Super Growth Boosting with IGH-1

IGH-1(LG Sciences I-GH-1 100 Capsules) is one of the herbal remedies that people take with GHenerate on the grow tall forum.  IGH-1 is reported to increase the effectiveness of HGH on height.  Are there any ingredients in IGH-1 that can help us boost our heights?

One of the ingredients is Astragalus Membranaceous: 

The Herbal Formula HT042 Induces Longitudinal Bone Growth in Adolescent Female Rats. 

"The effect of HT042, a blend of three herbal extracts, on longitudinal bone growth was investigated in short- and long-term rat models. In the short-term model, we divided female Sprague-Dawley rats (3 weeks old) into six groups, according to treatment: vehicle, HT042 (100 mg/kg), Phlomis umbrosa[Anti-oxidant may inhibit growth cell killers like TNF-alpha] (100 mg/kg), Astragalus membranaceus (100 mg/kg), and Eleutherococcus senticosus (100 mg/kg) were administered twice daily, and recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) (1 IU) was subcutaneously injected once daily. Treatments were maintained for 4 days in each case. On day 3, tetracycline (20 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally (20 mg/kg) to form the fluorescent band on the growth plates. On days 2-4, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) (50 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally to label proliferating cells. On day 5, the tibias were dissected and fixed in 30% sucrose. Dehydrated bone was sectioned at a thickness of 40 μm and observed. The bone growth in groups administered HT042 and rhGH was significantly increased to 433.50 ± 21.61 and 434.49 ± 15.21 μm/day[the groups receiving HT402 had almost as much growth as the rhGH group], respectively, from 410.03 ± 17.4 μm/day (control)[Both methods resulted in an increase in growth rate of about 20 micro meters per day]. The height of the growth plates in the HT042 and rhGH groups was also significantly increased to 556.5 ± 21.1 and 544.2 ± 21.1 μm, respectively, from 518.1 ± 4.1 μm (normal). The number of BrdU-positive cells in chondrocytes of the HT042 and rhGH groups was increased to 389 ± 36 and 627 ± 39 cells/mm(2), respectively, from 264 ± 17 cells/mm(2) (control)[The rhGH group had almost twice as many proliferating cells than the HT402 group so HT402 must increase bone growth rate by a mechanism other than cellular proliferation; both increased cellular proliferation over control]. Insulin-like growth factor-1 and bone morphogenetic protein-2 in the HT042 group were highly expressed in the growth plate. In the long-term rat model, the body weight, nose-tail length, and nose-anus length were measured by microknemometry for 4 weeks. The body weight of the rhGH group was significantly increased. The nose-anus length of the HT042 and rhGH groups was significantly greater at 18.5 ± 0.3 and 18.7 ± 0.3 cm compared to 18.2 ± 0.2 cm (control)[Both methods resulted in growth rate increase]." 

Now increase in growth rate does not always equal increase in height growth.  It depends on how you increase growth rate.  If you are increasing chondrogenic proliferative capacity or peak chondrocyte hypertrophy you will grow taller.  Essentially astragalus membranaceus is a form of astragalus that has a higher concentration of TAT2 which lengthens telomeres(telomere shortening limits cellular proliferation).  

Eleutherocococcus senticosus seems to be another anti-inflammatory(inflammatory agents can kill growth plate cells which is bad for growth). 


Here's another study describing the growth benefits of the herbal supplement HT042:

Skeletal Growth and IGF Levels in Rats after HT042 Treatment.

"HT042, a new herbal prescription[although you can get many of the ingredients of HT042 without a prescription] consisting of Astragalus membranaceus, Phlomis umbrosa and Eleutherococcus senticosus, is used in traditional Korean medicine to stimulate growth in children. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of HT042 on skeletal growth, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) levels, and oestrogenic activity in female rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH; 20 µg/kg/day), and HT042 (100 mg/kg/day) groups and treated for 3 weeks. Axial skeletal growth, femur length, and growth plate length were measured every 3 weeks. The serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels were analysed. Moreover, the oestrogenic activity of the herbal extracts in the immature and ovariectomized rats was tested. The nose-anus, nose-tail, femur and growth-plate lengths were increased significantly in the HT042 group. Both IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were highly expressed in the hypertrophic zone of the growth plate. The serum IGF-1 levels were increased. Moreover, HT042 had no uterotrophic effects in the rats. Consequently, HT042 promoted longitudinal bone growth by stimulating cell proliferation in the epiphyseal plate and inducing the expression of IGF-1 without an oestrogenic response. HT042 may be helpful in stimulating growth in children with short stature. "

"Short-term treatment with GH increases plasma insulin and IGF-1 concentrations and decreases protein concentrations in urine."

"Korean traditional medicinal herbs have been used to treat children with growth retardation and results were recorded in the traditional medicinal book Dongeuibogam. "

So HT042 stimulated bone growth in length and to a greater degree than GH.  However, as always we can't be sure if this increase in growth rate results in increase adult height or just reaching adult height faster.  GH increased IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 levels higher than HT042 did.

Both GH and HT042 increased the hypertrophic zone size while slightly decreasing the proliferative zone size with GH doing so to a greater degree than HT042.  LSJL on the other hand increased both proliferative and hypertrophic zone.

"the IGF–IGFBP-3 complex increases the half-life of IGF-1 by 12 h compared with the 10 min of free IGF-1"

"E. senticosus induces IGF-1 expression and accelerates bone length in vivo"

Eleutherococcus senticosus extract attenuates LPS-induced iNOS expression through the inhibition of Akt and JNK pathways in murine macrophage. 

