Human chorionic gonadotropin, HCG, is a hormone the placenta produces during pregnancy and an integral part of the weight-loss plan called the HCG diet. While on this diet, you receive daily intramuscular injections of 125 IU HCG while cutting your daily food intake to a mere 500 calories. Certain elements of the HCG diet act as preventative measures for breast cancer but this does not mean the HCG diet is a beneficial treatment plan for this life-threatening disease.
Breast Cancer Research
A 2010 study appearing in the journal “Cancer Research” examined the blood samples of nearly 700 women taken during the first trimester of their first full-term pregnancies. The study found a correlation between the hormone HCG and a reduced risk of breast cancer at or beyond age 50. A 2011 study in the “Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia” found similar results in both pregnant and virgin female laboratory rats. The research team from the Fox Chase Cancer Center concluded that HCG prevents the cancer by helping mammary gland epithelial cells mature before they encounter carcinogens, thus preventing DNA damage.
Age-Related Benefits
Though HCG appears to have a preventative effect on breast cancer, the “Cancer Research” study showed that the hormone is mostly effective for women younger than 25 and less effective for women approaching 50. Younger women may have less weight to lose and, therefore, could be less likely to attempt experimental diet plans like the HCG diet. Avoidance of the diet until a later age when significant obesity sets in may negate any positive effects of the treatment.
Nutrient Deficiency
University of California registered dietitian Natalie Ledesma states that good nutrition can be key to preventing breast cancer, stalling progression and avoiding recurrence. The primary recommendation Ledesma makes is to consume a low-fat diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly brightly-colored vegetables. The HCG diet’s severe calorie restriction drastically cuts down on how much food you eat in a day and may lead to a deficiency in essential vitamins and minerals that may otherwise help stave off breast cancer.
Sustainability
Ledesma states that having a healthy body mass index can lower your chances for breast cancer. Unfortunately, the extreme calorie cutting that goes along with the HCG diet will not lead to the kind of sustainable weight loss that prevents cancer. Because weight loss results on the diet are the result of dieting and not the HCG hormone, it will be extremely difficult to keep the pounds off once you reach your target weight and return to your normal eating habits.
References
- "MayoClinic.com"; HCG Diet - Is It Safe and Effective?; Jennifer K. Nelson, R.D., L.D.; June 2010
- "Diet Scam Watch"; HCG Worthless as Weight-Loss Aid; Stephen Barrett, M.D.; May 2010
- "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology"; The Effect of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) in the Treatment of Obesity by Means of the Simeons Therapy: a Criteria-Based Meta-Analysis; G. K. Sabine Lijesen, et al.; 1995
- University of California; Nutrition & Breast Cancer; Natalie Ledesma, M.S., R.D., C.S.O.; September 2008
- "Cancer Research"; Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Pregnancy and Maternal Risk of Breast Cancer; P. Toniolo, et al.; September 2010
- “Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia”; Pregnancy-Induced Changes in Breast Cancer Risk; I. H. Russo, et al.; September 2011
