Growth hormone is without a doubt one of the most potent anti-aging, fat-burning hormones in your entire body. If your growth hormone levels are naturally high, you’ll defy aging and lose weight easily. If their not, you’ll age much faster and always struggle to lose weight. Here are 10 to boost your growth hormone!
Here are 10 powerful foods that will skyrocket your growth hormone and shed the pounds fast.
By: Joel Marion, CISSN & Tim Skwiat, Pn2. Co-founder of Biotrust Nutrition
1. Cherries
Cherries contain high levels of a variety of phytochemicals (e.g., anthocyanins), which possess both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
In addition to these healthpromoting phenolic compounds, tart Montmorency cherries contain high concentrations of melatonin.
In a randomized controlled crossover trial published in the European Journal of Nutrition, researchers from Northumbria University showed that healthy volunteers consuming tart cherry juice (once within 30 minutes of waking and again 30 minutes before their evening meal) for 7 days experienced significant elevations in melatonin levels, and subsequently, they found that the cherry juice led to significant increases in time in bed, total sleep time, and sleep efficiency.
They concluded, “Consumption of a tart cherry juice concentrate provides an increase in exogenous melatonin that is beneficial in improving sleep duration and quality in healthy men and women.”
While they did not measure growth hormone levels directly, it’s reasonable to speculate that higher levels of melatonin and better sleep quality may lead to an increase in growth hormone production.
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2. Pineapples
In addition to being a key circadian-regulating hormone secreted by the human body, melatonin is an important antioxidant that is naturally-occurring in a variety of plantbased foods (e.g., cherries).
The amount of melatonin in plants varies, and interestingly, it’s been shown that plants that grow in a high oxidative stress environment typically contain higher levels of melatonin.
Melatonin content appears to be related to the intensity and duration of exposure toUVB (from sunlight), and plants growing in warmer climates tend to have higher levels of melatonin relative to those growing in more temperate climates.
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In a study published in the Journal of Pineal Research, a team of researchers from Thailand found that healthy volunteers consuming juice extracted from pineapple experienced significant increases in their levels of melatonin within about 2 hours.
An added bonus: Consumption of the pineapple juice led to significant increases in antioxidant capacity.
3. Oranges
Like pineapples, oranges are a tropical fruit rich in melatonin and antioxidants.
In the same studies cited above, when the healthy volunteers drank juice extracted from oranges, they once again experienced a significant increase in melatonin (compared to baseline) within 2 hours.
Although the difference wasn’t statistically significant, the increase in melatonin was slightly greater after consumption of oranges compared to pineapples.
4. Bananas
Would it surprise you that bananas, another tropical fruit, are a rich source of melatonin?
Once again, about two hours after consuming two bananas, healthy volunteers demonstrated significant increases in levels of melatonin, comparable to both pineapples and oranges.
What you might find interesting, however, is tha tconsumption of bananas led to slightly greater increases in antioxidant capacity, which is a quality of bananas that often goes overlooked.
In addition to melatonin, bananas also contain a high concentration of tryptophan, which enhances the body’s production of melatonin.
Tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, which in turn is converted to melatonin in the digestive tract.
Tryptophan has been shown to have direct effects on sleep, producing increased sleepiness, decreased wakefulness, and improved quality of sleep.
As an interesting aside, the concentration of melatonin in the digestive tract tissues surpasses blood levels by 10 – 100 times, and there is at least 400 TIMES more melatonin in the gastrointestinal tract than in the pineal gland.
The gastrointestinal tract contributes significantly to circulating concentrations of melatonin, which may play a beneficial role in a variety of conditions (e.g., ulcerative colitis, gastric ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome).
5. Walnuts
Most people recognize walnuts as a healthy food, and it’s commonly accepted that they contribute to a healthy heart. But growth hormone?
In addition to their high content of omega-3 fats and vitamin E, walnuts also contain arginine and melatonin, which may be beneficial for growth hormone production.
In a study published in the journal Nutrition, researchers from The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas, discovered that melatonin is indeed present in walnuts.
What’s more, they showed that consumption of walnuts increases blood levels of melatonin.
6. Beef & Lamb
Zinc is important for the metabolic activity of more than two hundred enzymes, and zinc deficiency interferes with the metabolism of growth hormone (as well as other important hormones like thyroid and androgens).
