Bodybuilders, professional athletes and health enthusiasts are not only using vitamins and steroids to build a better body. They are also fascinated on the promising effects of HGH supplements. In fact many professional athletes were accused or being punished for taking human growth hormones. These are actually banned by most sporting organizations because it can improve performance of an athlete.

HGH or human growth hormone is produced in the pituitary gland which helps in many body processes. One of its significant functions is in the growth of an individual. Other functions of the HGH are it helps increase muscle and reduce body fat. It assists in calcium retention which then strengthens the bones. Blood sugar is properly controlled with the production of HGH in the body and it plays a significant function in boosting the immune system.

The production of this hormone however declines when a person reaches the age of 21. This is the reason why many people turn to the synthetic ones in the hopes that it will help reverse the signs of aging or at least slows down the aging process. Experts are still debating whether supplementation of HGH can really help. More clinical studies are still needed to validate these claims. But in adults with growth hormone deficiency, injections of HGH seem to provide positive results. They found out that HGH supplementation help increase bone density, muscle mass, and decrease body fat. It also increases the capacity of a person to do exercises that is why many bodybuilders and athletes are adding HGH to their daily regimen. HGH is an approve drug for the treatment of AIDS-HIV related muscle wasting.

Types of HGH Supplements

There are 3 types of HGH supplements available in the market. It can be purchased as an HGH spray, HGH pill, or HGH injections. If you are one of those who are inclined to try HGH, it is better to get more information about each type. They have advantages and disadvantages that should be taken into considerations. HGH spray for example is said to have the least benefit to the user. Experts believe that HGH injection is the most effective method in increasing the level of growth hormone in the body. However, there are a lot of cons for this type of HGH. First, before you can buy this product you need to have a valid prescription for the drug. Second, an HGH injection cost higher than the 2 types. An HGH therapy could cost you approximately $3,000 per month using the HGH injection.

The most common type of HGH supplementation is the HGH pills. This is cheaper than the HGH injection but it is important that you choose the most effective brand in the market. You have to make it sure that you only buy authentic supplements to avoid other health risks.

Side Effects of Using HGH supplements

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are recorded side effects of taking synthetic human growth hormones. Health experts still advice people not to use HGH supplements if they do not need it or if there is no medical condition that needs HGH treatment. Some side effects of taking HGH include swelling in the arms and legs, joint pain, muscle pain, and enlargement of male breast tissues or gynecomastia. It can also aggravate diabetes and increase in the incidence of acquiring heart diseases.

Boost Your HGH Level Naturally

People with declining levels of HGH should not lose hope because you can still do something without resorting to synthetic medications. A doctor suggests that doing moderate exercises regularly can help boost the levels of HGH in your body. However, you should avoid over exercising because it has the opposite effects. It is important that you get enough sleep and avoid vices such as drinking alcohol. Resort to a healthy diet. Avoid too much sugar, eat lean protein like red meat chicken or fish. These foods contain the amino acid lysine which stimulates HGH production in your body. Stress will lower your HGH so avoid activities or problems that will result to stress.

News about supplements being seized by health authorities is not unusual. The FDA has been issuing warning letters to inform the public of the dangers of taking tainted supplements. The agency is continuously identifying supplement products which contain ingredients that may pose some health risks or contain controlled substances. Since most of these products did not pass any FDA approval, the safety and effectiveness of the product is not guaranteed.

The agency is not alone in this effort to curtail the proliferation of tainted supplements in the market. Just recently, Health Canada seized several sexual enhancement products from an adult store in Vancouver due to an allegation that it contains steroids. This drug is a controlled substance in Canada and it can only be purchased with a valid prescription. Putting it in supplements will also make the product a regulated drug.

The supplement in question is the ExtenZe sexual enhancement pills for men and women. According to Health Canada both version of the supplement contains steroids. The health authority found out that the product contains the steroid DHEA which can cause higher-than-normal levels of male and female hormones. Dehydroepiandrosterone or DHEA is naturally produced in the body but declines with age. DHEA is said to help slow down or reverse the signs of aging. Many professional athletes especially in baseball are taking this supplement. DHEA helps reduce fatigue and improve thinking difficulties.

It was also reported by the CBC News that Extenze contain another steroid pregnolone. This steroid can cause anger, anxiety, irritability and heart palpitations. A prescription substance was also found in the supplement. The prescription medication yohimbine which is said to treat erectile dysfunction is part of the composition of Extenze. The substance was extracted from yohimbe which may also cause side effects like anxiety, dizziness, and increased blood pressure.

Health Canada warns the public that this supplement can cause other health problems especially to those people with a history of abnormal heart rhythms, blood clotting disorder and liver disease. Consumers should consult a doctor immediately if they experience any side effects. Extenze can also interact with other medicines like anti-seizure drugs. The health agency said that the steroid content of the supplement can also increase the risk of hormonally based cancers such as breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers.

This supplement is not only sold in local health stores but also in online stores. It is still best to consult a health care professional before purchasing this supplement to avoid any adverse side effects. Health Canada already ordered the Canada Border Services Agency to prevent additional shipment of the supplement to the country.

