Anti aging has become the latest craze.

Wherever we look at, we can see a product or two that promotes . Anti aging now has a number of quite different common meanings and connotations. Different communities view in a different way causing a stir and marked confusion.

Whether anti aging is a fact or a myth, the quest for the elixir of youth continues. With this article, I hope to help you make some informed decisions as to whether anti aging products are right for you, and if so, which ones offer real value for money, and which are simply "snake oil" products to stear clear of.

For the scientific community, anti-aging research refers exclusively to slowing, preventing, or reversing the HGH aging process. Obviously as of this time, there are no medical technologies that allow this to be done. Although the scientific community has taken steps to promote jury such as imposing calorie restriction in humans.

Nor is there any currently available method that can accurately measure the effects of an alleged anti aging therapy.

More than simple prevention.

In the medical and more reputable business community, anti aging medicine means early detection, prevention, and reversal of age-related diseases.

This is quite different from tackling the aging process itself. They acknowledged aging but find means to postpone it. At this point, there is a wide range of strategies and therapies currently available.

Calorie restriction, for instance, is a demonstrated way to lower risk for a wide range of age-related degenerative conditions.

Exercise could be another effective way to promote anti aging.

The majority in business community view as a valuable brand and one of the best ways to increase sales. We cannot ignore the fact that a number of fraudulent and frivolous business ventures have sprouted these days due to this.

At the other end of the scale, we could see scrupulous businesses who promote exotic products such as snake oil and market them as anti aging products. We also hear of anti aging cremes that may or may not make your skin look younger. And a number of infomercials that promote the benefits of exercise machines.

Broadly, and very charitably, we can look at these varied definitions of as meaning "to look and feel younger in some way" which actually has no bearing on how long you live or how healthy you actually are.

isconsin, had administered growth hormone via injection to a group of twelve healthy men aged 61 to 80 years who had low blood levels of growth hormone and were overweight. After six months the results were startling. The men looked much younger and vibrant, had thicker skin with fewer wrinkles, had significant increases in lean muscle mass and strength, and a substantial loss of body fat. Dr. Rudman observed that the study group were 10 to 20 years younger in terms of biological age and that “...the overall deterioration of the body that comes with growing old, is not inevitable.”

Human Growth Hormone (HGH), also called somatotropin, is the most abundant hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland which is located at the base of the brain behind the eyes. The pituitary gland releases growth hormone in pulses eight to twelve times a day with the major pulse occurring between midnight and 2:00AM – the time corresponding to the period of delta or slow wave deep sleep.

The pituitary is regulated by the hypothalamus, a “check and balance” part of the brain that is responsive to mood, appetite, stress, blood sugar, and sleep. The hypothalamus secretes growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) to increase the release of growth hormone and somatostatin to decrease it. As we age, there is a progressive decline in growth hormone secretion and an increase in somatostatin.

Hormone may prove to be the most effective anti-obesity substance ever discovered because it is the hormone which governs how much fat the body releases from its stores to be burned for energy as well as how much sodium and fluid the body needs to retain to maintain hydration. However, these major functions are not caused by growth hormone itself. Rather, growth hormone stimulates the liver to secrete other substances called insulin growth factors (IgFs) which are similar in structure to insulin. IgF-1, also called somatomedin-C, is the most important of these growth factors. Its potent anabolic or buildup effect promotes the synthesis of new proteins which support growth and healing. IgF-1 is responsible for most of the anti-aging effects .

Muscles Low body mass, muscle strength and stamina Lipids Increase in body fat, including abdominal fat; increased LDL and lower HDL Bones Osteopenia – inadequate replacement of normal bone loss Metabolic Insulin resistance with obesity; hypoglycemia; reduced T4 to T3 conversion Catabolic Thin skin, decreased nail and hair growth, reduced connective tissue repair, internal organ shrinkage Dehydration Decreased renal (kidney) blood flow, reduced sweat gland production, increased resistance to venous flow, edema Mental Health Less energy, depression, lower libido, poor memory, lack of motivation, sleep disorder