According to the website Diets in Review, hCG is not just a female hormone. Men have hCG levels, too. Some sources say that hCG is also able to cause dramatic weight loss from targeted areas of the body. Opinions differ as to whether hCG is safe to use for weight loss or even if it actually works. Proponents of the hormone, such as the Austin Wellness Clinic in Texas, claim that when combined with a strict, very low-calorie diet, hCG can help you to lose a pound a day.
Effects
The hCG hormone blocks your body's starvation instinct, according to the Austin Wellness Clinic. Your body doesn't realize that it is starving on a very low-calorie diet so it doesn't resort to using muscle and integral fat stores for energy. The hormone tells your body to use the rest of your body fat instead. The Austin Wellness Clinic says that because the fat you don't need is generally located on your hips, thighs and belly, this is the fat your body will burn first if you take hCG supplements, resulting in more toned weight loss. The Austin Wellness Clinic also reports that hCG blunts cravings and resets your metabolism to keep your energy levels up.
Method
HCG is administered by injection or in supplement form. By itself, there is no evidence to suggest that it will help you lose weight, according to MayoClinic.com. HCG works in conjunction with a severely limited diet of 500 to 800 calories per day. MayoClinic.com indicates that this is only 25 to 50 percent of recommended daily caloric intake and for this reason, weight loss clinics usually place you under medical supervision during an hCG diet.
Pros
The Austin Wellness Clinic says that using hCG for weight loss purposes provides a unique advantage over other diets. You don't just lose pounds but a measurable percentage of your body fat, as well. You won't lose weight in places where you might not want to lose it, such as your face. You don't lose muscle mass with hCG, which eliminates problems that might ordinarily accompany a radical weight loss, such as sagging skin.
Cons
Diets in Review indicates that common side effects of using hCG for weight loss include headaches, depression, confusion, mood swings and dizziness. Women might experience pelvic pain, swelling and shortness of breath, all symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. MayoClinic.com reports that some men have shown breast enlargement when taking hCG.
Evidence
Both Diets in Review and MayoClinic.com report that the FDA has not approved hCG for weight loss purposes and, in fact, it requires all suppliers of the hormone to label the product with the warning that it has not been proved to help in the treatment of obesity. There is no scientific proof that it causes more weight loss than a 500-calorie-a-day diet would on its own.
Warning
MayoClinic.com warns against purchasing hCG on the Internet, because there is no way to be sure that what you get in the mail is really hCG.
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