Human growth hormone supports bone and tissue growth. It is crucial for cognitive, metabolic, and adrenal health. In addition, it is essential for growth during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. HGH helps maintain your health throughout your life.
What is human growth hormone?
Human growth hormone is also called HGH, GH, and somatotropin. It is made by the pituitary gland. While scientists first believed HGH only promoted growth in infants and adolescents, they now know that HGH plays a role in blood sugar levels, protein production, fat utilization, insulin levels, and more. The pituitary gland releases it in small spurts at certain parts of the day, most commonly during your sleep or after exercise.
Human growth hormone levels begin to decline around the age of 30. It declines by a factor of two or three during your 40s and continues to decline as you age.
Primary functions of human growth hormone
There are two primary functions of the human growth hormone: stimulating growth and influencing your metabolism.
1. Human growth hormone promotes growth
One of the primary ways the human growth hormone promotes growth is a direct pathway. It binds to two cells that trigger bone and cartilage growth called osteoblasts and chondrocytes. It triggers proteins to move to the nucleus of the cell and urges genes to prompt your bone to grow more cartilage and bone.
The other way the HGH stimulates growth is indirect. It is a precursor to the insulin-like human growth factor-1 protein which helps cellular growth, replication, and repair. IGF-1 may help to support metabolism, help anabolism, improve cellular division and replication, and reduce apoptosis.
2. Human growth hormone impacts metabolism
In addition, HGH influences your metabolism in an indirect way by increasing IGF-1 in the body. IGF-1 helps to increase amino acids, build more muscle, improve lipolysis, boost beta-oxidation, and improve glucose metabolism.
When your blood sugar levels are low, HGH attaches itself to the liver resulting in an increase in gluconeogenesis. This causes your liver to make glucose from protein. This may lead to high blood sugar levels although it happens with synthetic HGH more.
Stimulating human growth hormone
HGH works with other hormones and compounds. And there are some chemicals that support the secretion of HGH including:
- Growth hormone-releasing hormone: The human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) is created in your hypothalamus and supports human growth hormone secretion and distribution.
- Ghrelin: Ghrelin is the main hunger hormone in your body. It is made in your stomach, small intestine, pancreas, and brain. Ghrelin levels increase when your blood sugar levels are low. Increasing ghrelin levels releases human growth hormone that will trigger your liver to release glucose into the bloodstream, aid blood glucose balance, and reduce the risk of hypoglycemia.
- Somatostatin: Somatostatin is made by most of your cells and tissues. It inhibits human growth hormone production, which is the exact opposite of the job of ghrelin and GHRH. All three chemicals are necessary for balance and health.
Benefits of human growth hormone
The human growth hormone offers many health benefits, including improved fat burning, muscle development, bone health, brain health, immune health, and tissue healing and repair. Let’s discuss these main benefits of the human growth hormone.
Improves bone health
GHG stimulates osteoblast, which are specialized cells responsible for the creation of new bone mass. Most bone growth happens early in life. Later, osteoblasts are mainly responsible for maintaining bone density and repairing broken bones.
This is crucial to reducing the risk of bone loss, maintaining bone health, and repairing damage from injuries as you age. Growth hormone therapy in people with growth hormone deficiency (GDH) helps to improve bone density and bone turnover.
Burning fat
HGH helps burn fat. People who have low levels of human growth hormone, tend to have more fat mass, higher levels of fat around their organs (visceral fat) and body fat (adipose tissue).
HGH activates the fat-digesting enzyme, lipase, which helps to decrease body fat. This occurs through lipolysis, which is responsible for breaking apart triglycerides, which are stored fat, and turning them into free fatty acids or usable fats.
Lipolysis shrinks your fat cells. With age and the reduction of human growth hormone, lipolysis and fat burning tend to decrease while fat storage may increase.
Supports muscle development
HGH supports muscle development and muscle growth. HGH helps to hinder myostatin through the mTor pro-growth pathways and IGF-1 action. Myostatin is a hormone that shrinks muscles and may lead to muscle loss. Inhibiting myostatin may help to reduce the risk of muscle loss
Human growth hormone enables amino acids to move into your muscle tissues more easily, which supports protein synthesis and muscle growth.
In a study in 2013, HGH therapy did not increase bench press responsive muscle strength in healthy nor in HGH-deficient men, however, it did improve lower body strength in healthy participants.
Supports your immune system
HGH supports your immune system. Low IGF-1 levels may be linked to poor immunity. Low human growth hormone levels also cause low IGF-1 levels, which may contribute to immune health challenges.
HGH may help regulate the immune system. Low levels of human growth hormone may lead to minor abnormalities in your immune health. However, low levels do not cause immunodeficiency.
Tissue healing & repair
HGH helps with tissue healing and repair. HGH can help to repair liver damage in case of a liver injury. HGH may support tissue healing and reduce recovery time from burns and improve wound healing.
Brain health
Your central nervous system is able to synthesize IGF-1 and HGH. They are essential for early brain development. They may also help neurogenesis, which is new brain cell growth if there is an age-related cognitive decline or a brain injury.
One study on older adults with human growth hormone deficiency who receive supplemental hormone growth found they may experience cognitive and emotional improvements. Human growth hormone may also boost serotonin, choline, dopamine, glutamate, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)
Natural and synthetic HGH
There are two ways to increase your human growth hormone levels: naturally and synthetically. Synthetic methods include injections of synthetic growth hormones, which are currently approved for treating short bowel syndrome, Turner’s syndrome, kidney disease, Prader-Willi syndrome, and muscle wasting from HIV/AIDS.
Using injectable growth hormones off-label for muscle building can be risky and is not advisable.
