The HCG diet has become popular over the years.
It is a diet that has been declared a do Lose Weight Fast up to 1-2 pounds (0.45-0.9 kg) everyday.
Moreover, you don't feel hungry while eating this diet.
However, FDA called this a dangerous diet, and
This article provides an objective view based on the science behind the HCG diet.
What is HCG?
HCG, short for chorionic hormone in humans , is a high-level hormone in the early stages of pregnancy.
In fact, this hormone is used as a marker in pregnancy tests at home .
HCG has also been used to treat reproductive problems in both men and women .
However, high levels of HCG in the blood may also be a symptom of some types of cancer, including placental cancer, ovaries and testes .
A British doctor named Albert Simeons proposed taking HCG as a weight loss tool in 1954.
His diet consists of two main ingredients:
- Diet with extremely low calorie intake of about 500 calories every day.
- Provide HCG hormone by injection into the body.
Today, HCG products are sold in many different forms, including drops, pills and sprays. They are also available through countless websites and a number of retail stores.
Crux : HCG is a hormone produced in the early stages of pregnancy. The HCG diet is used in combination with HCG and low calorie intake to significantly reduce weight.
What does HCG do in the body?
HCG is a hormone based on proteins produced during pregnancy.
What HCG does is basically tell the woman's body that she is pregnant.
HCG helps maintain production of important hormones such as progesterone and estrogen, which are essential for the development of embryos and fetuses .
After the first three months of pregnancy, blood levels of HCG decrease.
Crux : HCG is a hormone produced in large amounts in the first trimester of pregnancy. It stimulates the production of essential pregnancy hormones.
Does HCG help with weight loss?
Supporters of the HCG diet think it helps to increase metabolism and help you lose a huge amount of fat without feeling hungry.
Many theories try to explain the mechanism behind HCG and weight loss.
However, many studies have concluded that weight loss due to the HCG diet is due to a very low calorie diet and completely unrelated to HCG hormone .
These studies compared the effect of HCG injection with placebo injections for individuals who followed a calorie-restricted diet.
The weight loss level was found to be identical or nearly identical between the two groups.
Moreover, they found that HCG hormone is not Significantly reduces hunger.
Crux : Some studies have found that losing weight to the HCG diet is due to excessive calorie restriction. It has nothing to do with HCG and taking HCG is not effective in reducing hunger.
Does HCG diet improve body texture?
A common side effect of weight loss is reduced muscle mass .
This is especially common for calorie-restricted diets, such as the HCG diet.
The body may also think that it is hungry and reduces the calories produced to conserve energy .
However, HCG diet proponents claim that it facilitates weight loss just because of losing fat, not losing muscle.
They believe that HCG also increases other hormones, enhances metabolism and leads to a state of growth (anabolic).
However, no scientific research has proved these claims .
If you are on a low-calorie diet, there are better ways to avoid muscle loss and metabolic degradation than taking HCG.
Weightlifting is the most effective strategy. Also, eat a lot High protein foods and occasionally resting in your diet can boost metabolism .
Crux : Some people believe that the HCG diet helps prevent muscle loss and metabolic degradation when limiting the amount of calories. However, there are currently no studies supporting this.
How is the HCG diet designed
It is usually divided into three phases:
- Starting phase: Start taking HCG and eat lots of high-fat, high-calorie foods for 2 days.
- Weight loss stage: Continue taking HCG and only eat 500 calories a day for 3 to 6 weeks.
- Maintenance phase: Stop taking HCG. Slowly increase the amount of food you eat but avoid sugar and starch for 3 weeks.
For those who need less weight, take 3 weeks for weight loss. People who need a lot of weight should monitor their diet for 6 weeks and even repeat the cycle (all stages) many times.
For weight loss, you are only allowed to eat two meals a day, usually lunch and dinner.
The HCG meal plan generally shows that each meal should contain part of lean protein, vegetables, a piece of cake and fruits.
You can also get a list of "approved foods" to choose a specific amount.
Butter, oil and sugar should be avoided, but you should drink a lot country . Mineral water, the coffee And tea is also allowed.
Crux : HCG diet is usually divided into three stages. During weight loss, take HCG while eating only 500 calories a day.
Most HCG products on the market are pitfalls
Most HCG products on the market today are actually made by the "homeopathic" method.
The real meaning of this is is not never have HCG in these products.
True HCG, in injectable form, is approved as a fertility support drug. It is only available in doctor's prescription.
Only these injections can increase blood levels of hormones is not must be "homeopathic" products sold online.
Crux: Most HCG products available online are "homeopathy," meaning they do not contain any genuine HCG.
Safety and side effects
HCG has not been approved by agencies like the FDA as a weight loss drug.
In contrast, they questioned the safety of HCG products because the components were unregulated and unknown.
There are also some side effects related to the HCG diet, such as:
- Headache
- Tired
- Depression
The main reason may be due to too little calories, which is guaranteed to make many people feel miserable.
In addition, in one case, a 64-year-old woman who was on a diet of HCG found a blood clot in her legs and lungs. Concluding that the blood clot may be due to diet .
Crux : The safety of HCG products has been questioned by official agencies like FDA, and many other side effects have been reported.
This diet may be effective, but only because you are cutting calories
The HCG diet limits calories to about 500 calories a day for several weeks, making it an extremely effective weight-loss diet.
Any diet with a low calorie level like this will make you lose weight.
However, many studies have found that HCG hormone does not affect weight loss, and does not reduce your appetite.
If you are serious about weight loss and want to keep weight, there are many more effective methods than the HCG diet.
For more scientific tips on weight loss, see this article: 30 simple ways to help lose weight naturally
