The HCG diet was created in the 1950s but debunked during the 1960s. However, this fad diet has periodic surges in popularity and is touted on many Internet sites, reports University of Maryland Medical Center staff. Some dieters claim to lose a pound a day on this weight-loss plan. However, medical experts deem the diet unhealthy, reports Omaha, Nebraska-based KETV News.
Identification
HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. This is a hormone produced during pregnancy, according to the Mayo Clinic. HCG is used to treat fertility problems as a prescription medication. Taking HCG to lose weight is considered an "off label" use, according to UMMC.
Potential
The HCG diet combines HCG supplements or injections with severe calorie restriction, according to the Mayo Clinic. You’d typically take in only 500 to 800 calories a day under the regimen. That’s about one-fourth to one-half of the standard recommendation for daily calorie intake, explain the experts at the Mayo Clinic. That means you’ll likely lose weight in the short term. However, the calorie restriction, not the HCG, is responsible for the loss, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Considerations
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not approve using HCG to lose weight. In fact, according to UMMC, HCG labeling and advertising is required to say the following: "HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or 'normal' distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets."
Expert Insight
The Mayo Clinic advises you to be careful about buying HCG on the Internet, as the supplements might not actually contain what they are purported to. As of early 2010, the FDA had geared up to combat illegal Internet-based pharmacies selling this supposed weight loss aid, according to KETV, which notes it is illegal to sell this hormone without a prescription.
Warning
This controversial weight-loss program may be linked to the 1959 death of film and recording star Mario Lanza at age 38, according to UMMC. He began the weight-loss program two years before his death. Here’s what may have happened: HCG’s structure is similar to a thyroid-stimulating hormone. If taken for long enough—and in high enough amounts—it may cause a condition called thyrotoxicosis. This makes your body's metabolism speed up and leads to sudden weight loss along with irregular or rapid heartbeat, says Dr. Philip A. Mackowiak, director of the Virginia Maryland Health Care System.
Effects
The Mayo Clinic advises that the HCG diet can have many drawbacks. Severe calorie restriction makes it difficult to meet your nutritional needs. Quick weight loss may result in gallstones. HCG itself can cause side effects. These include fatigue, headache, irritability and male breast enlargement, according to the Mayo Clinic.
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