Ways To Boost Hgh Naturally And Safely
As soon as you get to 30 years old, youll start entering a period called somatopause, where your growth hormone sharply decline. But, thankfully, youve got options to maintain HGH. There are means to control your human growth hormone production by natural methods.
Though theres a need to investigate natural means to know if it has positive effects of if there will be adverse reactions. In this article, Ill look deeper to see if natural ways can indeed help stimulate growth hormone production.
Is it possible to increase hgh naturally? Before you try anything, read through the discussion to learn more about how to boost the natural production of growth hormones.
Contents
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Eating A Healthy Diet
Eating a healthy diet is one of the best things you can do for your overall health. A healthy diet includes a variety of nutrient-rich foods that can help you maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of chronic diseases, and promote overall health.
There are many different ways to eat a healthy diet. Still, some of the critical components include eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, choosing whole grains over refined grains, limiting processed foods, and balancing calories from food with physical activity. By making these simple changes, you can significantly impact your health.
Reduce Your Sugar Intake
An increase in insulin is associated with lower HGH levels.
Refined carbs and sugar raise insulin levels the most, so reducing your intake may help optimize growth hormone levels .
One study found that healthy people had 34 times higher HGH levels than those with diabetes, as well as impaired carb tolerance and insulin function .
Along with directly affecting insulin levels, excess sugar intake is a key factor in weight gain and obesity, which also affect HGH levels.
That said, the occasional sweet treat will not impact your HGH levels in the long term.
Aim to achieve a balanced diet, as what you eat has a profound effect on your health, hormones, and body composition.
Summary Elevated insulin levels may reduce HGH production. Therefore, limit your intake of large amounts of sugar and refined carbs.
Given that most meals cause a rise in insulin levels, some experts suggest avoiding food before bedtime .
In particular, a high-carb or high-protein meal may spike your insulin and potentially block some of the HGH released at night .
Keep in mind that insufficient research exists on this theory.
Nevertheless, insulin levels normally decrease 23 hours after eating, so you may wish to avoid carb- or protein-based meals 23 hours before bedtime.
Summary More research is needed on the effects of nighttime eating on HGH. Still, it may be best to avoid food 23 hours before bed.
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What Are The 4 Hormones Of Happiness
1. Dopamine: The feel good hormone, this neurotransmitter plays a role in directing our brains reward system. Dopamine can increase feelings of pleasure, learning, motor function, motivation, and memory.
2. Serotonin: This is another neurotransmitter, serotonin happy hormone, that regulates our mood, sleep, digestion, cognitive functions, concentration, memory, and even our appetite.
3. Oxytocin: Referred to as the love hormone, oxytocin is released when there are feelings of affection involved. This hormone of happiness can help increase trust, and empathy and strengthen relationships. This chemical is released when we partake in pleasurable activities such as cuddling and hugging.
4. Endorphins: Also known as our bodys natural pain killer, the endorphins hormone can help us reduce stress and other pain. Endorphins are released when we engage in activities such as exercise, eating, or other strenuous activities.
Now, lets take a look at how to increase happy brain chemicals!
Consider Supplements And Alternative Medicines
There is some evidence that alternative therapies or supplements may address some hormonal issues.
For instance, a found that a Chinese herbal therapy routine resulted in doubled pregnancy rates among female participants with infertility when compared to Western, drug-based treatment.
A reports that Nigella sativa, known as black seeds or fennel flower seeds, helped raise estrogen levels in an animal model.
If studies in humans confirm these findings, the supplement may be beneficial for people going through menopause.
The following tip may benefit males:
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How To Test Your Hormone Health
If you are concerned about your hormone health, you can have your hormone levels tested in the following ways:
- Saliva testing: Saliva testing measures your bodys hormones levels at the cellular level. A saliva test can measure your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and DHEA levels. When you provide and test multiple samples over time, your healthcare provider can formulate charting changes in hormones with saliva testing.
- Blood testing: This type of hormone test requires that your blood is collected at a lab and then measured for hormone levels. A blood test can measure free and total hormone levels, which saliva and urine testing cannot do.
- Urine testing: A urine hormone test requires that you collect every drop of urine for a 24-hour period. Then your urine is tested to identify each hormone that is present and at what levels on that particular day. This is the most extensive hormone health test because it measures your hormone levels throughout the entire day, instead of the levels for a moment in time, which is the case for blood and saliva tests.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone testing: This type of test is commonly used to measure the hormonal status of premenopausal women who are beginning to experience symptoms of menopause.
Try An Arginine Supplement
When taken alone, arginine may boost HGH.
Though most people tend to use amino acids like arginine alongside exercise, several studies show little or no increase in HGH levels .
However, studies have observed that taking arginine on its own without any exercise significantly increases levels of this hormone .
