HCG drops are promoted as a weight loss aid that purportedly help keep your appetite at bay while promoting your body's ability to release and mobilize your stored fat, especially from problem areas. You will find HCG drops on the Internet, in drugstores and in stores that specialize in dietary supplements. Weight loss claims for these drops, however, are deemed fraudulent and illegal by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Always consult a health care provider before trying a new supplement.
Identification
HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. This hormone is produced during pregnancy. It's also manufactured as a prescription medication. However, HCG is not used as a prescription weight loss aid. It's purpose is to treat fertility issues, notes Jennifer K. Nelson in the MayoClinic.com article, "Does the HCG Diet Work -- And Is It Safe?"
Scientific Evidence
Studies on HCG find it ineffective for dieting, according to T. Rabe, lead author for an analysis published in the German medical journal "Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde." Double-blind studies do show that dieters using HCG lose weight--but they don't lose any more weight than dieters using a placebo. Nor do they have noticeable differences in hunger or body proportions. These findings led Germany's Steroid Toxicology Panel to recommend against using HCG in the 1980s. The U.S. FDA released a warning about HCG products in early 2011, saying the products are illegal as well as fraudulent. The FDA had not made HCG products a priority sooner as they don't appear to pose a serious health hazard, but rather constitute economic fraud because they don't deliver promised results, FDA Internet and health fraud team leader Elizabeth Miller tells WTSP News in Tampa Bay, Florida, in the January 2011 story, "HCG Weight Loss Products are Fraudulent, FDA Says."
Oral HCG
Even if HCG were effective as a weight loss aid, the HCG taken orally such as in drops would not work, reports WTSP. That's because your stomach breaks this hormone down to the point that it becomes ineffective. HCG also is administered in shot form in weight loss clinics. Since this product is not regulated by the FDA, you cannot be sure what you are getting--either in drop or shot form, warns Nelson.
Effects
You lose weight on the HCG plan because your calories are severely restricted. Plans range from 500 to 800 calories per day. Such a very-low-calorie diet is dangerous because it leads to starvation and also can have serious adverse health effects. These include headaches, depression and blood clots, reports Lois K. Solomon in the May 2011 Los Angeles Times article, "Pregnancy Hormone Promises Quick Weight Loss; Shots Unproven." Rapid weight loss also may cause gallstones. HCG itself can lead to side effects including fatigue, male breast enlargement and irritability.
References
- My HCG Plus: Are You Ready to Lose Weight for the Last Time?
- "USA Today" newspaper; HCG weight-loss products are fraudulent, FDA says; Nanci Hellmich, January 23, 2011
- "Geburtshilfe und Frauenheilkunde"; Risk-benefit analysis of a hCG-500 kcal reducing diet (cura romana) in females; T. Rabe; 1987
- "Los Angeles Times"; Pregnancy Hormone Promises Quick Weight Loss; Shots Unproven; Lois K. Solomon; May 17, 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Does the HCG diet work --- and is it safe?; Jennifer K. Nelson; June 2010
- WSTP News: HCG Weight Loss Products are Fraudulent, FDA Says";Stefanie Fogel; January 2011