The recent steroid related murder incidents in UK have triggered significant concerns from health experts. The case of Raoul Moat and Jonathan Vass, who were involved in heinous crimes, were both steroid users. According to reports they were both victims of roid rage as a result of using anabolic steroids.

The use of muscle enhancers and bodybuilding supplements in the UK is still increasing despite strict regulations of the drug. It is a class c drug but most often it can be purchased at local gyms and underground markets. In the latest estimate of the British Crime Survey, there are at least 226,000 people who have used steroids. However, health experts believe that the statistics are way to low. They said that there are still a huge number of undocumented steroid users in the country.

Nick Francis of The Sun interviewed several health experts and some of them work in needle exchange programs. It was revealed that the majority of the needles came from steroid users. According to Dr. Ken Checinski, a consultant psychologist for drugs information charity FRANK, half of the needles they requested were steroid packs. “I do a lot of work with needle-exchange services, run by Addaction, the UK’s biggest drug-treatment charity. It used to be mostly needles used for injection of drugs like heroin,” he said. There is a huge increase in the number of users.

“Steroids definitely make people who are already prone to mood issues worse, and can make a placid person irritable, depressed and violent in extreme cases,” said Dr. Checinski. Anabolic steroids are also used in legitimate medical treatments but Dr. Checinski said that it could still cause mood disorders which can be depression or anger.

Another drug charity worker interviewed by Francis revealed the same facts. Roy Jones of drugs charity Turning Point said that the needle-exchange programs in the country are flooded with steroid users surpassing the number of users of recreational drugs like heroin. “We’re seeing more and more people come in with steroid use - from all walks of life, including doctors and lawyers. Their average age used to be around 34 but now a lot of users are in their late teens or early twenties,” Jones said. There are even students as young as 12 years old who are already interested in taking steroids.

According to Dr. Jim McVeigh of John Moores University in Liverpool, the increasing number is caused by people’s belief that steroids can help them achieve what they want at a faster pace. “We’re now seeing a much higher proportion of people turning to anabolic steroids as a quick fix. They take them too lightly. The number of users is definitely greater than stated in the official statistics,” McVeigh said.

Almost all bodybuilders depend on anabolic steroids to increase muscles and gain more weight. However, health experts warn them of the possible side effects of using steroids for longer periods and their tendency to abuse these drugs. “Having dealt with a number of steroid users over the years, I would say the steroids are as bad for the liver as alcohol. They also cause baldness and acne on the face and body,” said Dr. Checinski. “They don’t increase strength as much as size, with users looking big but not necessarily becoming stronger. But people with low self-esteem, or who feel pressure to have a strong physique, are most likely to use them,” he added.

The use of anabolic steroids and other dietary supplements are not only popular among professional athletes and bodybuilders but also on teens. Most of them tries to bulk up and wants to attain bigger bodies because of their desire to excel in the sport. School competitions cause a lot of pressure to some high school athletes. In fact there are already some cases where the use of steroids in teens results to severe complications and deaths. The sons of Don Hooton and Frank Mariero were both victims of steroid abuse. Their sons were high school athletes who turned to anabolic steroids hoping that it will help them become a better athlete.

According to the survey of the NIH’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), there were approximately 3.4% of high school seniors who have used anabolic steroids. Some lawmakers argue that the actual number of teens using performance enhancing drugs could be higher. This is the primary reason why some states have not remove their steroid testing program in high school. Even though they have a reduced budget for the testing, lawmakers and school officials are still hoping that it can deter steroid use among teens.

Anabolic steroids and other supplements are not actually dangerous if it is used with medical supervision. In fact anabolic steroids play a significant role in the treatment of some degenerative diseases like HIV and cancer. It is also used in the treatment of delayed puberty and some types of impotence. Steroids are also beneficial in promoting the growth of skeletal muscles and the development of male sexual characteristics. In the case of dietary supplements, some of them may also improve one’s health. People who have an active lifestyle or engage in sports usually use supplements to augment the intake of necessary nutrients.

However, these products are not intended to be used by younger people. Instead of getting the benefits from these supplements, they may suffer side effects and complications. According to some experts, steroids use in teens could affect their physical development. They may never reach their full adult height because an increase in synthetic hormones may give a wrong signal to the body to stop growing. Taking steroids and supplements can lead to addiction which can cause depression and roid rage. Other side effects are heart problems like heart attacks and stroke, liver disease, gynecomastia, facial hair or a deeper voice in women, fertility problems, hair loss and many others.

Steroid use in teens is difficult to curtail because of the availability of these products. Although anabolic steroids are controlled substances, it is still being sold online and even distributed at local gyms. Dietary supplements are also available in pharmacies and health stores. These can be purchased over-the-counter without prescriptions. The worst thing is most teens purchase these supplements without any supervision from a nutritionist or health professional.

According to a sports physician, there are supplements which are banned just like anabolic steroids. Though products like creatine, HMB, alanine, caffeine, green tea, conjugated linoleic acid and medium chain triglycerides are widely used supplements to increase athletic performance and develop muscles, expert supervision is still necessary.