Other non-exercise studies also support the use of arginine to boost HGH.
One study examined the effects of taking either 45 or 114 mg of arginine per pound of body weight, or around 610 or 1520 grams per day, respectively.
It found no effect for the lower dose, but participants taking the higher dose experienced around a 60% increase in HGH levels during sleep (
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Engage In Regular Exercise
Physical activity strongly influences hormonal health. Aside from improving blood flow to your muscles, exercise increases hormone receptor sensitivity, meaning that it enhances the delivery of nutrients and hormone signals (
7 ).
Insulin is a hormone that allows cells to take up sugar from your bloodstream to use for energy. However, if you have a condition called insulin resistance, your cells may not effectively react to insulin. This condition is a risk factor for diabetes, obesity, and heart disease .
However, while some researchers still debate whether the improvements come from exercise itself or from losing weight or fat, evidence shows that regular exercise may improve insulin resistance independently of body weight or fat mass reduction .
Many types of physical activity have been found to help prevent insulin resistance, including high intensity interval training, strength training, and cardio .
Being physically active may also help boost levels of muscle-maintaining hormones that decline with age, such as testosterone, IGF-1, DHEA, and human growth hormone .
For people who cannot perform vigorous exercise, even regular walking may increase these hormone levels, potentially improving strength and quality of life .
Summary
Strength training, aerobics, walking, and other forms of exercise may modify hormone levels to reduce your risk of disease and prevent muscle mass decline as you age.
Perimenopause And Menopause Can Alter Skin Structure
And lets not forget about perimenopause and menopause. Due to the loss of estrogen, menopause is associated with dryness everywhere, including your vagina and skin, says Minkin. Skin may also feel itchy and uncomfortable at this time.
If youre experiencing perimenopause, you may be considering hormone therapy , also called hormone replacement therapy . This is medication that contains female hormones, either estrogen alone or estrogen and progestin together, to replace the ones the body is no longer making, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists .
Some people take bioidentical hormones , which have the same chemical and molecular structure as the hormones the body makes, per the North American Menopause Society . Sometimes this is compounded BHT, which is a mix of hormones that is custom-made at a pharmacy.
Along with reduced skin hydration, a lack of estrogen is also involved in breaking down collagen and elastin, the proteins that give skin its structure, noted a paper published in 2019 in the Dermatology Online Journal. The combination of dryness and loss of collagen leads to more prominent wrinkles.
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Several HT delivery methods are safe, says Minkin, though every therapy still comes with risks that an individuals doctor must weigh against the potential benefits.
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Cook A Favorite Meal With A Loved One
This tip could in theory boost all four of your happy hormones.
The enjoyment you get from eating something delicious can trigger the release of dopamine along with endorphins. Sharing the meal with someone you love, and bonding over meal preparation, can boost oxytocin levels.
Certain foods can also have an impact on hormone levels, so note the following when meal planning for a happy hormone boost:
- spicy foods may trigger endorphin release
- yogurt, beans, eggs, meats with low-fat content, and almonds are just a few foods linked to dopamine release
- foods high in tryptophan have been linked to increased serotonin levels
- foods containing probiotics, such as yogurt, kimchi, and sauerkraut, can influence the release of hormones
Experts studying the effects of supplements have found varied results. Many studies involved animals only, so more research is needed to help support the benefits of supplements for humans.
Supplements may be helpful, but some arent recommended for people with certain health conditions. They can also interact with certain medications, so talk to a healthcare provider before you try them.
If you do take any supplements, read all package instructions and stick to the recommended dose, since some can have negative effects at high doses.
Music can give more than one of your happy hormones a boost.
Listening to instrumental music, especially music that gives you chills, can increase dopamine production in your brain.
Testing Your Hormone Levels
If you are concerned that your hormones may be unbalanced, speaking with a healthcare professional to get an appropriate lab test is a next step. The endocrine system is complicated, and most lab values are lab-specific and age-specific. Your healthcare professional will recommend a lab for you, receive the results along with laboratory standards and help you interpret your results.
Invigor Medical works with a network of partner labs. These labs have met high laboratory standards and are trusted by healthcare practitioners for providing accurate results. For more information:
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Maintain A Moderate Weight
Weight gain is directly associated with hormonal imbalances that may lead to complications in insulin sensitivity and reproductive health.
Obesity is strongly related to the development of insulin resistance, while losing excess weight is linked to improvements in insulin resistance and reduced risk of diabetes and heart disease .
Obesity is also associated with hypogonadism, a reduction or absence of hormone secretion from the testes or ovaries. In fact, this condition is one of the most relevant hormonal complications of obesity in men .
This means obesity is strongly related to lower levels of the reproductive hormone testosterone in men and contributes to a lack of ovulation in women, both of which are common causes of infertility .
