Frequently Asked Questions

The field of Anti-aging is about to explode. Although age reversal products have become generally available over the last few years there is still a lot of ignorance and myth over what works and what does not. When any new product comes onto the market there is always a period of time during which people have to become acquainted with its uses and limitations. During that time there is always a danger the product will be excessively hyped and promoted as the latest and best "Cure all". This is particularly the case where a lot of money may be made off unsuspecting lay people, taken in by over enthusiastic claims. It has to be a case of caveat emptor, let the buyer beware. So please do not believe all you read or are told.

I can understand the confusion many lay people face when they first start to investigate the anti-aging field. Even the best products will have a "User friendly and side effects" profile and will not suit everyone. Thus I am prepared to tackle issues of potential side effects and precautions, which is far more than some companies will do. Furthermore, in doing so I believe in honesty and integrity, rather than the wild assertions made by some companies in this field. It is far better for a potential customer to be fully versed with a product than to be conned into taking something trumpeted as the "Latest, unique, hot cure all". This has never been more true than in the field of "Secretagogues" Thus I have been persuaded to compile a list of Frequently Asked Questions in the field of Human Growth Hormone and Secretagogues such as PRO-Symbio PLUS.

Q: What is a Secretagogue and how does it work?
A: A Secretagogue is an oral substance designed to enhance and increase the natural release of the body's own HGH (Human Growth Hormone). HGH is produced and stored in the anterior pituitary gland and it has been shown that the level of HGH released declines with age. Since HGH is vital in instructing cells to produce protein and repair themselves, low levels have been associated with the aging process.

Q: What are the differences between PRO-HGH (Pro-Symbio HGH) & PRO-Symbio PLUS?
A: Following the success of Pro-Symbio HGH, Art of Better Living has now produced the first capsulated version of this remarkable, all natural, growth hormone releaser. Research and development with athletes has led to the development of an optimal amino acid combination for maximal release of Human Growth Hormone. Furthermore the use of free form, crystalline amino acids ensures rapid suspension and absorption in the gut. The pharmaceutical grade products contain no milk proteins and are distinctly hypoallergenic. Rebalancing the amino acid combination exploits the natural synergism of amino acid uptake by multiple pathways. This avoids the need for large doses of amino acids which can swamp and exhaust enzymes, shutting down cellular transport mechanisms. Glucose molecules combine with free amino acids in an enzymatic reaction known as glycosylation. The resulting charged molecule then pushes across the electric gradient of the cell wall into the cell. Once inside the glucose separates, releasing the free amino acid for cell use. Arginine helps to depolarize gut cells leading to an improved uptake of the amino acids. These amino acids then carry through vital minerals as part of the uptake process. The novel anterior pituitary peptides remain, providing the formula with its ability to rapidly stimulate pituitary response. Natural l-dopa remains in the formula but its bioavailability is improved by switching to the herb Macuna pruriens as a tested natural source. Nutrient uptake has been improved by the addition of Bromelaine and Papaine, designed to improve digestion, while Kelp aids the cellular pump mechanisms involved in assimilation. Refining the original formula has enabled us to avoid the need for costly effervescent tablets, allowing a flexible dosing regime of three capsules twice a day 2 hours after food or on an empty stomach. ProSymbio-PLUS is taken twice daily for 90 days followed by a 30 day rest. This regime not only mimics natural body rhythms but also avoids the potential depletion of vitamins and minerals leading to enzyme exhaustion and loss of effectiveness. The result is a new capsulated version of ProSymbio that is a more effective product at less cost - with savings we can pass on to the distributors. Priced at $79 for 180 capsules ( one month's supply ) ProSymbio-PLUS Caps is the most cost effective anti-aging product on the market today.

Q: Does PRO-Symbio PLUS contain any animal products?
A: Yes, the anterior pituitary peptides are part molecules derived from pharmaceutical grade bovine sources, as is the collagen peptone. It is reassuring to know that disease free herds are specially chosen.

Q: If a child is a dwarf or short in stature due to HGH failure is it possible to use PRO-Symbio PLUS?
A: No, PRO-Symbio PLUS is not to be used in children, nor is it a medical treatment for dwarfism.

