Hormones: Unlocking the Keys to Aging
For centuries scientists have been trying to understand the mechanisms of the aging process, and they have now turned their attention to the role of hormones...
Hormones are potent chemicals made naturally by glands in our bodies. Their function is to help keep our bodies working normally. Once synthesized, these hormones are released into the bloodstream and carried to various parts of the body. There are many different types of hormones, which affect us in different ways.
Levels of some hormones decrease as we age. In other cases, the body may fail to make enough of a hormone for other reasons. In either case, the body’s levels can be increased by taking hormone supplements in the form of pills, shots, or skin patches. Below is a summary of key hormones in the news:
DHEA - The Anti-Aging Remedy.
One particular hormone receiving a lot of attention lately is DHEA. This hormone is made by the adrenal glands. The body breaks DHEA down into two important hormones: estrogen and testosterone. After the age of 30, the body starts making less of DHEA, and the amount of it found in the bloodstream continues to drop as people grow older. Supplements of DHEA are available and are sold as an anti-aging remedy claimed by some to improve energy, strength, and immunity, and well-being. DHEA is also said to increase muscle and decrease fat. It should be noted that no one should take DHEA unless monitoring their hormone levels with a physician.
Melatonin - The Answer to A Good Night’s Sleep.
Another popular hormone supplement is Melatonin. The human body produces Melatonin in the pineal gland. Blood levels of this hormone also decline with age, which is why Melatonin supplements are so widely used. Studies have shown that people deprived of sleep or who are exposed to artificial light during normal sleeping hours (usually 8PM to 5AM) manufacture less Melatonin. This is about the time that most Melatonin is made. Research shows that lower levels of Melatonin are related to an increased risk of breast cancer. Also, there are claims that Melatonin can slow slow or reverse aging, help reduce jet lag, and improve sleep.
People have reported Melatonin produces some side effects such as drowsiness and medical reports have showed that it may cause blood vessels to constrict, a condition that could be dangerous for people with high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems. Researchers are still working to find out more about Melatonin’s effects and uses.
Testosterone - Not Just for Men!
Despite the notion that most people think Testosterone is the “male hormone”, Testosterone is found in both men and women. Because men have more of it, their voices are deeper, they have more facial hair, and their muscles are larger.
Testosterone levels may drop as men age, and many changes that take place in older men, such as sexual drive and dysfunction, often are blamed on lower Testosterone levels. The fact is, these conditions may be due to unhealthy arteries, not low Testosterone levels. However, supplements of testosterone are available, only by prescription, for men whose bodies no longer make enough of the hormone. In this case, supplements are beneficial.
And just as with other hormones previously discussed, testosterone may make older men feel young again and improve their muscle tone. Testosterone supplements are available by injections or by gel, but both should be taken under a doctor’s supervision. Too much testosterone is harmful and can result in an enlarged prostate gland, heart disease, psychological problems, infertility, and acne.
Estrogen/Progesterone - Life After Menopause.
Estrogen and Progesterone is taken by many women to counteract symptoms of menopause. Estrogen/Progesterone replacement, as prescribed by a physician, is helpful to some women after menopause, and helps to reduce their risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. However, research has also suggested a possible link between estrogen supplements and cancer of the uterus and breast cancer. It also appears that estrogen given to women after menopause increases their risk of blood clots, a major cause of heart attacks, strokes, and other circulation problems. On the other hand, studies have shown that when estrogen is replenished in conjunction with progesterone, the risks of uterine or breast cancer is nullified.
In any case, the decision to take estrogen/progesterone supplements is a personal one, and a woman, along with her physician, should go over her risks based on her health history.
Leptin - The “Fat” Hormone.
Recent studies point to the hormone Leptin, as possibly being the link between high blood pressure and obesity.
According to researchers at the Sapporo Medical University in Japan, they believe leptin is one of the regulators of blood pressure and also may play a role in fat metabolism and weight gain. The Japanese team studied the relationship between leptin and blood pressure in 133 men and 263 women, under age 65. The researchers found that increases in blood leptin levels were associated with rising levels of diastolic blood pressure in men, but not in women. (Diastolic blood pressure is the the pressure in arteries between heartbeats.)
