The 'natural' growth hormone explosion: fact or fraud?

Since the past decade there has been a rapidly growing market of natural growth hormone (GH) products based on clinical trials carried out on GH-deficient persons, using the injectable hormone, which is the FDA-approved form. Prior medical publications on the benefits of GH replacement brought about an exaggerated interest on the use of this hormone as a dietary supplement for rejuvenating purposes. This has led to the uncontrolled proliferation of all kinds of GH products advertised irresponsibly as if having extraordinary age-reversing properties without the necessary clinical trials to prove their effectiveness and safety. This review summarizes the circumstances which led to this excitement over GH therapy and provides an overview of the different types and forms in which these natural GH products are sold, giving emphasis on the possible misleading advertisements and the lack of reliable proof to their claims.