It is almost a perennial problem for most regulatory agencies on how to curtail the proliferation of supplements tainted with steroids or containing other harmful ingredients such as mercury. Some pharmaceutical companies have not implemented stringent and good manufacturing practices. They are only after the profit and don’t care about the possible health risks that may be caused by their product to the consuming public. In the country, the FDA has launched a campaign against these steroid laced supplements. The “Supplement Safety Now Campaign” was supported by most pharmaceutical companies producing clean and safe products. They also want to clean their industry of unscrupulous businessmen who were giving the entire industry a bad reputation. A new bill was also passed in the senate to help the FDA and DEA become more effective in protecting the consumer against supplements with harmful ingredients.

Other countries, especially most Asian countries are also experiencing the same problem. There are already several cases where supplement products manufactured locally or imported from other countries were found to contain steroids or steroid like contents. These prompted the regulatory agencies to intensify their campaign against these supplements by implementing new rules or policies that will help monitor, control or stop the distribution of products which are considered unsafe to the consumers.

In India, the government will now require all pharmaceutical companies to send samples of their product to the Ayuverdic department for steroid and narcotics testing. This will not only cater to products sold as herbal medicines but at the same time synthetic drugs. Once the supplements tested clean of any harmful ingredients, that’s the only time that pharmaceutical companies can release the product in the market.

Herbs do have many beneficial properties that can be used to treat diseases or help improve the health of an individual. However, some pharmaceutical companies intentionally include other ingredients such as steroid to increase the potency of the products. This becomes a great concern for the authorities. The Ayuverdic department will also check the authenticity of these herbs while undergoing laboratory test in the ayuverdic pharmacy in Patiala. A register will be maintained which records the number of samples sent, the batch number, the patents and the results of the tests from the samples given.

The district ayurvedic officer, Narender Thind told the TimesofIndia that the initiative by the government aims to know if the pharmaceutical companies were using steroids in their supplement products.

Meanwhile, the bureau of food and drugs in the Philippines intensified its monitoring of the tainted supplements being sold in the country. Agents of the agency recently raided several health stores selling supplements which are found to contain steroids and other harmful chemicals such as mercury. The authorities targeted a weight loss supplement imported from China and commonly distributed in local health stores across the country. These are Zhen De Zhou products which are popular for its slimming and weight loss effects. Dexter See of MB.com reported that the total number of confiscated supplement products reached 426 boxes for Zhen De Zhou capsules and 29 boxes for Zhen De Zhou tea.

The health department already issued warnings on taking slimming and weight loss products. They said that some of these supplements contains harmful ingredients which can pose health risks to the user. They found out in the laboratory tests that these products contain high level of mercury and tainted with steroid ingredients. It was also found out that the product is not registered with the BFAD or Bureau of Foods and Drugs.

The authorities already requested the manufacturer of the Zhen De Zhou products to recall its supplements in the country. This weight loss product has been sold in the country for many years now and the late discovery of steroid ingredients in the product has put many consumers at risk. Distributors of these products, both online and offline health stores should cooperate with the government agencies by discontinuing the sale of these supplements.

While others are concerned on the possible side effects of steroids to the body, there is a new research that also make this substance a promising aid in preventing diseases especially heart related problems. In the previous months, there were studies saying that the long term use of steroids can lead to kidney problems and become harmful to the heart when used for longer periods. This may be true since abuse of any drug can really be detrimental to one’s health.

However, this new finding could give some hope to people who are suffering from heart diseases or could be a better alternative in preventing heart diseases. According to researchers at the University of Leeds, UK, a natural defense mechanism against heart disease could be triggered by steroids sold as health supplements.

Biologists from the University have identified a previously-unknown ion channel in human blood vessels that can limit the production of inflammatory cytokines. These cytokines are proteins that contribute to the early onset of heart disease. But the study was only referring to a particular type of steroid. Steroids which are called “fountain of youth” are said to improve one’s energy, memory and vision.

DHEA and pregnenolone sulphate were identified to help people prevent heart disease. Some pharmaceutical companies market these steroids as “fountain of youth” supplements because of the benefit it gives to the user. These steroids were also banned in most sporting organization especially in sports which requires physical ability and concentration.

Experts said that these steroids are made naturally in the body. However, as one gets older, its production in the body declines. Thus health supplements containing these compounds become popular.

In a collaborative study by Leeds General infirmary surgeons, the finding also shows that the defense mechanism can be switched on in diseased blood vessels as well as in healthy vessels. According to Professor David Beech who led the study, the effect that they have seen is really quite exciting and unexpected. “However, we are absolutely not endorsing any claims made by manufacturers of any health supplements. Evidence from human trials is needed first,” Beech said.

Researchers also discovered that these steroids were not effective if cholesterol was also present based on their chemical profiling. They suggest that administration of cholesterol-lowering drugs together with DHEA or pregnenolone will improve the protective effects of these steroids. Healthy lifestyle such as proper diet and regular exercise were also recommended.

Professor Beech noted that these steroids are relatively cheap to make and some of these are already commercially available. “So if we can show that this effect works in people as well as in lab-based studies, then it could be a cost-effective approach to addressing cardiovascular health problems that are becoming epidemic in our society and world-wide,” Beech added.