Where is HGH Produced?
Hormones are the chemical messengers of the endocrine system. Various glands, organs, and tissues produce and secrete these vital substances that enter the bloodstream to move through the body and deliver their messages to a variety of receptor cells that stimulate everything from metabolism to brain functions, libido to cellular regeneration, and more. Of all the chemical messengers in the body, perhaps none is more important than human growth hormone.
Where is HGH produced and what makes it so valuable?
HGH production takes place in the anterior portion of the pituitary gland – the tiny pea shaped gland that sits at the base of the brain. Cells called somatotrophs produce growth hormone, also known as somatotropin. Its nickname as the body’s “master hormone” is well earned thanks to the roles it plays in stimulating cellular regeneration (a process crucial to the replenishment of dead cells in muscles, bones, skin, hair, internal organs, and more), immunity, metabolism, brain functions, libido, and even regulating cholesterol levels and glucose uptake in the body.
Knowing where HGH is produced helps you to understand the importance of keeping the body in good condition. Many hormones stimulate others into action, and all of this comes directly from the brain’s processing centers. The hypothalamus secretes GHRH (growth hormone-releasing hormone) stimulating the pituitary gland into action for the release of HGH.
How the Pituitary Gland Produces HGH during the Day
An interesting fact about human growth hormone is that its release takes place during both daytime and nighttime hours. In this section, we will cover how HGH is produced by the pituitary gland during the day, as well as what you can do to increase this process.
The main factors affecting growth hormone secretion during the day are:
- Food
- Exercise
- Stress
Food plays multiple roles in how the body produces growth hormone. First, a diet high in saturated fat, sugar, chemicals, and unhealthy choices will cause the pituitary gland to decrease production. Intermittent fasting has proven beneficial to HGH production, and a number of options for how to choose a method of intermittent fasting can be found online. Decreased food intake, as well as healthy choices, will increase HGH secretion. This does not, however, mean starvation dieting. The body and the brain need proper fuel at all times.
Exercise is a tremendous stimulator of growth hormone. High-intensity workouts increase the pulsatile bursts of HGH during the day. One of the biggest antagonists of HGH is cortisol. This is the stress hormone that inhibits the production of growth hormone. When asking where is HGH produced in the body, please understand that stress affects the brain. It bogs it down and makes it unresponsive at times. Reducing stress helps to lower cortisol levels, allowing HGH secretion to increase as a result.
How Sleep Increases HGH
This section features one of the most important things anyone should know about human growth hormone production – sleep. Roughly half of the body’s daily amount of HGH enters the bloodstream during periods of deep, slow-wave sleep. Because HGH is produced while sleeping, anything less than seven to nine hours of sleep a night will interfere with the body getting enough of this vital chemical into its system.
HGH receptor cells are located in the liver, muscles, bones, skin, and even the brain. In fact, it is the receptors in the brain that help you process the day’s information while you sleep. That is why students are told to study right before bedtime so that their brains can commit what they learned to memory. The same goes for adults. Without adequate sleep, the brain will not have a chance to process everything it has taken in during the day.
This results in mental sluggishness, difficulty completing simple math calculations in the head, trouble focusing on one thing, and impaired memory and recall. That is one of the reasons that people often have trouble with concentration and cognitive functions on days when they did not sleep well the night before. The brain did not receive the crucial signals necessary to operate at its best.
With plentiful HGH produced in the body each day and night, most people will never have to worry about growth hormone deficiency. When GH levels decline, a plethora of symptoms can interfere with daily life and the quality of living that makes everything worthwhile.
To speak with a hormone specialist about HGH or any other type of hormone replacement testing and treatment, contact Kingsberg Medical for a free consultation.
