Human Growth Hormone or HGH is an anabolic hormone that occurs naturally in the human body. Produced by the pituitary gland in the brain, it is responsible for the growth of bone, cartilage and muscle in children and for metabolism in adults. While it is available through the whole of a lifetime, youthful years see the highest production, with production slackening significantly after 40 years of age.

HGH increases muscle mass and strength and helps tired muscles to recover more quickly, which is why an athlete may want to take it. It is said to help those whose sport demands a sudden explosion of energy rather than those who need endurance such as in running marathons.

Isolated by scientists in 1956, HGH was soon used to treat children suffering from stunted growth. Unfortunately, years ago the only source of it was from human cadavers and it was not known for some years that it also contained a substance detrimental to humans and caused Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease. The long incubation period meant that it often did not show up for 30 years or more. This problem was later eliminated with the production of synthetic HGH.

WE can?t just rush out and buy a bottle of HGH to take as a supplement. It is only available by prescription and is approved only for those who have specific medical conditions such as short stature, kidney failure and Prader-Will and Turner?s syndrome in children, and muscle wasting due to HIV and AIDS.

Adults with growth hormone deficiencies who are injected with HGH have shown improved bone density and muscle mass, a decrease in body fat, improved mood and motivation and their heart?s ability to contract improved as well as their ability to exercise. This has led many to believe that healthy humans who are aging will benefit from injections in the same way.

While studies in this area have been limited, a few have shown that while muscle mass did increase, it did not follow that those people became any stronger. Strength training had the same effect as far as muscle mass with the added benefit of increasing strength too, but there were none of those potentially harmful side effects that were present with HGH.

The side effects include such things as swelling in the limbs, carpal-tunnel syndrome, bloating, arthritis-like symptoms, headaches, high blood pressure and other nasties. There is no proof that HGH pills sold as health supplements actually work. A healthy diet is more likely to be of benefit - and a great deal tastier.