In the 1950s, British endocrinologist A.T.W. Simeons was in India working with obese young men. There, he found that by combining a very low calorie diet with HCG, a pregnancy hormone, the men were able to lose weight rapidly. Since that time, a variety of studies have analyzed the impact of HCG on health and dieting. Many have found that HCG is no more successful for use as a diet aid as a placebo.
What is HCG
HCG, or human chorionic gonadotrophin, is produced in the placenta of pregnant women and is excreted via urine. Prescription HCG has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, for the treatment of infertility in women and for treating hormone problems in men. Because it is an approved medication, doctors are permitted to prescribe it off label for weight loss purposes.
Side Effects
Side effects of HCG injections include pain and swelling at the site of the shot, headache, anxiety, irritability, depression and breast pain or swelling in men and women. Ovarian hyperstimulation is a potentially life-threatening side effect that can affect women. Side effects include swelling of the hands or legs, severe pelvic pain and abdominal pain. Shortness of breath and swelling of the stomach also are possible.
FDA Statement
In 2011, the FDA received a report that one person on an HCG diet had a pulmonary embolism, which is when blood clots cause arteries in the lungs to become blocked. Now, the FDA warns that using HCG increases your risk of blood clots, headaches, fatigue and water retention. Since the 1970s, the FDA has required manufacturers of prescription HCG to include wording on the label indicating the hormone "has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity," according to Shelly Burgess, an FDA spokesperson.
Homeopathic HCG
Homeopathic HCG is an over-the-counter dietary supplement available at vitamin stores and health food shops. While some HCG diets suggest using supplemental HCG along with a very low calorie diet to produce rapid and dramatic weight loss, the FDA indicates that these products, sold as oral drops, pellets or sprays, are not a recognized active ingredient in the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States. Those sold with a label indicating weight loss properties are illegal. Since homeopathic supplements contain such a minute amount of HCG, there is much less risk of experiencing side effects associated with the prescription strength version.
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