Introduction: What are secretagogues?
HGH supplements come in the following forms:- pills, sprays, liquid drops, transdermal gel or patch, mixable powders.
There is another term widely used for them – HGH or GH “secretagogues”. A secretagogue, by definition is a “substance that causes another substance to be secreted”.
So, an HGH secretagogue is one that when consumed, causes HGH secretion from the pituitary gland.
Keep in mind, there are certain “peptides” which when injected in the body act as very efficient secretagogues, eg. GH-releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6), GHRP-1, GHRP-2 etc [study]. These peptides are not commercially available, but can be bought for research purposes.
Commercially available secretagogues can come in pill or powder form. They contain no GH, but, instead, amino acids and other ingredients that manufacturers claim cause the body to increase the production of GH. Common amino acids in these products are glutamine, arginine, ornithine, phenylalanine, and lysine. These substances are used in many sports supplements.
As far as the ingredients are concerned, in our research, we have come across 7 ingredients that must be present in an HGH supplement to make it a successful hGH precursor (secretagogue).
Now, these 7 ingredients influence the body by stimulating at least one of the 7 mechanisms that induce more HGH production.
Some of these ingredients influence by more than one mechanism.
You can see the complete list of 7 mechanisms to naturally increase HGH in the body, here. It’s a long read!
Now, usually pills and powders should be able to pack lots of diverse ingredients into them and come up with good hgh products. Some companies use proprietary blends and have clinically studied ratios of these ingredients when they mix them.
The liquid drops usually can’t have enough quantities of these ingredients to successfully enhance HGH production, however, they can be more bioavailable(means their absorption rates maybe high).
Liquid drops can also be homeopathic, which we discuss below.
However, there are certain things you should know if you are buying HGH pills.
Questioning the ingredients in hGH products
The very first method how these supplements companies get you is that they get “vague” on the information on their supplements. Here are few examples:-
a). They create a hype of the included ingredients in their product.
For example, any hGH product containing amino acids like L-arginine, L-glutamine etc. is definitely good for anti aging and enhancing hGH but it will NEVER have a dramatic effect.
Studies done on the usage of amino acids to increase hGH were done on intravenous “injections” that were several times the doses you receive in pills.
So, the supplement manufacturers create a HYPE around their hGH supplement that it contains such and such amount of amino acids proven to increase hGH.
However, they leave out the fact that amino acids were used via injections to increase hGH and that too in ridiculously huge doses. Such huge doses when taken in oral pill form will produce some nasty sides like nausea, upset stomach, dizziness etc.
So, these supplement manufacturers hit 2 stones with 1 bird by having lesser doses of amino acids in their product. They make their product safe to consume and raise their profit margins in the process.
However, the consumer does not really feel the HGH effect and if there is any effect, it’s mostly placebo effect.
There is one more problem with using amino acids for HGH enhancement that we talk about in amino acids pathway mechanism. (See the list of 7 mechanisms to increase HGH naturally, later in this article)
b). Another way they get you is by including some ingredients on which no established scientific evidence exists regarding its role in increasing hGH.
Some of such ingredients are Schizonepeta (or Japanese Catnip) or Pumpkin Seed etc.
Now these ingredients might be beneficial for general health well being, but when we buy an hGH supplement off the market, we make damn sure that every ingredient in it should have something to do with increasing hGH, that’s why a thorough research on hGH and all those mechanisms by which hGH can be increased naturally was required.
c). Lastly, they sell their products by claiming their supplement is clinically proven to work.
But most consumers might not know the companies are actually promoting the fact that some of the “ingredients” in their supplement have undergone a clinical study and are proven to work.
This is a HUGE difference.
Because, if the product on the whole is working equal or less than a particular ingredient, then either they have lesser quantity of the ingredient OR they are including some fluff ingredients, just for the sake of making a supplement and selling it.
Facts about homeopathic HGH: sprays, drops, gels and patches
Homeopathic HGH is proposed to work through an “energy” imparted by extreme dilutions of HGH; and nanogram-strength HGH providing only one-thousandth the dose of prescription HGH.
Most commercially available homeopathic HGH sprays, drops, gels etc. would have even lesser amounts of real HGH in them.
Homeopathy is a branch of science whereby minute quantities of organic material are introduced into the body to stimulates its natural healing response. While the potential benefits of homeopathic treatment are often dismissed by mainstream medicine, many researchers have produced affirmative results in laboratory tests.
One such study was done by Leon Cass Terry, M.D. and Edmund Chein, M.D. After being injected with small doses of high-frequency HGH for six months, participants showed measurable improvement in levels of strength, healing, flexibility, energy and vitality.
In his book “Feeling Younger With Homeopathic HGH,” Dr. H. A. Davis states, “When growth hormone is combined with homeopathic preparation, the results are truly on the leading edge of anti-aging benefits. People taking the homeopathic growth hormone have noticed the same effects as the molecular (injectable) GH.”
