Recently, in my never-ending quest for natural health and physical fitness, I accidentally (or maybe by divine intervention as I like to believe) came across some information about human growth hormone and how it can potentially increase longevity and youthfulness. So naturally I dug in and began my journey to find the natural fountain of youth.
Human growth hormone is produced in the pituitary gland which is found in the brain and it plays a role in longevity, looks and physique.
What does human growth hormone do?
- Works with testosterone for muscle growth.
- Promotes fat loss.
- Increases longevity.
- Regenerates cells in the body and brain.
- Strengthens bones. Also, when you break a bone, it works to heal that bone and make it even stronger than it was before making it difficult to break that bone again.
- Improves memory, focus, concentration, and mood.
- Involved in the healing, growth, and repair of cells. The ultimate hormone when it comes to anti-aging as it regenerates and preserves proteins. Proteins are not only found in muscle but also is hair, skin, nails, tendons and ligaments. Hence the Natural Fountain of Youth Hormone
Let’s go a little in depth the topic of longevity because I’m sure most people are wondering how human growth hormone is involved. The process of natural aging is called Somatopause and as we age there is an increase in body fat, and a decrease in lean body mass. What happens as we age? In our cells we have DNA and at the end of each strand of DNA we have telomeres which protect the DNA. These telomeres are constantly getting shorter as we age. By naturally increasing growth hormone you reduce telomere shortening which will help you live longer and look younger.
How to increase human growth hormone naturally?
- Get more sleep- we naturally secrete more when we sleep.
- Intermittent fasting and/or skipping breakfast. Breaking the fast as soon as you get up instantly stops secretion. The journal of clinical investigation states that levels can increase 2000% for men, and 1300% for women during sleep. Secretion stops as soon as we eat our first meal.
- Consume melatonin before going to sleep – 0.5-5mg, enhances quality and duration of sleep which in turn increases secretion. Some studies show consuming melatonin before bed can increase it by 150%
- Intense exercise or HIITS (high intensity interval training)—to recruit fast twitch muscle fibres that you can’t recruit with low intensity, moderate exercise. You don’t have to workout for long but by doing intense exercise for short periods of time it is said to boost human growth hormone by 450-770%.
- GABA— an amino acid that works as a neurotransmitter in the brain known for calming the nervous system and aiding sleep- it is said to increase human growth hormone by 400% at rest and 200% post exercise. GABA also reduces feelings of anxiety, depression and stress. It should be consumed before working out or before going to bed.
Other Amino Acids
- L-Arginine, L-Ornithine, Glycine. These can be supplemented or found animal protein. Turkey breast has high amount of L-Ornithine.
Things to Avoid
- Human growth hormone and insulin are indirectly related so when insulin is high human growth hormone is low. So, avoid sugar and processed foods because these can spike your insulin levels.
- Too much body fat- body fat triggers cortisol which will inhibit human growth hormone. Low body fat increases human growth hormone which will in turn promote low body fat.
Well, there you have it folks, natural ways to boost human growth hormone- the natural fountain of youth. I’ve started my journey and I’m hoping I’ve unlocked the secret to longevity. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me!
As a retired registered massage therapist, I’ve always been interested in health. I grew up loving sports so that carried into my adult life in my chosen career paths and in my personal life. I now stay active with weight training, hiking and biking. My professional life has always been in health care. This has inspired me to seek out and adopt a life of natural health and wellness.
great article and love intermittent fasting!
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