Ever heard of Low H? It could be the reason for your lack of energy, poor sleep, belly fat, and painful joints. HGH is often called the Mother Hormone because it is responsible for so many wide ranging effects. It's truly the Fountain of Youth. Sound to good to be true? Keep reading.

If you’ve been paying attention to the health community in recent years, you may have heard about something commonly referred to as HGH, or human growth hormone. This powerful chemical is a peptide hormone that has a variety of different effects on the body (we’ll get into these in just a moment). One thing is for sure; if you aren’t familiar with HGH, you’re going to want to be!

Produced in the pituitary gland, the hormone itself has been shown to encourage growth in children and adolescents. In addition, it works to regulate and maintain body composition, fluids, muscle and bone growth, and sugar/fat metabolism. Some evidence even points to its potential for helping maintain proper heart function.

The first synthetic human growth hormone was created in 1985, gaining approval to be used with children and adults alike by the FDA shortly after. According to WebMD, approved uses of HGH for children include poor growth due to the following:

• “Turner's syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects a girl's development
• Prader-Willi syndrome, an uncommon genetic disorder causing poor muscle tone, low levels of sex hormones, and a constant feeling of hunger
• Chronic kidney disease
• HGH deficiency or insufficiency
• Children born small for gestational age”

As for adults, the substance has been approved for use to combat the following:

• “Short bowel syndrome, a condition in which nutrients are not properly absorbed due to severe intestinal disease or the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine
• HGH deficiency due to rare pituitary tumors or their treatment
• Muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS”

Beyond these uses, many individuals take human growth hormone because they believe it will have other benefits within their body, including improved muscle mass and fat loss. While there is less conclusive evidence to support these claims, several recent studies are beginning to shed light on several additional potential benefits of HGH supplementation.

5 Major Benefits of Human Growth Hormone

HGH has shown tremendous potential for helping regulate and maintain a wide variety of different processes within the human body. Let’s explore five of the most exciting among them below.

Helps Ensure Better Sleep

If you struggle to get good quality sleep every night, you aren’t alone. Millions of individuals all over the world suffer the same annoyance, whether it be due to irregular work hours, stress, or medical causes such as insomnia, not getting enough shuteye is no fun.

Interestingly, in a recent study published by the University of Chicago’s Department of Medicine, it was found that participants whose sleep was disturbed for 24-36 hours showed dramatically lower growth hormone levels. This may point to the fact that HGH plays a role in maintaining proper sleep-wake cycles in healthy individuals.

Can Increase Muscular Strength

This is one of HGH’s more commonly referred-to benefits, though quality studies on just how effective it may be have been few and far between–until now. A recent trial published in the International Journal of Endocrinology illustrated that growth hormone-deficient men who took HGH performed better in leg press exercises than those who were given a placebo instead.  

This is likely due to HGH’s unique ability to stimulate collagen synthesis in skeletal muscle groups, increasing their overall strength in the process. Though additional studies will bring clarity as to how drastically the hormone alters collagen, preliminary results do appear to show that there is much promise.

Potential Erectile Dysfunction Treatment

Recent studies have begun to unearth a surprising correlation between human growth hormone deficiency and a decrease in sexual energy and desire in otherwise healthy men. In one particular trial, a group of men dealing with ED was given human growth hormone and exposed to stimulation. From the study’s conclusion section:

“We believe our data provide strong evidence that GH may be of major importance in the maintenance of male erectile capability-probably through a stimulating effect on cyclic guanosine monophosphate generation in human cavernous smooth muscle-and that a decline in GH release may contribute to the manifestation of erectile dysfunction.”

Seeing as erectile dysfunction is a sensitive, serious issue for millions of men all over the world, further studies could prove to offer valuable insights into better understanding this debilitating condition.

May Strengthen Bones

As mentioned above, HGH is produced by the pituitary gland. This gland plays a crucial role in maintaining and regulating bone growth, especially during puberty. Because growth hormone levels naturally tend to decline as we age, some individuals who become deficient may be unable to continue reinforcing their bones to adequate levels.

Because of this, HGH supplementation may be a viable way to help increase bone strength in those who are naturally deficient in the hormone itself. Acting as a powerful biomarker, it can send signals that strengthen the actual cellular structure of our bones, potentially paving the way for increased strength overall as well.

Can Improve Mood and Mental Function

There are many different claims about various methods to improve mood and quality of life across the board, though some are more credible than others. That said, human growth hormone has shown some surprising and optimistic signs of being able to improve these qualities when evaluated by subjective description.

In one Lithuanian study, it was found that 18 adult participants with HGH deficiency all reported significant increases in personal happiness, as well as in overall cognitive function throughout the day. This seems to illustrate that proper HGH levels in the body can indeed be vital to maintaining a healthy mindset and mental acuity.

As mentioned above, though direct injections have long been the main way to receive HGH supplementation, new advances have made it possible to obtain treatment in a less-invasive manner. These include topical ointments and sprays, pills, and other forms of surface-level applications. As we continue to learn more about the benefits of human growth hormone, we expect that the results will encourage others to experiment with these new methods in greater numbers.

How It Works

Essentially, the effects of human growth hormone on muscle tissues can be most easily described as anabolic, or building up. As is common with other protein hormones, HGH interacts with receptors in our cells to create a reaction that ultimately triggers bone and muscle growth.

Traditionally, human growth hormone has only been available for supplementation via an injection. Over time, levels of the hormone decline in the body, leading some individuals with a deficiency. Today, however, new advances in delivery mechanisms have allowed HGH to be consumed in the form of a transdermal gel, negating the need for any sort of medical procedure.

The Biggest Myths About Human Growth Hormone

Human growth hormone has been a popular (and controversial) discussion topic in fitness and health circles for several years now. Because of this, several myths and misconceptions about what the hormone actually is and what it does have been circulated. Let’s take a look at a few of them below.

Human growth hormone causes cancer

This has been one of the most pervasive myths about HGH since its entry into the public spotlight. Many health influencers have seemed to jump on this bandwagon, but the reality is that the hormone isn’t anymore likely to induce cancer in humans than just about any other hormone. In fact, a study conducted in 2006 revealed that “even if GH/IGF-1 therapy does result in a small increase in cancer risk compared to untreated patients with GH deficiency, it is likely that the eventual risk will be the same as the general population. Such a restoration to normality will need to be balanced against the known morbidity of untreated GH deficiency.”

Human growth hormone is the same thing as steroids

This common belief is likely due to the fact that HGH remains banned at many different major-league sporting events, and as such is often lumped into the same category as steroids. The truth, however, is that the two are actually extremely different from one another.

Steroids are powerful drugs that are often used to induce protein synthesis. These are often illegally used by individuals looking to improve their muscle mass. Human growth hormone, on the other hand, is a bodily hormone that is literally responsible for helping you grow in adolescence, and controlling cell growth throughout your adult life. HGH is also more well-tolerated and more bioavailable than steroids across the board.

You can’t take human growth hormone if you suffer from thyroid issues like Graves Disease

This one is a little less common, but many users have discussed HGH and its potential to cause issues for those who are dealing with some sort of thyroid issue. This can be true. If you have Graves Disease, or any other hyperthyroidism, it is best to consult your doctor before beginning treatment. That said, the idea that you cannot take it outright is completely false. In fact, it may even serve to help your condition in some cases.

In any situation, our recommendation is always to consult a doctor before beginning any treatment, HGH or not, if you are uncomfortable with any aspect of it. This way, you can be sure that you are getting the best information directly from the source.