Unfortunately for medical science and the world’s aging population, the issue of HGH is still something that has yet to be acknowledged at large by the mainstream medical community, and therefore for many ordinary people, it is difficult to obtain real recombinant HGH. But HGH is here to stay one way or the other.

A very important development in the arena of human growth hormone research is the current focus on HGH releasing substances and Human Growth Factors. HGH releasers can be collectively termed as substances that promote the production and release of growth hormone from the pituitary, and this also includes hormone-like substances called Human Growth Factors. The approach with growth factors is an extremely viable method of getting your body to produce its own HGH naturally, and with much less risk of overdosing. But more importantly (for many), growth factors and HGH releasers cost only a fraction of what one would need to spend on obtaining real HGH.

The efficacy of human growth factors lies largely in the way they work. All hormones are proteins of one kind or another, and this is no different with human growth factors. When the proteins in these growth factors bind to the numerous receptors on the surfaces of millions of cells, something happens. The cells receive, internalize, and decipher instructions from these protein molecules to divide, heal, grow in size, or perform certain functions. Not all growth factors perform growth roles. Some may actually speed up cell apoptosis.

Cytokines and Growth Factors

There are a large number of growth factors that have been identified so far. Growth factors work via cytokines. Cytokines are protein molecules used by cells to facilitate communication between cells and keep them living for longer. There are several kinds of cytokines in the body depending on which cells produce them:

• Monokines from monocyte cells
• Lymphokines from lymphocyte cells
• Interleukins from leukocyte cells

Cytokines are essential for the immune system to function properly. But in anti aging research, cytokines from the interleukin group have generated interest because of their role in cellular division and proliferation.

Growth factors: The next best thing to HGH?

One of the best known of growth factors is IGF-1, which is already known for being the chief agent in bringing the benefits of HGH directly to the cells. But IGF-1 is not the only growth factor around; there are so many others, which science is only beginning to understand better. Each type of growth factor affects a certain type or set of cells, although their functions usually overlap. Cells themselves often will interact with multiple cytokines at the same time, further complicating the picture, but this is probably the body’s way of maximizing its resources.

Some growth factors in our body include:

• Epidermal growth factor
• Transforming growth factor beta or TGF-β
• Transforming growth factor alpha or TGF-α
• Nerve growth factor
• Basic fibroblast growth factor
• Platelet derived growth factor
• Epidermal growth factor
• Erythropoietin (EPO)
• Interleukin-1 (IL-1)
• Interleukin-2 (IL-2)
• Interleukin-6 (IL-6)
• Interleukin-8 (IL-8)
• Colony stimulating factor (CSF)
• IGF-1
• IGF-2

The importance of maintaining the cytokine receptors

Many cytokine researchers regard the receptors as being more important than the cytokines themselves. If the receptors on target cells are damaged or limited in number, no matter how much growth factors you have in your bloodstream, it’s not going to make much of a difference. That’s how important it is to keep the receptors healthy and functioning. From the top of my head, several nutrients that assist in maintaining receptor health (which you might want to consider getting more from your diet) are phosphorus, magnesium, chromium, calcium, and the essential fatty acids. In the case of HGH, keeping the receptors working properly is crucial to derive the maximum benefits from HGH supplementation, because of the reliance of IGF-1 on them.

Getting growth factors in your body: More diversity is better

It is not surprising that growth factors are highly abundant in maternal serum (in the womb) and mother’s milk (in colostrum). A thing about growth factors is that on their own, they are not as effective as a whole group of them working in synergy. Human growth factors always work synergistically. By combining a wide range of growth factors, only then can you derive benefit from their anti aging properties.

Human growth factors in themselves, present a new angle on aging which has yet to be explored in greater detail by medical science. It is a subject which we will be touching on again in future, because of its huge implications in anti aging, and its very close ties with the production and role of human growth hormone.