In zinc-deficient children, zinc supplementation has been shown to have positive effects on growth, growth hormone, and IGF-1.
When it comes to zinc, the best dietary sources are beef and lamb, respectively providing 37% and 35% of the daily recommended intake per 4-ounce serving.
In addition to zinc, beef and lamb are also loaded with protein, and they provide amp leamounts of essential amino acids, including arginine, glycine, and lysine, which have all been purported to increase levels of growth hormone
Beef and lamb are also high in concentrated sources of tryptophan, which increases melatonin production and may independently improve quality of sleep.
7. Turkey
Surely you’ve heard the tryptophan story before. You know, Thanksgiving turkey makes you sleepy.
While that drowsiness is better explained by overeating refined carbohydrates, which result in a rush of serotonin production, turkey does indeed contain tryptophan.
What’s more, like beef and lamb, turkey is a good source of zinc.
Of course, turkey is an excellent source of protein, and along those lines, it provides the complete lineup of amino acids.
Along those lines, turkey, beef, and lamb all contain glutamine, andresearch has shown that ingestion of a small amount of glutamine can significantly elevate growth hormone levels.
In addition, turkey, lamb, and beef are all excellent sources of niacin. One study showed that administration of niacin intravenously led to a dramatic rise in growth hormone.
8. Eggs
The “incredible” egg is among the healthiest, most nutritious foods on the planet.
Among its many nutrients is choline, which is a vitamin-like essential nutrient (often grouped among B vitamins) involved in many physiological processes.
There is some evidence that choline supplementation may increase levels of growth hormone.
Of course, egg are one of the best dietary sources of protein, providing the complete array of amino acids.
What’s more, eggs are loaded with hormone-optimizing nutrients, including fat,saturated fat, and cholesterol, all of which are associated with optimal levels of important sex hormones.
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For instance, research has consistently shown that testosterone levels are positively related to intake of total fat intake, saturated fat, and monounsaturated fat.
In addition, eggs are one of the very rare foods that are a good source of vitamin D.
Recent research suggests that vitamin D may contribute to levels of IGF-1, and vitamin D supplementation has been shown to directly increase circulating IGF-1, which is intricately linked to growth hormone.
In short, growth hormone stimulates the release of IGF-1, which (at least in part) mediates the metabolic effects of growth hormone (e.g.,glucose and amino acid uptake, protein synthesis).
9. Whey Protein
Regular supplementation with 30 grams of whey protein daily has been shown to significantly increase levels of IGF-1.
Growth hormone stimulates the liver to produce IGF-1, which subsequently carries out a number of functions, many of which are often attributed to growth hormone (e.g., growth and development, strengthening of tissues, and healing).
Along these lines, optimal protein intake has a positive influence on IGF-1 levels, IGF1 bioavailability, and the anabolic actions of IGF-1 on skeletal muscle.51 Conversely, protein restriction diets are markedly effective at lowering levels of IGF-1.
10. Seeds
Pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower seeds are all great sources of magnesium.
Likez inc, magnesium deficiency has been connected to low levels of growth hormone and IGF-1.
Magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies.
In fact, over half the population falls below the estimated average requirement for magnesium.
Also like zinc, magnesium plays a vital role in the proper functioning of certain enzymes that are essential for the metabolic processes involved with IGF-1.
Along with zinc,magnesium profoundly influences IGF-1 levels, IGF-1 bioactivity, and the IGF-1 actions on skeletal muscle. Speaking of zinc, both pumpkin and sesame seeds are excellent sources.
The “Fountain of Youth”
Growth hormone (and IGF-1) has clear and important physiological functions, including some of which are highly regarded and coveted as anti-aging properties.
While there does appear to be an inevitable age-related decline in growth hormone production, the good news is that there are several controllable lifestyle factors that contribute to optimizing levels of this key hormone.
Use the above as a guide to help make sure.
What’s Next?
Now that you know what foods to eat to boost growth hormone, exercise is another key factor. But not just any exercise.
Did you know that exercising too hard for more than 90 minutes a “week” can cause you to age faster and suppress growth hormone?
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Steve and Becky ALSO share their 90-minute “miracle plan” with you.
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This is the “less=more” principle in action… and it WORKS. You’ll want to give it a shot:
