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Interest in the development of growth hormone anti-aging products skyrocketed in 1990, when a New England Journal of Medicine article suggested that the one truly effective means for slowing the visual signs and physical symptoms of aging is to replenish growth hormone supplies in the body.

In that report, virtually all of the characteristic processes of aging were said to be associated with a gradual decline of growth hormone levels in the blood throughout adulthood.

The report also presented results from a clinical study of the effects of growth hormone therapy on elderly patients, in which many of the outward signs of aging had been significantly reduced or even reversed in those patients that were subjected to growth hormone therapy. It seemed to many that the search for the most effective anti-aging product had made a huge step forward, and many growth hormone products and treatments have emerged since that time and are available specifically for their anti-aging properties.

But the prohibitive cost and potential dangers involved in these new treatments have generated continued interest in finding effective alternatives to growth hormone treatment, and research currently focuses on natural products that are less expensive and less risky.

Growth Hormones

Growth hormones are protein hormones synthesized and secreted by cells called somatotrophs in the human pituitary gland. They are major participants in the regulation and execution of several complex processes, including growth and metabolism. The gradual decline of growth hormone levels in the blood is, at least in part, directly involved in virtually all the characteristic signs of aging, including a decrease in lean mass, muscle atrophy, increase in fat mass, decrease in bone density, and frailty.

While the benefits of treatment with growth hormone therapy are in general undisputed, weighing these benefits for their use as an anti-aging product against the cost and potential danger involved in such treatments remains a widespread issue. These concerns have initiated a new wave of research into the effectiveness of less expensive and more natural sources of growth hormones suitable for the large-scale manufacture of anti-aging products.

Colostrum and Growth Factors

Because bovine colostrum is proven to be one of the best and most concentrated natural sources of the growth factor IGF-1, it continues to be intensely studied for its potential as a natural anti-aging product that is a safe and effective alternative to growth hormone treatments. Also known as somatemedin C, IGF-1 is produced naturally in the body by the conversion of growth hormone (GH) in the liver immediately after its release from the pituitary gland.

Many of these studies have concluded that bovine colostrum does work in a similar way to human growth hormone, making it the most viable alternative effective anti-aging product currently available. Supplementation with colostrum decreases body fat, increases bone density and muscle mass, and makes skin thicker and more elastic. It is also proven to be completely safe at any dosage for people of all ages.