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What Does HGH Consist Of?

Human growth hormone (HGH) is a controversial hormone. It is naturally produced by the pituitary gland, controlling our height. Some adults have taken advantage of this, supplementing themselves further with synthetic HGH to gain improvements in strength or athletic performance. Unfortunately, HGH injections in full-grown adults often come with side effects. HGH has been successfully used in medical settings to jump-start growth in underdeveloped children.

  1. What is HGH?

    • HGH is normally secreted from the pituitary gland, at the base of the brain. It plays a role in our body's metabolism, and it is required for growth. The amount of HGH circulating in our bloodstream can be affected by how much we've eaten, slept or exercised. Growth hormone is a short protein, consisting of 190 amino acids.

    Malfunctions

    • Sometimes, during childhood, too much growth hormone is produced, resulting in gigantism, where the child grows larger than normal. Dwarfism results when too little growth hormone is produced during childhood.

      Tumors of the pituitary gland can cause overproduction of growth hormone in adulthood. This disorder, called acromegaly, results in overgrowth of the bones of the face, jaw, hands and feet.

    Pharmaceutical Uses

    • Growth hormone is used to treat children who are severely underdeveloped. Initially, the hormone was harvested from cadaver pituitary glands, but more recently, laboratory techniques are used to produce a more constant supply of the hormone. HGH has also been approved for treatment of muscular atrophy related to HIV and AIDS.

    Other Effects

    • Some people have chosen to use growth hormone as "enhancement therapy" due to its strength-building claims. Limited studies of healthy adults show that growth hormone can reduce body fat, increase bone density, increase muscle mass and slow aging. However, most of these effects are minimal at best, and you would also need to regularly inject yourself with the hormone, as the pill form has even less benefit.

    Side Effects

    • If you are a healthy individual considering taking growth hormone, consider the side effects first. Injections of growth hormone may cause diabetes and heart disease. Other side effects include joint swelling and pain, muscle pain, and swelling in the arms and legs. Men have reported enlargement of breast tissue. In general, the reported side effects have been unpredictable. Growth hormone injections are also very expensive.

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