Author Archives: Senior Researcher

Hakker’s HUSS, Hybrid, and H4GS Stack Routine Reverse Engineered

It seems that even right now, in the year 2014, 2 full years after the infamous GrowTallForum.com discussion board was shut down due to the member’s petty arguments, people are still somehow interested in Thomas’s/Hakker’s routines, specifically his HUSS Stack Routine, the HYBRID Routine, or something known as the H4GS Stack. There were some other methods like the H5GS method but we have almost no information about those methods. I am going to fully describe in as much detail as possible what was the extend of Thomas’s research and how far he managed to push the endeavor. We were first made aware of this guy who called himself that name and wrote about him in one of our earliest posts “Who Was “Hacker” And What Was His Method Or Technique? Almost Everything You Wanted To Know”. Back then we were were just going about copy and pasting his old posts from the forums and didn’t get any chance to look over the science of what he was doing.

I personally did interview Thomas on the 5^th episode of the Natural Height Growth Podcast (Click Here to Listen) and he did mention how his stacks eventually worked out. At some point in our discussion, he fully admitted to me (and all that listened to the episode) that while his stacks did work for people with growth plates still available, it would not work on people with closed growth plates, in any of the cases. He also mentioned that I would probably get bored with doing the research, but so far this problem still interests me enough to continue to just read and write.

We did find a list of all the possible compounds that Thomas ever recommended to be in any stack so we guess that one of the combinations and formulations was the HUSS Stack Routine. We noted that in the post “H.U.S.S. Method For Height Increase By Hakker For Stacking Found”

This is my final attempt at trying to summarize every last part of his knowledge into one condensed area. So let’s begin

I was recently looking for more information on this term I remember seeing before called “H4GS” when I found old posts written by Hakker. He had supposedly posted on the BodyBuilding.com website under the names Hakker and iHakker. The threads he wrote for are available Here, Here and Here. People even now have posted on the website (here) looking for more information on his “advanced” methods. There was also supposed to be a website or forum called www.ihakker.com , www.biohakker.com, hakker.betaboard.net, hakker.forumei.net, and www.heightcatalyst.com These are now all dead websites. He’s definitely moved on in his life from this endeavor, which he did give 3-4 years of. There have been some other websites which have been very informative like www.kazlina.com (run by a former moderator of the grow tall forum who called herself Kazlina) and www.heighteffects.com (which was pronounced as Height FX and run by someone also made a real effort in trying to figure it out, also looking into the connection between pregnancy and growth) but all of these website are no longer around either. What I had to do was scrape together everything that I could to give a full summation and outline on his research.

Based on what what he communicated with Tyler, he understood the material at a relatively high level of scientific sophistication. It is time that we take the knowledge that they did, outline it in a way that we can all can digest, and build upon their work and research.

One thing that he did fully agree with was the fact that once your growth plates are fused, you can’t get them back. We quote him saying “It’s impossible to get the growth plates back once they are fused,…”

Here is a few shorthand terms that he would use consistently…

GT4I – stands for the hugely popular E-Book/Scam product “Grow Taller 4 Idiots”. You can download it in PDF form from many websites.
LSJL – Lateral Synovial Joint Loading – just do a search on the website to learn more about this.
Ghen – stands for Ghenerate, which has been a type of pill sold on the internet which is supposed to increase the level of GH in the body.
IGH1 – stands for IGH-1, which was a type of pill that was sold on the internet
CPM1 – is Closed Plates Method 1 – This included LSJL
CPM2 – stands for Closed Plates Method 2 – this method was supposed to possibly regenerate back the growth plates.
MOD GRF – Modified Growth hormone Releasing Factor – a 29 amino acid peptide analog of Growth-hormone-releasing hormone
GHRP2 – Growth Hormone Related Peptide Type 2 – stimulates the pituitary gland’s production of human growth hormone (HGH)

(Note: Everything written in italics are quotes which were originally written by Thomas/Hakker)

6 methods, each consisting of a stack of oral supplements/compounds carefully put together to ensure maximum safety and optimal height gain. In order of potency and growth capability:

So first up:

Method 1 – MENS. This is by far the cheapest and most bang for buck method. For beginners.
Method 2 – HUSS – Advanced stack – ~2.5cm per month
Method 3 – HYBRID – ~3.5cm per month / HYBRID-Injectable ~4.5cm per month
Method 4 – H4GS – Experimental stack – 4cm+ per month

The 1^st routine, called M.E.N.S. Routine Stack

Apparently Thomas did NOT create the routine himself, but it was formulated by something named Cliffs.

This consisted of 4 elements

Melatonin – Dosage: 3 mg – the best time to take the melatonin is around 20 minutes before going to sleep. You want to stay out of the man-made lights after taking the melatonin. The intended effect is for the melatonin to ….” get rid of excess estrogen and promotes deep sleep”

Niacin – Dosage: 100 -500 mg – (Niacin goes by many names, including Niacin B3, B-3, Vitamin B3, and Nicotinic Acid). Its chemical formulation is C6H5NO2)

Warning #1: The study that Hakker’s basis his facts on had the original experimenters deliver the niacin intravenously, through needle and syringe at the amount of 500 mg. He recommend that we do it orally. This represents a huge difference, since many vitamins and minerals we take orally will be removed in the stomach and filtered out by the liver and kidneys, before ever reaching the blood stream. Taking any drug intravenously is much more effective.

Warning #2: 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. This is more than 4X what Hakker suggested taking orally.

In terms of how to take it, you take the niacin at a fasting state (on an empty stomach), since it is supposed to supplement and increase the GH releasing effects of Ghrelin. Ghrelin is the enzyme that the release by the stomach to tell the brain that the body is hungry and needs to eat and get nutrition. So again, take the niacin about 3 and a half hours after taking a protein shake. Don’t take any more carbs for at least 3 more hours. Proteins are okay to take, even 30 minutes after taking the Niacin, which should cause the flush. Just no carbs for a few huors.

The protocol he suggests is the following…

Eat meal
Wait 3 hours
Take Niacin at 500 mg
Wait for the flush
Start your workout
Take your protein shake after the workout
Wait 2 and a half more hours afterwards
Take the dextrose powder and carbs

This series of steps is supposed to increase one’s muscle mass at a high rate.

Over the issue of the flush: Most people who listened to Hakker’s advice believe that you should only be taking the flush type of Niacin. Even if you have bought the right type, the flush type, after taking it for a while, one might no longer feel the effect of the flush. Hakker suggests that when this happens, look for other pill bottles sold which have the niacin labeled as “Nicotinic Acid”. (We personally don’t understand the scientific reason for this claim). The other option to take if one is noticing that the flush is no longer there after a certain amount of time, is to stop taking the niacin for 3 days, drop the dosage by half to just 250 mg for a couple of days, and then go back up to 500 mg.