"Eleutherococcus senticosus (Araliaceae) is immunological modulator which has been successfully used for anti-inflammatory effectors on anti-rheumatic diseases in oriental medicine. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and Akt modulate the transcription of many genes involved in the inflammatory process. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of Eleutherococcus senticosus on the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-activated macrophages. Finally, we studied the involvement of MAPKs and Akt signaling in the protective effect of Eleutherococcus senticosus in LPS-activated macrophages. Eleutherococcus senticosus significantly attenuated LPS-induced iNOS expression but not COX-2 expression. In using the standard inhibitors (MAPKs and Akt), our results show that Eleutherococcus senticosus downregulates inflammatory iNOS expression by blocking JNK and Akt activation." 

Now it would seem that Astragalus is the most likely to induce the increase in bone growth because there are tons of anti-inflammatories.  Of course the other two homeopathic medicines could have unknown effects. 

The other ingredients in IGH-1 are mostly growth hormone stimulants: 

Growth hormone isoforms release in response to physiological and pharmacological stimuli. 

"Ten healthy subjects used to performing regular physical activity and eight subjects affected by idiopathic isolated GH deficiency (GHD) were enrolled; 22- and 20-kDa GH secretion and its biological activity were evaluated in response to pharmacological stimuli such as arginine, L-dopa or glucagon in GHD children, while the hormonal response to exercise was studied according to Bruce protocol in healthy subjects. We found a significant increase in 22- and 20-kDa GH level in healthy subjects after monitored physical exercise (MPE; basal 0.28+/-0.12 vs 7.37+/-2.08 ng/ml and basal 0.076+/-0.04 vs 0.18+/-0.05 ng/ml, respectively). Furthermore, the 22-kDa/20-kDa ratio significantly increased in children who had undergone MPE and the GH bioactivity basal mean value also increased significantly after exercise (basal 2.86+/-0.76 vs 7.64+/-1.9 ng/ml). The mean value of 22-kDa GH in GHD patients increased significantly following GH pharmacological stimulation (2.78+/-0.63 ng/ml) when compared with mean basal (0.20+/-0.11 ng/ml) value. In the GHD group the basal concentration of 20-kDa GH significantly increased following GH pharmacological stimulation (0.34+/-0.11 vs 0.72+/-0.2 ng/ml); the 22-kDa/20-kDa ratio significantly increased too. Likewise, GH bioactivity in children with GHD increased significantly after pharmacological stimulation test (basal 2.53+/-0.56 vs 7.33+/-1.26 ng/ml). Both GH isoform concentrations and their biological activity are significantly increased in healthy subjects after submaximal exercise protocol and in GHD children after pharmacological stimuli." 

Elevating growth hormone levels may or may not increase height dependent on Growth Hormone Sensitivity levels and other factors. 

So IGH-1 is a Growth Hormone Booster and a Telomere length increaser.  Increasing these things may increase your height dependent on your sensitivity to growth hormone and the length of the telomeres in your chondrocytes(if they are shorter then that may be limiting cellular proliferation).  

More on HT042:

Effect of HT042, Herbal Formula, on Longitudinal Bone Growth in Spontaneous Dwarf Rats. 

"HT042 is a new herbal prescription consisting of Astragalus membranaceus, Phlomis umbrosa and Eleutherococcus senticosus, which are used in Korean medicine to stimulate growth in children. We investigated the effects of HT042 on the body weight, longitudinal bone growth, and bone length in spontaneous dwarf rats (SDR). Male and female SDRs were divided into three groups: the control group (DW, 10 mL/kg/day), the recombinant human GH group (rhGH; 500 µg/kg/day), and the HT042 (100 mg/kg/day) group. Each group received the respective treatments for 10 days. Body weight was measured on day 10 of treatment. On day 8, tetracycline (20 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into all individuals to form a fluorescent band on the newly synthesized bone. On day 10, femur and tibia lengths were measured. Body weight, longitudinal bone growth, and bone length were not affected in the HT042 group. In contrast, the rhGH group showed significantly increased body weight, longitudinal bone growth, and bone length. In conclusion, HT042 does not act through a GH-like effect to promote longitudinal bone growth. "

"the administration of GH is limited by its poor absorption from the gastrointestinal tract."

"HT042 was reported to increase the longitudinal bone growth, growth plate height, femur length, and nose-anus (N-A) and nose-tail (N-T) lengths in adolescent Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. HT042 stimulated chondrocyte proliferation and chondrocyte hypertrophy in the growth plate, and directly increased the longitudinal tibia length and the N-A and N-T length in adolescent female rats. The heights of the growth plate and the chondrocyte zone provide direct evidence of longitudinal bone growth. HT042 stimulates cell proliferation and promotes chondrocyte transformation into a bone matrix, where longitudinal bone growth occurs"

"The spontaneous dwarf rat (SDR) is a dwarf strain derived from SD rats. SDR was reported to be a homozygous GH-deficient rat strain that is unable to produce normal GH mRNA because of a splicing abnormality"<-So this will determine if the effects of HT042 are due to GH.

The average longitudinal bone growth in control SDR rats was 164.6+/-14.6 micrometers/day versus 152.5+/-39.4micrometers/day in the SDR + HT042 group.  In contrast, the HT042 formula had a minor statistically insignificant increase in longitudinal bone growth in female rats.  The high variance of longitudinal bone growth in males and the increase in longitudinal bone growth in females could mean that HT042 could have a positive or negative effect on longitudinal bone growth based on genetic factors possibly related to estrogen.  The final bone lengths given are consistent with this.

"The longitudinal bone growth effect of HT042 is induced by local IGF-1 and BMP"

You can get Astragalus Membranaceous super cheap here: Astragalus ( Astragalus membranaceus ) 1 Oz Herb Pharm.