Supplements of hormones, vitamins and herbs should complement traditional medical approaches, according to a March 2011 review in “Food and Nutrition Bulletin.” Use of dietary aids can improve your health through a variety of mechanisms. A few products, for example, facilitate increased production of human growth hormone, or HGH. Such enhancement may cause allergic reactions in some people. Speak with your doctor before using over-the-counter supplements designed to increase HGH levels.
Arginine
Your body produces the amino acid arginine; you also ingest some through diet. This chemical contributes to cell division and facilitates healing. Animals intentionally bred to have arginine deficiency show retarded growth, according to an experiment presented in the March 2011 issue of “The Journal of Biological Chemistry.” Such data indicate that arginine intake might enhance growth by increasing HGH. A 1999 report in “Medicina” explored this possibility in healthy adults. Volunteers received arginine during a single testing session. Relative to baseline, the supplement increased HGH in all women tested. Interestingly, the effect appeared more variable in men, only 75 percent of whom showed an arginine-induced increase in HGH.
Citrulline
Watermelon rinds contain the amino acid citrulline, which plays an important role in eliminating nitrogen from your body. Arginine appears to achieve its effects by increasing citrulline, according to a study published in the March 1997 edition of “Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism.” This finding suggests that citrulline itself should enhance HGH. A September 2010 report in “European Journal of Applied Physiology” tested this hypothesis in recreational cyclists. Participants received either citrulline or a placebo two hours before a 137-km race. Athletes given the supplement had greater levels of HGH than those receiving the placebo. Citrulline intake did not cause side effects.
Ornithine
Other substances affect growth hormone. Patients with a deficiency of the enzyme ornithine transcarbamylase fail to produce enough citrulline, which typically causes them to be short in stature. Treating these patients with amino acids increases their growth hormone levels, according to a study described in the September 2006 issue of “European Journal of Pediatrics.” That result suggests that ornithine itself might enhance HGH. An April 2010 report in “Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology” evaluated this idea in sedentary men. Subjects received the supplement and a placebo on separate testing occasions. Ornithine increased growth hormone levels in the subjects during weightlifting without causing side effects.
Ornithine Alpha-Ketoglutarate
Patients with serious medical conditions often receive parenteral nutrition -- nutrients that are administered through an intravenous tube. Such feeding places them at risk for growth retardation and slow healing. Adding ornithine alpha-ketoglutarate, or OKG, to their feeding protocol facilitates growth, according to an experiment published in the September 1994 edition of “The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” Increases in HGH might underlie this effect. The authors of a paper published in the August 1999 issue of “Clinical Nutrition” explored this possibility in people who had experienced multiple traumas. Patients received parenteral nutrition within three days of admission. One group received a standard feeding protocol, while the other also received OKG. Supplementation increased HGH and insulin within four days. The patients tolerated the treatment well.
References
- "Food and Nutrition Bulletin"; Econutrition and Utilization of Food-Based Approaches for Nutritional Health; T.L. Blasbalg, et al.; March 2011
- "The Journal of Biological Chemistry"; Arginine Deficiency Causes Runting in the Suckling Period by Selectively Activating the Stress Kinase GCN2; V. Marion, et al.; March 2011
- "Medicina"; Reproducibility and Variability of the Arginine Test in Normal Adults; H.L. Fideleff, et al.; 1999
- "Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism"; L-Arginine Infusion Increases Basal but Not Activated Cerebral Blood Flow in Humans; D.C. Reutens, et al.; March 1997
- "European Journal of Applied Physiology"; L-Citrulline-Malate Influence Over Branched Chain Amino Acid Utilization During Exercise; A. Sureda, et al.; September 2010
- "European Journal of Pediatrics"; Effects of Arginine Treatment on Nutrition, Growth and Urea Cycle Function in Seven Japanese Boys With Late-Onset Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency; H. Nagasaka, et al.; September 2006
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