Q: Does PRO-Symbio PLUS interact with any drugs?
A: If a person suffers from depression and their doctor has prescribed a MonoAmine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) drug they should not take PRO-Symbio PLUS without their doctors permission. MAOI drugs such as Nardil, Marplan and Parnate react with tyramine containing foods such as beans, bananas, wine, yeast and cheese causing a rise in blood pressure. In the same way MAOI drugs can react with L dopa containing herb macuna pruriens in PRO-Symbio PLUS or vice major in PRO-HGH.

Q: If PRO-Symbio PLUS could react with MAOI drugs is it possible it could adversely react with the herb St. John's Wort?
A: In writing about St. John's Wort, Dr Steven Bratman M.D. notes that the official German warning on the MAOI type reactions of the herb are highly theoretical. Indeed most people I have met who have taken St. John's Wort have not been aware of the need for any dietary restrictions with tyramine containing foods. This warning on St. John's Wort originated in one study in 1984 suggesting the herb could inhibit MonoAmine Oxidase. Subsequent studies have failed to confirm this. Thus it seems unlikely PRO-Symbio PLUS will interact adversely with St. John's Wort, but common sense suggests the combination should only be used under the care of an appropriate health practitioner.

Q: Do I need to take any other supplements with PRO-Symbio PLUS?
A: The effect of PRO-Symbio PLUS appears to be to help the body start a process of rejuvenation. Since the aging process is also partially due to poor nutrition and the damaging effects of anti oxidants. Thus it is important a good diet is followed and appropriate vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are also taken.

Q: Has anyone suffered side effects from taking PRO-Symbio PLUS?
A: The most common side effect appears to be headache. This is usually due to dehydration and a possible change in blood pH. It is easily resolved by drinking more water. Usually we recommend 8 glasses of water per day. Incidentally we found this side effect to be more common with the effervescent version PRO HGH.

Q: Some people argue secretagogues cannot raise HGH levels sufficiently to be effective and that the only answer is to have HGH injections or use HGH sublingually. Is this true?
A: No. Firstly it is true secretagogues do not raise HGH or IGF-1 levels as high as HGH injections. However with HGH injections it is possible to exceed normal physiological levels and this is not always a good thing as it can lead to side effects. Secretagogues however have a safety margin as they work by releasing the body's own HGH. The levels of HGH will then be controlled by a normal feedback mechanism. Providing HGH levels are raised sufficiently for the cells to respond with an anabolic healing process it does not really matter. There is a wealth of evidence PRO-Symbio PLUS does this and is effective. With regard to sublingual HGH sprays, only time will tell if sufficient (if any) HGH passes into the body and is effective. Some doctors are concerned much of the spray may be swallowed and rendered ineffective by the digestive enzymes. Interestingly enough some literature offered by the rival company encourages spray users to continue on an oral secretagogue. Perhaps this is because they all realize the value of an amino acid stack.

Q: I am on thyroid medication for an underactive thyroid. Will PRO-Symbio PLUS help me in any way?
A: PRO-Symbio PLUS is not a medical treatment for thyroid problems and if you have thyroid disease you should consult a doctor before taking a secretagogue or HGH of any kind. If you decide to take PRO-Symbio PLUS you should continue on any current thyroid medication and not change the dose until your doctor has checked the appropriate blood levels for thyroid function. Having said that, one physician has reported to me he has been able to reduce the thyroid medication in one of his patients four weeks after she started PRO-Symbio PLUS. No one knows if this is due to the effect of PRO-Symbio PLUS having a rejuvenating effect on the gland. Thyroid secretion is certainly controlled by the release of thyroid stimulating hormone from the pituitary and also is affected by HGH levels. Some studies have shown treatment to elevate HGH levels can normalize thyroid function so theoretically PRO-Symbio PLUS might do the same thing

Q: Doctor, I am already taking hormone replacement therapy in the form of estrogen and progestogen. Can I take PRO-Symbio PLUS with these or are there any cross-reactions. Would I be able to stop the hormone replacement therapy?
A: It is quite acceptable to take honnone therapy ~vith PRO-Symbio PLUS. In antiaging medicine, elevating the HGH is only one part of the story. While it is a very important part there is also some indication that, to do a thorough job in some people, it is useful to have a full hormone profile done. It might be wise to check, estrogen, progestogen, DHEA, thyroid, testosterone levels as well. For this reason we are starting to develop a database of physicians and health workers skilled in anti-aging techniques, who are available in your area for consultation and monitoring. (See newsletter for details) In reply to the question I might comment that some doctors find that elevating HGH levels has an estrogenic effect on the body which may lead to being able to reduce estrogen levels under careful monitoring. Certainly I have read of some menopausal women restarting their period when HGH has been raised in this way. Any such recommencement of a cycle should be checked with a doctor to rule out other causes. Later I will be dealing with the myths about estrogen replacement and the crying need for progestogen, such as the "In Balance" cream produced by the Art of Better Living.

