The compound Melatonin was always linked to Niacin as a supplement vitamin to take stated by Hakker and Cliff in their posts. There was believed to have been 4 main methods they created, but the other 3 methods beside the basic M.E.N.S. method was not found by me. A lot of people have asked about the H.U.S.S. method which was theoretically supposed to give a person up to 2.5 cm of extra height a month, which just sounds too incredible to believe.

I found more information on the bodybuilding boards of a person who started to describe the use of niacin and melatonin in helping people increase their height using the vitamin supplements.

Again, I will highlight the parts that are the most important

From the BodyBuilding Forum HERE

ABSTRACT:

Melatonin and resistance exercise alone have been shown to increase the levels of growth hormone (GH). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ingestion of a single dose of melatonin and heavy resistance exercise on serum GH, somatostatin (SST), and other hormones of the GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) axis.*
Physically active males (n = 30) and females (n = 30) were randomly assigned to ingest either a melatonin supplement at 0.5 mg or 5.0 mg, or 1.0 mg of dextrose placebo. After a baseline blood sample, participants ingested the supplement and underwent blood sampling every 15 min for 60 min, at which point they underwent a single bout of resistance exercise with the leg press for 7 sets of 7 reps at 85% 1-RM. After exercise, participants provided additional blood samples every 15 min for a total of 120 min.*
Serum free GH, SST, IGF-1, IGFBP-1, and IGFBP-3 were determined with ELISA. Data were evaluated as the peak pre- and post-exercise values subtracted from baseline and the delta values analyzed with separate three-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). In males, when compared to placebo, 5.0 mg melatonin caused GH to increase (p = 0.017) and SST to decrease prior to exercise (p = 0.031), whereas both 0.5 and 5.0 mg melatonin were greater than placebo after exercise (p = 0.045) and less than placebo for SST. No significant differences occurred for IGF-1; however, males were shown to have higher levels of IGFBP-1 independent of supplementation (p = 0.004). The 5.0 mg melatonin dose resulted in higher IGFBP-3 in males (p = 0.017).*
In conclusion, for males 5.0 mg melatonin appears to increase serum GH while concomitantly lowering SST levels; however, when combined with resistance exercise both melatonin doses positively impacts GH levels in a manner not entirely dependent on SST.

Melatonin

The pineal gland, via melatonin, may also modulate GH secretion. Oral administration of melatonin to normal subjects increases basal GH levels and the GH response to GHRH (516), but marginally affects GH responses to hypoglycemia or apomorphine (517, 518). This suggests that melatonin might play a minimal (stimulatory) role in baseline GH secretion, possibly acting at the hypothalamic level via inhibition of somatostatin. The GH response to L-dopa is reduced in blind human subjects (519), who presumptively lack both light-mediated inhibition of melatonin release and the normal slow wave sleep-associated rise in plasma GH concentrations (520). Thus, it is possible, but entirely unproven, that variations in the release of endogenous melatonin could modulate GH secretion in humans.

From Source 1

Melatonin: A Hormone That Protects Against Breast Cancer and Aging

Thursday, April 10, 2008 by: Barbara L. Minton

Conclusion: In my personal opinion, this is another breakthrough in height increase research. The melatonin seems to promote GH release somehow, be an estrogen aromatization inhibitor, and seems to regulate our sleep patterns which means we can get better, longer, and deeper sleep effectively helping our brain to release even more Gh and our spines to decompress.

In addition, melatonin is supposed to give us some anti-aging properties. We are talking about another one of those medical miracle supplements which has so many positive benefits. As for whether it can help the adult with fused growth plates grow taller, I would be willing to bet that it might have the ability to do that, even if it is from getting better and more sleep and spinal decompression. 

{Here’s a new Melatonin study-Tyler

Melatonin regulates mesenchymal stem cell differentiation: a review

“Melatonin seems to regulate selected signaling responses that alternatively commit and drive MSC through differentiation into osteogenic, chondrogenic, adipogenic or myogenic lineages. Common pathways appear to function as master regulators of these processes acting at the earliest or irreversible steps of MSC signaling, such as the Wnt/β-catenin/PPARγ pathway, MAPKs, TGF-β signaling and others.”

“antioxidant effects of melatonin are just a component of the homeostatic and cell protective effects”

“melatonin can shift bone marrow precursor cells from an adipocytic to osteoblastic differentiation”<-We would want it to shift to chondrogenic differentiation.

“MSC express antigens detected on pericytes, endothelial and perivascular cells and that postcapillary venule pericytes from bone-marrow and peri-vascular cells from most tissues exhibit MSC-like characteristics”

“TWIST also plays an important role in lineage specification of MSC”<-Twist1 overexpression results in bone overgrowth.

“adult MSC [are in the] bone marrow. [But only account for] 0.001- 0.01% of total nucleated cells”<-Since mesenchymal condensation is key to form neo-growth plates this is an obstacle.

