Growth Hormones

Dear Dr. Mirkin: Will the growth hormone pills I see advertised
help me build more muscle?

    Entrepreneurs cannot sell you growth hormone because it is
against the law to sell it without a prescription.   They can sell
you growth hormone releasers because they are nothing but food
(amino acids, the building blocks of protein).  Every time you
eat anything, your blood levels of growth hormone rise.   When you
eat protein, blood levels of growth hormone rise even higher. All
foods are growth hormone releasers, but growth hormone releaser
pills cost much more than regular food and have not been shown to
raise blood levels higher than ordinary food. Exercise is also a
growth hormone releaser because every time you exercise, blood
levels of growth hormone rise.
    It is true that growth hormone levels drop as you age,
but no one has shown that lack of growth hormone causes aging
or that taking growth hormone slows aging.  Growth hormone is
lowered by having lots of fat stored in your belly, and by having
high blood levels of two hormones called insulin and insulin-like
growth factor-1 (Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, Volume 3, Issue
3, 2000). The best way to lower insulin and insulin-like growth
factor is to reduce your intake of sugar and flour.  If you want
to gain muscle and lose fat, limit these refined carbohydrates
and fatty foods, eat more plants and start a regular, vigorous
exercise program.
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