For the experimenters, they didn’t want their patients to feel the effects of the ‘flush’ so they gave the patients some aspirin, which seems to mitigate the flushing effects of Niacin.

Sleep – Duration: 8 hours – since the melatonin you would take is to help the pineal gland to modulate better the circadian rhythm, you want to set your sleeping schedule and cycle to be as close to the rise and set of the sun, which sets the level of ambient light. (So pretend you are our gorilla/primate ancestors long ago and use that type of sleep schedule where they rise and fall based on the sun).

Exercise – sprinting – do the high intensity resistance & high intensity sprints every 2 days. No more than 10 minutes should be enough. The suggested duration is to sprint about 5 minutes just 3 days out of each week, which would be enough. The other suggested way is to do the 5 minute sprints every other day of the week, which averages out to be 3.5 days.

The Cycling Issue for Niacin/B3 – Hakker/Thomas recommended that you use the Niacin every other day.

As for the longer time frame, for the Niacin, take it every other day for two weeks, then cycle off for 1 week. Another options he wrote was to cycle on the niacin for 4 weeks, and then go off the cycle for 2 weeks.

He also wrote that even 5 days of cycling off the niacin after 4 weeks of cycling on it would be enough.

(As the readers can see, some of the information and advice he has given has been inconsistent, about the cycling down time frame. We can only guess that his advice changed over the years after he did more research and became more informed and knowledgeable on the cycling effects of long term niacin usage).

Flush type over the Non-Flush Type

Flush/The correct type – The label states “Vitamin B3 and/or Nicotinic Acid”
Non-Flush/ The Incorrect type – The label states “Niacinamide, Inositol Hexanicotinate, & other Niacin Timed release supplements”

How He Explained Why Taking Niacin Would Work

As we have already stated before in the description of Niacin, Hakker’s reasoning was that the Niacin would have a type of additive effect to the pituitary-hypothalamic GH stimulatory effect of the Grehlin compound, which also stimulates the brain for GH release. He suggested to take the niacin on an empty stomach. Empty stomachs already have the intestinal-neural stimulatory pathway build in. The protein/enzyme Ghrelin signals to the brain that the body is hungry, which is supposed to trigger GH release, based on Hakker’s logic.

His logic was that with a slight nudge to the GHRH and Niacin, you would be able to get the same level of GH release stimulated as using the combination of MOD GRF and GHRP2. He talked about combining 4 different types of compounds to stimulate GH for a maximum GH burst/release, but some of the other things he mentions we still haven’t figured out.

Then mention of how GH release goes by 3 hour cycles is something we couldn’t figure out. He might be basing it on the fact that usually, the GH is released the most during sleep. Sleep is controlled by the circadian rhythm, which is categorized into stages, and measured by the frequency waves from a type of EEG machine. One cycle in the sleep cycle, accounting all the stages, is about 3 hours long.

Read the excerpt from BodyBuilding.com which he posted below.

The Cycling for the Melatonin: Use the Melatonin for 5 days, and then cycle off for 2 days.

This would have been the cheapest and simplest method to implement. You are trying to increase the level of HGH in the entire body/system. The high doses of Niacin and inhibiting aromatase, which is known as o-estrogen, is done using melatonin.

The 2^nd Routine, called the H.U.S.S. HUSS Stack Routine Method

This method is the one that so many people have been trying to get from us for so long. We have gotten dozens of messages asking us what this particular message was. We finally figured it out because of notes left by someone else recently this year. They made a post (Available Here) on the intended effects on what HUSS is supposed to do. The notes that they left helps us reconstruct the stack that Thomas had. It was relatively easy to figure out, once we just used simple logic to reverse the causality process of effects and the pills that would cause them. We also used the list of compounds we had found previous from the post “H.U.S.S. Method For Height Increase By Hakker For Stacking Found”

You are trying to increase the level of growth hormone secretion using whatever peptides and hormones are in your body. You are going to signal to the PI3K pathway to induce the MSCs in the marrow of the bones to differentiate into chondrocytes. If this method was successful, it would have validated the theory that the PI3K pathway was essential in the process of endochondral bone growth.

Two other factors mentioned this stack as intended to do were the following…

Increase the level of DNA methylation or at least keep it at a high enough level. This was supposed to keep the cartilage from fully ossifying or maybe even regenerating back the cartilage tissue.
It is supposed to inhibit the level of somatostatin release into the system.

So let’s figure a few parts out for you guys.

The H.U.S.S. stack stands for 4 elements, just like before.

H – This stands for Hexarelin – Dosage: 50 micrograms per day – take in morning – this would activate the PI3K Pathway. It is a type of GHRP-6 Analog. When combined with the compound GHRH-(1-29)-NH2 (Dosage at 1 microgram/kg) then the two compounds work together has a type of synergistic effect.

The problem with this particular compound is that using it would increase the level of prolactin, cortisol, and desensitization of the receptors so you can’t over use this compound. That is why they tell you to use it just once a day.

Source: The effect of repeated administration of hexarelin, a growth hormone releasing peptide, and growth hormone releasing hormone on growth hormone responsivity.

U – Hyperzine A – Dosage: Unknown – We had to compare the notes of people who had the compounds with other notes made by others to figure out this compound. Note the reason why this stack was called H.U.S.S. – The HU represents the HUperzine A compound. However, that is not enough.

The claim made by the folks is that this compound is a somatostatin inhibitor. The person who posted on the forum just this year stated that for the second stack, the HUSS, one of its intended effects is to inhibit the release of somatostatin into the system. Physiologically it makes a little bit of sense. The GH and the Somatostatin are both released by the hypothalamic-anterior pituitary bi-organ system in a checks-and-balances way. The somatostatin would block the effect of GH. In this way, if you can stop the somatostatin, you give the somatropin (aka GH) sort of free rein to do stuff to the tissue of the system.

S – 3 elements, all for supposedly methylation of the DNA 1. SAM-e, 2. MSM & 3. Chondroitin

SAM-e (S-Adenosyl methionine) (Aka Ademetionine) – Dosage: – Apparently this compound would stimulate DNA Methylation and increases the proliferation of the cells towards the epiphyseal line.