“The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a key regulator of bone formation and MSC differentiation to either the osteogenic or chondrogenic lineage through rather high or low Wnt
canonical activity, respectively”

“an appropriate level of β-catenin signaling is required for commitment to the chondrogenic lineage.”<-You need just enough B-Catenin signaling to induce chondrogenesis.

“activated Wnt/β-catenin pathway can induce MSC aging possibly by the activation of ROS generating pathways or lower control of their reactivity by antioxidant genes. Actually, ROS generation was increased in MSC when high levels of Wnt3a were expressed, whereas lower levels of this Wnt form were unable to induce ROS generation.”<-Thus maybe too elevated levels of Beta-Catenin inhibit neo growth plate formation in adults?

“melatonin is known to regulate ERK1/2 activity”

“Cells were induced during chondrogenic differentiation via high density micromass culture
in chondrogenic medium containing vehicle or 50 nM melatonin.”<-The melatonin group was more chondrogenic than the other group but other precursors were needed to induce chondrogenesis than the melatonin.    The cells used were human MSCs which is promising for height growth as they are the cells in the bone marrow unlike embryonic stem cells.

“Besides the collagen type II (COL2A1) and X (COL10A1), the genes involved in chondrogenic
differentiation up-regulated by the melatonin treatment included aggrecan (ACAN), SRY (Sex
determining Region Y), Sox 9 (SOX9), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), and the potent
inducer of chondrogenic differentiation BMP2.”<-The study this points to was Forced expression of Sox2 or Nanog in human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells maintains their expansion and differentiation capabilities.  However, I could not find the related melatonin information.

In one of the most recent posts about homeopathic solutions for height increase, baryta carbonica was mentioned as a component one might take to increase height, along with silicea and maybe also calcium carbonate. Eventually I will do a more extensive analysis on silicea and calcium carbonate but this post is to focus on the barium carbonica.

For people who believe in the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies, baryta carbonica seems to come up a lot which makes me intrigued. The mentioned dosage seems to be 200 mg. There is a supplement sold as Baryta Carb 200 which this person from this link stated.

It seems HeightQuest.Com has an article on Baryta Carb and the overall conclusion is that the Barium seems to have an effect on the electromagnetic field on the sodium-potasium pumps on osteoblasts making them more responsive. From college level biochemistry, I remember that the sodium potassium pumps are to try to keep the equilibrium between the inside of a cell and the outside of the cell, and from the direction of flow of the sodium (+) and potassium pumps (+) in relation to the phospholipid bilayers of the external membrane, it leads to a ionic potential difference between the two parts, which leads to the flow of the ions. The cells thus can expand or shrink depending on the ionic flow and concentration. Since there was a recent post I wrote that showed that  the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells can be dependent on the form and shape of the way the mesenchymal is turned into, the barium can thus change the form of stem cells in the marrow and turn them into chondrocytes leading to longitudinal increases in the long bone. This would be the best theory to explain why the barium even works.

High dosages is obviously dangerous, possibly fatal.

From source 1 , the author notes this, “In my experience, Baryta Carb works very well even in just a physical short stature.”

They also suggest to  “Combined use of Silicea 6X and Calcaria Flour 6X is the best prescription for increasing height.” This seems to be the common tip given around the homeopahtic community. You combine the Baryta Carbonica with Silicea and and a form of calcium salt, this time it is suggested to use Calcaria Flour, which is calcium flouride.

From the ABC Homeopathy site, there are quite a few people who ask about using Baryta Carbonica to increase height. The people who answer often state that the questioners should not consider using the Baryta (Barium) as a height increase solution, since the people who want to increase their height don’t suffer from a pathology. Apparently, the Baryta is given only as a treatment for Dwarfism, not for a person who is genetically programmed to be of short stature. One very important thing that is noted is that the Baryta is supposed to be used only by people who STILL CAN GROW. It is not expected to be used by people who have stopped growing. (source)

Conclusion: The Baryta actually comes in two types, Phos and Carb. Overall, the homeopathic doctors only seem to give this solution to people who are still growing or suffer from dwarfism, since the Baryta is supposed to also have healing effects for psychiatric issues. There is a chance there is an effect the Baryta can work but mainly for people who can still grow. 

I wrote in the last post about the Internal Fitbone Method used by the Betz Institute. For this post, the topic will be about the Intramedullary Skeletal Kinetic Distractor, ISKD surgery method.

The Intramedullary Skeletal Kinetic Distractor ISKD operates very similar to the fitbone method. Both are internal devices placed inside the bone being lengthened. The difference between the ISKD and the fitbone is how the lengthening of the device is done.

The ISKD involves the patient manually rotating the rod inside their leg to increase the distraction. This is done by turning the limb, whether at the knee or at the ankle, by a twisting motion until one hears the “click”. The rotation is monitored by a magnetic sensor that tracks the amount of rotation every day. While the possible issue of over extending the bone is removed, the other issue of bone refusing too quickly can occur.

