People who have jumped on the anti-aging medicine bandwagon say that HGH has changed their lives. Critics say that it's a dangerous fraud. Some take it to live longer and to feel better. In fact, the growth hormone is a cash cow, Gutierrez said. You can buy HGH on the Internet or in health stores.
Some products make promises of youth in a spray bottle or in a pill.
But Dr. Karlis Ullis, who runs an anti-aging clinic in Santa Monica, Calif., says growth hormone pills and sprays simply do not work. Ullis says that's because human growth hormone, secreted by the pituitary gland, is a complex amino acid, and the synthetic version is effective only if it's injected into the body. That's what Greg Reid used to do nine years ago. But young people, like their older counterparts, including Ullis, inject growth hormone to cut body fat, increase muscle mass and increase their stamina. This is a drug.