How
does Human Growth Hormone Work?
Human
Growth Hormone is one of the most important metabolic hormones
secreted by the human body. The hormone itself goes by a few
different names. Somatotropin refers to naturally occurring
Growth Hormone that is present in all animal species. Somatotropin
also refers to medically derived HGH that has been gathered from the
pituitary gland of cadavers. At first, this was the only way to
utilize HGH for medical use.
Today,
however, almost all medical Human Growth Hormone is synthetically
derived via a process known as Recombinant DNA Technology.
Although the process is synthetic, the Human Growth Hormone created
from the process is functionally and biologically identical to the
Growth Hormone that your own Pituitary secretes.
HGH
derived from Recombinant DNA Technology is also referred to as
Somatropin. Another, more commonly used term used to describe
Recombinant HGH is Bio-Identical HGH. This term both signifies
the different origin of this form of HGH while also recognizing that
the hormone created in the laboratory is completely identical to that
which is naturally created by the body.
Why do
they have different names if they are the same thing?
There are
a couple of important reasons. First, there are risks involved with
Human Growth Hormone derived from cadavers that are not at play when
utilizing Bio-Identical Human Growth Hormone, the most significant of
which is Krutzfield-Jacobs Disease. Krutzfield-Jacobs Disease is
prion disorder that shares some similarity with Alzheimer's disease.
In rare cases, HGH that was harvested from cadavers was tainted with
traces of this debilitating disease.
Given the
severity of the disease, the use of Harvested HGH for Medical Usage
completely ground to a halt, and new techniques to safely create
Bio-Identical Human Growth Hormone were invented in order to fill the
void. Today, all Hormone Replacement Therapy is conducted using
Bio-Identical HGH, so most people do not differentiate between the
two forms in everyday speech.
The second
reason that the two forms of hormone are named differently is because
source also matters for legal reasons. Different companies have legal
rights to particular forms of Human Growth Hormone. No company has a
legal right to natural Human Growth Hormone, but companies have
patents which protect the specific medical techniques that they use
in order to synthesize HGH for medical use.
A few of
the most common forms of HGH Hormone Replacement Therapy are Nutopin,
Humatrope, Saizen, and Norditropin. Today, Human Growth Hormone is
incredibly safe, and none of the pitfalls of early forms of HGH are
at play any longer, allowing you to experience the pure effects of
the treatment.
How is
Human Growth Hormone Composed?
Human
Growth Hormone is known as a Peptide Hormone. Peptide hormones
are made up amino acids chained together by peptide bonds. There are
over forty hormones secreted by the human body, and they all have
unique and vital purposes in regard to the proper and optimal
function of the body. The primary function of Human Growth Hormone is
to encourage optimal cellular metabolism throughout the body.
HGH is
also known as a mitogen for this reason. Mitogens are
chemicals which encourage the cells of the body to reproduce and
divide at an increased rate. Although this sounds like something
simple, it is actually incredibly complex. HGH affects every system
in the body in a unique way. It makes the muscles grow larger, it
strengthens and hardens the bones, and it keeps the immune system
running at peak capacity.
Specifically,
HGH is a poly-peptide hormone which is comprised of 191 amino acids
linked in a specific configuration. Human Growth Hormone weighs
22,124 daltons. A dalton is a unit of molecular weight which
is identical to the atomic mass of the molecule. This entire
collection of amino acids is linked into one long chain. This chain
forms four helix structures which are responsible for the proper
function of the cell.
All animal
species on the planet have Growth Hormone. Although all species need
Growth Hormone to function, every animal has its own unique
formulation. Because of these unique differences in structure, the
only forms of Growth Hormone which stimulate the human brain are
those of human beings themselves, and certain Old World Monkeys. No
other form of Growth Hormone produces any affect on the human brain.
Endogenous
Human Growth Hormone is produced only in the pituitary gland by tiny
organs known as somatotrophs. The somatotrophs are responsible
for the manufacture, storage, and release of these hormones. The
somatotrophs are located on the outside wings of the pituitary.
There are
two genes responsible for the secretion of HGH. These two genes are
known as GH-1 and GH-2. The specific location of the
Human Growth Hormone genes is on chromosome 17 in region q22-24.
Although we have described the primary form of Human Growth Hormone
above, the pituitary gland produces smaller amounts of slightly
different formulations of HGH which seem to be correlated with
specific outside stimuli. Researchers are just beginning to more
fully understand the full function of these alternate versions of the
HGH Molecule.
How is
Human Growth Hormone Regulated?
HGH is
primarily controlled by hormones delivered from the Hypothalamus.