The Fitbone method instead of letting the patient turn allows for the remote control increase of the rod. The receiver is in the leg while the patient controls is a radio frequency device transmitter.

From the Wikipedia article on Distraction Osteogenesis HERE…

Intramedullary skeletal kinetic distractor

In 2001, the “Intramedullary skeletal kinetic distractor” (ISKD) was introduced, allowing lengthening to take place internally, thereby drastically reducing the risk of infections and scarring. The ISKD device was designed by Dr. J. Dean Cole, MD of Orlando, Florida.

With ISKD, a telescopic rod that can be gradually extended by knee or ankle rotations is implanted into the bone. Lengthening is monitored by a hand-held external magnetic sensor that tracks the rotation of an internal magnet on a daily basis.

ISKD requires a physical leg movement to “click” the device into lengthening. In this method, there is no risk of accidentally over-stretching the bone due to the lengthener being preset to the desired fully extended length. However, there is a risk of growing the bone too quickly. Bone growth is monitored by measuring changes in the magnetic field of an embedded magnet in the system. The poles of the magnet change as the device grows. However, if the motion of the leg makes the device grow too quickly, and the magnet switches poles twice between measurements, then that growth is not recorded. This leads to overly rapid growth which can cause a number of issues such as nerve damage or causing breaks in the bone.

While there is some pain associated with the immediate post-op lengthening, the initial lengthening procedure is not to begin until one week after surgery. Furthermore, there is no noticeable “click” to the patient as there is less than nine degrees of rotation of the two bone segments in relation to one another.

Regularly used at a handful of medical centers mostly in the United States, only several dozens of ISKD devices are implanted each year. An improved version is currently being developed by its manufacturer (Orthofix).

From the Betz Institute website HERE

From the Rubin Institute Of Advanced Orthopedics Website HERE…

ISKD Facts

The ISKD (Intramedullary Skeletal Kinetic Distractor) is an internal rod that is inserted inside the bone (bone marrow) for lengthening. You can find information on the ISKD, including pictures, brochures, and video clips, at the manufacturer’s website: http://www.orthofix.com

The device has two telescoping pieces that “unwind” to lengthen. This process is controlled by the patient’s leg movement. The rotational movement of the two pieces of the bone against each other causes the lengthening to occur. Inside the rod is a small magnet that rotates as the device lengthens. Other than x-ray, the only way to tell that lengthening has occurred is by using a monitoring device to track the magnet.

Things you should know about getting an ISKD at the International Center for Limb Lengthening:

• You must have a preoperative visit at our office a week or two before your surgery so that you can learn how the ISKD works and how to use the monitor. You will need to begin the monitoring process the day after surgery. Even if the patient is a child, they must participate in the learning process.
• You must have another person available to assist you with some of the lengthening exercises.
• You must return to our office approximately 1 week after surgery so that we can check your wound and you can learn how to begin the lengthening process. At that time, you will be shown some exercises that cause the rod to lengthen. Your helper must accompany you on this visit.
• You need to be prepared to stay overnight after that first follow-up visit in case there are any problems getting the lengthening to occur. Some people require an epidural anesthetic during the first few days of lengthening. If this is necessary, you will have to stay in the Baltimore area (not in the hospital) so that you can return every day for the next few days until you and your helper can demonstrate that you are able to lengthen the ISKD on your own. If you do not have a problem lengthening, you may leave after the visit.
• You will need to return to our office every 2 weeks during the lengthening process. You may need to return more frequently if you are having a problem controlling or monitoring the rate of lengthening.
• You will need to use the monitor frequently during the day. You may need to measure as often as every hour. You will need to keep the monitor with you at all times, including work or school.
• If the ISKD lengthens too quickly, it may be necessary for you to wear an external brace to help control any unintentional movements that you might make. You may be required to have the brace measured and manufactured prior to your surgery. Lengthening too quickly might cause nerve pain and poor bone formation.
• If the device lengthens too slowly, you risk having the bone heal prematurely. It might be necessary for your helper to manipulate your leg more vigorously in order to accomplish the movements needed to move the bone pieces enough to cause lengthening. This may be a painful process.
• You will be allowed to bear a maximum of 50 pounds of weight on the leg with the ISKD. This means that if you are having an ISKD inserted into both legs, you must use a wheelchair.
• You may not be allowed to drive for at least the first few weeks after surgery. You will need to get approval to drive from your surgeon. You should also check with your insurance company and department of motor vehicles to make sure you would be covered in the event of an accident.
• You will need to go to physical therapy; this is usually every day Monday through Friday.
• You may need to relocate to Baltimore during the lengthening phase; please discuss this with your surgeon.
• It is not as easy to control the lengthening process with the ISKD as it is with an external device. People who value control or who do not deal well with unpredictability may not be comfortable with the ISKD.

I know I have done a an extensive review of all the types of surgical methods out there that are used to extend bones and this specific method was mentioned and discuseed in passing. However, this post will look deeper into the Method.

