What Are Growth Factors?

Growth factors are chemicals within the body that help to regulate the cellular growth and replacement that heals the body and keeps it functioning properly.

Growth factors play an important role in anti-aging in two important ways:

They help to modulate cellular metabolism.
They delay the onset of degenerative diseases.

Growth factors are responsible for cellular repair and the replacement of worn out and damaged cells with healthy functioning cells. They are also responsible for keeping the body's metabolism strong and balanced. These abilities decrease as we age due to the decreased supply of the body's growth factors.

 

The discouraging thing we know is that the older we get the less growth factors our body will have to heal and rejuvenate itself.

Without intervention the body will begin to break down more often and the break downs will become more serious. In fact, without intervention our future of health is very bleak.

Luckily, we live in this day of anti-aging medicine where we do not have to stand helplessly by and watch our body literally break down from its lack the hormones and growth factors.

How Human Growth Hormone is Involved

We now know how important human growth hormone (HGH) is to our health throughout life, and its decline as we age is a major factor that brings on the effects of aging. As more is being learned about the process of aging clinical research is suggesting that the growth factors that are released as a result of HGH, specifically IGF-1 and IGF-2, may be a real key to successful anti-aging therapy.

Example: When we are children we have the most HGH we will ever have. During this time our skin is soft, supple and moist, and has the look of health and youthfulness. When we sustain a cut or scrape our skin is swiftly healed with new healthy cells.

This happens because children have plenty of growth hormone being produced and released into the bloodstream and so they have plenty of growth factors. In children the body works optimally because it has plenty of growth factors to use to continuously heal itself.

In the early to mid 20's the amount of HGH that the pituitary gland releases starts to decrease and by the late 20's the effects may already be starting to become noticeable. As growth hormone release continues its decline our skin may become more dry and rough and we don't heal as fast as we did when we were younger.

IGF-1 and IGF-2

Once the pituitary gland releases growth hormone into the bloodstream it is quickly taken in by the liver. The liver then responds by releasing growth factors, and it is the growth factors that are directly responsible for most of the benefits associated with HGH.

The major growth factor related to growth hormone is called IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1). IGF-1 is also known as somatomedin C.

IGF-1 is the body's main growth factor in that most all cells of the body are affected by it. IGF-1 therapy is showing promise in various areas, including the nervous system, prevention of cell apoptosis after CVA and MI. It may also have a positive effect on the healing of spinal cord injuries, fibromyalgia, and more. See the link below for more information.

Another important growth factor is IGF-2 (insulin-like growth factor-2), also known as somatomedin A.

IGF-2 is very important to the survival of muscle cells. It also helps to protect the nervous system. With diabetic neuropathy peripheral nerves can break down over time and can cause considerable pain. Scientists did studies where IGF-2 was found to prevent neuropathy. We are still learning about the possible benefits of IGF-2.

There are many different growth factors in the human body, of which some seem to decrease with age to our detriment.

Clinical Studies Show the Importance of Growth Factors

A study entitled "Biometric Analysis of Controlled Clinical Study for Growth Factor Formulation on Multiple Parameters of Aging Related Dysfunctions" was done by Dr. M. Suarez and colleagues.

The study was made up of 30 healthy men and women with a mean age of 53. The test subjects participated in a 30 day or 60 day controlled clinical trial.

Dr Suarez reported that "clinical evidence demonstrates that the replacement of growth factors significantly reduces symptoms of aging."¹

 

Symptoms of Aging Reduced By Growth Factor Replacement

Increased exercise capacity 75%
Decreased body fat 35%
Higher level of energy
Better sleep
Increased positive mood
Thicker and more supple skin
Fewer wrinkles
Improved immune response
Promote regular digestion
Promote regular urinary function

Benefits Noticed in First Ten Weeks

These benefits were reported by 87% of the test subjects in the first 10 weeks:

Mean reduction in fat mass of approximately 3.03 Kg with a significant decrease in abdominal fat
Enhanced energy level with a significant improvement in 78% of subjects
Mood improvement with a significant improvement in 61% of subjects
Improved sleep efficiency, decreased sleep latency, and reduced night-time awakenings, 76% of subjects experienced poor sleep before receiving growth factors
Increase in sexual potency and frequency
Skin improvements: improved skin elasticity by 90%; reduced fine lines, coarse facial wrinkling, and tactile roughness

Hormone Results of Test Subjects at End of Study

The results of these studies showed the beneficial effects human growth factors have on hormones:

Testosterone increased 392% in men
DHEA increased 502% in men and women
Serotonin increased 159% in men and women

The results of these studies showed the beneficial effects human growth factors had on these hormones.

A Superior Source of Natural Growth Factors

Scientific research has shown deer antler velvet to be a superior source of many important growth factors.

Click below to see the list of growth factors and other health and anti-aging components that are contained in deer antler velvet, which is a major ingredient in our HGH Plus IGF-1 & IGF-2.

IGF-1 - The Body's Major Growth Factor

The Growth Factors Contained in Deer Antler Velvet

Lisa Wells, RN

Bibliography

1. Suarez, M, et al, Biometric Analysis of Controlled Clinical Study for Growth Factor Formulation on Multiple Parameters of Aging Related Dysfunctions, High Tech Research Institute, 2002.