What is Human Growth Hormone?
GH is a protein hormone that is produced by the pituitary gland. It has several important bodily functions that include cell regeneration, cell reproduction, and to maintain and repair tissues in the brain and other organs.
This important hormone also speeds up the healing process, repairs muscle tissue after strenuous exercise, helps to build muscle, boost metabolism, and burn fat. The hormone accomplishes all of this by stimulating the metabolic process in cells.
The production of HGH peaks during puberty, and starts to gradually decline after the age of 30. Even though it starts to decline at age 30, the pituitary gland does continue to make it.
Dangers of Declining Levels
Declining levels are normal, but levels can get too low. In adults, there are numerous symptoms that can be attributed to low levels of growth hormone including:
- Weight gain, especially around the waist
- Male baldness
- Decrease in sexual function or low libido
- Decreasing muscle mass and strength
- Difficulty in concentrating and a lack of memory
- Insulin resistance
- Low bone density raising the risk of osteoporosis
- Dry thin skin
- Fatigue and low energy levels
You must realize that not everyone with a hormone deficiency will display the same symptoms. Those that are deficient might show 1 or 2 symptoms, while others might have many of these symptoms.
Testing for Low Growth Hormone
There are certain tests and examinations that your doctor can perform to find out if you have lower than normal levels. In addition to a physical exam, other tests might include:
- Blood tests that measure other levels of hormones that the pituitary gland produces
- Blood tests to measure the amount of growth hormone levels in your blood
- An insulin tolerance test
- A binding protein test to find out if low levels are caused by the pituitary gland
- A GHRH-arginine test
- Growth hormone stimulation test
- A DEXA scan that will measure the density of your bones
- An MRI of the brain to check your pituitary gland and hypothalamus
If your doctor finds that your levels are low, the doctor can prescribe hormone replacement injections or explain natural options to raise your levels.
Can Human Growth Hormone Burn Fat?
There have been numerous studies that show human growth hormone injections can burn body fat. One double-blind placebo-controlled study was conducted to find out if growth hormone (GH) can cause fat loss.
One study consisted of 24 obese patients between the ages of 22 and 46. They were fed a low-calorie diet along with a treatment of recombinant human GH for 12 weeks.
The growth hormone group showed an increase in lean body mass, and accelerated body fat loss. There was a 1.6 fold increase of IGF-1 despite the fact they were on a calorie-restricted diet.
A review of 31 studies found that those treated with GH gained an average of 4.6 pounds of lean body mass, and they lost a similar amount of body fat when compared to those who did not get the GH injections.
Growth hormone Therapy
The most common form of hormone replacement therapy is by injection. As soon as your doctor prescribes growth hormone therapy, you will usually start with daily injections. You could need more than one injection per day depending on the severity of your levels.
You can give yourself the injections or have a family member do it. Normally, you will see your doctor every 4 to 8 weeks so your condition can be monitored.
If you have symptoms of low growth hormone, you should talk to your doctor and get your levels tested, also you can get a free consultation in HGH Therapy clinic. Just fill the contact form at https://hghtherapydoc.com.
Natural Ways to Boost Growth Hormone
There are several ways you can try to boost your body’s own GH. Getting a good night sleep is helpful since most GH is release during sleep, especially sleep before midnight.
Others ways to boost your levels include:
- Eat a healthy diet to lose excess body fat
- Intermittent fasting
- Taking an arginine supplement
- Reduce sugar consumption
- Taking creatine
- Eating a Healthy Diet
One of the best ways to naturally raise your levels of growth hormone is to lose excess fat, especially belly fat. A healthy low fat, high carb diet is the healthiest diet to eat to lose fat.
You cannot expect to eat a lot of fat and still lose excess body fat. Eating a diet high in complex carbs like vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, potatoes, and fruit combined with an exercise program will help you lose fat, lose weight, and raise your GH.
Include in your diet foods that are high in melatonin like tart cherries, raspberries, broccoli, and whole grains like rice, barley, and rolled oats.
Limit the amount of fat you eat from refined vegetable oils, animal foods high in saturated fat, and refined white flour foods like white bread, donuts, etc.
References
Endocrine Web
PubMed.gov
Harvard Medical School
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