Study: S-Adenosylmethionine and methylation & Growth plate senescence is associated with loss of DNA methylation

MSM & Chondroitin – The MSM stands for (methylsulfonylmethane) is a source of sulfur, one of the most abundant minerals in the human body. Sulfur is essential in many body functions. It’s critical to the production of healthy collagen. This one is the only one which we are not completely confident about. The guess is made because of the emphasize made by Hakker over the fact that multiple elements of a stack was claimed to be used for DNA Methylation. – Dosage: 1000 mg per day

The Explanation on why the S & S stands for SAM-e and MSM & Chondroitin – We had to get this information from PhenomHCL, who was a follower of Xcrunner’s research. It seems that Thomas based his HUSS formulation from Xcrunner’s claims. We found a post made which showed that Xcrunner believed that the growth plates never fully go away. They never fully seal, but only remain inactive. Apparently, if you take SAM-e & MSM & Chondroitin, you can “reactive” the inactive growth plates. For evidence on this rather extreme claim, just check out our clipped picture below.

S – Sleep – 8 Hours, focus on syncing sleep with 8 hours, sun light,

Update Feb 24th, 2014 – We had to rethink this part, since it was something we left out. One of the elements which begins with S should be for sleep. For this, follow the same advice as what is written for the MENS stack routine. 8 hours, focus on sleeping along with natural sun light, and sync one’s circadian rhythm to the cycle of the sun.

As for diet, obviously use good judgement, eat healthy, and focus on real nutrients and vitamins.

The 3^rd Routine, (This might either be the HYBRID Method, part of the HUSS method, or some other method that is a derivative of the HUSS stack but separate from it)

This method is similar to something another forum member created or suggested. This is believed to have been created by Xcrunner, who claimed that he was going to be in Medical School back in those years (2006-2010). The idea again is to prevent bone maturation.

You want to stimulate the PI3K Pathway
You want to stimulate the system to increase the release of IGF-1.
The intended effect was that the rate of osteoblast proliferation would be increased.
The other intended effect from the stack is that it is supposed to keep the feedback loop in the body negative. Apparently, the logic was that if the output of the feedback loop was kept at “negative”, the signal to the hypothalamus-pituitary gland organs would be kept “on” continuing to release more GH (than if the loop would have turned the GH stimulated release off).

It would prevent the accumulation of testosterone in the blood.

There was two supplements Xcrunner mentioned with should possibly let a person continue to increase in height no matter what age a person would be at. We did a few posts on his research in the post “From GrowTallForum.com, Xcrunner211 Notes On Height Increase For Teenage Males With Open Plates, Warning NSFW”

You combine whatever supplements is supposed to be taken with high intensity exercise like basketball to induce microfractures. The natural ability for the bones to cover up over microfracture means that the bones are supposed to grow thicker (and possibly longer) over time.

The 4th Routine – H4GS Stack

One claim made by a recent poster was that this stock is supposed to consistof only 3 main compounds – Letrozole, Oxandrolone, & Ghenerate. We suspect that this stack we have reverse engineered also includes the CJC-1295 & Melatonin.

H – Hexarelin – Read message above on HUSS stack
H – Huperzine A – Read message above on the HUSS stack
H – GHRH-NH2 – this compound is one that Hakker just called the GHRH2 or I-29. It has a very high effect of GH release when combined with Hexarelin
H – IGH-1 – Why the people of the forum was so adamant on using SAM-e, Ghenerate and IHG-1 in combination makes no sense to us.
G – GHenerate – Obviously the G stands for Ghenerate
S – SAM-e – The S represents the SAM-e compound.

Some claims made by Hakker in the beginning

It should be possible to increase in height by 2 inches in the spine or torso region through a combination of using LSJL + GT4I + Ghen + IGH1
Another stack idea proposed which is MENS + Ghenerate + IGH1. Include also the GT4I as well since he states that it will help greatly
He claims that he grew 5 cms in 2 months from doing his own methods. This would have increased his original height of 5 3″ to around 5′ 5″. Based on the ages that we were given, he was probably about 15-16 during that time range.
Apparently Hakker never tried to do the MENS stack, but other types. He did the HUSS Method, Hybrid, H4GS, and some future method called the H5GS.
If you do the MENS routine correctly, you should be able to increase in height about 1.5 cms per month on average.
It is possible to gain 4 inches of height through the spine/torso part only.

Some conclusive thoughts

At some point, people started to accuse that this Hakker guy was a 15 year old young kid who was just 5′ 3″ and wanted to play as super-scientists in one of the various threads that I read. Based on what I did learn after interviewing Thomas, his age at least seems to have been validated.

Some other information about the effects of Niacin, at least hypothesized by Thomas. (source) Almost all of the information about niacin was based on just one main study. (source:“Growth hormone, cortisol and glucagon concentration during plasma free fatty acid depression. Different effects of nicotinic acid and an adenosine derivative“)

“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.”

During the 2nd half of this study, the experimenters put some fatty acids into the body. The fatty acids blocked the GH release. This is why Hakker has always claimed that one should not eat carbs, since the back building block of carbs, sugars, turns into acids. However, based on that logic, we should say to avoid any fatty foods, since the basic building block of adipose tissues or fats, is fatty acids. Some author also stated that glucose and insulin also inhibits the release of GH, so the basic idea is just don’t eat to let the GH do its work.

The Side Effects

Some sources say that there is no harmful side effects even with high levels of Niacin, but we don’t believe that. If you are taking the flush type, the most obvious side effect is that you will feel this rush of heat through the body like a wave of heat running down the body, similar to the heat in a tanning salon.

The most likely side effect has been some type of damage to the liver. There will most likely be elevation of liver enzymes or liver toxicity.

“Niacin aggravates blood sugar problems in insulin dependent diabetics, further worsening their lipid problems, usually causing their triglycerides to skyrocket. Alternatively, I recommend niacinamide (also contained in Optimum D) in doses up to three grams daily for insulin dependent diabetics.”

What is good about getting the Vitamin B3 intravenously is that it does seem to be doing a better job at increasing the HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) aka Good Cholesterol while also lowering the LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) aka Bad Cholesterol (at a lower degree). (Read about the difference between the two types Here from the American Heart Association). The researchers believe that while the HDL helps prevent heart attack, the LDL causes plaque build up in the arteries. In addition, the triglyceride levels were also lowered.

I think we should just admit that the Niacin acts similar to Nitric Oxide. It is a type of vasodilator. It relaxes the vascular smooth muscles and allows more blood flow in the capillaries. This is known as the flush.

In the end, we are only reporting the information currently. It will take us much longer to do the necessary research to see whether these proposed ideas have any validity.

Remember again this though. Thomas/Hakker himself stated to me in the 5th Podcast Episode that none of his stack worked for people who had closed growth plates in the end. That is something to take away from all this and think about. We can not promise anything real either, only that we are going to stick with the research and never stop learning.