The region of the hypothalamus responsible for Human Growth Hormone
Regulation is known as the Neurosecretory Nuclei. This
structure produces a hormone known as Growth Hormone-Releasing
Hormone, abbreviated GH-RH. GH-RH is also referred to in
some scientific circles as Somatocrinin.
The
Neurosecretory Nuclei also releases a hormone which inhibits the
production of Human Growth Hormone known as Somatostatin.
Somatostatin is also sometimes referred to as Growth
Hormone-Inhibiting Hormone, abbreviated GH-IH. These
hormones make their way from the Hypothalamus to the Pituitary Gland
via a pathway known as the Hypophyseal Portal System. This
structure is a series of small blood vessels which directly link the
Hypothalamus to the Pituitary Gland.
A second
hormone which has been shown to increase the production of Human
Growth Hormone is Ghrelin, which is a hunger stimulator.
Although
the release of Human Growth Hormone by the pituitary is mainly the
result of the interplay of GH-RH and Somatostatin, the release of
these hormones are influenced by a number of different outside
circumstances.
Human
Growth Hormone Stimulators
The
following factors are HGH Stimulators:
Healthy
Sleep Human Growth Hormone is primarily secreted during the
deepest hours of sleep.
Proper
Nutrition Healthy nutrition provides the body with all of the
equipment that it needs to properly produce HGH. Improper nutrition
forces the body to pick and choose which systems receive the limited
nutrients available.
Physical
Activity The human body secretes significant levels of Human
Growth Hormone during vigorous physical activity.
Human
Growth Hormone Inhibitors
The
following factors are HGH Inhibitors:
Poor
Sleep This prevents the body from receiving its largest full
dosage of Human Growth Hormone each day.
Sedentary
Lifestyle Without healthy exercise, the body does not
produce as much Human Growth Hormone as it should.
Excess
Fatty Acids High levels of Triglycerides and LDL cholesterol
have been shown to decrease the body's ability to properly
synthesize HGH.
Excess
Insulin Production The more Insulin that you produce, the
less HGH that your body will secrete.
Obesity
Excess fat in general limits the body's ability to properly
produce Human Growth Hormone.
Stress
Abnormally high stress levels negatively impact HGH Secretion.
There are
also some uncontrollable factors which can have an impact on Human
Growth Hormone Production, including gender, heredity, and age.
How is
Human Growth Hormone Released?
The
Somatotrophs release Human Growth Hormone in pulses when stimulated
by the Hypothalamus. The largest pulses of Human Growth Hormone
Production occur around an hour after falling asleep. During this
period, the body releases 13-72 nanograms/milliliter of HGH into the
blood plasma. Aside from this large, primary release of Human Growth
Hormone, HGH production is largely unique to the individual, and can
also change significantly from day to day.
Almost
half of Human Growth Hormone Secretion takes places during the 3rd
and 4th stages of deep sleep. During waking hours, HGH
secretion peaks every three to five hours. When these peaks occur,
the window of HGH secretion can be as high as 45
nanograms/milliliter. Between these highs, base Human Growth Hormone
remains very low, less than 5 nanograms/milliliter. It should be
clear based off this data that poor sleeping habits can wreck a
person's HGH Levels, negatively impacting their health in numerous
ways.
HGH and
Aging
Human
Growth Hormone Production is distinctly correlated with the aging
process. Human Growth Hormone is produced at its highest rates during
the teenage growth spurt, peaking and lowering to a certain plateau
at the end of puberty. During puberty, HGH secretion can reach levels
as high as 700 micrograms per day. After puberty, adults normally
secrete around 400 micrograms per day.
We
continue to produce this healthy level of Adult HGH throughout our
late teens and twenties. Beginning in the late twenties or early
thirties, the pituitary gland starts to produce less and less Human
Growth Hormone. The rate at which this decline occurs is generally
between one and two percent each year.
List
of Biological HGH Stimulators:
GH-RH
Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone binds to GH-RH Receptors in
the Pituitary gland.
Sex
Hormones Testosterone, Estrogen, and other Sex Hormones
encourage the release of HGH. Testosterone has been shown to
increase the amplitude of HGH Spikes.
Ghrelin
Ghrelin molecules attach to locations on the pituitary known
as Growth Hormone Secretagogue Receptors.
Healthy
Sleep By reaching the deepest phases of sleep, the brain is
encouraged to release increased levels of HGH.
Peptide
Hormones Certain Peptide Hormones have been shown to
increase Human Growth Hormone Production, although these hormones
can also affect other systems as well.
Dopamine
and Clonadine These hormones encourage the Hypothalamus to
release GH-RH
Propranolol
and Arginine These two compounds inhibit the secretion of
Somatostatins by the Hypothalamus.
