A 70-amino acid hormone that promotes cell growth, proliferation, and survival, primarily produced in the liver in response to growth hormone stimulation.
Doing regular resistance‑training workouts can raise your body’s own IGF‑1 and other brain‑helping proteins, cut brain inflammation, and improve memory and thinking in older adults with mild cognitive problems and muscle loss. The benefits can last for many months and even protect brain structures like the hippocampus.
The study found that kids who get the gut parasite Giardia tend to grow less in height and have lower levels of the growth hormone IGF‑1. The more often the parasite shows up, the bigger the drop in growth and IGF‑1. This happens even though there isn’t a big rise in typical inflammation markers, suggesting the parasite mainly damages the gut lining and disrupts growth signals.
The study measured normal levels of IGF‑1 and its binding protein IGFBP‑3 in over a thousand healthy Indian men aged 20‑66, showing that both hormones drop as you get older and are affected by things like thyroid hormone, liver enzymes, blood sugar, protein in the blood, and socioeconomic status.
Tao. Shimin S; Zhou. Yahui Y; Zhang. Xuhui X; Ji. Jiamei J; Wang. Yan Y; Zhang. Le L
Scientists used computer models and lab tests to show that certain common PFAS chemicals (like PFDA, PFOS, and PFNS) can latch onto the IGF‑1 protein, making it unstable and lowering its levels. This interference hurts cell growth that’s important for fetal development, but adding extra IGF‑1 can reverse the damage.
The review says that components in milk—especially its proteins—can naturally raise IGF‑1 levels, which helps kids grow and may support muscle and bone health in adults. Other milk parts like gangliosides, phospholipids, and certain peptides might boost brain development, lower blood pressure, and improve metabolism, but most of the evidence is still from animal or early‑stage studies.
Kamalian. Aida A; Shichkova. Polina P; Tognetti. Marco M; Below. Christopher C; Ho. Sara G SG; Brude...
The study compared brain fluid and blood proteins of young and older adults and found that, as people age, the blood shows a clear drop in the activity of the IGF‑1 signaling pathway, while the brain fluid shows more inflammation and changes in the extracellular matrix. It also uncovered new ways that certain proteins are cut and phosphorylated with age.
Paltusotine is a new oral pill that activates somatostatin receptor 2 to lower IGF‑1 levels. It’s the first once‑daily, non‑injectable drug approved in the US for treating acromegaly, a condition where IGF‑1 is too high. The approval is based on two large Phase III trials that showed it safely and effectively reduces IGF‑1 in patients who can’t have surgery. For biohackers it shows a convenient way to drop IGF‑1, but it’s a prescription medicine meant for a disease, not a proven anti‑aging tool.
In adults lacking growth hormone, the usual cholesterol numbers look normal, but detailed analysis shows hidden changes in the types of lipoproteins, especially the good‑cholesterol (HDL) particles. Higher IGF‑1 levels are linked to more large, protective HDL and fewer tiny, less‑protective HDL. Stopping GH for two months shifts these HDL sub‑types, and restarting it reverses some changes.
Njunge. James M JM; Mudibo. Evans O EO; Bogaert. Jasper J; Orindi. Benedict B; Sande. Charles J CJ;...
The study shows that kids who are still inflamed after leaving the hospital grow slower because inflammation blocks the growth hormone/IGF‑1 system and bone metabolism. Inflammation also cuts weight gain directly, and a leaky gut (enteropathy) makes inflammation worse. So, keeping inflammation low helps the body use IGF‑1 for growth and recovery.
Martín-Rodríguez. Alexandra A; Dalamitros. Athanasios A AA; Madrigal-Cerezo. Rubén R;...
Doing regular physical activity—like brisk walking, cycling, or strength training—helps keep the brain sharp in older adults. Exercise raises helpful proteins such as IGF‑1, BDNF, and irisin, which support memory, thinking speed, and brain connections. The benefits depend on how you exercise, how hard you work, and personal factors like age, sex, and fitness level.
Sukul. Abhijit A; Ren. Siqi S; Miller. Anna E AE; Liu. Huanhuan H; Akande. Olanrewaju O; Tang. Simon...