The specific name for the surgery is called “The Fitbone Surgery Method”. It was developed by Dr. Betz of Germany and it is what people on the Make Me Taller forums call an internal method. The oldest and original way to increase one’s bones was from the ilizarov method, which involved putting a fixator (looks like a cylindrical clamp) on one’s long bone and hold it in place with wires and slowly move the bones apart from each other to increase the bone length. The  method was “external” because the device was on the outside of the leg bone.

For this method, the fitbone is an internal method. A metal rod is placed inside the patient’s long bone and there is a remote controlled motorized device that turns the rod which increases the rod’s length. Since the long bone is attached to the rod, the long bone increases along with it.

If you would like to get a broshure/flyer for your convenience, just click HERE to get almost all of your questions for the Fitbone Surgery Method answered.

From the Wikipedia article on Distraction Osteogenesis HERE

Fitbone surgery

A form of surgery involving an intramedullar, fully implantable, electronically-motorised limb-lengthening implant,^[9] called “Fitbone”, is a technologically advanced, though relatively complex, device.

Developed in Germany by Augustin Betz and Rainer Baumgart, the first successful operations were performed in 1996 and the technique was patented in 1997. Thus far, most of the surgeries using this method have been performed in Munich, Germany by Baumgart and Peter Thaller. The first successful surgeries in Asia have been performed since 2001 by Dr Sarbjit Singh in Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, and Dr Sittiporn, Bumrungrad Hospital, Bangkok. In December 2005 Fitbone surgery was done in Malaysia at the Mahkota Orthopaedic Reconstruction and Limb Lengthening Center, Melaka by Thirukumaran Subramaniam and Jeyaratnam T Satkunasingam. Dr. Bruce Foster of Adelaide, Australia, chairman of the “Bone Growth Foundation” — a charity established with the aim of helping children with crippling bone growth problems — is currently the only surgeon that uses the “Fitbone” device in the southern hemisphere.

Fitbone comprises a telescopic nail implant that can extend, powered by an electric motor and controlled by a receiver with an antenna that is buried under the skin; the receiver in turn is controlled by a hand-held radio-frequency transmitter. The procedure for lengthening the lower leg is as follows:

• A two-centimetre incision is made at the patient’s knee, and a reamer is used to create enough space in the bone for a stainless steel nail.
• The bone is cut about 14 cm below the knee from the inside with an internal saw.
• The stainless steel nail is held in place by two screws. The top of the nail is attached to a tiny, plastic-encased receiver that is placed under the skin.
• The patient controls the lengthening process. By pushing a button on the transmitter when it is placed against the antenna, the built-in motor extends the nail one millimetre per day. When the leg has grown to the desired length, lengthening stops, and the bone is allowed to solidify.
• The device can be removed about two years after the initial surgery.

This procedure, however, comes at a price. While the Ilizarov external fixator costs approximately US$4,000, and the ISKD implant about US$8,000, the Fitbone device carries a price tag of roughly US$15,000 (all prices exclusive of surgery costs).

The Bliskunov device is currently not available.

From the the Betz Institute Website HERE and HERE

Osteotomy “cutting of the bone”

Prof. Dr. Betz’s innovative technique is one that separates him from other limb lengthening surgeons.

The osteotomy or “cutting of the bone” is a crucial part of the operation. Prof. Dr. Betz uses an intremedullary saw to perform the osteotomy which eliminates the risk of cutting or damaging the surrounding soft tissue. The internal saw is introduced through the same incision made for the internal device in order to prevent any unnecessary scarring. This is the reason for extremely little blood loss, and small scar formation. This technique is unique in that most other limb lengthening surgeons cut the bone from the outside causing more scars and soft tissue damage. The principle of an internal osteotomy is to keep the inner and outer layer of the bone and surrounding soft tissue intact.

Betz institute technique
– Internal cutting device
– Osteotomy performed from inside the bone
– Only one incision for the distraction device and intremedullary saw
– No additional incisions for cutting the bone
– No unnecessary damage to the surrounding soft tissue
– No disruption to the outer layer of the bone segment

Traditional techniques used by most surgeons
– External cutting device
– Osteotomy performed from the outside of the bone
– Additional scarring for the osteotomy
– Possible damage to the surrounding soft tissue
– Disruption of the outer layer of bone which may cause nonunion

Entry point for the internal device

The insertion of the nail is an extremely important part of the procedure. Prof. Dr. Betz creates a very small incision at the top of the intended bone segment (femur or tibia). The benefit of Prof. Dr. Betz’s entry point is that it is safer and aesthetically better for the patient. Prof. Dr. Betz inserts the internal device through the top of the femur near the side of the hip because it is a direct route to the bone canal. The entry point for the tibia is made below the knee in order to make a direct route into the bone canal. For the femur, many other surgeons insert the internal nail through the buttock which may cause damage to muscle and soft tissue as well as create unattractive scars in an undesirable location. 