Hypoglycemia
Low Blood Sugar Inhibits Somatostatin Secretion.
Vitamin
B3 This vital nutrient is one of the key ingredients which
stimulate Natural Growth Hormone Release.
Fasting
Because the body increases HGH production as a result of
lower blood sugar and increased hunger, fasting encourages the body
to release enhanced Levels of Growth hormone.
Vigorous
Physical Activity The body releases spikes of HGH to feed
the muscles and cardiovascular system in order to encourage the body
to function at a higher level.
List
of Biological HGH Inhibitors:
Somatostatin
Somatostatin is released by the Hypothalamus in order to
decrease HGH Production. Some theorize that the Hypothalamus begins
to produce too much Somatostatin later in life, contributing to
Lower Levels of HGH Production with Age.
Growth
Hormone and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 The Hypothalamus
increases Somatostatin production when stimulated by HGH and IGF-1
as a form of negative feedback mechanism.
Dihydrotestosterone
Although Testosterone increases HGH production,
Dihydrotestosterone inhibits Growth Hormone Secretion.
Glucocorticoids
The conversion of Cortisone to Cortisol inhibits the
function of Human Growth Hormone. The reverse is also true.
Hyperglycemia
High levels of Insulin production counteract Human Growth
Hormone Function.
Certain
Medications Many non-biological medicines have an inhibitory
effect upon HGH Production for various reasons.
Function
of Human Growth Hormone
Human
Growth Hormone belongs to a large group of hormones known as Anabolic
Hormones. Although HGH is not a steroid like Testosterone or
Aldosterone, it still produces a stimulative effect upon systems
throughout the body.
Like most
peptide hormones, Human Growth Hormone flows through the body,
stimulating target receptors located on the outer barrier of cell
structures. The most widely recognized function of Human Growth
Hormone is to stimulate the growth spurt associated with puberty.
HGH and
Height
There are
two ways in which it seems that HGH affects height:
First,
Peptide Hormones are fat-insoluble. This means that these hormones
cannot break through cellular membranes. Because of this, Human
Growth Hormone must attach to receptor sites on cell walls. HGH
attaches to cartilages cells, encouraging the reproduction and
division of chondrocyte cells. This causes the bones to grow longer.
The second
pathway in which Human Growth Hormone stimulates height is through
the creation of IGF-1 via the liver. Most Human Growth Hormone
circulates through the body directly to the liver, where it is
converted into IGF-1 and other Growth Factors. IGF-1 encourages the
growth and enhanced cell-division of tissues throughout the body,
also encouraging changes in height as a result of puberty. IGF-1
encourages organs in the bones known as Osteoblasts to manufacture
bone tissue, which directly leads to changes in bone structure. IGF-1
also stimulates chondrocyte activity in a manner similar to HGH.
Why
does Human Growth Hormone Increase Height?
HGH is
able to cause an adolescent to grow in height because the ends of the
bones are still largely made of cartilage. At the end of puberty,
growth plates close, preventing the bones from increasing in length.
When these plates, also known as Epiphyseal Plates, close, it signals
the brain to produce less Human Growth Hormone, leading to the levels
that we experience during our late teens and early twenties.
Importance
of HGH After Puberty
After
puberty, IGF-1 and HGH are responsible for a number of different
health functions, including:
Increasing
Body Fat Metabolism Human Growth Hormone speeds up the rate
at which the body burns fat.
Optimizing
Bone Mineral Density HGH encourages the healthy maintenance
of the bones.
Stimulating
Increased Muscle Mass - Human Growth Hormone encourages the
muscles to remain stronger and prevent muscle atrophy.
Slowing
Down the Rate at which the Body Absorbs Sugar Human Growth
Hormone and Insulin work together to regulate blood sugar.
Encouraging
the Healthy Function of the Pancreas
Contributing
to Hormone Homeostasis Human Growth Hormone belongs to the
Hyothalmic-Pituitary Axis. All of these hormones are intricately
connected with one another, and optimal Human Growth Hormone
function encourages the body to produce normalized levels of other
hormones as well.
Strengthening
the Immune System Human Growth Hormone encourages white
blood cells and other tools of the immune system to replicate more
effectively, encouraging fortified immune health.
Human
Growth Hormone for HGH Deficiency
It should
be clear at this point that Human Growth Hormone Production is vital
to optimal health throughout the lifespan. Although the body normally
becomes more sensitive to Human Growth Hormone Production with age,
the body still inevitably reaches a point at which it does not
produce enough HGH to support the healthy function of the body.
For many
individuals, Human Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy is a viable
option to encourage optimal function deeper into the lifespan. If you
feel that you may be a candidate for Human Growth Hormone Replacement
Therapy, talk to your doctor.
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