Boost your Strength, Energy, Mood, and Memory with Human Growth Hormone

When my patient Norman* (*not his real name) first came to see me, he had all sorts of health issues. Chronic fatigue& loss of muscle mass& poor memory& and joint pain, just to name a few. He was only 61 years old, but he felt like a 90-year-oldand an unhealthy one at that. In fact, many of my 90-year-old patients felt much better than he did! Yet his medical doctors could find nothing wrong with him, except for arthritis. Now, hearing his symptoms and age, youd probably suspect a testosterone deficiency. It sure was at the top of my mind. But it wasnt Normans T levels that were causing him problems. How did I know? Because when I test patients hormone levels, I normally order a group of them at a time. And it was good for Normans sake that I did, because it turned out that he had extremely low levels of yet another hormone: growth hormone! Fortunately, a growth hormone deficiency is incredibly treatableand adopting a new regimen of treatments can turn many of those heath concerns right around. Ill share with you the therapy I recommended for Normanas well as how he respondedin just a minute. But first, some background.

You still need growth hormone as a grown-up

Youve probably heard about human growth hormone (HGH) in the context of sports. Some athletes have used it as a performance-enhancing drug, as it improves muscle building and athletic performance. And as a result, its gotten a bad rapwhich is too bad, because HGH is critically important for both children and adults. As the name implies, in children its involved in the normal growth of bones and muscles. A deficiency of HGH in childhood leads to stunted growth. And it continues to play an important role throughout an adults life. For example, it works to support muscle and bone strength, metabolism, brain function, immunity, energy, mood, and overall cell rejuvenation. When HGH is deficient or low in adults, it can lead to a variety of problems such as fatigue, osteoporosis, decreased sexual desire and function, loss of muscle mass, decreased exercise capacity, poor memory and mood, insomnia, aging or thinning skin, hot and cold sensitivity, low mood, weak immunity, and increased body fat (especially around the waist).

A simple way to kick a sluggish gland into high gear

With consistently low levels of HGH, Norman turned out to be a classic case of adult growth hormone deficiencyeven though didnt meet conventional medicines ridiculously low standards for it. And that meant he couldnt get his insurance to cover daily human growth hormone injections, whose hefty price tag ($600 to $800 a month) was too much for him to afford on his own. Since his endocrinologist was unable to help him, I told Norman about another way to help increase his HGH level: a once-daily injection of a medication known as Sermorelin acetate, which is available for about a fourth of the cost of growth hormone injections. Instead of providing direct amounts of HGH, it works by stimulating the pituitary gland to release HGH. You see, HGH is naturally produced in your body by the pituitary gland, located in the brain. Your liver then converts it into a protein known as somatomedin, or the equally tongue-twisting name insulin-like growth factor one (IGF-1).The most common cause of HGH deficiency is permanent damage to the pituitary gland, like what happens when youve got a benign tumor, but thats not always the case. Your pituitary gland may just need a little boost. Injecting Sermorelin acetate nightly can continually stimulate the pituitary gland to release HGH. In many ways, this a better treatment for people with low HGH that do not have actual pituitary gland damage such as a tumor. Norman has responded well to the treatment. He originally had an IGF-1 value of 49 ng/ml (a normal reference range is 87 to 225 ng/ml). His level is now well over 100, and the results are impressive. He has substantially better energy, increased muscle mass, and his memory is doing better. Needless to say, he will continue on this treatment indefinitely. I cant wait to see how he feels when he actually is 90.

Youve got to know if youre low!

Getting adequate sleep, regular exercise, and lots of protein are important to maintaining good HGH levels. But sometimes, theyre just not enough. If youre over the age of 50, I recommend having your IGF-1 tested once yearly. The best testing time is in the morning. If your levels turn out to be low, a knowledgeable doctor in holistic hormone balancing may also recommend nightly injections of Sermorelin acetate, as I did to Norman. Fortunately, research shows that its uncommon to experience any side effects, and most patients can tolerate the treatment pretty well.¹Ive found that supplementation of the bioidentical hormone DHEA can promote a better HGH level as well. However, many hormones have similar signs and symptoms of being low. Low thyroid, low adrenal function, and low testosterone could all make you feel abnormally fatigued. So, as I do with my patients, make sure your doc measures ALL of your hormone levels. After all, your hormones arent running through your body in isolation, so theres no reason to completely isolate them in the lab work. Article Citations:

1. Chertman, L. S., Merriam, G. R., & Kargi, A. Y. (2015). Growth hormone in aging.

Reprinted with permission from Dr. Mark Stenglers Health Revelations (www.healthrevelations.com)