By Vic Vogel
Today everyone is looking for the magic formula that will cause fat loss, and reduce the aging affect. In the 1990’s the big push was for Fen Phen, a new supplement that increased metabolism and burned fat with no exertion. It was so popular that somehow the FDA managed to sanction its use. There were no long-term trial studies to validate the use of Fen Phen, or its side affects. It was after years, that the FDA realized Fen Phen caused heart valve problems. The FDA retracted its sanction, and banned the use of Fen Phen for weight loss. Lawsuits ranged in the millions of dollars.
Today’s Fen Phen is HGH and HGC. These genetically engineered hormones are used to increase your metabolism. Like Fen Phen there are many who have benefited by weight loss. Some even have reported new energy, and muscle gain. The sad truth is that the medical profession has joined the HGH and HGC fad because these hormone treatments are expensive. Doctors around the country are supporting the use of HGH as a means for weight loss. It is a profitable adventure. NBC Dateline reported, “An article published in the October 26th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) notes that worldwide sales of hGH are estimated to be $1.5 billion to $2 billion, and up to 30 percent of hGH prescriptions in the U.S. are used for anti-aging and “athletic enhancement.”[1] Doctors are professionals we trust without question. After all, they are bound by the Hippocratic Oath, “The Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by doctors swearing to practice medicine ethically. It is widely believed to have been written by Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, in Ionic Greek (late 5th century BC),[1”.[2] Doctors have established businesses promoting the use of hormones such as HGH and HGC. Unfortunately, money has become the primary motivation for these doctors, not your health.
What is HGH?
NBC Dateline reported:
“Growth hormone is produced in the pituitary gland of the brain. Once released, it induces the liver to make insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and this hormone then triggers the growth of bones and body tissues. HGH is especially important for normal growth in children. Indeed, most of our knowledge of hGH comes from studying children who lack the hormone, and as a result suffer from stunted growth and development. In adults, a true medical deficiency of growth hormone may result from disease, tumors, surgery, or radiation that destroys critical areas in the pituitary. This then leads to weight gain, cholesterol abnormalities, heart disease, fatigue, decreased immune response, loss of muscles and osteoporosis. Some investigators feel that diminished levels of hGH may not be a bad thing. Several studies have shown that women with high levels of hGH are more likely to get breast cancer, men more likely to develop prostate cancer, and individuals of both sexes are more apt to die at younger ages than those with naturally low hGH levels. Research has also shown that mice with very high levels of growth hormone have premature brain aging and reduced life spans, whereas their rodent contemporaries who have genetic disorders such as suppressed GH production, or an inability to recognize and utilize growth hormone (GH resistance) have prolonged survival. However, to be fair, there are also studies cited by physicians who feel that lower levels of hGH in aging adult’s results in diminished energy, muscle loss, and decreased tissue repair. These studies have shown some positive effects in individuals whose hGH levels are brought up to the levels considered normal for young individuals. The researchers therefore propose that certain individuals who have low levels of IGF-1 (considered a marker for hGH) be treated with hGH injections to achieve a “younger” and improved health status.”[3]
The authority source for HGH use, and the anti-aging movement, “began about 20 years ago with publication of the book Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach, by Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw [2]. The book’s central premise was large amounts of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other substances would cause people to add muscle, burn fat, and live much longer. Although their advice had no scientific basis [3,4], Pearson and Shaw made hundreds of talk-show appearances that boosted sales of the substances they recommended.”[4] Further studies were done, “In 1990, The New England Journal of Medicine published a study that attracted mainstream media attention. The study involved 12 men, aged 61 to 81, who were apparently healthy but had IGF-I levels below those found in normal young men. The 12 men were given growth hormone injections three times a week for six months and compared with nine men who received no treatment. The treatment resulted in a decrease in adipose (fatty) tissue and increases in lean body (muscle) mass and lumbar spine density [11]. An accompanying editorial warned that some of the subjects had experienced side effects and that the long-range effects of administering HGH to healthy adults were unknown. It also warned that the hormone shots were expensive and that the study had not examined whether the men who received the hormone had substantially improved their muscle strength, mobility, or quality of life [1].”[5]
It has been reported that HGH reduction due to aging is not necessarily a bad issue. “Studies that have followed the 1990 report by Rudman et al. confirm the effects of growth hormone on body composition but do not show improvement in function. In contrast, resistance training improves muscle strength and function, indicating that real effort is beneficial. There is no current “magic-bullet” medication that retards or reverses aging [20]”.[6]
What is HGC?
