Is HGH A Good Anti-Aging Therapy?

Scott: Let's talk a little bit about some other anti-aging therapies. One is HGH, and what might the difference be between that and something like TA65?

Dr. Ed Park: HGH, the middle initial is "growth." Human growth hormone. That accurately reflects its role as an anabolic agent. It turns on not a lot, only about 4 dozen genes. They have these chips that can tell you exactly how the messenger RNAs change. Something like testosterone, surprisingly, hundreds, 900 genes up and down, so it's very nonspecific. HGH is pretty safe, but this is the largest human guinea pig experiment today. Tens of millions of people have taken it, paid a lot of money, in a non-controlled setting. 

My anecdotal experience is that it's pretty safe. Again, it's the opposite of TA, because TA is about restoration and refurbishment, and human growth hormone is about increase transcription. It's about putting a supercharger on an old Mustang without fixing the parts first. You're really over-grinding. It's known that it can help cancers grow, but it's also an anabolic thing, whereas the TA has no anabolic effects that don't originate from cellular repair. Yeah, you get better testosterone because the cells are healthier, not because you're causing them to be mutant cells. People will pump up, but it's interesting. You notice when they start HGH, they have pretty bad withdrawal in two to three weeks.

Scott: What sort of symptoms?

Dr. Ed Park: Mood. Energy. Stamina. That's reflective of the fact that it's an artificial high. It would be like drinking four lattes versus being a zen master. It's more sustainable to have all these.

Scott: Sure.