Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Entrepreneurs claim that since growth hormone levels
decrease with age, their "growth hormone releaser" products will help you combat
the effects of this process. It is true that growth hormone levels
drop as a person ages, but there is no evidence that
lack of growth hormone causes aging or that taking growth hormone slows aging. The
evidence that growth hormone grows muscle and gets rid of fat is highly
controversial. It is against the law to sell growth hormone
without a prescription, so these products do not contain any growth hormone.
Products that are sold as "growth hormone releasers" are just amino
acids, the building blocks of protein, that are the same as the
protein you get in your food. Anything that you eat can be called
a growth hormone releaser because all foods raise blood levels of growth hormone temporarily.
When you eat protein, blood levels of growth hormone rise even higher.
Growth hormone releaser pills cost much more than food and have not been shown
to raise blood levels better than the ordinary foods you eat every day.
Exercise can also be called a growth hormone releaser because every time
that you exercise, blood levels of growth hormone rise. Exercise raises growth hormone levels
more than and longer than eating does. Recent research shows that
growth hormone levels are lowered by having lots of fat stored in your belly.
However, no one knows whether these growth hormone manipulations have any effect
on the aging process since we have no dependable tests for aging. The
commonly used tests to measure aging actually measure fitness. To
reduce the effects of aging and improve your performance on all
medical tests of aging, start an exercise program. If you want to
gain muscle and lose fat, reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates
and fatty foods; eat plenty of the foods that come from plants (fruits,
vegetables, whole grains, beans and other seeds); and maintain a
regular, vigorous exercise program that includes strength training.
Checked 7/22/06