Written by: Michelle G. Thibault
Edited by: Ryan McTeigue
Can the aging process be stopped or reversed? If you’ve thought about this, you’re not alone. In fact, this is something that has crossed billions of people’s minds at some point in their life. This problem has even plagued scientists the world over for centuries, in search of the elusive fountain of youth. And while science continues to look for plausible ways to beat the biological clock, the billion-dollar business of anti-aging has come up with different products and modalities to find possible answers to the phenomenon of ageing.
There are many theories of ageing from mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular ageing to environmental factors and/or DNA damage. This article will focus on one of the most studied and strongest theory behind why we age: Hormones.
Hormones and Aging
Could your hormones be ageing you? Proponents of the hormonal ageing theory support that the interplay of different hormones in the body can be one of the most major causes behind the ageing process.
The most documented metabolic pathway involved in ageing is the IGF-1 (Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1) signalling pathway. The decline of this pathway is closely associated with metabolic changes including fatty acid and glucose metabolism slowing down as you grow older. This is also the reason why the body loses its firmness and become saggy and tends to accumulate more visceral fat – which are those soft adipose deposits around the belly area!
Let’s break this down. Do you ever hear older people complain about sleeping problems? That’s because with increasing age, sleep becomes shallower and more fragmented. And there’s a hormone the body secretes when sleeping. It is called: Human Growth Hormone or HGH. When sleep is short and disjointed, HGH secretion decreases.
HGH is very important because it stimulates the liver to produce IGF-1 which is responsible for systemic body growth. IGF-1 has growth-promoting properties on skeletal muscles, cartilages, bones, skin, and every connective tissue in the body! Research studies also show that IGF-1 can regulate cellular DNA synthesis.
Let’s go back to HGH where we first started. What’s interesting is that when the body detects increased levels of HGH, Somatostatin (the word statin is Latin for stop) – a hormone in the hypothalamus, is secreted to inhibit further release of HGH. Hence, it is part of a feedback mechanism, and also goes by the name, growth hormone-inhibiting hormone or GHIH. It’s worth mentioning that when administered in elderlies, Somatostatin causes a significant decrease in sleep time.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0893133X96002448
http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/otherendo/somatostatin.html
…So let’s review. HGH is a very important hormone because it keeps the cells in our body young and functional. It stimulates IGF-1 which mediates its beneficial effects. As we age, HGH levels decline, part of that is due to short and interrupted sleep that comes with ageing. Somatostatin is also another hormone that modulates HGH release as part of the feedback loop.
Anti-Aging Solutions that Work
The concept that hormones, or lack thereof may cause ageing has triggered a massive interest in the use of Synthetic Human Growth Hormone. These are injectable compounds which really work and had been around for ages. But the challenge lies on finding high quality HGH in a market that is flooded with fake products that can burn your pocket, big time! If you prefer this route, make sure that the product you’re buying has been tested for purity and that is actually contains HGH and is scripted by a Medical Professional if you purchasing in countries that require a script for this peptide.
Another feasible approach from the hormone theory standpoint, would be something that can improve our HGH levels- either by increasing its secretion or preventing its inhibition.
The synthesis of a novel compound called MK677 saw an important milestone in the quest for the fountain of youth. MK-677 is an HGH secretagogue, meaning it increases the secretion of HGH in the pituitary gland. MK-677 is taken orally and mimics the action of ghrelins, which send signals to the brain to stimulate the pulsatile release of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). What’s really amazing about MK-677 is that research studies also show that through the HGH increase, it also causes elevated levels of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1). Remember the action of IGF-1 and how it can sustain the health and functionality of our muscle, adipose tissues and organs?
The third mechanism of MK-677 is its ability to reduce Somatostatin release. Yes, the very hormone that prevents HGH secretion when levels get too high in the blood. MK-677, by addressing both sides of the GH equation: Increased secretion and decreased inhibition, is undoubtedly a powerful anti-aging tonic. With a once-daily oral administration, it effectively rejuvenates the GH/IGF-I axis re-creating the physiologic GH profile of a healthy young adult. It doesn’t have any adverse effects such as cortisol elevations or any hormonal suppression.
Based on scientific studies, MK677’s ability to enhance HGH and IGF-1 levels can bring about:
-Lean Muscle Gains
-Improved abdominal Fat Loss
-Enhanced Skin tone and texture
-Increased bone density and Strength
-Dramatic improvement in Sleep Quality
-Significant boost in Immune System
-Accelerated healing of tissue injuries
https://www.elitesarms.com/products/gh-pep-mk677?_pos=1&_sid=4bef00730&_ss=r
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8954023/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9071975/