This Non-Prescription Supplement Has Been Scientifically Proven To Make You Grow Taller Even With Closed Growth Plates

The other day I read an article in a business related website from a well known financial writer that it is next to impossible to change people’s behavior. The internal inertia within people (described as entropic entities) suggest that on average, humans will always choose the path with the least resistance, that require the least bit of energy or effort. It turns out that the way to change a person to adjust their lifestyle and their behavior is either through giving pain which is a form of operant conditioning after they correct behavior, or you give the person who might only make the smallest of effort a series of easy wins in the beginning. Apparently the early wins create a type of reward or positive feedback loop pathway. It causes the release of dopamine which makes people want to continue to do the new behavior, as opposed to falling back onto their old behavior and habits. So, I’m going to take that advice and help you guys get a small win. This will be one of the first posts you will see when you arrive to our website Natural Height Growth.

So I guess it is time to just tell the people who visit this website the first, and probably the only, real supplement or pill that has been scientifically proven to increase height in people, even if they have no hyaline cartilage left between their secondary and primary ossification centers (aka growth plates). I once wrote in a very early post about the people’s desire to find some type of magic pill that will make them taller without pain, effort, and maybe just a little bit of money spent (Read the post “There Is No Magic Bullet“). Well, today I’ll tell the people that there is just one type of pill. I am not joking or lying to you guys. This pill will make you grow taller even with closed growth plates. We would never make false claims about just things, since that is not the culture and style of this website.

Caveat: Of course, there is just a slight “catch” about this pill, which I will state at the very end. (If you have been trying to get taller before, you already know the “but” part however the ending is reserved for beginners, people who are just starting out and looking for something that can give them some hope and encouragement in the beginning.)

So what is this pill?

– Glucosamine Sulphate –

At what dosage? 1500 mg

Yes, that’s right. This is one of the most common non-prescription supplement pill which you probably have seen at your local Costco which lets you buy it in bulk. It has been proven to be not just good for your joints in removing the pain from such cartilage degenerative diseases as osteoarthritis, but also has been shown with almost conclusive evidence to help people increase their height, even after all of their epiphyseal growth plate cartilage has disappeared from endochondral ossification completion. However, it does not increase height in the way that most people are led to believe.

Buy the Supplement From Amazon Here

(Note: Yes, the link above is an Amazon Affiliate Link. If you are kind enough to buy the pills, or anything from Amazon through that link, the website will get about 6-7% commission from your purchases.)

What are some possible side effects?

First we note that all supplements are drugs. Let’s remember how our old D.A.R.E course back in middle school defined the term “Drug“. A “drug” is any type of substance , besides food and water, you put in your body that will alter the state of your body or mind. All drugs, taken at high enough dosages can become toxic and start to hurt your body. Even food and water can do that. Remember the story of that woman who died from Dihydrogen Monoxide Poisoning a few years ago trying to win a car? So, our recommendation is this. DO NOT Overdo the dosage. It is asinine to believe that swallowing 5 of these pills in one day is somehow better than just 1. The side effects that are most common has been upset stomach and indigestion. Those are however benign adverse reactions. Also, refer to the WebMD article on Glucosamine Sulfate.

Our Thoughts and Explanations

More than a year ago, we had already questioned the efficacy of this one supplement, and the results and feedback we got about the effectiveness of this supplement in the post “Increase Height And Grow Taller Using Chondroitin And Glucosamine (Breakthrough?)” showed that there was already a lot of interest and belief that this supplement does seem to work. The video we had uploaded was a guy who explained that he managed to increase his height by upwards of even 1.25 Inches (3 cm) from the supplement. (Note: We originally had made a conversion mistake and said that 1.25 inches was 4 cms, but recently corrected it. It is closer to 3 cms)

We reposted that video below so you guys won’t have to scramble around trying to figure out where we have been getting our information from.

Even I started to take the Glucosamine Sulphate in the middle of last year. I wrote about it back in the monthly update post “May of 2013 – What I’ve Been Doing“. I had measured myself and I also noticed around 2-3 millimeters of height increase after 2 months of oral supplementation. I would say that the increase was probably not because of measurement error. I made sure to get about a dozen measurements using mirrors and rulers. That was when I shaved my head and was swimming on a regular basis because I was living back in the US, after traveling around Asia the last year and a half.

The Scientific Proof and Studies

If you guys have any doubts about the scientific proof of this claim, Click Here and you’ll get a copy of the PDF of the randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled study. The title of the paper is “Effects of Glucosamine Sulphate on Spinal Height: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo Controlled Pilot Study”

One of the authors of this exact study is Dr Peter McCarthy, from the Welsh Institute of Chiropractic at Glamorgan University, who carried out the study. It is the exact study that was referenced by our older post about the effect of using Glucosamine with Chondroitin. The reference we are talking about was written on the Daily UK Website entitled “Can a pill make you taller in four weeks?” maybe 3 years ago.

The results showed that on average, a person would gain around 2-4 mm of extra height from taking the pill on a regular basis for upwards of 4 weeks. This is assuming that they don’t do anything else to help with the height gain.

The Catch: The pill probably won’t give most people the type of extra height that they would hope for. When we get messages from people asking for help, they ask for usually 4-5 inches. If people are hoping to turn from a Messi into a Peter Crouch, they are going to be severely disappointed. The maximum one would ever expect from this type of pill form of grow taller technique is probably 2-3 cms, but I know quite a few people who have paid almost $100,000 to get just 5 cm of extra height from going through with limb lengthening surgery. (Click here to listen to our interview with Andrew, who did 9 cms of extra height in his femurs through surgery)

So if you are interested in possibly getting upwards of even 3 cms of extra height which might be more permanent that most people would believe, then this pill is the best, cheapest, most convenient option at the current time. This is as close to a cheap form of magic pill as we are probably going to ever get, at least for the next few decades.

Remember that for most people, getting 3 cm is probably very abnormal without other factors included. The extra rewards will require more than just popping a pill into one’s mouth every night before sleep. It won’t be that easy. You will be required to do some types of stretching/decompressing of the vertebrate discs exercises to get more height. Refer to our other post “Restore Spinal Disk Height And Increase Height Temporarily Through Land Based Supine Flexion“. This will get one’s lower back/lumbar intervertebral discs to become fully straightened out/decompressed.

Future Research: There have been claims that Chondroitin, Hyaluronic Acid, and Heparan Sulfate would also work, but let’s just start off by taking this supplement for now, and worry about other supplements for a later time.

Again, here is the link to buy the supplement from Amazon

Here’s the full study:

The study says that with age there is a decrease in glycosaminoglycan in the iVD.

The authors state that glucosamine can affect the height of normal spinal height of non arthritic population. The authors speculate that this may be a result of reduction in dirunal shrinkage.