However, there are several skeptical medical experts who don’t really believe that homeopathic HGH can work. There are three major reasons for their point of view:-
1. Homeopathy is based on the principle of “like” cures “like”?
Homeopathy is based on the principle of “like” cures “like”.
According to homeopathic understanding, that which a substance is capable of causing, it is also capable of curing. The name homeopathy, coined by its originator Samuel Hahnemann, is derived from the Greek words for ‘similar suffering’ referring to the ‘like cures like‘ principle of healing.
So, if HGH in a homeopathic gel or spray is supposed to be a “cure”, then you are assuming HGH is what’s also “causing” the “problem” in the first place.
According to the principles of homeopathy, a “homeopathic hgh” will be a remedy for “too much” HGH in your system and will work to decrease the hgh levels, rather than increasing it- the way vaccines work.
This raises a question on these homeopathic HGH companies, whether they know what they’re doing!
Basically, in short, the external HGH will downgrade your own system of producing whatever HGH it’s producing currently, according to homeopathy.
Because HGH is the cause of the problem and the cure simultaneously.
Which, we know is NOT true. HGH is NOT the cause of the problem. Declining HGH levels are the cause of the problem. That’s why we need a HGH supplement in the first place.
This contradictory stance by companies is what is causing confusion around the homeopathic HGH, and some experts believe that consumers need to be aware that using the name of “homeopathy” might just be a marketing tactic when it comes to HGH and HGH supplements. Here is a more neutral report on homeopathy.
PS: We are NOT saying Homeopathy is a SCAM. Regardless of whether homeopathy is effective or not, we are saying that some companies could exploit the popularity of homeopathy in marketing their fraudulent products. This is perhaps the reason no renowned homeopathic expert supports any homeopathic HGH on the market.
2. American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists (AAHP) kind of disowns any Homeopathic HGH in the market
According to the American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists (AAHP)-
The substance called Homeopathic Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is not an official homeopathic drug, as it is not included in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS). As such, there are no identity or quality standards for starting material, nor standardized processes for the manufacture of a homeopathic dosage form. Therefor, there are no official safety levels (OTC, Rx, HPN) for “HGH” determined by independent review.
Homeopathic provings for “HGH” do not appear in the medical literature; consequently, clinical use of the substance does not have broad agreement among homeopathic experts.
3. Homeopathic HGH Dilution: What does HGH 30X mean?
This dilution concept is what triggers the most debate and irks people opposed to homeopathy.
Lets explain.
The letter “X” indicates a 1 to 10 dilution. As per above example the human growth hormone ingredient was succussed and diluted 30 times using a 1 to 10 dilution.
They start at 1X (1 part in 10) and range up to 30X (1 part in 10^30).
1X is usually the starting point for serial dilution. You start with a 1:10 dilution (1X), then dilute that 1:10 again (2X), and again (3X) and so on.
So, each additional X becomes 10 times more dilute than the previous.
At 3X, you’re looking at a one part per 10^3 dilution, ie. 1 in 1000.
At 6X , this is roughly the amount of fluoride in drinking water. So, still at potentially active levels.
At 8X, arsenic would be diluted to the point where it’s reasonably safe for drinking water (10 parts per billion).
24X is about the point where a beaker of the stuff has about a 50/50 chance of having even one molecule of active ingredient….
30X, you can’t know if it even contains HGH.
60X is 8 orders of magnitude above 52X so you would need 100 million universes to dilute something to this concentration!
In the end, you might be buying an over-expensive product – gel, spray or cream that might or might not have HGH in it.
The problem, according to the International Journal of Pharmacotherapy, is that when it comes to homeopathic solutions, “the largest dilution possible that still contains at least one molecule of the original substance is 12C.”
This could present a logistical problem based on the 30X dilution of some homeopathic products.
And “even among smaller dilutions that do contain some molecules of the original substance, there almost certainly aren’t enough to have a meaningful effect on the human body.”
There are many other homeopathic formulations aimed at boosting HGH level, including popular options on marketplaces such as Amazon and Google Shopping, like High-Tech Somatomax ($45), Liddell Homeopathic Vital High Immune ($32), HPTP Pituitary Drops ($21), Vital II Hormone Free Spray ($28), and Clinical Strength Secretagogue Gold – Orange ($45), to name just a few.
Regardless of the formula or the sales price, the fact of the matter is there’s little-to-no double-blind, placebo-controlled, peer-reviewed clinical evidence on homeopathic HGH products available in the marketplace.
You can read about our review on top rated HGH sprays and homeopathic HGH products.
Bottomline
Hope this article has given you an understanding on the different kinds of hGH products and will help you decide which product is right for you. You can compare top hGH products here.
