HGH (Human Growth Hormone) plays the most important role in the normal development and growth of kids. It helps the body to increase weight and bone length by supporting new bone tissue formation in the growth places.
Additionally, it also stimulates the growth of testicular and penile size in boys. HGH therapy and supplements are effective treatments for adults with GHD (Growth Hormone Deficiency) and kids with short stature.
However, it comes with its own downsides just like any other type of prescription medication. That’s why HGH supplements and other treatment options are not suitable for people who have normal levels of growth hormone. In this article, we’ll discuss how HGH supplements can increase height and whether you can use it or not.
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Can HGH Supplements Make You Taller?
Teenagers and children need adequate levels of human growth hormone in order to achieve their full potential height. It interacts with other hormones present in the body to support the growth of tissues and organs. HGH also promotes fat metabolism and regulates blood sugar levels.
According to the NLM (National Library of Medicine), HGH affects the bodies of children positively in terms of height. As compared to healthy people, individuals with growth hormone deficiency have significantly lower height.
Your height increases if your bones grow for a longer period of time. This process takes place in the cartilage structures at the end of long bones. These structures are also called growth plates and they continue to grow until they turn into bone tissue. This conversion process is called closure or growth plate fusion.
An NCBI study shows that the cartilage structure or growth plates start growing from birth. They continue growing until 14 to 19 years in males and 12 to 16 years in females. It means that the growth of bones continues until the end of a person’s puberty.
The earlier a kid, who is suffering from GHD, starts taking HGH supplements or undergoes hormonal growth therapy, the higher the chances to achieve the full potential height. According to the International Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology, the benefit of HGH treatment also depends upon dose. The study also shows that 0.32 to 0.4 milligrams of GH per kilogram of bodyweight are required within a week to help kids with GHD to achieve a normal adult height.
How Do You Know If Your Growth Plates are Closed?
Once your growth plates are closed, you will not benefit from HGH supplements or therapy to help your bones grow longer. Undergoing an X-ray test is the only way to find out whether your growth plates are still open or closed.
A medical specialist will most probably perform an X-ray exam of your wrist to find out whether HGH supplements or therapy is helpful for you or not. If the test reveals that your growth plates have already fused into bone tissues or closed, it’s impossible to reopen them. That’s because there is no scientific method or treatment that can convert fused growth plates into complicated cartilage structures. In such a scenario, HGH can’t help you in any way even if you take it in extremely high doses.
It’s important to note that exposure to high levels of GH for a long period of time during adulthood can thicken your bones to abnormal levels and can cause acromegaly, which is an endocrine disease.
Is It Possible to Grow Taller as An Adult?
You can find tons of products available in the market that claim to increase your height even if you’re an adult. However, these supplements, pills, sleep aids, and other stretching techniques are not even slightly effective because growth plate fusion isn’t a reversible process.
There is no natural or artificial way (except surgery) to increase your height once your growth plates are closed. You’ll only get shorter with age because of the age-related height loss that takes place due to bone mineral density loss. It can lead to shortening of the spinal column and osteoporosis and you can perform the following to prevent this condition and maintain optimal bone health.
- Avoid alcohol abuse, smoking, and other risk factors
- Follow a healthy diet plan and make sure that you consume vitamin K, vitamin D, and calcium in adequate amounts.
- Perform weight-bearing activities regularly like resistance training.
As pointed out earlier, the only way to increase your height permanently as an adult is to undergo invasive surgical treatments such as leg-lengthening surgery. But you must keep in mind that it is a painful, expensive, long, and risky process and you’ll also need to go through a prolonged rehabilitation and recovery process.
What are HGH Supplements for Height?
The human body produces growth hormones naturally in pituitary glands. This hormone also increases your testosterone levels and a sufficient amount of this hormone results in improving metabolic functions, cellular regeneration, and tissue growth. In simple words, the growth hormone makes you tall, attractive, and healthy.
The doctor will prescribe HGH supplements to a person’s growth plates that are still open but their body can’t produce this hormone in a sufficient amount. These supplements will increase their GH levels which will help their body to achieve its maximum potential height.
Are HGH Supplements Safe?
HGH supplements can be a very useful and safe treatment for people with growth hormone deficiency. It’s important to note that no one with normal GH levels should use these supplements as they can cause adverse side effects. In addition, if your growth plates are already closed, using these supplements will not help you increase height.
Some people use HGH supplements for anti-aging purposes. However, no scientific study shows that HGH supplements can work against the aging effects. That’s why we recommend you stay away from taking HGH supplements for such reasons as it can be very dangerous. According to Mayo Clinic, HGH treatment can lead to the following side effects:
- Enlargement of breast tissues in men (gynecomastia)
- Joint and muscle pain
- Increased risks of multiple types of cancers
- Swelling in legs and arms
- Type 2 diabetes
- Increased insulin resistance
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
How to Increase HGH Levels Naturally?
Other than helping with height, healthy levels of human growth hormone bring several other advantages as well. It promotes better muscle strength, weight loss, and reduced risk of cardiovascular issues. Luckily, it’s possible to maintain healthy levels of this hormone in your body and you can also use the following practices if your GH levels are low.
Lose Body Fat
While growth hormone can help you lose fat, extremely high levels of fat can reduce the production of this hormone in your body. According to an NCBI study, people with high body fat have lower HGH levels as compared to people with a healthy muscle mass to fat ratio.
Reduce Sugar Intake
The high amount of insulin in your body can also decrease the production of GH. Food items that contain refined carbs and sugar can increase your insulin levels. That’s why it’s important to reduce your sugar intake if you want to maintain your natural HGH levels.
An NCBI study shows that healthy people have about three to four times more GH in their bodies as compared to those who have high levels of insulin, like patients with diabetes. Reducing your sugar intake will also improve your overall health.
Avoid Eating Just Before Sleeping
Your body produces HGH naturally while you’re sleeping at night and your insulin levels are high after eating a meal. It means your body has high insulin levels if you go to bed right after eating and it’ll decrease your HGH levels.
That’s why most medical experts recommend not eating a meal just before going to bed. Ideally, you should wait for about a couple of hours so that your insulin levels can drop and your body can produce human growth hormone during your good night’s sleep.
Exercise Regularly
Exercising regularly may make you taller by increasing your growth hormone levels. It also ensures your overall health and well-being. Your body needs all three macronutrients including fats, protein, and carbs to perform intense exercise. In order to digest these macronutrients you need more amounts of human growth hormone. So, your body produces more HGH naturally so that you can digest macronutrients and perform intense exercise.
Get Good Quality Sleep
As mentioned above, your body produces HGH while you’re sleeping. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you sleep at least six to eight hours a day. Other than improving and maintaining your HGH levels, it’ll also make you more productive throughout the day.
You can consult a doctor and try melatonin supplements if you’re suffering from disturbed sleep patterns. In addition, minimize your caffeine consumption, especially at night, to ensure good quality sleep.
Conclusion
HGH supplements are a great way to help children who are suffering from development anomalies. It should only be taken if your growth plates are still open and your HGH levels are low. Taking these supplements without these problems can lead to several health problems including the thickening of bones. We recommend you consult a medical specialist before you start taking HGH supplements to avoid health problems and achieve the desired results.