Based on the findings, they concluded that "leptin levels are related to hypertension." The researchers further point out that weight loss is associated with reductions in blood levels of leptin and blood pressure and, therefore, may be the 'link' between weight loss and lowered blood pressure.
Human Growth Hormone - The Master Hormone.
Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is manufactured by the pituitary gland in the brain. This vitally important hormone is essential to natural cell repair and growth.
Unfortunately, for reasons unknown to medical science, after the age of 35, your body continues to manufacture HGH but releases less of it. The decline of growth hormone with age, sometimes referred to as somatopause, is directly associated with many of the symptoms of aging, including:
wrinkles
gray hair
decreased energy and sexual dysfunction
increased body fat
increased risk of cardiovascular disease/osteoporosis.
loss of muscle mass
shrinking of organs (brain, kidneys, heart, etc)
After several years of research, an HGH supplement was developed. But the question remained: “What effects would restoring HGH levels to more youthful ones have on older subjects?”
A Startling Breakthrough in Reversing Signs of the Aging Process
In a landmark clinical study, Dr. Daniel Rudman, at the University of Wisconsin, set out to answer that question; to see if Human Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy could reverse some of the physical and mental traits of aging.
Dr. Rudman studied 26 men between the ages of 61 and 81 who all showed signs of aging. What he saw upon examination astounded him! The men who were given HGH injections gained an average of 8.8% in lean body mass while losing 14% of their body fat. There were marked improvements in:
muscle strengths
exercise endurance
skin tone
bone density
healing capacity
sexual drive
energy
emotions
memory
The subjects of the study reversed the parameters of aging by 10-20 years!
The results were so remarkable, they were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Indeed, this represented the biggest breakthrough in anti-aging medicine at the time and led to Dr. Rudman stating that, “The overall deterioration of the body that comes with growing old is not inevitable.” The question of how hormone supplementation would effect older people was answered! But more importantly, the study was the start of the solution to the age-old mystery of how to reverse aging!
To this day, HGH supplementation holds such a fascination for baby boomers and movie stars, in 1998, it prompted the TV show 20/20 to investigate the effects HGH had on individuals. Due to Its widespread popularity and reports of the miraculous benefits it offers, HGH supplementation was dubbed “The Fountain of Youth”.
Advancing the Science of Anti-Aging.
Along with the blessing of this landmark discovery came a downside. Injections were extremely expensive. They also had to be ordered by a qualified physician. But great strides were made in HGH replacement therapy.
Research conducted by Edmund Chein, M.D.,J.D. at the Palm Springs Life Extension Institute, a pioneer in Hormone Replacement Therapy, gives evidence of the benefits afforded by synthetic HGH. Dr. Chien’s therapy used lower dosages, and balanced them with other hormones.
A New Improved HGH Therapy
Dr. Chein’s HGH therapy is so revolutionary, he holds a U.S. patent. His patients report an increase in muscle strength, muscle size, improved skin texture and elasticity, new hair growth, and reduction in skin wrinkling. A majority of his patients report increased sexual function, energy level, emotional stability and memory. Also reported are increased healing capacity and resistance to common illness. Some patients also found their gray hair turned back into its original color. Despite the positive effects of synthetic HGH injections, this method is still costly and requires a Doctor’s prescription.
In an effort to make HGH more readily available and affordable, pharmaceutical companies jumped on the HGH bandwagon and took HGH replacement therapy one step further with oral, over-the-counter HGH-enhancing supplements. Soon, there was an explosion of HGH supplement marketers.
HGH Supplements Reported to Be Ineffective
Like the Gold Rush of the 1800s, where fool’s gold was being passed off as gold, today’s consumers have experienced a similar situation with HGH supplements. According to a report published by the National Institutes of Health, “None of the over-the-counter HGH supplements have been shown to prevent or reverse aging. Research ultimately may reveal important health benefits from some of the supplements, in addition to those already confirmed. But, in the meantime, some scientists are concerned about the possibility of undiscovered health risks.”