“Both the glucosamine sulphate and the placebo were supplied by Health Perception (UK) Ltd and
were identical in appearance and packaging. The active tablets contained 500 mg of glucosamine sulphate with potassium chloride. In addition, both the active tablets and the placebo contained microcrystalline cellulose, di-calcium phosphate and magnesium stearate. It was necessary for all participants to take three tablets per day of their respective treatments so that those in the
glucosamine group would be taking 1500 mg day of the active substance.”

This study found that glucosamine had no effect on cartilage parameters:

Assessment of the effect of glucosamine sulfate and exercise on knee cartilage using magnetic resonance imaging in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled clinical trial

“Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease characterized by the focal deterioration and abrasion of articular cartilage. The goals of therapy are preserving normal joint function, relieving pain and improving quality of life (QOL). This study is performed to investigate whether glocosamine sulfate and exercise could both delay joint structure degradation evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and improve symptoms in a short time period. Materials and methods: Thirty-nine women with the diagnosis of knee OA were enrolled in the study. Patients were randomized into two groups. Group I (n=20) received an exercise program, while group II (n=19) received glucosamin sulphate (1500 mg/day) in addition to the exercise therapy. Both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The patients were evaluated before and after the treatment regarding pain, disability, functional performance, muscle strength, QOL, depression and MRI findings (cartilage volume, medial and lateral cartilage thickness{If these increase it could be an indication that height could increase}). Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in pain, disability, functional performance, QOL and depression with no statistically significant difference between the groups after the therapy. While there were significant improvements for all MRI parameters expect right knee cartilage volume and lateral cartilage thickness in two groups, statistically significant differences could not be demonstrated between the groups after the therapy. Conclusion:We found no additional effect of glucosamine in delaying the radiological progression and relieving the symptoms of OA. We also demonstrated that exercise alone was adequate to prevent structural changes and cartilage loss of the knee joint as assessed by MRI. Level of evidence: Diagnostic study (prospective study).”

This study did find a difference:

Effects of Chondroitin and Glucosamine Sulfate in a Dietary Bar Formulation on Inflammation, Interleukin-1β, Matrix Metalloprotease-9, and Cartilage Damage in Arthritis

“This study examined the effects of chondroitin sulfate (CS) alone and CS plus glucosamine sulfate (GS) in a dietary bar formulation on inflammatory parameters of adjuvant-induced arthritis and on the synthesis of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9). Following 25 days pretreatment with dietary bars containing either CS alone, CS plus GS, or neither CS nor GS, rats were either sham injected or injected with Freund’s complete adjuvant into the tail vein. Rats were fed their respective bars for another 17 days after inoculation. Parameters of disease examined included clinical score (combination of joint temperature, edema, hyperalgesia, and standing and walking limb function), incidence of disease, levels of IL-1β in the serum and paw joints, levels of MMP-9 in the paw joints, paw joint histology, and joint cartilage thickness. Treatment with CS plus GS, but not CS alone, significantly reduced clinical scores, incidences of disease, joint temperatures, and joint and serum IL-1β levels. Treatment with CS alone and CS plus GS inhibited the production of edema and prevented raised levels of joint MMP-9 associated with arthritis. Similarly, CS alone and CS plus GS treatment also prevented the development of cartilage damage associated with arthritis. Combination CS plus GS treatment in a dietary bar formulation ameliorates clinical, inflammatory, and histologic parameters of adjuvant-induced arthritis. The benefits of CS and GS in combination are more pronounced than those of CS alone. The reduction of arthritic disease by CS plus GS is associated with a reduction of IL-1 β and MMP-9 synthesis.”

This study did not find a difference:

Effect of glucosamine sulphate on the temporomandibular joint of ovariectomised rats

“Glycosamine is an amino-monosaccharide present in connective and cartilage tissues that contribute to the maintenance, resistance, flexibility, and elasticity of these tissues. This study aimed to determine the in vivo effects of glucosamine sulphate (GS) on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of ovariectomised rats (OVX).Thirty-two rats were distributed into four groups as follows: G1, sham-OVX + saline solution; G2, sham-OVX + glucosamine sulphate (80 mg/kg) – oral administration; G3, OVX + saline solution; G4, OVX + glucosamine sulphate (80 mg/kg) – oral administration. Animals were treated for seven days. The TMJ was removed and stained with toluidine blue. The thickness of the cartilage layers and cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were determined by histomorphometry and immunoassay, respectively. The administration of GS to OVX females did not change the thickness of condylar cartilage when compared with the other groups (p > 0.05). There was an increase in the total cartilage thickness in sham-OVX females. IL-1β and TNF-α levels were significantly lower in sham-OVX females than in OVX females, indicating that ovariectomy acts as potent cytokine inducer. IL-6 levels were significantly higher in sham-OVX females. GS did not affect cytokine production in OVX females (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the administration of GS did not affect cytokine levels, but did induce an increase in the total thickness of the TMJ condylar cartilage in sham-OVX rats.”

It may the type of glucosamine that affects whether it works or not

Effects of glucosamine in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the main causes of mobility decline in the elderly. Non-surgical treatments such as administration of supplements to strengthen the joint cartilage matrix have become popular not only for pain relief but also for joint preservation. Glucosamine has been used in many countries based on the increasing evidence of its effectiveness for OA. Although there are many previous studies and systematic reviews, the findings vary and different conclusions have been drawn. We aimed to review recent randomized controlled trials on glucosamine for knee OA to reveal up-to-date findings about this supplement. We also performed a meta-analysis of some of the outcomes to overcome the unsolved bias in each study. Eighteen articles written between 2003 and 2016 were analyzed. Many used visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), which were assessed in our meta-analysis. We found a marginally favorable effect of glucosamine on VAS pain scores. The effect on knee function, as measured by the WOMAC, was small and not significant. A newly established knee OA scale, the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM), is commonly used in Japan. Although the number of subjects was small, the JKOM meta-analysis indicated that glucosamine is superior to a placebo in alleviating knee OA symptoms. Given this, we concluded that glucosamine has the potential to alleviate knee OA pain. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effect of glucosamine on knee function and joint preservation, as well as to evaluate the combined effect with other components, such as chondroitin.”

“Two important reviews, Cochrane review in 2005 and the review by Eriksen et al. in 2014, reported the importance of the brand of glucosamine to explain the variance and that the studies using the Rottapharm/Madaus product showed statistically significant effects on knee OA symptoms, while other glucosamine products failed to prove their effects“

” the use of the prescription formulation of patented crystalline glucosamine sulfate (Rottapharm/Madaus product) and chondroitin sulfate”

In the spinal height study the subjects did perhaps a crystalline form.

