What is the story with human growth hormone (HGH)? I know that the actual hormone can be injected (at great expense), and some of the Hollywood crowd supposedly use this to stay young. However, a lot of companies are marketing “HGH enhancers,” which are not HGH but supplements that are supposed to stimulate the body to produce HGH in greater quantities. The enhancers are much less expensive than actual HGH and supposedly almost as effective in raising your HGH level. So, does HGH really restore your youth? Do these HGH enhancers work? Or is it all placebo effect? –Richard Nash, via e-mail
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Chances are you’re going to be hearing a lot about HGH in the next few years. Consider the following facts: (1) The most promising test done on HGH so far involved men ages 60 and up. (2) The leading edge of the baby-boom generation is now 58. If you’re, say, Bill Clinton, born in 1946, you’re looking in the mirror and thinking: You know, for an old fart, I don’t look bad. How long can I hold off the inevitable? (3) Most of the crap you see touting HGH and so-called HGH enhancers is, in fact, crap. (4) However, some of it’s not.
Internet hucksters paid no attention. Some spammed the world about dietary supplements that supposedly increase the body’s production of HGH; meanwhile, several Web sites hawked oral or inhaled versions of HGH. Many cited the Rudman study as support for their claims. The NEJM got fed up and published more articles saying: we’ve never endorsed the use of HGH to combat aging, we’ve seen no proof that so-called enhancers have therapeutic value, oral and inhaled HGH probably won’t work for technical reasons, and dietary supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA. (All of the articles, including the Rudman study, are available on the NEJM Web site at no charge.)
You’re thinking: I’m getting mixed signals here. Exactly–we still don’t know enough about HGH to proclaim it an elixir of youth. Luckily, other promising methods for cheating the reaper are available now and don’t require expensive chemicals–exercise, for instance, or sharply reducing calorie intake. But the average American is likely to say, I think I’ll wait for HGH.