Dr. Edmund Chein claims that buying over-the-counter supplements at your local health food stores is risky. Chein says, “These hormone supplements are risky because they are not pharmaceutical grade, they are not the purest (and often not natural) nor do they tend to be of the specific potency they claim on their labels. This is RISKY! Particularly when combined with the propensity to self dose.”
The Answer to Safely Increasing HGH to More Youthful Levels - HGH Releasers.
For many, the solution was found in “secretagogues”. Researchers discovered certain compounds called secretagogues could naturally stimulate the pituitary gland into secreting Human Growth Hormone, restoring HGH to more youthful levels. This was a breakthrough in HGH therapy. It used no outside source of HGH. It was the safe, effective answer to consumers, in particular, babyboomers, were seeking. But how effective are these HGH releasers or amino acid stacking supplements as some medical experts call them?
Amino Acid Stackers: The New Fountains of Youth.
The effectiveness of an HGH releaser formula depends upon the ingredients used. In a process called "stacking," that is, combining nutrients in the right proportions and taking them at the right time, you can receive some benefits - without using synthetic HGH. When combined with certain antioxidants, you can expect even greater results.
Dr. Klatz, President of the Academy of Anti-Aging and author of “Grow Young with HGH” writes, "The smart money says to stack a HGH releaser complex with amino acids such as lysine, arginine, ornithine and/or glutamine." If you take them on an empty stomach. they exert speific effects in your body. These amino acids are also found naturally in proteins like meat and chicken.
Arginine is an essential amino acid, meaning it is not manufactured in the body; it has to be supplied in the food we eat. Studies have shown arginine helps improve blood flow in patients with heart failure1 and decreases blood pressure.
Lysine boosts the effectiveness of arginine and affects growth. On its own it has also been attributed with fighting viruses such as herpes.
Ornithine can be synthesized in the body. Similar in structure, it can be made from arginine. It also helps to stimulate HGH release.
Glutamine is a vital amino acid. While one of the most used amino acids by the human body, it may not always be available in sufficient quantities in times of stress. The gut and the immune system "practically live on it," says Dr. Klatz. Without sufficient available levels, the gut atrophies, nutrients are less well absorbed, and muscle and immunity are reduced. "There is reason to believe combining glutamine, arginine, ornithine and lysine will have a synergistic effect," says Dr. Klatz.
The glutamine-arginine-lysine stack releases insulin as well as growth hormone. Generally when HGH levels are rising, insulin levels are falling. However, if it is possible to raise insulin levels at the same time as growth hormone, it has a very high anabolic effect. That is to say, the body builds up muscle and repairs tissue. "You don't have to increase growth hormone very much to get a 10% to 20% rise in IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor type 1) levels, which can have a definite effect on the body," adds Mauro Di Pasquale, M.D., world-class powerlifter and one of the most knowledgeable experts in the field of anabolic and HGH-releasing compounds.
Choline is another compound recently shown to help stimulate or potentiate the release of HGH is choline. Human and animal studies have shown that cholinergic substances including Alpha-Glyceryl-phosphorylcholine (Alpha-GPC, a ready-made, quick source of choline) increases the secretion of GH from the pituitary gland (Ghigo, et al, 1994, Ceda et al, 1992, Ceda et al, 1991). In addition to being a GH releaser, choline plays a significant role in human memory and cognitive functions. Researchers have found that age-related cognitive dysfunction is directly related to functional disturbances in cholinergic activity (Coyle, et al, 1983 Bartus, et al, 1982).
It was also found that marathon runners had decreased levels of circulating choline (Conlay, et al, 1986). It was theorized that this reduction in choline could diminish acetylcholine release at the neurotransmitter junction, potentially affecting performance. In short, marathon running or other forms of intense exercise may require additional choline.
Pituitary Extract: The natural source of HGH is the pituitary gland; and indeed, this tiny pea-size organ contains natural factors that play a key role in signaling the body to naturally increase hormone levels and cell repair.
Vitamin A, a nutrient important to the health of your eyes, was recently discovered to also stimulate the release of Growth Hormone.
The miraculous benefits of raising GH to more youthful levels is well documented and is affordable and convenient, thanks to the scientific community and developers of natural nutritional HGH releasers.