Reasons for HGH

The pituitary gland produces human growth hormone,or HGH, a protein that stimulates growth and cell reproduction. Synthetic HGH therapy treats deficiency and poor growth in children and adults. HGH is popular among bodybuilders and anti-aging enthusiasts.

Background

• Doctors treated growth hormone deficiency beginning in the 1950s using growth hormone derived from cadavers. Synthetic HGH, called somatropin, has been used since the 1980s, according to MayoClinic.com.

Deficiency

• Deficiency can be present at birth (congenital) or acquired through trauma or disease. Doctors inject children with the hormone to treat short stature and overall delayed body development often due to syndromes such as pituitary dwarfism.

Anti-aging

• According to testamerica.com, anti-aging experts believe HGH injections can help reverse signs of aging, improving skin texture, body mass, bone density, memory, energy and libido.

Bodybuilding

• Many bodybuilders prefer HGH over testosterone steroids because it produces lean and toned muscle without the side effects, according to Dr. Karlis Ullis and Joshua Shackman, Ph.D for Mesomorphosis.com.

Research

• Hair-loss sufferers believe HGH may regrow hair in dormant and miniaturized follicles. A Japanese study using rats suggests HGH affects intermediate follicles, enlarging them and increasing the number of growing follicles, according to PubMed.gov.