The Anti-Aging Advisor

Hormone Therapies

The latest weapon against aging is hormone therapy. Hormonal supplements, like Human Growth Hormone (HGH) or testosterone, are controversial and not accepted by the entire medical community. While these hormones are produced by our bodies naturally, that production fades as we age. On the negative side, the use of hormone therapies to combat aging has not undergone the kind of extensive testing common in the drug market — though that testing doesn’t entirely preclude undesirable side effects. We’re not recommending the use of medical supplements, but they’re out there, available through physicians or over-the-counter in various forms and many high profile users credit them with the ability to maintain youthful characteristics.

HGH

HGH was initially developed as a treatment for children who were not growing at a rate appropriate for their age. Our body’s production of HGH decreases as we age and that decline or deficiency parallels signs of aging: changes in body composition, loss of muscle strength and bone composition, lower energy levels and increases in cardiovascular risk.

So, what is HGH? HGH, secreted by the pituitary gland, is a complex protein of 191 amino acids linked in a specific sequence. It is critical to tissue repair, health, muscle growth, bone strength, brain function, energy and metabolism. Our natural production of the hormone peaks in adolescence but continues at sufficient levels to retain youthful characteristics until around age 35. The decline in production usually becomes apparent between the ages of 40 and 50. At the age of 20, the body produces approximately 500 micrograms of HGH daily; by 80, daily production has fallen to 60 or less micrograms.

According to some clinicians, the benefits of HGH therapy seem miraculous with improvements in skin texture and elasticity, energy levels, bone strength, sexual potency, muscle mass and strength, decreased fatty tissue, improved mental functions, cardiovascular strength, kidney function, immune system and lower LDL cholesterol levels and higher HDL levels.

Sermorelin

Sermorelin is naturally produced by the brain to stimulate the body’s production of HGH. It affects a more primary source of failure in the growth hormone decline, has more physiological activity and a better safety profile than HGH. Sermorelin has the same effects on the body as HGH, but has other benefits as well. The effects of Sermorelin are regulated by the pituitary gland by negative feedback and the release of somatostatin, reducing the concerns of HGH overdosing. Also, by stimulating the pituitary, sermorelin preserves more of the natural hormone’s neuroendocrine axis that fails first as we age.

DHEA (dehyrroepiandrosterone)

DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands and converts to both estrogen and testosterone. Like HGH, production peaks in the mid 20s and then declines as the endocrine glands gradually shrink. Scientists have seen a connection between this decline and a number of age-related illnesses.

Melatonin

Melatonin is produced by the pineal gland in the brain and the retina, lens and GI tract in response to light and has been used to protect cells against free-radical damage, boost the immune system and prevent cancers, as well as extend life. It is also used to ease insomnia and the effects of seasonal affective disorder and combat jet lab. Melatonin is available without a prescription either derived from animal pineal tissue or in synthetic form. There is a risk of contamination in the animal derivative.