HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone produced in the placenta during pregnancy. It has approval from the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for infertility. As a weight loss supplement, the history of HCG starts in the 1950s with a British endocrinologist who discovered that it could prevent hunger and fatigue in people on a near-starvation diet. Today, HCG for weight loss is available as a prescription or an over-the-counter supplement in health food stores.
Calories
There are a number of different HCG diets. One popularized by author Kevin Trudeau is a 500- to 550-calorie diet of unprocessed, organic foods combined with HCG injections. Other phases of the regimen require colonics, exercise and a variety of other supplements. The main crux of the diet, however, boils down to one key component: calories. Healthy men and women who exercise most days of the week should consume between 1,800 to 2,800 calories. A very-low-calorie eating regimen, like the HCG diet, is designed to produce rapid weight loss. The purpose of the hormone is to stave off the feeling of hunger and fatigue.
HCG
HCG is a pregnancy hormone derived from urine. The kind that is available by prescription only is legal for use in the United States and is approved for a variety of purposes, including infertility treatments. Dr. Scott Blyer, a cosmetic surgeon, explains that HCG, which is similar to a thyroid-stimulating hormone in structure, fools your body into believing it's pregnant, burns off excess fat and protects muscle mass.
Risks
HCG carries a risk for cardiovascular complications, blood clots, depression, headaches, and tenderness or enlargement of the breasts. One doctor in New York who counsels patients on a medically supervised HCG diet requires them to have an EKG to determine whether or not they have a heart condition. According to Dr. Philip A. Mackowiak, a University of Maryland School of Medicine professor, as the body's metabolism speeds up, it can cause rapid or irregular heartbeat, sweating and irritability. In fact, Dr. Mackowiak theorizes that the death of 1950s film star, Mario Lanza, could have been the result of an HCG diet. Manza lost 30 lbs. in nine days at the hospital of the inventor of the HCG weight-loss diet.
Studies
Few studies have shown anything other than dismal results for HCG as an effective tool for weight loss. In 1995, researchers from Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam analyzed a dozen studies done on HCG and weight loss. To qualify for the review, the studies had to meet a variety of criteria. Those that made it showed that the initial studies were poorly designed. They were, however, able to determine that no scientific evidence showed that HCG is an effective treatment for obesity. It does not redistribute fat, nor could it reduce feelings of hunger resulting from near starvation.
References
- New York Times: A Diet Plan with Hormone Has Fans and Skeptics; March 2011
- British Pharmacological Society: The Effect of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in the Treatment of Obesity By means of the Simeons Therapy; GK Lijesen; September 1995
- University of Maryland School of Medicine: Controversial Weight-Loss Method, Still in Use Today, May Have Contributed to Early Death of 1950s Film/Recording Star Mario Lanza
- American Heart Association: Know How Many Calories You Should Eat
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