HGH basics and why levels fall
The pituitary gland makes human growth hormone (HGH), which helps regulate growth, metabolism and body composition. It comes out in pulses, usually the biggest during deep sleep. Levels are highest in adolescence and then slowly decline through adulthood.
Later in life, lower growth hormone is associated with more body fat and less muscle, although how much of ordinary aging it accounts for isn't clear. Doctors typically gauge growth hormone activity with IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1), a blood marker that the liver makes in response to growth hormone.
As a prescription drug, growth hormone is approved for diagnosed deficiency and a few other conditions, not for aging. Supplements called "HGH releasers" contain none. They supply amino acids and other ingredients intended to support the body's own production. Mayo Clinic says research does not show that supplements claiming to raise HGH work, and in 2005 the FTC stated it knew of no competent evidence that HGH pills or sprays raise growth hormone. We cover how they differ in HGH supplements vs HGH injections.
Findings from the GenF20 Plus trial
The one randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of GenF20 Plus on record is Sonawane et al., 2015, Open Access Journal of Clinical Trials. The main points:
- Researchers in India randomized 70 adults aged 35 to 65, and 61 finished 12 weeks of two tablets plus 2 mL of liquid under the tongue, taken twice a day.
- For all participants combined, IGF-1 rose about 13.5 ng/mL on GenF20 Plus and about 6.4 ng/mL on placebo. That difference was not statistically significant.
- The advertised 28% IGF-1 rise is from a post hoc analysis limited to participants aged 40 and over, adjusted for baseline differences. Growth hormone itself wasn't measured.
- Body fat, lean mass, waist size, memory, libido, energy and sleep showed no significant difference from placebo. Side effects were mostly mild heartburn and stomach pain, at a rate similar to placebo.
Cited evidence for most HGH supplements is limited to individual ingredients, which makes a trial on the finished product unusual. Still, there are caveats. The study was small and exploratory, a contract research firm ran it, and the funding came from a company whose link to the maker we couldn't confirm. The journal isn't indexed in MEDLINE, and independent replication hasn't happened.
The GenF20 Plus formula
Leading Edge Health makes GenF20 Plus as a two-part system of tablets and an oral spray. No growth hormone is in it.
Enteric-coated tablets: Doses per serving, according to the official site: L-arginine 130 mg, L-glutamine 115 mg, astragalus 60 mg, deer antler velvet 50 mg, GABA 50 mg, bovine colostrum 50 mg, anterior pituitary powder 30 mg, 100 mg each of L-glycine, L-lysine and L-tyrosine, and some chromium. None is large. Arginine raised growth hormone only in studies using several grams, and no study shows an effect at 130 mg. The coating is intended to carry the tablet past the stomach, but we found no evidence that it changes results.
Oral spray: The official site gives no ingredients or amounts for the spray, so the claim that it delivers Alpha GPC can't be checked.
Who GenF20 Plus may suit
A healthy adult with modest expectations who wants to try an HGH releaser that comes with a written refund policy may find it suitable. It's sold to men and women alike. Only people aged 40 and over showed a significant IGF-1 result, and that came from a post hoc analysis.
Several groups should skip it. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and being under 18 rule it out. If you have a history of cancer, avoid it unless your oncologist agrees, since the product is marketed to raise growth hormone and IGF-1. The arginine, GABA and chromium in it can interact with blood pressure, nitrate, diabetes and thyroid medicines. Because it holds deer antler velvet, bovine colostrum and pituitary powder, it isn't vegetarian. Sleep matters too: most growth hormone is released then, and no supplement makes up for poor sleep. For refunds, the 67-day guarantee counts from delivery. Send back the two opened, empty boxes together with any unopened ones so they reach the warehouse inside that window. Shipping isn't refunded.