An article in DietsinReview.com says, “HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced during pregnancy by the cells that form the placenta. This hormone is detected in the blood around 11 days after conception; it is detected in the urine around 12-14 days after conception. While it is most commonly associated with pregnancy, it is present in both genders.”[7] Dr. Melina Jampolis in a recent CNN review of HGC consulted with a colleague, Dr. Caroline Apovian, the director of the Center for Nutrition and Weight Management at Boston Medical Center and an associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine, and concluded, “HCG has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of overweight or obesity. FDA approval is an important process that requires years of research on both animals and humans to evaluate the safety of a drug and to determine whether the drug actually works before it is approved as a prescription medication. ‘We have no idea how dangerous this drug might be since there is no science behind it for safety and efficacy,’ Apovian explained. She went on to say that, ‘the hCG diet allows one to lose weight because it is a very low calorie diet, and any diet that is so low in calories will promote weight loss.’ The diet is a 500-calorie diet, far below the level that most experts prescribe, as discussed in another recent CNNHealth article. In fact, you can purchase HGC over the internet from foreign producers who are producing an unsafe replica of HGC.
What is proven and factual, is that whole natural foods in the right quantities provide good health. Research studies have shown that proper nutrition and adequate exercise contribute to improved health and wellness. Problems arise when people leap for the quick fix. If someone said, “You can make one million dollars with no effort, or investment” it would raise a red flag. The old adage, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t true” rings in our ears. We would question such a proposal. Yet when someone proposes the fact that you can lose fat, and reverse the aging process with no effort, we leap at the opportunity without hesitation. The fact that unscrupulous doctors support HGH and HGC programs because they are profitable establishes false credibility that feeds on peoples desire to get more for less.
It is too early to evaluate the impact of HGH and HGC on people. However, most suppliers recommend a nutritional program, and exercise program, to supplement HGH and HGC, which is often recommending unsafe low caloric consumption. It is not much different from the quick-fix infomercials that sell you a $40.00 video and in the fine print it says, “You need to eat healthy and exercise regularly.” The fact is eating healthy and exercising does not need to cost anything. It does not require a synthetic substance that could be harmful to the body. It simply requires a little discipline. Most importantly, it does no harm to the body.
Before you leap on the bandwagon of HGH or HGC as the miracle cure for a lean tight body and a more youthful look, I urge you to complete a due diligence effort to know the facts. Know your risks. Weigh the cost of genetically engineered products being placed in your body, versus natural foods and exercise. HGH and HGC do not make you healthier. There is no research to indicate you will live longer. In fact, research indicates that your strength, endurance, and flexibility may decrease. Research has also shown, like many yo-yo diets, that weight returns, unfortunately you may not be able to reverse any side affects from HGH or HGC consumption. Think before you act. The body was not meant to be tampered with. Using unproven anti-aging products is paramount to playing Russian roulette with your body. You might win, but eventually the odds are against you.
[1] Can growth hormone reverse the aging process? http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/10766061/
[2] Hippocratic Oath”. Wikipedia.com. 3-23-2010 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippocratic_Oath>.
[3] Can growth hormone reverse the aging process? http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/10766061/
[4] Barrett, MD, Stephan. “Growth Hormone Schemes and Scams”. Quackwatch. 3-23-2010 <http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/hgh.html>.
[5] Barrett, MD, Stephan. “Growth Hormone Schemes and Scams”. Quackwatch. 3-23-2010 <http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/hgh.html>.
[6] Barrett, MD, Stephan. “Growth Hormone Schemes and Scams”. Quackwatch. 3-23-2010 <http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/hgh.html>.
[7] “module top DIET COLUMN HCG Diet: Look Elsewhere for Weight Loss”. Diets in Review.com. 3-29-2010 <http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/07/hcg-diet-look-elsewhere-for-weight-loss/>.