How Orthopedic Surgeons Perfoming Limb Lengthening Surgery Are Making Over 8 Figures A Year In Salary

How Orthopedic Surgeons Performing Limb Lengthening Surgery Are Making Over 8 Figures A Year In Salary

After this recent podcast posting I did with Andrew on his experience with going through with cosmetic surgery to gain almost 4 inches in extra height, I started to become interested in wondering “just how much money do this doctors make on average, annually?”

I decided to do some “back of the envelope” calculations and if my values are accurate, then orthopedic surgeons who perform the limb lengthening surgery may be the highest paid medical specialty in the world.

About a month ago, I was trying to find information on which medical specialties make the most out of all the medical professions. It turns out that from all the sources I’ve found online, orthopedic surgery is consistently ranked the highest paid specialty. The average values that are usually raised are about $430,000-$450,000/ year in earning for guys who work with the spine specifically. (source 1, source 2, source 3)

There was one resource (here) , which a different value, putting the average earnings much higher, at $710,000/ year.

We find that orthopedic surgeons who perform specifically on the spine makes even more than neurological surgeons and cardiovascular surgeons. I guess the old image of brain surgeons and heart surgeons was not as financially beneficial as we are made to believe. They may be within the top 3, but are not at the top. That goes to spine surgeons.

If we are to assume that the average non-spinal orthopedic surgeon (hip & joint) was making about $600,000, then having a ranking of being an excellent surgeons would increase that salary upwards by 30%, making their earnings to be around $1,000,000/year.

Now these guys are reaching the level of earnings only seen in Investment Banking ($1-$3 Mil/year), Senior Partners at Mckinsey ($2-$4 Mil/year), and Senior Partners at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz ($4-$8/year). Only Hedge Fund Managers and Major Movie Stars (and directors) have a higher earning potential per year, and those entertainment guys don’t have the same level of stability has guys in consulting & finance. However, there is a few unique breeds of physicians whose earnings rival even the guys in finance, consulting, and law practice. That is what we are talking about here.

I was recently watching the TV Show House MD, in the 2nd season in the episode “The Mistake“, A surgeon that house tries to bribe (and then blackmail) mentions his salary at the hospital. It turns out that even one of the worst surgeons in the hospital who performs liver transplants makes around $600,000 on average. Obviously the show is not based on reality, but the producers and writers of the show try to be accurate on those types of figures when they do their research, especially for a medicine based tv show. So let’s assume that the value the actor playing the doctor speaks of is reasonable, at $600,000. Of course this was back in 2005, so we would have to take into account the 3-5% increase annually of physician salary to keep up with inflation over the years, even accounting for the factor of the major economic depression of 2008-2009. This is the first indicator that the salaries of surgeons in general are very high. So we can already assume that really good physicians at major hospitals are bringing in already almost 7 figures a year. I remember an anecdote about the highest paid physician in Canada, and his/her earnings per year was around $4-5 Mil/Year.

Something that doctors don’t tell their patients is their salaries, but one well known fact is that doctors who do their own private practices, instead of working in hospitals, clinics, and teach make the most money, but only if their private practice is doing very well with a good marketing department. So let’s increase that factor by another 30% for surgeons.

My own dentist back in Bellevue, WA (one of the richest regions of the USA because of Microsoft, Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos who both live in Medina) was making half a million a year herself from good marketing which she paid for years ago after finding a firm to advertise her services. She was the only dentist with a medical staff of half a dozen dental hygienists, which doesn’t include the front desk people who do all the accounts and billing.

Something that most people who never went to Med School know about is this test called Step 1, which is the first version of the USMLE. It is based on the score you get in this one grade which determines which specialties you can apply and/or get into. The cut off point for passing is around 190 currently but to be considered for the best, highest paid specialities you need to have a score of around 240 usually, with the highest almost always being Plastic Surgery in recent years. What happens is that this three digit number is the best indicator of which residency programs that you would be even matched with. Matching is one of the most interesting processes medical school grads will ever half to go through. You fly around the country, or even other countries to interview with perspective residency programs so that you get to interview the programs/clinics/other physicians and they get to interview you. It really is very much like dating, but only there is no chance that you will end up naked in a hotel room at the end of the interview with the other people (unless it went really, REALLY well).

It might be interesting to ask oneself why is it that plastic surgery matching requires such a high step 1 score. (Read Successfully Matching Into Surgical Specialties: An Analysis of National Resident Matching Program Data). At this point, I guess cosmetic surgery is one of the most lucrative specialties with extremely high payoffs. We know that almost all types of cosmetic surgeries requires that the patient completely pay out of their own pocket. I don’t know any medical insurance plans which cover it. The only medical situation where I would guess is if one decides to use the medical excuse of a deviated septum causing sleep apnea to get a rhinoplasty but even that requires that a person use a medical reason first to justify their desire to get it just for cosmetic reasons.

I’ve been living in the Gangnam area of Seoul for almost a year and a half and I know personally very well just how lucrative plastic surgery can be. A 2 Hour surgery can be a total of $50,000 (and upwards) out of pocket. The BK Hospital based in Nonhyeon-Dong in Gangnam-Gu of Seoul is probably is the most famous and has surgical clients fly in from every corner of the world to go there for their excellent service and high quality of surgeons. There is no insurance, no discounts, just you and your bank account.

If we then combine the specialty of orthopedic surgeons and plastic surgery surgeons together, we create the most lucrative medical specialty there probably has ever existed, cosmetic orthopedic surgeons. Cosmetic Orthopedic Surgeons focus mainly on limb lengthening surgery and helping their clients to become taller. That fact is that even in Seoul, Gangnam there is still only maybe a dozen surgeons who are focusing on this micro-niche of surgical speciality.

Andrew has said that the combined total of his surgery with rehabilitation, room and board, etc. was about 70,000-80,000 Euros. That amounts to around $100,000-$110,000 USD. If Andrew wasn’t from Singapore, which is probably the richest country in the world (maybe Monaco is slightly more), then there is probably no way he would have been able to afford this type of surgery.

That was where I started to do actually do my back of the envelope calculations. The average american worker has an hourly rate, and we take that hourly rate and multiply it by a factor of 2000 to figure out how much their yearly income is. If we just took the $50,000 someone like Dr. Betz makes per surgery, and multiple that by 2000, that comes out to $10,000,000 income per year.

If instead we assumed that Dr. Betz himself did all of the real surgery, then he probably can only perform 1-2 surgeries every working day. If we then multiple the cost of each surgery, at $50,000 with the number of surgeries performed each day, at about 1.5, and then multiple that value by the number of days a person in either the USA or Germany works, around 200 days per year, that comes out to be $50,000*1.5*200 = $15 mil / year.

