiency of HGH due to rare pituitary tumors. Some adults use it as a performance-enhancing drug in bodybuilding and for improving athletic performance--the latter two have not been FDA-approved.
There are many benefits to Human Growth Hormone therapy:
(i) It helps to maintain a healthy weight management lifestyle and the obese people do not need serious weight loss programs once they start this therapy.
(ii) Since adults who are deficient of growth hormone are with the higher risk of having cardiovascular diseases, growth hormone therapy reduces the risk of coming up with those diseases.
(iii) Administering the hormone in HGH-deficient adults help to increase their muscle strength thereby improving their physical capability and exercise performance.
(iv) Growth hormone helps in stimulating the bone-forming cells in the body thereby leading to increased bone mass and stronger bones.
(v) Administration of growth hormone has been found to help in speeding up the healing of fractures.
(vi) Studies have shown that growth hormone therapy helps in improving overall health.
(vii) Administering growth hormone helps in having better sleep.
Signs and symptoms of deficiency of HGH include:
• Depression in adults
• Slow hair growth in children and hair loss in adults
• Delayed puberty in children
• Increased fat around the face and stomach in children
• Decreased muscle strength and mass in adults
• Increase in bad cholesterol in the body
• Sexual dysfunction like Erectile Dysfunction (ED) in men.
Natural ways of increasing HGH include:
• Sleep 8 hours regularly
• Exercise
• Vitamin supplementation especially vitamin C
• Supplementing with L-arginine and L-glutamine
• Less stress
• Detoxification of the liver
It should be noted that taking high doses of human growth hormone has some side effects and these may include water retention, enlargement of some internal organs, joint pain and some complications with the muscles and bones.