Mice that produce too much growth hormone (GH) develop early and severe wear-and-tear in their spinal discs, while mice that block GH stay healthier as they age. The damage is tied to inflammation and breakdown of the disc’s structural proteins, especially in males. This suggests that too much GH – which also raises IGF‑1 levels – could hurt spine health.
In a rat model of arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, giving the IGF‑1 splice variant called Mechanical Growth Factor (MGF) slowed down disease onset and reduced joint damage. The effect got stronger with higher doses and was linked to higher anti‑inflammatory signals (IL‑2, IL‑10) and lower pro‑inflammatory signals (TNF‑α, IL‑17, STAT3, RORγt).
In newborn mice that suffered brain damage from low oxygen, giving extra IGF‑1 helped protect brain cells and improved their behavior. The hormone works by turning on survival signals (AKT) and shutting down a cell‑death pathway (FOXO3a‑PUMA). While this shows IGF‑1 can act as a brain‑protective agent in early life, the study is in mice and focuses on newborns, not adults.
Bertels. Joshua C JC; Sawall. Jasmin Koehnken JK; Dulmovits. Brian B; Liu. Xiaobin X; Phan. Ashley A...
The study shows that a specific type of bone‑marrow cell makes IGF‑1, which helps build the outer part of bone in adult female mice. When IGF‑1 was removed from those cells, the mice had weaker cortical bone, but their inner spongy bone and blood‑cell production stayed the same. This points to a local, bone‑specific role for IGF‑1 rather than a whole‑body effect.
Sarcinella. Alessandro A; Guerra Villacis. Juan Sebastian JS; Brizzi. Maria Felice MF
The paper explains that IGF‑1, a growth‑factor peptide, helps a tiny group of cancer‑stem cells in gynecological tumors grow and resist treatment, and that blocking IGF‑1 signals can shrink these dangerous cells. For people who experiment with IGF‑1 for health or performance, this suggests a possible cancer‑risk side‑effect, especially if you have or are prone to these cancers.
Chrudinová. Martina M; DaCosta. Jeffrey M JM; Dogru. Dogus D; Huang. Ruixu R; Reiners. Robert R...
This study maps how insulin and IGF hormones and their receptors have changed over evolution. It shows that IGF‑1 is the most unchanged across animals, while insulin varies more, especially in parts that affect how it groups together. It also finds some surprising similarities in receptors of turtles and mammals, and that viruses make insulin‑like peptides that look like either insulin or IGF.
Ushiroda. Chihiro C; Ito. Mioko M; Yamamoto-Wada. Risako R; Deguchi. Kanako K; Hidaka. Shihomi S; Im...
The study shows that lacking insulin (like in type 1 diabetes) makes mice lose more muscle and bone, especially when they also lack a gene called ChREBP. Insulin loss lowered the muscle’s IGF‑1 levels and raised muscle‑wasting signals, leading to weaker grip strength and lower bone density. This suggests that keeping insulin signaling healthy is important for preserving muscle and bone, and that low IGF‑1 may be part of the problem.
Qasim. Bayar A BA; Arif. Sardar H SH; Izac. Ashur Y AY; Abozait. Halder J HJ; Kochary. Rende S A RSA
A 51‑year‑old man with acromegaly saw his IGF‑1 levels drop back to normal and his pituitary tumor shrink after having his thyroid removed for a separate problem, suggesting that fixing other endocrine issues can sometimes indirectly improve IGF‑1 and pituitary health.
Zhang. Chenyang C; Luosan. Dunzhu D; La. YongFu Y; Ma. Xiaoming X; Wu. Xiaoyun X; Chu. Min M; Guo. X...
Adding the probiotic Bacillus coagulans to yak feed helped the animals grow faster, improved their feed efficiency, and raised blood levels of growth‑related hormones like IGF‑1 and GH, as well as immune markers. It also shifted the gut microbes toward more beneficial species and cut down harmful ones, which seemed to support better metabolism and immune function.
Shady. Nourhan Hisham NH; Hisham. Mohamed M; Abdullah. Hend Samy HS; Maher. Sherif A SA; Albohy. Amg...
A study in rats found that latex from the common fig tree (Ficus carica) helps heal stomach ulcers caused by a drug, partly by lowering inflammation and reducing the activity of IGF‑1 and other harmful genes while boosting healing factors. The extract also showed antioxidant properties and contains several compounds that might be responsible for these effects.