If we consider the fact that the most well known limb lengthening doctors like Paley, Betz, and Ilizarov have their own clinics and medical centers named after them, then it is not that unreasonable to assume that the best cosmetic orthopedic surgeons are bringing in 8 figures a year consistently. Of course that type of income would only come if one chose the right specialty in the beginning and they went into private practice for themselves, and they would need to chose cosmetic surgery since that would mean that there would be less hassle with the medical insurance people. Forget Insurance, Forget HMOs, Forget PPOs. The people who go to these medical also have to sign NDAs and medical legal forms which completely take away the possibility that the patient can fill lawsuits against the doctor if something goes wrong.

Cosmetic Surgery is notorious for the fact that unlike most other medical practices, there is very little blame on the surgeon, so any problems and complications would not affect them. The medical staff require that the patient understands all of the types of complications that they are likely to experience and makes the patient sign off the chance that the limb lengthening clinics would be legally responsible for surgeon/human error in the operating room.

For course I would guess that the medical doctors don’t pocket the full 8 figures. Half of that probably goes to paying their medical staff, the rent on the land for the clinic, the medical equipment, the annual licensing. At the end, His 8 Figure Salary gets reduced to about $3-5 Mil/year. Nice enough to get two summer homes. Dr. Betz may not be a Michael Bloomberg or Rupert Murdoch who can own their own private jets but he would be earning as much as most CEOs of major Fortune 500 Companies, minus the ridiculous stock options and yearly end bonuses. For limb lengthening surgery, the niche is still sort of like the Old Wild West.

So is there any other type of medical speciality that would be comparable to what these guys do?

I thought about the possibilty of transplants, specifically liver, pancreas, heart, bone marrow transplants. On the website National Foundation for Transplants, we find out that the cost of getting these are in the millions.

I am reminded on what happened with Steve Jobs during the 2007-2009 time period after he found out that he had pancreatic cancer. He eventually got the Liver transplant. His name probably got bumped up the list because of his superstar status, his name, and his financial resources. For him, a $2 Million Liver Transplant doesn’t mean too much since Job’s Net Worth was around $5 Billion at the time, when the Iphone and Smart Phone market was still growing at a geometric rate.

So would a cardiac surgeon who regularly performs heart transplants make as much as a limb lengthening orthopedic surgeon? I would say no.

I remember volunteering for a professor who was doing research on plastic surgery after my Junior year in my undergraduate degree. I worked with three other research interns, who were both in the Pre-Med route. One of them had already gotten accepted to Duke Medical School and the UVA School of Medicine. The other was already in Medical School. The one already in medical school expressed to me about how he was one of 6 kids to a Gyno/Obstretrician who had his own private practice. His father who had been a OB/GYN for 30 years had over the last couple of decades been squeezed by the medical insurance companies making his practice and his life a living hell.

Now imagine that situation and multiple it by 3X to understand the malpractice insurance hazards of those physicians who perform heart transplants and liver transplants. With a limb lengthening surgery, it takes you about 4-5 hours to perform one. With a Heart transplant, because you are going to have to literally crack open the sternum, and rip open the chest, it would take usually 10-12 hours of surgical time. Add in the fact that you probably have 3 surgeons performing the surgery, 3 anesthesiologists, and a few nurses on call, and the idea of making slightly more than the low 7 figures goes out the door.

As a cardiac or neurological surgeon, you will make 7 figures, but you are restrained by the rules created by the medical insurance companies forcing you to pay for malpractice and liabilities. If you go with cosmetic orthopedic surgery, you can potentially reach in the 8 figures range.

Natural Height Growth Podcast, Episode 12 – Andrew Tells His Story On Getting Limb Lengthening Surgery

It has been so long since I’ve uploaded a podcast episode that I sort of actually forgot the process on how it was done. It took me about 2 days and 5 hours to remember all the steps and there might be a few things I left out so this post will probably be corrected and edited over time.

Episode #12: Andrew Comes On To Tell His Story of Getting Limb Lengthening Surgery and Answers Questions

Andrew is a currently a young man in his early 20s who went through with the Limb Lengthening Surgery to gain almost 4 inches in height. He went from 1.69 Meters tall (about 5′ 6″) to 1.78 meters tall (about 5′ 10″), gaining a full 9 cms in extra height. In the podcast, he explains how he was able to get up to 9 cm in extra height, the complications he went through, and the type of changes from other people he noticed after he got the surgery.

We actually had to redo the first interview because I found out after the first talk with him that his voice had not been recorded, only mine. (Here is a PDF of the notes on the answers, question and outline of the 1st interview I did with Andrew.) Some questions were omitted and others were added on for this 2nd interview, which ended up much smoother and of better quality.

To can also get in contact with andrew through his website. His official website is at LegLengthening.Blogspot.Com. It is a free, image based blog similar to Tumblr. We clipped a few of the pictures he uploaded to the website and got the X-rays where the internal nails were still inside his inter-medullary cavity. The picture to the right is of him with the legs shown before the surgery. To see the after pictures, go to the website.

The X-Rays shows how much his femurs have been lengthened after 78 days after the surgery from clicking the internal nail.

After seeing how thin the rods are from the picture to the left, we sort of understand why the rods for him snapped in half cleanly. They do seem to be quite thin.

We note the diagram to the right where Andrew gives us a clue on how the surgical procedure is performed, based on his understanding. Something that I did not ask him in the 2nd version of the interview as whether the surgeons used a hammer and chisel to make the first incision or used a thin saw. It seems that for Betz, he used an electric saw to cut through the bones.

We see that the initial holes to insert the titanium rods are made to the back in the buttocks area.

Here is the video we found on him from his Youtube Channel TheAndrewshizzles showing how much his femur bones have healed and the types of movements that he can now perform.

Some major websites, people, and places mentioned include….

Dr. Augustin Betz – of the Betz Intitute located in Lebach, Germany
Make Me Taller (.org) Forum – You get multiple reviews of the dozens of doctors around the world who perform this specific type of cosmetic surgery.

You can find his limb lengthening diary on the MMT Forums from the thread “Andrewshizzles – Internal Femurs – Dr Betz – 2011 – Blitzkrieg For 9 CM“. This was one of the most extensive threads and well written dairies on the entire forum. There was a lot of great support from all the admins there.

Dr. Betz for this particular surgery used his own design, which is often called the Betz Bone Method, which is an extension or derivative on the Albizzia Nail. For the internal methods, there are three variations/versions…

Albizzia
Fit Bone
ISDK (Intramedullary Skeletal Kinetic Distractor)

You can also see more information and reviews on Dr. Betz from the Limb Lengthening Forum website. Click Here for the Thread on Him.