Betz institute technique
– Entry point at the top of the bone segment near the side of the hip for femur
– No cutting through muscle or unnecessary damage to the soft tissue
– No need to cut through the buttock to introduce the internal device
– No scarring on the buttock

Traditional techniques used by most surgeons
– Entry point through the buttock for femur
– Unnecessary damage to muscle and other soft tissue
– Undesirable scars on the buttock

Fitbone

FITBONE (fully integrated telescopic bone) nail is a distraction device powered by an internal engine which is activated by a hand held remote. The remote activates distraction by sending messages to the receiver implanted below the skin.

The FITBONE does not allow full weight bearing; therefore patients are required to use a wheelchair during the entire lengthening phase.

FITBONE allows for a 5 cm. (2 inch) gain in one bone segment.                       

The Fitbone System, is similar in function to a telescopic car antenna.

The nail consisting of 2 parts is powered by a minute engine gear device which draws the telescope apart by applying force of up to 200 kg, during which the extension is externally steered via electronic impulses. The Fitbone nail elongation is propelled by a highly sensitive epicyclic gear which has been manufactured by Wittenstein Intens, a company specialising in high precision gearing.

Both implants are inserted through one single small entrance simultaneously elongating the thigh and lower leg. This entrance point “Model Entrance Point” was developed by Prof. Betz. All that remains is a tiny scar in a natural skinfold. Even the artificial growth juncture is inserted as gently as possible via an internal access point.
Our aim is always to achieve an identical natural reconstruction.

When I was looking through the methods Hakker was suggesting on the bodybuilding website, two compounds keep appearing over and over in his arguements, Melatonin and Niacin.

Most people have probably heard of melatonin, at least from the TV commercials that sell some prescription drug that is supposed to help people with sleeping problems. Melatonin is popularly known as the compound that regulates the sleep-wake cycle in the human body through chemical pathways. We won’t focus on that but only on Niacin, better known as Vitamin B3 in this post.

From the wikipedia article on Niacin HERE …

Niacin (also known as vitamin B₃, nicotinic acid and vitamin PP) is an organic compound with the formula C₆H₅NO₂ and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.

Niacin is one of five vitamins (when lacking in human diet) associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency (pellagra), vitamin C deficiency (scurvy), thiamin deficiency (beriberi), vitamin D deficiency (rickets), vitamin A deficiency (night blindness and other symptoms). Niacin has been used for over 50 years to increase levels of HDL in the blood and has been found to modestly decrease the risk of cardiovascular events in a number of controlled human trials.

This colorless, water-soluble solid is a derivative of pyridine, with a carboxyl group (COOH) at the 3-position. Other forms of vitamin B₃ include the correspondingamide, nicotinamide (“niacinamide”), where the carboxyl group has been replaced by a carboxamide group (CONH₂), as well as more complex amides and a variety of esters. Niacin and Vitamin B3 are the generic terms for both nicotinic acid and nicotinamide, which are often used interchangeably to refer to any member of this family of compounds, since they have similar biochemical activity.

Dietary needs

One recommended daily allowance of niacin is 2–12 mg/day for children, 14 mg/day for women, 16 mg/day for men, and 18 mg/day for pregnant or breast-feeding women. The upper limit for adult men and women is 35 mg/day, which is based on flushing as the critical adverse effect. In general, niacin status is tested through urinary biomarkers, which are believed to be more reliable than plasma levels.

Deficiency

Mild niacin deficiency has been shown to slow metabolism, causing decreased tolerance to cold.

Severe deficiency of niacin in the diet causes the disease pellagra, which is characterized by diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia, as well as “necklace” lesions on the lower neck, hyperpigmentation, thickening of the skin, inflammation of the mouth and tongue, digestive disturbances, amnesia, delirium, and eventually death, if left untreated.^[11] Common psychiatric symptoms of niacin deficiency include irritability, poor concentration, anxiety, fatigue, restlessness, apathy, and depression.^[11] Studies have indicated that, in patients with alcoholic pellagra, niacin deficiency may be an important factor influencing both the onset and severity of this condition. Alcoholic patients typically experience increased intestinal permeability, leading to negative health outcomes.

Hartnup’s disease is a hereditary nutritional disorder resulting in niacin deficiency. This condition was first identified in the 1950s by the Hartnup family in London. It is due to a deficit in the intestines and kidneys, making it difficult for the body to break down and absorb dietary tryptophan. The resulting condition is similar to pellagra, including symptoms of red, scaly rash, and sensitivity to sunlight. Oral niacin is given as a treatment for this condition in doses ranging from 40–200 mg, with a good prognosis if identified and treated early. Niacin synthesis is also deficient in carcinoid syndrome, because of metabolic diversion of its precursor tryptophan to form serotonin.

Me: Niacin has also been used to control the level of HDL/LDL in a person as well. An article was also written in HeightQuest (HQ) about the use of niacin in height growth. The overall conclusion from the post was Naicin seems to stimulate more of the release of growth hormone. If we go back to another post written by Hakker which was talked about HERE on the same bodybuilding forum, this is the research he had done.