ShareThis

In fact, our sleeping needs have not changed over the course of several thousand years, despite our attempts to change it. Many people regard sleep as a time waster, and wish they could function without it. But, although sleep may seem at first glance to be a waste of time, and may not fit in with evolutionary logic, surprisingly, sleep still plays such a huge role in the health of the body - especially when it comes to HGH production. Now that should make sense why people who try to get by on little sleep always look older than their age, tired and haggard - Their HGH levels have been lowered by lack of sleep, while their aging process has just been raised a notch!

Sleep and cortisol

What else does sleep do? A lot. Sleep seems to play a role in preventing heart attacks. A lot of research has so far pinpointed lack of sleep as a major factor in increasing heart attacks. It seems that people who slept less than 6 hours a night had a far greater chance of getting heart attacks than people who had more adequate sleep. Curiously, too much or too little sleep seems to reduce longevity. The problem usually though, is NOT too much sleep, but rather, too little sleep amongst a large percentage of the population.

Why sleep influences longevity is mainly due to a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol is called the stress hormone, because it is secreted by the adrenal glands in response to stress.

When stress levels rise, so will cortisol. Cortisol works by increasing the amount of blood sugar in the bloodstream. Heightened blood sugar levels will suppress the amount of HGH in the bloodstream, because of the increased insulin needed to clear it off.

But in spite of the increased insulin, researchers find that blood sugar levels in the bloodstream fail to drop down to normal levels for a long time after food intake. This is because cortisol indirectly suppresses insulin. So, in other words, cortisol is the enemy of BOTH insulin and HGH. Over time, constant high levels of cortisol may lead to increasing resistance to insulin, and thus it may open a pathway to type 2 diabetes.

For all its negative effects, cortisol has been labeled by some as the “death hormone.” Among its other negative effects is diminishing the immune system. It seems to do virtually no good to the body apart from preparing the body for fight or flight.

So with lack of sleep, cortisol is constantly being provoked, inviting a host of health problems to arise. And when most of your HGH is produced during sleep, not getting enough sleep means not producing enough HGH to meet the needs of your body. The result of lowered HGH levels and increased cortisol will definitely result in reduced longevity in the long run, make no mistake!

ShareThis

Among the roles of arginine in the body are:

• Stimulate HGH release by the pituitary
• Assist wound healing
• Increase muscle mass
• Increase sperm production
• Maintain the immune system
• Help the body to synthesize creatine, a substance used for muscle building
• A precursor to synthesized nitrogen oxide, used to dilate blood vessels

Arginine is quite well known as a muscle building and fertility booster. Arginine is useful on its own or with a combination of other amino acids, since it is relatively cheap to buy, and easy to obtain. In fact, arginine is used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, but this appears to be due to it being a precursor for nitric oxide, which the body utilizes as a vasodilator. Arginine has been shown to improve sperm count and production, but its main function in anti aging appears to be bigger.

Arginine has been shown to be a HGH stimulant, but you need to remember that it needs to be taken in a sufficient dose, in order for it to work by stimulating the pituitary gland to secrete growth hormone. Many types of protein powder contain arginine, but their amount is often too little to incite any significant HGH release.

Arginine is often used to test for HGH sufficiency or deficiency by a simple intravenous infusion of 15-30 grams. The arginine provokes the pituitary into secreting HGH into the bloodstream. By the same token, arginine can also increase your HGH levels if taken in an optimal dose.

Suggested arginine dosage

A suggested dosage is 2-3 grams per day, taken on an empty stomach, one hour before sleep and exercise. This dosage can be increased gradually to 5 or 6 grams. Excessive arginine can cause diarrhea and nausea, so any increased intake of arginine should only be done gradually. If in doubt, start by taking 1 gram and working up from there.

If you’re having any form of kidney problems, do not take large doses of arginine (or any other amino acid) because it will add to the strain on the kidneys, and worsen the condition of the kidneys.

