Dr Oz: What Is Human Growth Hormone? + Using HGH For Anti-Aging

Dr Oz: Human Growth Hormone Injections

Dr. Oz asked if HGH, or human growth hormone, could be the key to they perfect body. He explained that it’s been used and abused by athletes to increase muscle mass and improve performance and now, women are using HGH to achieve the perfect body, but at what price? He sent investigative reporter Elisabeth Leamy undercover to clinics across the country, where HGH is now the drug of choice.

Hollywood is obsessed with HGH as well, with stars like Sylvester Stalone and Suzanne Somers saying they’ve used it to look better. HGH advocates say the shots boost energy and sex drive as well as burn body fat and build lean muscle. But  now, HGH has gone mainstream and 6,000 new patients are getting prescriptions every year, and even more are buying the injections online.

Elisabeth went undercover to talk to doctors to see what they say about it. Clinics seemed eager to get Elisabeth to use the injections, claiming it could make her look younger and leaner, and when she brought up the dangers, they all said it was safe. But now studies are showing that HGH could increase your risk for achy joints and diabetes, as well as heart failure and cancer.

Dr Oz: Are HGH Prescriptions Legal?

So is it even legal to prescribe human growth hormones to people who don’t need it, and don’t have the handful of rare diseases and conditions it’s approved for? All the doctors Elisabeth spoke to said it was, while the FDA said it was against the law to prescribe HGH for unauthorized uses, and that using it for anti-aging hasn’t been proven safe.

Elisabeth joined Dr. Oz and said she was surprised by how mainstream HGH was, saying she found it everywhere from doctors offices to fancy anti-aging clinics. She also said that some doctors offered to mix her up her own HGH “cocktail.” She said by paying up to $5,000 a month, you could be paying a lot of money to potentially put yourself at risk.

Dr Oz: What Is Human Growth Hormone?

Dr. Oz then explained what HGH is. He said the brain makes growth hormone naturally, and your growth hormone is at its peak when you reach maturity around age 20, and then plummets and continues to decrease gradually as you age. Some experts say that boosting your levels back to where they were when you were in your twenties, using man-man HGH, can make you look younger.

Dr. Oz introduced everyone to Theresa, who started taking HGH in hopes of looking younger. She explained that she was about to turn 54 and she was looking in the mirror when it struck her that something had changed. She said she felt awful, had no energy, and had gained 40 pounds. She went online to see what she could do and researched growth hormone until she found a doctor who would prescribe it.

She started HGH injections about four months ago and she couldn’t be happier with it. She said it’s dramatically changed her body and her life. She said she lost 40 pounds in four months and feels like she did when she was in her twenties. Theresa also said that she hasn’t exercised at all, but she has muscle tone, a waist, and legs that look good again. Before she started HGH she said she felt old and fat with no energy, and felt sick all the time. She said her brain feels sharper and clearer. She said the HGH has been a significant factor in her recovery.