Research

A just-published study in Archives of Internal Medicine (Guyton, et al, 2000) confirms my long-held belief in the superiority of niacin (vitamin B3) as a lipid-lowering agent. A proprietary timed-release version of niacin (Niaspan) was compared to the pharmaceutical drug gemfibrozil (Lopid). The study involved 399 male and female subjects ranging in age from 21 to 75, all of whom had low levels of HDL (high density lipoproteins—“good cholesterol”) less than 40 mg/l. Other criteria for inclusion in this study were triglycerides less than 400 mg/l, and LDL (low density lipoproteins—“bad cholesterol”) less than 260 mg/l. Niacin was administered once daily at bedtime. The niacin dosage was begun at 375 mg/day, and then increased progressively over the course of the study, and maintained at a level of 2,000 mg nightly for 8 weeks. The duration of the study was 16 weeks. Subjects took an aspirin as-needed to prevent flushing. Gemfibrozil 600 mg was administered twice daily over the entire 16 weeks.

Niacin increased HDL levels over 25%, compared to an increase of 13.3% due to gemfibrozil. Gemfibrozil actually raised LDL (the “bad” cholesterol, remember?), while niacin slightly lowered this fraction. Gemfibrozil lowered triglyceride levels by 40%, compared to a 30% decrease from niacin. Thus, niacin resulted in an overall improvement in the lipid profile which exceeded that induced by gemfibrozil (Fig. 1).

However, niacin favorably altered several other cardiovascular risk factors as well. Apolipoprotein (a) levels were significantly (20%) reduced by niacin, but were not altered by gemfibrozil. Both substances reduced serum apolipoprotein (b) levels by the same amount. Fibrinogen, a third risk factor, was reduced by niacin, but increased 6-9% by gemfibrozil. The authors concluded, “Niaspan, 2,000 mg, had a significantly better effect on fibrinogen levels than gemfibrozil.”
These results support many previous studies on the use of niacin as a lipid-lowering nutrient. For example, in the Coronary Drug Project, which enrolled men with a previous myocardial infarction, niacin use resulted in a 26% decrease in second non-fatal heart attacks over a six-year period, and an 11% decrease in total mortality after 15 years of followup (Canner, et al, 1986) (Fig. 2).

Niacin Stimulates Growth HormoneWhile extolling the benefits of niacin, one frequently overlooked “side effect” is that niacin is a powerful releaser of growth hormone (Quabbe, et al, 1983) (Fig. 3). Quabbe and colleagues administered 500 mg niacin intravenously to humans, and noted a dramatic rise in growth hormone. In a second phase of their study, they simultaneously administered an infusion of fatty acids. Note that the fat completely blunted any rise in growth hormone. The practical take-home lesson of this study is that anyone using niacin as a growth hormone stimulant should take it on an empty stomach (glucose and insulin also inhibit growth hormone, as well as fatty acids).

Routine/info

This is the main guy who setup this routine, his site requires registration:http://hakker.betaboard.net/t29-method-1-mens
Anyways the M.E.N.S. (Melatonin.Exercise.Niacin.Sleep) routine has gotten good success,young people with*thier*growth plates still open have grown 3+ inches from it

Quoted from his site:

In order to achieve a GH pulse from Niacin it is necessary to take the Flush version, Not the non-flush version as it will not work and will be a waste of time! Here’s what you should look out for:Flush – Correct*NiacinNiacin as Vitamin B3Niacin as Nicotinic AcidNon-Flush – IncorrectNiacinamideInositol hexanicotinateAny other NiacinTimed release Niacin – Must chew upHow much do I take?

Taking niacin for prolonged periods causes the liver to get used to it and requires you to increase the dosage, but increasing dosage above 500mg will damage your liver a lot!So to get around this, we have two options:1) Take 250mg – 500mg every odd day upon waking up. Then eat breakfast 3 hours later. Crucial.2) Take 250mg upon waking up as above. And then Take another 250mg 3 hours after supper but before bed. Every odd day.*
When do I take it?In order for the Niacin to properly work, it is recommended to take on an empty stomach, 3+ hours after eating or in the morning upon waking up. After taking the niacin, you cannot eat for another 3 hours so it is best to take it at night before bed or morning right after waking up.
Take every odd day, take melatonin every odd day before sleep, Melatonin helps decrease excess estrogen and promotes good sleep.
Sprint for 5 minutes every other day, sprinting increases GH.
Sleep 8-10 hours a day.

