The HCG Diet

Loosing weight is big business. Every few months a new kind of diet comes out that everyone is dying to try. Of course some of these are better than others, and some are downright dangerous. So where does the hCG diet fall in these categories?

HCG is short for human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone that is used as an indicator of pregnancy in women. This hormone encourages proper ovulation and encourages the body to use fat stores to develop the placenta for the nutrition and support of the baby. The theory behind the diet is that it will cause the body to burn fat rather than muscle and make the dieter feel less hungry when on restricted calories. Some dieters experience a weight loss of several pounds per day. The hGC can be delivered either by injection or sublingual (under the tongue) drops.

For those embarking on the hCG diet plan, there is a very restricted diet to go along with the injections or drops.  If you intend to use the original diet, you must stick to 500 calories per day.  This includes tea or coffee for breakfast with one teaspoon of milk and an artificial sweetener.  For lunch, 100 grams of meat with the visible fat cut off, a green vegetable, bread, and an apple, strawberries, or a grapefruit.  Dinner includes the same options as lunch.  Medications and cosmetics are to be avoided unless specified by the doctor.  There are also load days, during which the dieter is welcome to eat whatever he or she pleases leading up to the next round of the more restrictive diet.

The theory is that the hGC diet injections will help you not feel the hunger from dieting and help your body burn fat rather than muscle mass on the highly restricted calorie diet.

For those concerned about the hCG Diet dangers, thankfully there are relatively few.  To date there have not been incidences of series or life threatening side effects, although some side effects do occur.  The diet that accompanies this treatment is highly restrictive, and you should discuss it with your doctor before making any choices.  Very low calorie diets can be harmful to the health of some people and it is important to work with a health care professional before embarking on this type of diet.

The side effects of the hCG diet are generally mild, but can be troubling.  The most common and severe is usually headaches that accompany the sharp drop off in calorie intake.  Other side effects of low calorie intake, such as irritability and light-headedness can occur.  If you experience any serious side effects, you should consult your doctor.

While the original hCG diet delivered the hormone by injections, it is now possible to get it in sublingual pills or drops. This means the medicine is held under your tongue where it can more easily absorb into the bloodstream. HCG is broken down by peptides in the stomach, so agencies selling a simple hCG pill are most likely not useful.

There is some concern about the regulation of these medications, and some companies are delivering sub-standard products. If the hCG diet drops are labeled as homeopathic, it can be a sign that there is not a substantial amount of the hormone being delivered. Be sure to do your research before selecting a particular company to purchase from.  Injections from your doctor are the most sure way ensure you are receiving the right levels of medication.

The hCG diet is not approved for weight loss by the FDA.  The hCG hormone is currently approved for fertility treatments only.  There is some concern that the weight loss experienced is strictly due to the restricted calorie diet, and that the hCG treatment serves as a placebo effect.  Be sure to do more research into the matter before making any choices that may affect your health.