You have probably heard of it, the HCG diet that has been one of the most disputable diets you can find today.
HCG promises fast weight loss with just a few drops in a 500 calorie diet. One would argue that it is the fact the 500-calorie diet that actually causes the weight loss more than the HCG drops.
Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (HCG)
HCG is Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin and is a glycoprotein hormone that is water soluble and is extracted from pregnant women’s urine.
So how can a pregnancy hormone like an HCG diet work at weight loss?
The makers claim that the dietary supplement can stimulate the hypothalamus gland that is responsible for moderating the adrenals, the thyroid, the body’s fat storage, the body’s metabolic rate and body mass index.
How the HCG Diet Works
A condition to taking HCG is that the daily caloric intake be restricted to 500 calories, which places the body into a starvation-like mode. At this mode the body utilizes the stored fats for energy.
In a pregnant woman’s body, this hormone ensures that the fetus receives the nutrition it needs to grow up as it mobilizes the fat storage of the woman’s body particularly those that are trapped in the thighs, hips and the bottom.
The recommended diet to complement HCG is a diet that is low in calories and high in fiber.
The problem here is that a 500 calorie diet can leave a person feeling tired, hungry and weak making it really difficult to maintain.
The HCG drops is said to be able to modify and curb appetite and hunger pangs.
The makers claim that even without the crash dieting, the supplement can bring on weight loss of anywhere between one to three points daily.
They also claim that the recommended daily low-dose of HCG plus a 500-calorie diet can burn adipose tissues or fat tissues without losing lean tissues.
The success of the weight loss would rely on the intake of fiber and water. Taking multivitamins is also recommended especially liquid B-12 and potassium supplements.
You can also try to browse the list of top fat burners to check for a possible supplement.
Does HCG Diet Help You Lose Weight?
Inventors of the HCG diet promise that it increases your metabolism and aids you lose excess fat.
Numerous theories try to scientifically explain how HCG diet works.
Yet, several studies have concluded that the weight loss results accomplished by the HCG diet is attributable to low-calorie intake and that HCG hormone has nothing with it.
These studies examined the effects of HCG and placebo shots given to dieters on a low-calorie diet.
Weight loss was the same or almost the same in both groups.
What is more, these tests found that HCG did not importantly reduce appetite.
HCG Diet With Injections, Drops, Pills
HCG can be taken in various ways as the drug is available in pills, powders, drops and injection.
Most HCG products on the market today are homeopathic, which means they do not contain real hormone.
Real HCG, in the form of shots, is given as a fertility medicine and is only available with a doctor’s prescription.
The injections and drops require refrigeration and the makers recommend that prospective buyers check with their physician first to determine if they can be a candidate for rapid weight loss.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has not approved HCG neither in its homeopathic nor its synthetic form.
The manufacturer has not volunteered the actual ingredients of HCG neither has it offered clinical findings to support its product claims.
But it has created a buzz in the fitness and weight loss industry that many people has not been able to resist.
Many people are wary of injections but the HCG shots are delivered just below the skin or what is known as a subcutaneous dose to reach the fat cells and not the muscle layers so that it is not painful at all.
The areas to inject HCG injections are through the stomach, arms, thighs and buttocks.
HCG Diet Side Effects
For medicinal purposes, HCG is recommended for the treatment of obesity in women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome. Since they have a rather difficult time regulating their metabolism.
There are ongoing studies on the use of HCG in treating tumor cells in patients with breast cancer.
It has been said that HCG can also be used as a fertility treatment for women and men alike.
The side effects that have been reported in relation to HCG include fatigue, restlessness, water retention, headache and hair loss.
The FDA classified this diet dangerous and unhealthy.
There have been studies released in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition as well as the Journal of American Medical Association indicating that HCG is ineffective and rather unsafe as a weight loss program.
These studies further suggest that there are no scientific evidence on the efficacy of HCG in the treatment of obesity and that it does not cause fat-redistribution or weight loss neither does it curb the appetite nor improve a person’s well-being.
