Human growth hormone or HGH, has appeared to be somewhat of a panacea for those who want to turn back the clock on aging.

However, the biggest reason not to take HGH as an anti-aging therapy is simply that it has not been adequately studied.

The longterm effects are not known.

Human growth hormone is a product of the pituitary gland, the master gland of the body. As the name implies, it promotes linear growth in children and adolescents. After the body stops growing taller, the levels of HGH decline quickly and often become very low in adult life. Many of the effects of HGH are brought about through a second hormone, insulin-like growth factor-1, made by the liver. HGH is given by daily injection, and is quite expensive. Alternative treatments, such as the nasal spray or pills to stimulate HGH release, have not been proven to have any benefit.