I've been researching HGH and it is a confusing subject. It has been clinically proven in and by itself to make a person lose body fat, decrease the effects of aging, increase muscle mass, and a myriad of other fantastic things. But do the sprays and pills work? That's what I wanted to know. This one site says they don't (although they sell a product that they think does). However, I've included some other articles downloaded from the LA Times:
-----------------------
http://www.hghplus.net/avoid_homeohgh.htm
Here is the latest commetary on Homeopathic Spray HGH
"The first type of products, the growth hormone sprays, are marketed as having HGH in them. If you are raising your eye brows right about now, so did we. These products claim to contain intact liquid HGH in a sublingual oral spray. Before we even tested these spray products, we had a few understandable concerns. First, how in the world can a suppplement company stabilize intact liquid HGH at room temperature, while billion dollar pharmaceutical companies have to refrigerate their real versions? Second, how can an oral spray get such a large HGH protein molecule across the inner mouth intact? Finally, how would the FDA allow a company to sell real HGH? Answer -- they would not!

Although our skepticism about the oral growth hormone spray was based upon how these products could work, our empirical data proved us correct. We test our subjects with three different growth hormone sprays and none of them demonstrated an ability to increase muscle or decrease body fat. . . "

----------------------------

One site says sprays etc. work, but at 5-10% of injections.

The following website says
http://www.anabolicsteroidspharma.c...wth-hormone.htm
HGH
(Human Growth Hormone)
The use of exogenous sources of Human Growth Hormone has been popular in the United States for almost 8 years now. Luckily, the synthetic recombinant versions were approved by the FDA a short time afterwards. These versions were developed after years of experiments with amino acid chains. An athlete who wants to do a cycle of GH can still expect to be out as much as $4000 a month.
On paper, GH should work exceptionally well; however, it does not seem to be delivering up to its potential. Most athletes who have experimented with this product end up being disappointed. There is some evidence that exogenous sources of GH are being destroyed by antibodies which appear after the introduction of the synthetic compound. Although the 191 amino acid sequence versions have been shown to produce less of an antibody reaction, they are still not yielding consistent results. Adverse reactions to GH use are rare but technically could involve acromegaly (elongation of the feet, forehead and hands). Other possible side effects involve overgrowth of the elbows or jaw, thickening of the skin and a type of diabetes.

There are numerous counterfeit versions of this product which are merely cashing in on the drug's mystique and high price tag. The legitimate versions must be refrigerated at all times, before and after they are reconstituted. Effective dosages, seem to be in the area of 2 I.U., 2 - 4 times a week. Cycle length is usually determined by how long the athlete can afford it. Some take the product for 6 week cycles, others use it year round. Legitimate GH is hard to find, when it does show up, it sells for as much as $250 for 4 I.U.

-------------------------------------------
http://thehghshop.com/faq.asp
Q I have seen a lot of different HGH (Human Growth Hormone) products advertised; creams, sprays and injectables. What's the difference?
A Many of the Human Growth Hormone spray and cream products you see advertised, particularly those available without prescription, are not 100 percent natural HGH with the full benefits of reconstituted 191 amino acid HGH, which is only available for subcutaneous injection. Whatever benefits, if any, HGH sprays and creams may provide you, they are miniscule in comparison with injectables 100 percent natural HGH.
Q Why do I have to inject Human Growth Hormone? Why can't I just take a pill?
A Since Human Growth Hormone is a protein, if it were taken orally; it would be digested in the stomach in the way that food proteins are digested. Consequently, Human Growth Hormone must be injected to be properly absorbed and used by the body.


----------------------------
Looking at Human Growth Hormone in a New Light
The Los Angeles Times; Los Angeles, Calif.; Sep 21, 1998; THOMAS H. MAUGH II;

At the same time, many people taking it to increase their athletic prowess or to slow aging are probably not getting any benefit and may be endangering their health, doctors representing the American Assn. of Clinical Endocrinologists said last week as the society issued new guidelines for use of the drug.

Among the symptoms of hGH deficiency are increased weight, decreased muscle mass and strength, impaired exercise capacity, reduced cardiac performance, reduced bone density, poor sleep and an impaired sense of well-being. Such people have a higher risk of heart disease and early death.

Feld and Gharib cautioned that there is "no proven benefit" to athletic prowess resulting from hGH. In fact, if it is given in doses less than about 6 milligrams per day--the body's own output--the pituitary simply reduces production by a similar amount.

Larger doses run the risk of producing acromegaly, which is associated with hypertension, arthritis, heart disease and, ironically, decreased muscle strength.

Similarly, they said, there is no proof that the hormone increases vitality or rejuvenates elderly people who do not have a deficiency.

The guidelines can be viewed at the association's Web site, http://www.aace.com/clin/guides/ghg.html.

Credit: TIMES MEDICAL WRITER

------------------------

Can Doctors Really Turn Back Time?; A new cadre of physicians sees aging as a treatable condition, but others say there's more hype than science behind their methods.
The Los Angeles Times; Los Angeles, Calif.; May 8, 2000; BENEDICT CAREY;

Never mind growing old with dignity. You can do better, say doctors who now treat aging as a disease. You can grow old with daring, with drive, with a good forehand and a lush libido. Enter a marathon instead of a nursing home. Be good in bed rather than confined to one. At the very least, say these doctors, give yourself the chance to travel, learn, truly "live," well into your 70s, your 80s, even beyond.

..secrets of aging.

They are almost too many to name. Vitamins, enzymes, B-12 shots, omega-3 oils, herbs, nutraceuticals, bioflavonoids: whole shelves of supplements. Then there are special diets and exercise programs, stress-reduction techniques, and simply listening to patients.

...a controversial treatment called hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. Its logic is easy to understand.

The Siren Song of Renewed Youth

"If you're going to do it [hormone replacement]," says Fouad Ghaly, an anesthesiologist who has an anti-aging practice in Torrance, "you really should take all the hormones together. The hormone replacement is most effective when you replace everything. It should be a symphony."

Yet the testimonials and optimism mask several hard realities. First, HRT is very expensive. The initial checkup and hormone blood tests cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the doctor and the number of tests performed. Regular injections of HGH run from $300 to $1,000 a month, based on the dosage. Throw in an additional $100 or $200 a month for other supplements, and you're up to $12,000 to $15,000 for the year--and counting. To realize and sustain the benefits of HRT, you have to keep anteing up.

The second drawback is biology itself. No hormone can turn back time. Despite some of the marketing claims--"scientists have proven that 10 to 20 years of aging can be reversed in less than a year," reads one doctor's Internet site--there's no evidence that HRT has extended anyone's life by a single day. Injections of growth hormone often make people look and feel fitter, for instance, but they don't seem to be any stronger. Only weight training can do that, and there's no evidence that taking HGH even enhances muscles' response to pumping iron.

Side effects of HGH treatment include carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes, and pooling of fluids in the skin that, over time, may lead to high blood pressure and heart failure.

"Some of these effects are reversible if you bring down the dosage," says Paul Fitzgerald, a clinical endocrinologist at UC San Francisco, "but there's a group of people out there who will go to any lengths to look younger, take any risk, and who will escalate to very high doses."