Q: PRO-Symbio PLUS obviously works but how long do the beneficial effects last after the product is stopped?
A: Obviously if the body begins to heal itself then in a sense taking PRO-Symbio PLUS is buying time by "pushing back the clock". Once PRO-Symbio PLUS is stopped the aging process may well restart, but some time will have been gained. We recommend PRO-Symbio PLUS is taken for 90 days followed by 30 days rest to allow the enzyme systems to recover and for the pituitary to maintain its own natural rhythm.

Growth Hormone and Cancer Risk

The possibility of cancer is a serious concern for researchers and physicians involved with hormone replacement therapy. The use of unopposed estrogen (without progesterone) in postmenopausal women led to an increase in endometrial cancer. Some studies have shown a rise in breast cancer incidence with estrogen replacement, while other studies have disputed this. Testosterone replacement has led to increased risk of prostate cancer. Now there is concern that growth hormone replacement could trigger cancer cells to divide more rapidly and promote the growth of a tumor.

Some experimental evidence supports this idea. Both HGH and IGF-1 stimulated the growth of leukemia and lymphoma cells in culture. Large doses of growth hormone also induced cancer in laboratory animals and promoted tumor development in rats with chemically induced bladder cancer. In human beings, patients with underproducing pituitary glands who had conventional hormone replacement therapy without growth hormone had a lower mortality rate from cancer than the general population, while patients with acromegaly have an increased risk of cancer. In addition, there appeared to be a slight increase in leukemia in Japanese children treated with HGH, but when children who had increased risk factors for the disease, such as previous leukemia were accounted for, there was no difference in the rate compared with the normal population. And GH therapy did not increase the recurrence rate of tumors in children who had become deficient in growth hormone when they were irradiated for brain tumors, leukemia, or other cancer. And according to Pharamecia Upjohn, while specific tests for cancer-causing potential have not been done with HGH, tests in cells in culture and on chromosomes in living animals have not revealed any evidence of mutation -- the first step in the development of cancer.

But there are reasons to believe that growth hormone replacement might actually prevent cancer. Chein and Terry have seen no cases of cancer among their group of more than 800 patients, although these people are in an age group where cancer rates are expected to rise. Nor has there been a higher than expected rate of occurrence of cancer among European adult patients treated for GH deficiency. And in the one case study reported by Chein and Terry, multihormone replacement along with growth hormone resulted in a normalizing of the PSA levels of a patient with prostate cancer.

Some of the strongest evidence of a possible protective factor comes from rats that are fed about 40 percent less than the control rats. Ordinarily growth hormone release declines in old rats the same way it does in humans. But the old diet-restricted rats had growth hormone levels that were the same as those of young rats that were normally fed. And, according to the work of William Sonntag and his associates at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the increased growth hormone may account at least in part for why the diet-restricted animals live far longer, have delayed aging, and develop less cancer than rats allowed to eat all they want. And the life span study of David Khansari and Thomas Gustad at North Dakota State University in Fargo found that low doses of growth hormone in old mice increased their immune function and significantly prolonged their life expectancy.

In animal and human studies, there is a wealth of data showing that growth hormone revives and rejuvenates the immune system, including the cells that recognize and fight cancer cells. And remember that growth hormone levels are highest just before puberty, when the incidence of cancer is at its lowest. The rate of cancer rises with age and the same time the amount of growth hormone wanes.

But there are two other points to take into consideration when contemplating growth hormone replacement. first, the vast majority of men and women die of heart disease, not cancer. Growth hormone replacement in people who are deficient has been shown to strengthen the heart muscle and function and decrease the risk factors of heart disease. Second, cancers take years to decades to develop from a single mutated cell into a full-blown tumor. "It is still an unanswered question whether growth hormone increases the possibility of cancer," says Terry. "But my feeling is that if you are an older individual and you get 15 to 30 years of living in a more healthful way, you've gained more than the fear of a tumor."

The above excerpt is from Dr. Klatz's book, Grow Young with HGH, pages 289-291.

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