Nonetheless, studies indicate that weight loss may reverse this condition. Eating within your own personal calorie range can help you maintain hormonal balance and a moderate weight .
Summary
Maintaining a moderate weight is crucial for hormone health, as obesity is strongly related to hormonal imbalances that may impair insulin sensitivity and fertility.
26 ).
For example, when your gut microbiome ferments fiber, it produces short-chain fatty acids such as acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Both acetate and butyrate aid weight management by increasing calorie burning and thus help prevent insulin resistance (
27 ).
Here are some tips to improve your gut bacteria to positively affect your hormones.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Hormonal Imbalance
Because your body makes over 50 different hormones all of which contribute to important bodily functions you could experience several different symptoms depending on which hormonal imbalance you have.
Its important to know that many of the following symptoms could be caused by other conditions, not just from a hormonal imbalance. If you ever notice a change in your day-to-day health and are experiencing new, persistent symptoms, its important to talk to your healthcare provider no matter what you think the cause might be.
Hormone imbalance symptoms that affect your metabolism
Common hormonal imbalances include those that affect your metabolism. Your metabolism consists of the chemical reactions in your body’s cells that change the food you eat into energy. Many different hormones and processes are involved in metabolism.
Symptoms of hormonal imbalances that affect your metabolism include:
- Slow heartbeat or rapid heartbeat .
- Thin, warm and moist skin.
- Irregular body fat distribution.
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Should You Try To ‘reset Your Hormones’ For Better Skin Health
With a quick Google search youll find many so-called health experts promising that a “hormone reset” will improve your skin health. But most often these arent healthcare professionals, and their claims are largely unfounded. Still, dont feel bad if you were taken by the promise of better health, including for your skin. I can see how some patients would find the concept of resetting your hormones really appealing, but Im not sure this really translates medically, says Hollmig.
What is true is that if youre experiencing symptoms such as a specific skin problem, your doctor may consider a hormonal condition. For instance, if you have irregular periods, acne along your jawline, and excess hair on your lip and chin, your doctor may evaluate you for polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS. Excess levels of male hormones called androgens, as well as high insulin may play a role in the cause of PCOS, according to the Office on Womens Health. In this case, treatment via weight reduction or prescription medication, like birth control pills or spironolactone, may help regulate hormones.
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Hormone Balancing Tip #: Get Off The Sugar Roller Coaster
Eating large amounts of processed sugar and refined carbohydrates can lead to insulin resistance. This is where your body gets tired of receiving the signal that your blood sugar is high, and becomes less responsive to it. Excess insulin production causes inflammation in the body and increased production of testosterone from the ovaries. This can lead to irregular cycles, acne and hair growth on the face.
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Summary: What Should You Do Now
Your hormones are not only relevant when they are playing up and showing symptoms: they are a consistent background noise within your body that you may be ignoring. The hormones are a messaging system much like the nerves, and these six key signs are as much an indicator of health problems as pain or nausea.
When your hormones are telling you that something is wrong and they are out of balance, it is important to pay attention and make meaningful changes to your life. The hormones determine how your body works and feels, but they are determined by your lifestyle and diet in a major way. You can adjust the inputs to your hormones to ensure that you are in control of your hormones and giving your body the best chance.
If any of these signs sound familiar, try these lifestyle changes first. If the symptoms continue to worsen, or dont alleviate after a few weeks, try consulting an endocrinologist for a full, medically-accurate diagnosis. You may be surprised at what you find!
Make Time For Exercise
Exercise has multiple physical health benefits. It can also have a positive impact on emotional well-being.
If youve heard of a runners high, you might already know about the link between exercise and endorphin release.
But exercise doesnt just work on endorphins. Regular physical activity can also increase your dopamine and serotonin levels, making it a great option to boost your happy hormones.
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Try Stress Reduction Techniques
Stress harms your hormones in several ways.
The hormone cortisol is known as the stress hormone because it helps your body cope with long-term stress.
Your bodys response to stress activates a cascade of events that leads to cortisol production. Once the stressor has passed, the response ends. However, chronic stress impairs the feedback mechanisms that return your hormonal systems to normal .
Therefore, chronic stress causes cortisol levels to remain elevated, which stimulates appetite and increases your intake of sugary and high fat foods. In turn, this may lead to excessive calorie intake and obesity (
50 ).
In a review of 21 studies in 2,250 people, those assigned to a short sleep group showed higher ghrelin levels than those who got the recommended amount of sleep .
Plus, your brain needs uninterrupted sleep to go through all five stages of each sleep cycle. This is especially important for the release of growth hormone, which occurs mainly at night during deep sleep .
To maintain optimal hormonal balance, aim for at least 7 hours of high quality sleep per night.
Summary
Poor sleep has been shown to decrease fullness hormones, increase hunger and stress hormones, and increase insulin resistance.