HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a fertility hormone produced in the placenta and excreted through urine. It has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of infertility in females and hormonal imbalances in males. In the 1950s, endocrinologist A.T.W. Simeons believed that injecting HCG combined with a very low calorie diet could produce rapid weight loss. While the hormonal portion of an HCG protocol lasts approximately three weeks, during menstruation, this phase is on hold.
The Protocol
HCG diet protocols vary, but many follow a similar pattern. Non-overweight and obese dieters first go through a calorie-loading phase, followed by a cleansing phase, then on to drastic calorie restriction along with HCG injections or supplements. When working with obese young men in India in the 1950s, Simeons found that HCG could redistribute stubborn fat, use excess fat as fuel and reduce appetite, which comes in handy when calorie intake is limited to between 500 to 550 calories per day. During menstruation, when a woman's hormone levels are in flux, Simeons suggests halting HCG supplementation. An HCG protocol is not recommended for young woman who have not started the menstrual cycle.
Onset of Menstruation
While HCG can change hormone levels in a woman's body, and even help accelerate conception, HCG is not a sex hormone. Rather, it can stimulate physical changes in the body, but only improve upon a pre-existing deficiency. It is incapable of masculinizing a female or feminizing a male. HCG can regulate and normalize menstruation, but cannot bring on menstruation in a girl whose hormones were not already preparing for its onset.
During Menstruation
No injections are given for the roughly seven days a woman is menstruating. The diet -- no more than 550 calories a day -- continues and is thought to cause no "hardship." Ordinarily, HCG works by diminishing the desire for food. Once menstruation is over, according to "Pounds and Inches," the manuscript Simeons wrote about an HCG diet, patients quickly regain their appetite until injections are resumed. Simeons writes that it's impressive to see how quickly and thoroughly HCG diminishes the appetite in a woman who was on an injection hiatus during menstruation.
Obesity and Menstruation
Obese and severely underweight females are at risk of delayed menstruation onset, a condition known as amenorrhea. Primary amenorrhea is the absence of a first period by age 16 and is a treatable medical condition, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Secondary amenorrhea is characterized by the abrupt inability to have monthly periods. To determine the cause of the amenorrhea, a doctor will conduct an HCG test to determine if the women is pregnant, making it clear that HCG levels in the body will not stimulate menstruation onset.
