The safer, simpler secret to “eternal youth” HGH levels.

No needles, no pricey prescriptions—just 3 weeks to a younger you

I’ve talked about human growth hormone here in Logical Health Alternatives before (most recently in the February 2013 issue). So if you’ve been a reader of mine for a while, then you know I don’t just advocate for growth hormone therapy, I use it myself.

Why? Because HGH is your body’s homegrown antidote to the ravages of aging. When your natural human growth hormone production starts its steep decline—and it begins pretty much as soon as adolescence ends—you start getting old.

You want to age younger? Simple. Boost your HGH levels. (And for maximum results, follow the other Aging Younger strategies I outlined in last month’s issue—as well as last year’s July and October issues too!)

I realize this may sound too good to be true. But it really isn’t. Human growth hormone is more than just a hot commodity in the anti-aging industry. It’s the closest thing we’ve got to a real life fountain of youth.

That said, I know it’s not for everyone.

First of all, HGH therapy can be quite expensive. Plus, it has met with its fair share of controversy. Some doctors even claim it causes cancer. (Obviously, I’m not one of them.)

So if you’re not comfortable signing up for regular HGH injections, that’s perfectly understandable.

But that’s also why I want you to keep reading. Because guess what? You can still reap the benefits of human growth hormone. Without needles. Without spending a fortune. And maybe most importantly, without any risk at all.

Achieving endless youth is easier than you thought

Before I tell you exactly what it takes to ramp up your body’s HGH supply, let me tell you what you don’t need.

You don’t need one of those overhyped formulas you’ll see anti-aging “experts” selling on late-night infomercials. (Though as you may have noticed, there are plenty of those to go around. Tons of “pro-HGH” products on the market claim to reverse aging. But few of them have any research to back their claims.)

Besides, what the science actually has to say about growth hormone production is a whole lot simpler than that. It doesn’t involve any bells or whistles. It only requires the right combination of amino acids.

Amino acids are the very building blocks of your body, essential for building and maintaining your muscles and vital organs. And keeping certain key amino acids in your supplement arsenal is absolutely essential if you want to avoid wasting away in old age.

In fact, the right combination could have you feeling younger than ever. So let me share the details of my “secret” anti-aging supplement protocol with you. Starting with my personal favorite amino acid, glutamine.

Warp speed recovery—and a better mood, to boot

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body, accounting for more than half of all the free amino acids. You’ll find glutamine in your muscles, in your blood, and in your cerebral and spinal fluid. Basically, it’s everywhere in your body. And that’s one of the reasons it’s so important.

When you’re young and healthy, your body makes plenty of glutamine. But as you age, your stores of glutamine start to drop off. To make matters worse, extreme stress (like an injury, critical illness, or surgery) ups the demand for glutamine dramatically.

And excess cortisol compounds the problem even further. As I’ve mentioned many times before, chronically elevated levels of this stress hormone wreak havoc on your health. So you won’t be surprised to learn that it decreases your supply of glutamine, too.

Depleted glutamine levels rob your body of vital protection from a laundry list of health problems. But supplementing with this essential amino acid helps shore up immunity, ward off infection, and speed wound healing. (That’s one reason why I recommend a glutamine to any of my patients who are having surgery, as part of a pre-op and post-op nutritional supplement protocol.)

But that’s not all. Clinical research traces a whole lot of other benefits back to glutamine, too. This amino acid can also…

• slow down the aging process of the skin—which means fewer wrinkles and less hair loss
• slow down muscle wasting and help to build lean mass
• prevent fat storage
• curb sugar cravings in a matter of minutes (which is why it ranks as my favorite amino acid)
• protect your brain from toxins and sharpen memory
• help relieve anxiety, tension, sleep disorders, and insomnia
• help build GABA—your body’s natural anxiety-buster
• strengthen intestinal cell walls

And last, but certainly not least, research shows that a glutamine supplement can raise your HGH levels significantly. Especially in combination with other amino acids, like arginine.

Beat high blood pressure while you heat up your bedroom

Arginine has a slightly different but equally crucial role in the anti-aging game. For starters, it’s necessary for the production of creatine, an essential energy source for muscles.

