HCG, which stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of infertility. The hormone also is prescribed off-label and is sold as an over-the-counter homeopathic supplement for weight loss. HCG is produced naturally in the placenta and plays a role in maintaining the production of other hormones. Whether it's used for fertility or weight loss, HCG can have some psychological side effects.
Hormones and Mood
HCG is a pregnancy marker, meaning that it's one of the first hormones to be produced once the egg is fertilized. In most normal pregnancies, levels double every 48 to 72 hours, according to the American Pregnancy Association. HCG also is responsible for influencing levels of other homrones, including estrogen and progesterone. Together, these hormones affect neurotransmitters in the brain that control mood. During the course of a pregnancy, a woman can expect to experience a variety of magnified emotions, including depression, anxiety and fear. An estimated 13 percent of women experience depression during pregnancy, according to WomensHealth.gov.
Weight Loss
In 2007 author Kevin Trudeau popularized a weight-loss concept that was all but discredited in the 1970s. The concept of the diet is that when combined with a very low-calorie intake, the HCG hormone curbs appetite. The FDA already received one report that a patient on an HCG diet suffered a pulmonary embolism, according to Christopher Kelly, an agency spokesperson. Less life threatening side effects include depression, tenderness in the breasts of men and women and excessive fatigue.
HCG Supplement
HCG drops, lozenges and pills, sold at health food stores or vitamin shops, contain very little, if any, active hormone. These products are advertized as homeopathic treatments for weight loss. In an investigation by the FDA, Elizabeth Miller, a fraud investigator, stated that while these products pose no harm or danger, there's no evidence that they work. In fact, manufacturers of homeopathic HCG supplements that claim to produce weight loss may be committing economic fraud, according to Miller.
Studies
Because HCG has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of infertility, doctors are permitted to prescribe it any way they see fit. The idea that it's being prescribed is one way to manipulate people into thinking it's safer or that it may work, according to a 2011 article published in The New York Times. Dr. Pieter Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine from Harvard Medical School, explains that HCG could possibly make this type of extreme dieting even more dangerous. "The safety of injecting a pregnancy hormone into and men when they are eating so few calories has never been studied," says Cohen. Further, the hormone could have long-term health effects that we don't know about. Known side effects are headaches, irritability and depression.
References
- American Pregnancy Association: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG): The Pregnancy Hormone; July 2007
- BabyZone: Calming the Storm: Understand Pregnancy Hormones
- WomensHealth.gov: Depression During and After Pregnancy; 2009
- The Dr. Oz Show: The HCG Diet: Fact vs. Fiction; Pieter Cohen; February 2011
- SunSentinel.com: HCG Diet: Pregnancy Hormone Promises Quick Weight Loss; May 2011
- USAToday.com: HCG Weight Loss Products are Fraudulent, FDA Says
