A quick Google search for the phrase “hCG diet” returns more than 21 million results so, obviously, there is a tremendous amount of interest in this new diet with the marketing promise to lose “40 pounds in 40 days”.
But there are questions as to both the diet’s effectiveness and safety. Here is a quick look at what HCG is, how it works in the diet, and just how safe it is.
“HCG” is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin. This is a composite of 244 amino acids produced first by the embryo and later by a portion of the placenta. HCG prevents the breakdown of parts of the ovary and allows the continued production of progesterone. Testing for the presence of hGC in the urine is a common and effective pregnancy test.
The theory of making use of hCG has been around for more than 50 years. Its use was first promoted by a British endocrinologist, A.T.W. Simeons. While practicing in India Simeons worked with pregnant women who ate a very low calorie diet and boys with pituitary gland problems. He injected both groups with low doses of hCG and claimed that both groups lost body fat rather than muscle. These results led him to reason that the hCG must be responsible for the fat loss.
After leaving India, Dr. Simeons set up a practice in Rome where he recommended daily low dose hGC injections in conjunction with a diet that severely restricts calorie intake to no more than 500 daily. Since Simeon’s death his diet has become something of an internet sensation by various individuals promoting “alternative” therapies and weight loss treatments.
There isn’t any question but that a diet allowing only 500 calories daily will cause weight loss, with or without hGC. The problem is that this is not nearly enough calorie intake to maintain overall health.
Generally, nutritionists recommend minimum daily calorie levels of 1200 to 1500 unless under a doctor’s supervision. This is the minimum required to provide enough fuel for normal daily activities and still provide the necessary vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
The take away here should be if a diet product promises results “quick and easy”, or suggests it is a secret “they” don’t want you to know about, then that diet is probably not going to work in the long run. As many have said, “the best diet is the one you can stick with”. The hGC diet does not seem to meet that requirement.
The various medical journals are unanimous in their condemnation of hGC diet dangers. Publications warning against the diet include:
Journal of the American Medical Association American Journal of Clinical Nutrition British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The concerns of these journals and agencies are that there is no scientific evidence that the substance hGC has any effect as a weight loss aid and that such a severely calorie restricted diet is not healthy. Restricting calories to such a near starvation level will cause your body to burn muscle for fuel as well as fat. Losing muscle is counterproductive to dieting because it is muscle mass that helps maintain best metabolism levels. Existing on such a restricted diet for a short period will result in weight loss but the odds are overwhelming that once you resume a normal diet the weight will return and most will return as fat. It is also important to note that the diet products advertising themselves as hGC diets are not subject to any formal oversight to ensure the accuracy, safety, and amounts of their claimed ingredients. In other words, let the buyer beware!