Arginine also plays a part in the release of nitric oxide (NO). And NO is a requirement for proper functioning of the endothelium (the technical term for the cells that line your blood vessels). That’s what makes this amino acid such an important weapon against erectile dysfunction, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Other noteworthy age-reversing benefits of arginine include:

• fortified immunity
• greater insulin sensitivity
• improved neuron communication for a sharp memory and clear mind
• speedier wound recovery
• longer hair and nail growth
• higher energy and stamina
• stronger libido
• better sperm mobility
• vaginal lubrication and sexual enhancement

Of course, if I’m going to talk to you about arginine, I have to talk to you about ornithine, too. Your body converts ornithine into arginine. So it’s hard to discuss one amino acid without addressing the other.

In tandem, they play a crucial role in liver detoxification. More specifically, this combination helps to convert harmful ammonia—a natural byproduct of protein breakdown—into urea, in order to clear it from the blood.

But ornithine can also boost sexual potency and arousal in men. Not to mention improve sleep and help with wound healing.

Defy gravity—and bone loss—with a daily dose of glycine and lysine

While we’re on the subject of wound healing, let’s talk briefly about glycine. Because as anti-aging amino acids go, this one is pretty important.

For one thing, glycine is a key component of collagen. Without enough glycine, damaged tissue isn’t rejuvenated. Which means your skin starts to sag and wrinkle.

But this amino acid serves more urgent roles too. Like protecting against shock from blood loss or toxicity, protecting your liver and kidneys, and warding off free radical formation.

Glycine also converts into dimethylglycine (DMG), which plays an important role in healthy hormone balance—including keeping your HGH levels where they need to be.

My protocol wouldn’t be complete without one more addition—lysine. Because when it comes to aging younger, keeping bone density in check isn’t exactly a minor concern.

Lysine boosts collagen production and increases calcium uptake, as well. In effect, this amino acid energizes your body’s bone-building cells—remember, bone is made of collagen, too—especially in combination with arginine.

SIDEBAR: Getting an accurate HGH baseline

If you want to track your HGH levels, you can ask your doctor for an HGH test or an IGF-1 test. (IGF-1, or insulin-like growth factor, is stimulated by growth hormone.) These are very simple blood tests. And in most cases, they’ll deliver an accurate picture of your current HGH status.

A glucagon stimulation test is another option, which will pinpoint any growth hormone and cortisol deficiencies, even when IGF-1 levels are normal. But a lot of doctors haven’t even heard of this test. And it’s typically only performed in hospitals on truly deficient patients who are looking for insurance to cover their HGH treatment.

In my practice, I rely almost exclusively on the first two tests.

When it comes to HGH, these are the levels to keep in mind:

• 1 = low
• 2 = medium/fair
• 3 = high/good.

As for IGF-1, the range is as follows:

• 100 = low
• 200 = medium/fair
• 300 = high/good.

Of course, as is the case with any test, results will vary according to the lab. And as a doctor, I treat the patient, not the number.

These tests aren’t necessary prerequisites to an HGH-boosting protocol. (By the time we’ve passed our 40s, we’re all low in growth hormone without some kind of supplementation.) But I like all of my patients to have a baseline test. And I wouldn’t want anything less for you.

END SIDEBAR

Five essential age-defying “RDAs”

Research shows that each of the amino acids above is independently capable of increasing levels of human growth hormone. And they work even more effectively in combination.

That means you can achieve all of the near-miraculous HGH-moderated effects I detailed here. And all you have to do is stick to the following protocol every single day:

• L-glutamine—6,000 mg
• L-arginine—1,000 mg
• L-ornithine—1,000 mg
• L-lysine—1,250 mg
• Glycine—1,000 mg

This approach makes perfect sense if you think about it. Your entire body is made up of amino acids and proteins. That’s exactly why I advocate an eating plan higher in protein and healthy fats than most other “diets.”

High-protein diets are packed with amino acids. And these are the basic building blocks of life itself—right down to the cellular level.

Like I’ve been telling you, aging younger isn’t simply about reducing the visible signs of aging. (Though believe me, following the protocols I’ve outlined here—and in last month’s installment, as well those in last year’s July and October issues—will do just that.)

It’s also about warding off the internal effects of aging. Because ultimately, those are the ones that will kill you.