The health food supplement market is at an all time high at the moment, and HGH, or Human Growth Hormone, is riding high atop that wave. So you may wonder just what it is, and what has made it such an "in demand" product. The answer is that it claims to slow down the aging process naturally. But are all products equal?

There are of course literally hundreds of websites marketing and selling HGH supplements. It is a huge niche market. As you would expect, every company claims to have the best product that out-performs all of the others. But is it true?

So how to sort out the jokers from the good guys; the good product from the bad; those that really do work, from those that really don't? There are some crooks out there who will sell you a harmless but ineffective placebo because they make more profit that way. But how can you recognize and avoid them? One way of spotting the rogues is by the exaggerated claims that they make about their product. So let's have a look at a few of these wild claims and see if any of them hold any water.

Claim: That HGH supplements add up to 8.8% of genuine extra muscle tone, and that you will also lose 14.4% of your body fat without having to do and physical exercise or having to go on a calorie controlled diet. Our response: The figures used in this claim are taken from research done by Dr Rudman in 1990. Whilst the figures themselves are true, his methodology was to use injections of HGH. The supplemental product making this claim is in capsule format. Capsules deliver a significantly smaller dose of HGH than do injections, and therefore any comparison is invalid. Capsules can, and do work, but it is over a longer duration, by slow build up.

Claim: Our pill/powder/spray contains the real human growth hormone. Fact: First, know that HGH is a prescription drug. If you put real HGH in significant amounts, it will no longer be considered a supplement, but a drug. A drug can only be sold with prescription, so technically it is illegal to market them without it. Most websites market HGH supplements that either contain homeopathic amounts of HGH - meaning really minute amounts (up to 2 micrograms), or HGH boosters/releasers which contain ingredients that stimulate the natural production of HGH in the brain.

Claim: That the HGH is approved by the FDA. The truth: Incorrect. HGH products are categorized as dietary supplements, and dietary supplements are not regulated by the FDA. This is one of the reasons why there are so very many supplemental products on the market. Statements claiming FDA approval are outright lies.

So are there supplements worth taking? Although this article outlines some of the points to be careful about when buying HGH supplements, it does not deny the fact that many HGH products sold by reliable websites are actually effective. It is only a matter of choosing the right website to trust, and staying away from sellers who make false claims just to make a sale.

HGH supplements have been proven to work. The research carried out by Dr Rudman is conclusive, but when you go shopping for product, don't get drawn in by the fraudulent claims of the con men.