Supporters of the HCG diet promise rapid weight loss in a short time period, although evidence is lacking to support these claims, reports the National Institutes of Health. Many followers of the diet take injections of the hormone HCG, which raises your risk for irregular heartbeat and other negative side effects. Consult your physician before taking any injection to lose weight.
Significance
Your body produces the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin, or HCG, during pregnancy. Users of the HCG diet take injections of the hormone and follow a diet with extreme calorie limitations in the hopes of achieving fast weight loss. The hormone received notoriety when film star Mario Lanza claimed to have lost 30 lbs. in less than 2 weeks after receiving HCG injections in 1957, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, discourages HCG as an aid for weight loss and there is no evidence to prove that HCG alone helps you lose weight.
Function
The hormone HCG stimulates the ovaries and benefits the development of embryos. Your doctor may prescribe HCG as part of a treatment for fertility issues. Supporters of the HCG diet claim injections of the hormone benefit your body by causing a metabolic increase that promotes accelerated weight loss. Users of the HCG diet also reduce their calories to between 500 and 800 daily in combination with the hormone injections, which is significantly less than the standard calorie guidelines for a healthy diet.
Theories/Speculation
Supporters of HCG injections speculate that the hormone burns calories and promotes the redistribution of fat away from your stomach, waist and thighs, although there is no scientific research to back these claims. You may achieve short-term weight loss through the HCG diet due to an extreme reduction in calories, although you will likely gain the weight back as soon as you resume a healthy lifestyle, according to MayoClinic.com. The FDA requires that advertising and labels for HCG products warn users that the hormone has not been proven as a treatment for obesity and that evidence is lacking to show the hormone alone benefits efforts to lose weight or can help with the redistribution of fat.
Effects
Irritability, fatigue, headaches---and in some cases male breast enlargement---are common side effects of HCG injections. Some people who take the injections experience sweating and irregular heartbeat, while HCG also causes fluctuations in ovarian hormones like estrogen and progesterone and may lead to ovarian cysts, according to David Katz, a doctor writing on Oprah.com. Extreme calorie limitations increase your chance of nutrition deficiencies and gallstones may occur due to your short-term weight loss.
Considerations
Avoid any diet that promotes unhealthy activity, especially if you have existing health conditions. Contact your doctor if you feel your weight is unmanageable. Your doctor may refer you to a nutritionist who can help you plan a nutritious diet based on your preferences and lifestyle. Along with your diet, consider exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week as an effective method of losing weight.
References
- MayoClinic.com: HCG Diet: Is It Safe and Effective?
- Drugs.com: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)
- Oprah.com: Are HCG Injections a Good Way to Lose Weight?
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin and Weight Loss
- Diet Scam Watch.org: HCG Worthless as Weight-Loss Aid
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Controversial Weight Loss Treatment May Have Contributed to the Early Death of 1950's Film and Recording Star Mario Lanza
