Studies have shown that supplement are helpful to certain people. Sometimes children are unusually short because their bodies do not make hGH. When they take supplements, their growth improves. Young adults who have no pituitary gland (because of surgery for a pituitary tumor, for example) cannot make the hormone and they become obese. When they are given hGH supplements they lose weight.
Like some other hormones, blood levels of hGH often decrease as people age, but this may not necessarily be bad. At least one epidemiological study, for instance, suggests that people who have high levels of hGH are more apt to die at younger ages than those with lower levels of the hormone. Studies of animals with genetic disorders that suppress growth hormone secretion also suggest that reduced growth hormone secretion may prolong survival in some species.
Although there is no conclusive evidence that hGH can prevent aging, some people spend a great deal of money on supplements. These supplements are claimed, by some, to increase muscle, decrease fat, and to boost an individual's stamina and sense of well being. Shots of the hormone can cost more than $15,000 a year. They are available only by prescription and should be given by a doctor. In any case, people in search of the "fountain of youth" may have a hard time finding a doctor who will give them the shots of hGH because so little is known about the long-term risks and benefits of this controversial treatment. Some dietary supplement, known as human growth hormone releasers, are marketed as a low-cost alternative to hGH shots. But claims that these over-the-counter products retard the aging process are unsubstantiated.
Scientists are conducting studies to find out if hGH can help make older people stronger by building up their muscles and reducing body fat. They are watching their patients very carefully because the side effects can be serious in older adults. These include diabetes and pooling of fluid in the skin and other tissues, which may lead to high blood pressure and heart failure. Joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome also may occur.
For
now, there is no convincing evidence hGH supplements will
improve the health of those who do not suffer a profound
deficiency of this hormone.
Part7: Melatonin
Adapted from the National Institute on Aging