The side effects of growth hormone therapy may include insulin resistance, edema, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and kidney and liver problems. There is no evidence that HGH pills, sprays, or powders offer any effectiveness.
Top natural support strategies to optimize HGH
These are the top natural support strategies to optimize HGH.
Get into ketosis
Your body relies on glucose for energy. However, when you reduce carbs and calories through a ketogenic, low-carb diet or fasting, it uses fat for energy instead. Ketosis is the process by which your body burns fat and creates ketones for energy.
Ketosis has many health benefits including improved lower inflammation, insulin sensitivity, better autophagy, cellular repair, and cellular renewal. A ketogenic diet may support muscle growth.
The ketogenic or keto diet is a high-fat (70 – 85 percent), moderate-protein (10-20 percent), and low-carb (5-10 percent) diet that helps ketosis. Focus on healthy fats, including pasture-raised ghee and butter, lard, olives, extra virgin olive oil, avocadoes, coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut butter.
Do strength training
Regular exercise has many health benefits. Strength training can increase HGH in your body. Lifting weights may significantly increase human growth hormone levels after working out.
For strength training consider free weights, weight machines, or kettlebells, bodyweight workouts, TRX suspension trainers, or CrossFit. Exercise intensity is linked with human growth hormone levels. Thus, you may benefit from hard, intense workouts and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts.
Eat quality protein
Protein is necessary for building muscle. Once digested, protein turns into amino acids which are the building blocks of your tissues. They also support muscle, collagen, tissue, and organ growth and repair. Low protein diets may increase your risk of osteoporosis and muscle wasting.
Aim to keep your protein intake to around 10% to 20% of your calories to support a ketogenic diet, Consume grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, wild-caught fish and seafood, and wild game. Nuts and seeds may also add some additional plant-based protein to the mix.
Reduce sugar intake
Refined sugar and carbs can increase insulin levels which in return may lower human growth hormone levels. Healthy individuals have higher human growth hormone levels than those with diabetes and insulin resistance. Higher insulin levels and obesity may be linked to decreased human growth hormones.
Eliminate refined, processed sugar and carbs from your diet completely. Keep your overall sugar intake low. Your fruit consumption should be low glycemic index fruits, such berries, low glycemic index non-starchy vegetables, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, sugar snap peas, or in limited amounts of certain starchy vegetables, such as beets, carrots, or sweet potatoes.
Practice intermittent fasting
Fasting may improve human growth hormone levels. Intermittent fasting is one way to practice fasting and optimize human growth hormones. Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that cycle between a period of fasting and an eating window within one day. To begin, follow a 12-hour fasting window including your overnight sleep between dinner and breakfast the next day.
Gradually increase your fasting window. Most people feel their best with 16 hours of fasting but your individual needs may be different. Find what works for you.
Get adequate, quality sleep
Human growth hormone secretion happens during deep sleep. Sleep is important at any age, but it gets more important as you get older and human growth hormone levels decline.
Go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Expose your body to sunlight early in the day. Support day-time energy levels with a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet. If you drink coffee, drink moderately and earlier in the day. Avoid refined sugar, refined carbs, and energy drinks.
Engage in relaxing activities in the evening, such as reading, journaling, crossword puzzles, coloring, listening to music, taking a bath, meditation, and prayer. Sleep in a cool room with a supportive bed, bedding, pillows, blackout curtains, and an eye mask. Avoid electronics and blue light exposure in the evening. Avoid eating in the evening to avoid raising your blood sugar and interfering with both sleep and human growth hormone production.
Do cold showers or cold plunges
Cold exposure, such as cold plunges or cold showers, may help to increase human growth hormone as well (24). If you have an option, take a cold plunge in a pool or lake after a sauna session.
If you don’t, cold showers have similar benefits. Finish your shower with cold water or if you are brave, gradually get used to taking cold showers.
Optimize key nutrients
Optimizing key nutrients is one of the most effective ways of optimizing your human growth hormone levels.
Magnesium
Magnesium deficiencies may reduce IGF-1 and growth hormone levels. A 2011 review published in the International Journal of Andrology found that magnesium may support improved IGF-1 levels.
Magnesium helps with energy, brain health, pain relief, bone health, muscle health, joint function, and better sleep.
Zinc
Zinc deficiencies may reduce IGF-1 and growth hormone levels. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis have found that zinc supplements may improve IGF-1 levels.
Zinc-rich foods, including meat, poultry, seafood, nuts, and pumpkin seeds. Or you may consider a zinc supplement.
Additional supplement support
Additional nutrients and compounds for optimal HGH support include:
Arginine
Arginine is an amino acid that supports human growth hormone release while you are sleeping. A 1982 clinical trial found that arginine supports the secretion of growth hormone during sleep.
Creatine
Creatine is used as a natural exercise-enhancer. A 2000 comparative study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that creatine may help to boost human growth hormone secretion.
Alpha GPC
Glycerophosphocholine or alpha GPC is a brain-boosting nootropic. A 2012 clinical trial found that alpha GPC may help to improve HGH secretion. Only 1 gram may increase levels by 290 percent in healthy young men according to the trial.
GABA
GABA is a neurotransmitter in your brain. GABA may improve human growth hormone levels.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep. According to a 1993 clinical trial, melatonin may help to increase HGH secretion.
Glycine
Glycine is an important amino acid in collagen. According to a 1978 study, glycine may help to stimulate the secretion of HGH.
Final thoughts
Human growth hormone supports tissue and bone growth. It is crucial for growth during infancy and adolescence. In addition, it supports cognitive, metabolic, and adrenal health. Follow the above natural support strategies for better overall well-being and health.