CLIFFS

THE FORMULA FOR HEIGHT INCREASE (final version):
M + E + N + S
Melatonin (3mg before bed) + Exercise (high intensity resistance, high intensity sprinting) + Niacin (500mg/day on empty stomach) + Sleep (8hrs +)Cliffs:
1. Increase growth hormone
2. Reduce estrogen. Estrogen seals the growth plates and causes the cessation of growth, although some is required for a pubertal growth spurt.(This for in terms of height, only works if your still a teen/young adult with your growth plates still open)
3.Niacin has shown to quadruple GH for a short period of time
4. For niacin to work one should take a flush-version (non*flushing*doesn’t*work) in the morning and eat breakfast 3 hours later, food inhibits Niacin from producing GH
5. Teens who go on this routine have grown 3+ inches.

Routine (Cliffs):
1.Take a flush version of niacin(250-500mg) in the morning , do not eat for 3 hours, non flush/timed release niacin will not work.*http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00…pf_rd_i=507846
2.Take niacin every other day, 4 weeks on 2 weeks off so you dont get used to it.
3.3mg Melatonin before bed , helps get rid of excess estrogen and promotes deep sleep
4. Sprint 5 minutes 3 times a week, increases GH by a ton.

Me: I’m going to end this post with a few controversial things to say. I am willing to bet that Niacin is again one of those thing people who haven’t stop growing can take and it might really have a good chance of helping them grow taller. You have to take the Niacin on an empty stomach or at least 2 hours after eating. You need to get the flush kind of Niacin, not the non-flush kind (niacinamide). There is already two routines provided in this post that you can try, the M.E.N.S. routine that hakker and cliff provided. 

From the forum posts…

Start up with 100mg then up it all the way till 500mg/day. Do it every other day or 5 days on 2 days off, it’s up to you. Make sure you get the real NIACIN, not flush free.

Make sure you take it every other day, along with 3mg melatonin before sleep every other day. Cycle niacin 4 weeks on 2 weeks off, 5 minute sprinting 3 times a week. 3mg melatonin will work as a aromatase inhibitor

In order to achieve a GH pulse from Niacin it is necessary to take the Flush version, Not the non-flush version as it will not work and will be a waste of time! Here’s what you should look out for:

Flush – Correct*
Niacin Niacin as Vitamin B3 Niacin as Nicotinic Acid
Non-Flush – Incorrect
NiacinamideInositol hexanicotinate Any other Niacin
Timed release Niacin – Must chew up
How much do I take?

Taking niacin for prolonged periods causes the liver to get used to it and requires you to increase the dosage, but increasing dosage above 500mg will damage your liver a lot!
So to get around this, we have two options:
1) Take 250mg – 500mg every odd day upon waking up. Then eat breakfast 3 hours later. Crucial.
2) Take 250mg upon waking up as above. And then Take another 250mg 3 hours after supper but before bed. Every odd day.*

When do I take it?
In order for the Niacin to properly work, it is recommended to take on an empty stomach, 3+ hours after eating or in the morning upon waking up. After taking the niacin, you cannot eat for another 3 hours so it is best to take it at night before bed or morning right after waking up.

Take every odd day, take melatonin every odd day before sleep, Melatonin helps decrease excess estrogen and promotes good sleep.

Sprint for 5 minutes every other day, sprinting increases GH.

Sleep 8-10 hours a day.

Update: It might be important to note that this post appeared far earlier than the Mind Hack IX post. This correction is my way of getting this post on the Mind Hack list so the order of the series is a little off.

One of the most loyal readers for this site gave me an email this morning (Korea standard time) asking whether I could give him some tips on how to increase one’s intelligence using tricks, tips, and certain techniques.

I had stated in my previous post about “How To Become Smarter…” located HERE about the fact that during my undergraduate days I did a lot of research on what I can do to increase my intelligence. Well, today I will release all of the ideas, strategies, and tips I have discovered on how to become more intelligence.

Tips, Tricks, Techniques, Methods, Strategies, Ideas, etc….

1. I suggested in the previous post HERE that you might considered trying the nootropic prescription “drugs” Piracetam and/or Provigil. After 2 decades of research, most people have concluded that the “drug” has minimal side effects. Piracetam can even be order online off of Amazon HERE.

At the time of this writing, the Piracetam 60 capsules of 800 mg each cost just $16.25. That is a 2 months supply and you will definitely start to feel the effects of it if it even works on you. For some people, they don’t feel any cognitive ability changes. It is a sort of natural herbal supplement or something so it can’t be that bad for you. Just ask yourself “How much can I possibly lose by spending $16 for a set of “smart pills” which could theoretically increase my thinking and intelligence by up to 15 points?”

Again, I am not affiliated with Amazon so I don’t get any money if you buy through that link.

2. Use Creatine. Creatine is the most common form of muscle bulk building supplement in any drug store. I don’t care which country you are in. If you can find a drug store close to you, you probably will find over the counter creatine. You can literally buy like a year’s worth of creatine for $60 and just store it in a dry area like your kitchen counter. Or you can spend $15-20 buying some for a month’s worth of stuff (that’s over 2 lbs of the stuff). Go to Amazon HERE. Remember that for this purpose we are suggesting to take creatine for intelligence reasons, not to gain muscle or bulk up, but hey, if we are like most men we want to probably be slightly more muscular. So it seems like creatine taken in proportional good doses can probably increase intelligence. It is supposed to be able to increase one’s intelligence by up to 10 points.

