When you need to lose weight, fad diets' promises of quick and painless weight loss can be very attractive. A popular fad diet that is widely publicized, known as the hCG diet, utilizes a pregnancy hormone called hCG to help people lose weight. Before trying the hCG diet, however, it's important to understand the factors and weigh the risks.
Basics
The hCG diet uses the pregnancy hormone hCG, human choriogonadotropin, as a daily supplement. The hormone is administered either by daily injection by a doctor or in homeopathic drops by mouth several times a day. The hormone hCG is secreted early in pregnancy, signaling the hypothalamus to move nutrients to the placenta. This mobilization, primarily regarding fat stores, is the basis for its use as a fat-loss aid.
Background
The hCG diet was first devised by a doctor in Europe. Described in his book "Pounds & Inches," the program is based on his observations of obese people and his revelation that pregnant women seemed impervious to fat gain. The diet has been popularized recently by the book "The Weight Loss Cure." Homeopathic hCG is widely available without a prescription in the United States.
Diet
In addition to the hCG supplement, which is taken for 20 to 40 days, the dieter must follow a very strict regimen of only 500 calories a day. Breakfast is a cup of coffee. Lunch is 100 g of lean meat plus a melba toast, a fruit and a vegetable, which is repeated for dinner. The diet can be repeated until weight loss is complete. In between diet weeks, anything may be eaten.
Warnings
Critics warn that the hCG diet is a very low-calorie diet, which should only be conducted under a doctor's supervision. Furthermore, according to DrWeil.com, the diet doesn't work. As with any highly restrictive diet, weight can be regained once normal eating is resumed. Side effects reported with hCG can be serious and include depression and blood clots. The effects of taking a pregnancy hormone are not fully known.