Some common food sources of arginine are:

• Cheese
• Milk
• Beans
• Eggs
• Meat
• Seafood
• Wheatgerm

ShareThis

This alone, suggests a strong link between the pineal gland and aging. But this is not pure conjecture alone; the pineal gland produces melatonin, a hormone vital for proper, healthy sleep. It plays a major role in seasonal based cycles, and therefore, controls sexual and physical development, metabolism, health, sleep, and hibernation in animals.

Because of its small pea size, it was not determined (or identified as a separate fully functioning endocrine gland) until the 1960s. Prior to that, the pineal was just considered to be a vestige-like organ with no real purpose, like the appendix. But far from being a “useless” organ, it is now established to be one of the most important organs of the human body - although it has remained as cryptic as ever.

The ancient Hindus of India referred to the pineal gland as the “third eye,” or an eye that sees beyond the physical world. It is believed to be the location of the sixth chakra, which supposedly controls psychic powers and intuition. In alternative healing, the pineal gland is likened to the seat of the soul, a belief encouraged by its location deep within the center of the skull, as well as having characteristics that roughly resemble the external human eyes, such as photosensitivity and a lens-like physical structure.

The chief medical function of the pineal gland is the secretion of the sleep hormone, melatonin. The pineal gland releases melatonin in response to bioelectrical messages from visual signals coming in through the eyes, and relayed to it by countless optical nerve fibers. Melatonin can only be produced in darkness, and therefore, the pineal gland is very sensitive to light. Light relays to it not to secrete melatonin; and darkness conveys to it, a different signal altogether.

The pineal gland also produces and releases numerous neurohormonal substances, all with complex downstream interactions that belie its small size. This is the real enigma behind the pineal gland, and scientists believe they have yet to discover many other little known functions that the pineal gland executes quietly in the background.

One of these substances is pinoline (6-methoxytetrahydro-beta-carboline), which is believed to rouse/prevent us from sleeping - the opposite of melatonin, and this happens when it receives signals from the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the hypothalamus. Pinoline is made in the pineal gland from 5HT and is believed to be a chemical trigger for dreaming. The interaction of pinoline and serotonin is said to result in dreams.

The fact that as we get older (our bodies producing less melatonin), and the close interaction of the pineal gland with the rest of the human body and being (it receives all external stimuli from our 5 senses) indicates the vital importance of the pineal gland in health and anti aging as a whole. It is obvious, you need to keep it working well. Tumors developing on the pineal gland are but one of the problems that can affect this vital organ.

The pineal gland is probably one of the last frontiers of the human body remaining to be explored in greater detail, so watch out for some highly interesting findings to appear out of pineal gland research. It certainly looks like this small “kingpin” organ that will retain its enigma for some time to come.

ShareThis

Just what is this “Death Hormone” anyway? A certain Dr Donner Denckla has proposed that DECO, or DECreasing Oxygen consumption hormone is responsible for causing neuron (brain cell) death. And the chief culprit seems to be the pituitary gland, which although responsible for releasing growth hormone (HGH), is also seemingly the organ responsible for releasing DECO.

DECO inhibits the ability of cells to utilize thyroxine, which is produced by the thyroid. Thyroxine governs metabolism on the cellular level. When the metabolic rate changes, it affects the rate of aging.

When Denckla removed the pituitary glands of rats in his tests, he found out that they actually displayed age reversal symptoms! But if those rats were given DECO again, they aged again.

It seems that as we age, DECO levels increase due to the pituitary releasing them. So, is this really a “Death Hormone?”

On a sidenote:

It seems there is really a “Death Hormone” that is responsible for many kinds of ailments afflicting mankind, but this hormone has nothing much to do with the pituitary or any auto death program by the body. It is none other than - Cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands when you are stressed, and as for its effects, let’s just say if you have high levels of cortisol in your bloodstream, you will look and feel way older than your age! Cortisol is the chief reason why you’ve heard the saying, “Stress kills.”

ShareThis