History
has it that centuries ago, explorer Ponce DeLeon searched in vain for a
Fountain of Youth. Even today, consumers explore store shelves, sail
through a tide of TV and radio ads, and navigate the Internet for an
elixir to help them maintain a lean, strong body and wrinkle-free skin.
Some modern marketers of pills and sprays claim to have found a
Fountain of Youth in a substance called HGH – Human Growth Hormone. But
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection
agency, says a closer look at these non-prescription products suggests
that they may be nothing more than hype.
Human Growth Hormone is a substance released by the pituitary gland
that spurs growth in children and adolescents. Studies published in the
New England Journal of Medicine suggested that when injected, HGH may
provide some benefits. But these studies dealt with HGH that is
available only with a doctor’s prescription. And even the prescription
form of HGH has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for anti-aging uses.
Nevertheless,
some marketers are trying to capitalize on the studies by selling
“imposter” pills and sprays, claiming that they provide the same
benefits as prescription HGH. Some products claim to contain actual
HGH; others are advertised as HGH “boosters” or “releasers” that
promise to increase the body’s ability to make its own HGH. Either way,
FTC staff has seen no reliable evidence to support the claim that these
“wannabe” products have the same effect as prescription HGH.
In
fact, the New England Journal of Medicine published a follow-up
editorial about “imposter” HGH products in 2003, warning, “If people
are induced to buy a ‘human growth hormone releaser’ on the basis of
research published in the Journal, they are being misled.” And for its
part, the FDA says it is unaware of any reliable evidence to support
anti-aging claims for over-the-counter pills and sprays that supposedly
contain HGH. The agency has not approved any such products for
anti-aging or any other purpose.
In
short, products that claim some connection to HGH that are available
without a prescription at the corner drug store, online, or through a
telemarketer are long on promises and short on proof when it comes to
turning back the hands of time.
The FTC says if you are tempted to buy any over-the-counter product that:
- claims to contain HGH or to boost the body’s production of it;
- promises easy weight loss, an effortless increase in muscle mass, or other “too-good-to-be-true” benefits; or
- touts itself as an “anti-aging” shortcut to health and vitality
exercise doubt, and check it out with your health care provider.
The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive
and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information
to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a
complaint or to get free
information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov
or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The
FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related
complaints into
Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil
and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad
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