Click Here to Subscribe via iTunes and/or leave a review for the podcast!

Length of Time: 41 Minutes

Isoflavones Seem to Delay Puberty Onset In Girls Thus Increasing Adult Height

For the longest time I always suspected that the superficial level of research and understanding that a person with no scientific training would know about some specific area of the hard sciences from just a few hours of study was not enough. I am ashamed to say that I myself suffer greatly from that aspect, since I mostly try to skim through the abstracts of studies, which is not enough to really understand the material. This post is a clear example of that, which seems to refute a previous claim I had made from making the wrong assumption of the effects of a chemical compound, based on not understand the biochemistry well enough.

Many months ago I wrote the post “Phytoestrogens Found In Soy Based Foods May Explain Why Vegetarians and Asian Ethnicities Have Been Historically Shorter (Very Important!)” which proposed an idea that since people of East Asia eat so much soy based products like tofu, the phytoestrogen in their food was probably what was causing them to end up shorter than other ethnicities on average. The idea was that the phytoestrogen found in tofu is very similar to estrogen, which has been responsible for the onset of growth plate fusion. Of course, the problem there was that there were studies which seemed to contradict themselves on the final result.

My argument was something which was raise before on other height increase forums, when the idea of taking Alfalfa to increase height was contested. (Take a look at the thread “worried about isoflavone content in alfalfa and soybeans“)

Isoflavones prefer to bind to ER-Beta. Estrogen goes for ER-Alpha. (The ER stands for Estrogen Receptor). At the time, I was confused as to which type of estrogen receptor (alpha or beta) the phytoestrogen & the isoflavone were more susceptible to attach to.

Matheus, another height increase researcher called me out on my mistake in assuming that ER-Alpha and ER-Beta binding would have similar effects. Clearly they might not after this recent study I have found.

Read his comment/message made to me below

Matheus might have been right along. The argument made that eating tofu, soy-based products, phytoestrogens, and isoflavones would cause earlier than usual growth plate ossification was not validated.

I refer to the study…

Relation of isoflavones and fiber intake in childhood to the timing of puberty.

From the abstract, we find that for girls who are in the pre-puberty stages, having a higher than average isoflavone diet meant that they actually started puberty much later than their counterparts.

Based on what we understand on the growth progression of adolescents, the girls who started puberty later would on average end up taller when they are adults and have reached full adult bone maturity. This fact is that the main reason why males are on average taller than females later in life is because they started puberty around 1-2 later than females.

There was a 2nd study “Low Phytoestrogen Levels in Feed Increase Fetal Serum Estradiol Resulting in the “Fetal Estrogenization Syndrome” and Obesity in CD-1 Mice” seems to validate this idea. If you take away the phytoestrogen from the diet of pregnant female lab rats, they ended up having earlier than average puberty. In the experiment, the researchers had two groups of pregnant lab rats, which were feed non-soy low-phytoestrogen feed or soy-based high-phytoestrogen feed, and then had the the offspring compared of the two groups.

In addition the baby that they gave birth to started to develop obesity, which is correlated by an increase in the level of estrodial.

At this point, I think we can agree that out of almost every compound we found, estrodial has been one of the worst offenders of growth and would almost always lead to stunted growth.

Regenerate Articular Cartilage Using Silver Electrode and Direct Current Electrical Stimuli

This post will be a followup post to one of the most important posts I have ever written for this website “Electromagnetic Stimuli Will Increase Ossification and Make Bones Longer, Big Breakthrough!“. This is an idea which will definitely lead to at least 1-2 mm of extra increases in height, but it would probably be most applicable for people who are already suffering from some type of cartilage tissue degeneration.

As some of us might know, certain types of arthritis that older people suffer from is from the loss of thickness in the articular cartilage at the end of their long bones, at the joint area. The decrease in thickness means that bones will be rubbing against bone. There is no lubricant. That means that it is extremely painful to walk if your knees have all the cartilage gone.

Apparently if you take an electrode of at least a silver–platinum combination soldered with a resistor in the middle (to lower the current) and then apply a DC current, you can stimulate an area of articular defect to regenerate the hyaline cartilage back.

Dr. Becker with Bruce Baker showed in a standard experimental study using lab rabbits which they performed and then sacrificed, that you can regenerate hyaline cartilage back in using this method. Of course their approach was again similar to what they have been promoting for decades.

Here are the key points that they stated which we should remember

1. Use Silver

It turns out that silver is extremely effective in killing bacteria. The way that the silver ions diffuse, somehow they can disrupt the protein layers that form the outer membrane of bacterias (and even some viruses). Somehow Silver is also not poisonous to the human body and its cells.

2. Using a low level Current

You don’t need a very high current to stimulate the cells to do much. It is more likely that high currents would do more damage than good, since the current could cause the cells to go into rapid mitosis and turn malignant. Brighton and Friedenberg used high levels of current (10,000-20,000 nanoamps) but that might not be needed. Becker’s group found that you can use just around 100-200 nanoamps per centimeter of electrode and it would have some effect.

That is also the reason you see in the schematic above (taken from page 189 of his book) there is a resistor. The resistor is used to lower the current to a very, VERY low rate. The rating on the resister is at 10 MEG!!. We are talking about 10 MegaOhms. The voltage you need is less than 1 Volt. Using V=IR, and find for the current, we should understand why just a high level resistor is used. You want just a tiny bit of current, and that is enough apparently.

3. Stimulate close to either the periosteum and/or the marrow, but not the actual bone

Notice how there is a defect made on the joint area purposely on the lab rabbit. One of the electrode tips gets embedded into the bone layer underneath, which has the bone marrow in the epiphysis/ joint head.

Previously I had talked about the virtues of micro-fracture surgery “A Proposed Height Increase Method Using Microfracture Surgery Techniques With Fibrocartilage Formation“. However at the end of that post, I had lamented that it would be fibrocartilage we have to work with, instead of the hyaline cartilage. If you drill holes around the entire perimeter of the bone, you would theoretically for maybe a few days turn the defect into cartilage, which we can actually manipulate. If instead, we can use silver electrodes and small DC electrical stimuli to create our preferred hyaline cartilage, then we would be much, much closer in created a full plan of cartilage which we have work with.

We want the cells in the adult bone marrow (adipocyte derived stem cells) to turn into the type which we want to work with, which is either chondrocytes or cartilage which is stable.

The experiment that they did back in the 1970s-1980s showed that with such a small battery and simple device, you can regenerate hyaline articular cartilage almost completely back.

Something to remember: Bone tissue don’t actually grow.

It is the periosteum and the bone marrow which has the cells that can actually make the bone tissue expand in any way.