“The HCG diet consists of a very low calorie diet and treatments of HCG that is administered through oral suspension or injections. It has been said that the diet actually helps people to understand the consumption of food and why it is important to only consume proportion sizes. HCG is what women produce in the placenta during pregnancy”
HCG - Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a glycoprotein hormone produced during pregnancy by the developing embryo soon after conception and later by the syncytiotrophoblast (part of the placenta). HCG synthesis is the indicator of the conception of pregnancy. But with the innovation in the field of medical science this hormone is now being exploited as a diet substitute for promoting weight loss (The HCG Diet). The primary role of HCG hormone is to prevent the dissolution of the corpus luteum of the ovary and by this means it maintains progesterone production that is critical for a pregnancy in humans. Biochemical analysis depicts that HCG also show added functions; it affects the immune tolerance of the pregnancy. Apart from being an indicator to ensure the pregnancy during the early stages of conception, HCG is also produced by some kinds of tumor. This makes it an important tumor marker (The HCG Diet).
The basic function of HCG is to keep the blood stream filled with nutrients which the fetus can consume throughout the gestation. This function is exploited to make HCG Diet. Individuals (both men and women) who are injecting HCG are also allowing the blood stream to be filled with nutrients taken from the reserved fat. It is for this reason HCG diet is recommended to obese individuals. It effectively drops the personal calorie s to around 500 calories (The HCG Diet). Thus, as soon as HCG is injected the body derives its nutrient requirements not from the nutritional diet but from the already existing fat reservoir. This reserved fat burns out to provide ATP molecules and hence the energy. It is therefore manifested that the HCG diet allows dieters to drop 1-2 lbs per day. These injections aid in weight reduction by reducing hunger, and affecting mood (The HCG Diet).
How does it work?
HCG Low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) present in both men and women with the highest level of HCG in pregnant woman. Under normal conditions, HCG is given to female requiring help in ovulating and to men who require an increase in sperm count. Synthetically available or extracts of HCG are made available by extracting the hormone from the urine of a pregnant women. Supporters of HCG Diet are of firm belief that by adhering to the diet plan and taking daily injections of HCG, required or targeted reduced weight can be achieved. This is followed by eating plan with 500 calories (How does it work).
Along with HCG Diet, the diet encompasses not more than 500 calories, more water, vegetables and fiber in the daily meal plan. This is known to make the reduction in weight at a faster pace and that too without any exercise. The Diet also has restrictions on consumption of tea and coffee apart from only 100 gm of diet intake in lunch and also in dinner. The diet encompass, lean meat or sea food, paired with one vegetable, asparagus, beet greens, cabbage, celery, chard, chicory, cucumbers, fennel, green salad, onions, red radishes, spinach and tomatoes.(). HCG injections with the prescribed diet ensure weight loss (How does it work).
Side Effects
According to the FDA, HCG injections must be restricted to fertility only and not for dieting. The scientific and medical communities still lack significant confirmation regarding the HCG. Injecting HCG is not without danger as potential blood clot does exist. In females, ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) occurs. It is reported to be fatal. OHSS onsets with the symptoms of pelvic pain; stomach, arm or leg swelling, apart from headaches and depression. It is also evident that a young boys taking HCG might experience premature puberty. Also, if the hormone is passed to the fetus in pregnancy or from nursing women it cause harm to the baby. Other drawbacks involve risk of health (How does it work).
It is now proved through research that HCG injections showed no different feelings or results than a placebo injection and it is recommended that there is no rationale for the use of HCG injections in the treatment of obesity. HCG Diet is hype. On one hand, people on the HCG diet experiences, excellent results, and the HCG diet is considered a big success. On the other hand, when compared with the placebo effect, it is found to be fake and do not show any effect on the body. Also there is no difference shown in weight loss, or level of perceived hunger, or difference in blood nutrient levels (HCG Diet Studies Show Results Equal to Placebo).
Conclusion
HCG is Human Choriogonadotropin hormone present during pregnancy and is made available for the dieters in the market for purchase. This commercially available product is extracted from urine of pregnant women. The product serves as a HCG Diet. This regimen involves the process to cut the calories and to convert the fat into energy thereby burning the extra fat in the body to meet the energy requirement of the body. It is a boon for the obese individuals and those who need to maintain their body figure like the celebrities and people from the modeling and film industries. For e.g. Adnan Sami the famous singer is said to lose 107 kgs of weight by using the HCG Diet. The HCG Diet has a protocol of an HCG injection along with the salads, water and fruits and vegetables which are very low in calories and are simply filling stuffs. When a comparison is made between the individuals having the HCG Diet and those on the placebo then no difference was found between the two groups indicating that the HCG Diet does not have any implications on the health of the individuals. The parameters between the two studies encompassed weight loss, perceived hunger and blood nutrient levels.
The article emphasize on the safety issues associated with the HCG Diet. It can put an imbalance on the hormonal level leading to the alteration in the physiology of an individual and therefore causing various dreaded diseases like cancer and tumors. The HCG Diet is not as per the rules and regulations of the FDA and therefore one must consult the physician before trying to put a slim figure. It must be ensured that the daily routine of the individual is also affected with a low calorie intake of mere 500 calories. If an individual belongs to the category of hardworking or putting tough labour work or tight schedules then it is not recommended