And of course always remember to take things in small doses and moderation until you find the right dosage and amount for you. I know over a dozen male friends and college roommates who take creatine to get big and they seem to be just fine so this supplement is quite safe.

If you want definitive proof creatine can improve intelligence click HERE, HERE, or HERE.

3. Trying a software program called “Dual-N Back Training”. This is very controversial because I am slightly sceptical of this product and only talk about this because Asprey promotes it. He wrote a post HERE about the effects of doing this program. These are the claims Asprey makes….

“”I gained 2.75 IQ points for every hour of brain training I did.””

“”So what does a higher IQ get you?

– Faster problem solving

N-back training teaches your brain to juggle more factors at the same time than it could before. If you’re trying to solve a problem, it’s extremely useful to be able to remember all the factors you know at once. A classic example would be running through look ahead moves in a chess game. If you don’t remember the 2nd and 3rd moves you planned, how can you design a strategy 5 moves ahead? N-back training is the answer.

– A more insightful synthetic imagination

In Think And Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill talks about two kinds of imagination–synthetic imagination and creative imagination. Synthetic is the one we use the most, it’s when our brains combine existing known information and derive new insights from it or see new patterns. Creative imagination is a bit different; creative involves flashes of insight that aren’t necessarily related to what we already know. More on creative imagination later–I’ve noticed N-back training boosts my synthetic imagination significantly. After N-back training, you’ll be able to solve every day problems and tasks faster and more easily because you’ll “just see the answer,” and your academic or career performance will soar.

– A better memory

Dave first noticed the effects when he unconsciously memorized restaurant take-out orders for 10 family members so he could call them in. His family was floored but he didn’t realize why until they told him they couldn’t do it without writing things down. In both of our experiences, once you get new brain skills, there’s no going back, and they immediately feel natural and like a part of you. “””

Me: Asprey states in this video HERE that you will at first feel VERY frustrated about the program which gives you a bunch of tests to do. The entire program takes about 10-20 hours to do (So if you really work on it, you can finish in like 3-4 days with complete focus). After you are through with the program, he states your iq gets raised by 10-20 points. And those points are supposed to be permanent. 

Asprey uses something called IQ Mindware i3 which you can find a free work shop for HERE. or you can even play the game version of this software HERE.

If you wanted to use the same type of software (the IQ Mindware I3) that Asprey and associates use ,you can click HERE for the IQ Mindware i3 website. It’s $45 for the download. But I am going to attach a BIG WARNING to this site.

WARNING: I checked out the product and it turns out the software product is something you can get from Clickbank, the worlds largest E-Product website. In general Clickbank has always been associated with shady Internet Marketing people who sell useless E-Products and stuff. I am very much agains the idea of selling or promoting to you the intelligence seeker a product which could very well be a scam. This product sold under the name “IQ Mindware i3” can be jsut a ripoff or a cheap piece of Dual N-Back training software. From the images on the screen on what a software looks like, it looks REALLY simple to design. Personally, if I had a choice I would suggest to you to NOT buy the Click bank product but just use the free download version you can find elsewhere on the internet. 

The articles written that shows the Dual-N Back training seems to really increase your intelligence are located HERE.

4. It is mainly about diet. From reading about the issue on this link HERE, I would suggest 4 things to take away from the long article. 

a. avoid as much sugar as possible, especially refined sugar.

b. minimize the carbohydrates you take in

c. Try not to snack too much on refined processed food like chips and pretzels

d. Eat more naturally raised cow beef

WARNING: It seems a LOT of health and nutrition experts these days are going in the Paleo Diet direction when it comes to health. The idea of less or no carbs and more meat and proteins has been the fad for the last 5 years or so. The suggestion above are in sync with this new wave of diets. If you don’t think the advice given above is correct or right for you, don’t follow the diet’s advice. 

5. Get a book on Lateral Thinking Logic Puzzles like from Amazon HERE. Some of the used books can be just $1-2. Try to do 2 puzzles a day.

6. Take the L-Tyrosine 500 mg supplement. Reviews are here and seem to be mostly positive. It is supposed to help with ADD and Depression. Total of about $10 for 120 capsules or 4 months. Amazon link HERE

7. Get more sleep. Focus on REM sleep and deep sleep and get around 7-7.5 hours. For most people, they don’t function well with too little or too much sleep. The average is around 7-7.5 hours. Try (and I use the word “try” here) to get to sleep early and wake up early. Some people even suggest to go to sleep at 9 pm and wake up at 4 am.   No financial cost to you to change your lifestyle that much.

Conclusion: So if we were conservative with our number and added them up all together, we realize that over 80% of the total cost is from our Provigil prescription, if we don’t have a good medical plan. For everything else, you probably can get everything for only $60 or less.