Hormone HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a type of hormone that is produced by pregnant women. It was first discovered by a British endocrinologist called Dr. ATW Simeons in the 1950s while studying pregnant women in India. He found out that a small quantity of HCG hormone would help the body to burn of excess adipose tissue when paired with a very low calorie diet. This diet program was used to treat his patients with obesity problem. The popularity of this HCG diet had fell after the death of Dr. Simeons. In year 2007, a new phase of interest for the HCG diet plan started to grow again when Kevin Tradeau published a bookcalled “The Weight Loss Cure, What THEY Don’t Want You to Know”.
In December 6, 2011, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that all HCG diet products are illegal and the very low calorie HCG diet is a potentially dangerous diet as well as advising public to stay away from this diet plan. According to FDA, HCG is only approved for treating infertility problem among women, as well as other health conditions, but definitely not for the purpose of losing weight. There is no evidence to support its use for weight-loss purposes.
When looking at the dangers of the HCG diet, one of them should be the “500 calories” low calorie diet. Many medical experts say that having too little calorie a day is definitely not enough to support the body’s daily function and growth and will probably bring about dizziness, confusion, emotional swings, irritability, etc. Besides, due to food restrictions in this diet, dieters may lack in certain nutrients. For example, leg cramp is a common problem faced as a result of lacking of potassium.
Another danger is that there are various weight-loss clinics which offer HCG weight-loss treatment have no properly trained medical personnel to administer the HCG. HCG taken through injections may also lead to blood clots.
HCG Side Effects
Hormone HCG is produced naturally by the bodies of pregnant women as soon as a fertilized egg attached to the wall of the uterus. The levels of HCG will gradually increase to support the development of the fetus. Though there might also be side effects from the natural HCG hormone, the risk facing by people who use homeopathic HCG through injection or taken orally is greater.
Women who take too much HCG might at risk of having Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS), a medical condition that will lead to the swelling of the arms and legs, pelvis and abdominal pain, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea, vomiting and also the feeling of nausea. HCG treatment might also cause complications such as bleeding, thicker lining and other abnormalities among women with uterine problems. Patients with brain disorders such as epilepsy should not take HCG too to avoid having mental confusion and nervousness.
HCG might also promote the growth of tumor among women that will directly increase the chances of having breast or ovarian cancer. Therefore, women who have history of cysts or cancers should never use HCG.
HCG is being used to treat infertility among women as it could stimulate ovulation. However, this fertility treatment might result in higher risk of having multiple fertilization and thus multiple births. The risk of having babies with birth defects such as Down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders is also greater.
Men also produce a little amount of HCG hormone that aids in the development of sperm and testicles. HCG is used to treat the problem of low testosterone and sperm count among men, as well as undescended testicles in young men. If a healthy man taking too much HCG, the natural production of testosterone might be affected.
It is also a popular practice for athletes and weightlifters to use HCG with steroids in order to reduce negative effects of steroids. By doing this they might at risk of having cancer and blood clotting.
