You may not know what Human Choriogonadotropin is unless you see the initials HCG. For many women, that will ring a bell with them, especially if they have had children or are typing to get pregnant. This is the pregnancy hormone found in the urine that is detected by a home pregnancy test that lets a woman know an egg has been fertilized. This pregnancy hormone is responsible for many of the changes in the woman’s body and is the reason for many of the pregnancy symptoms she will endure. However, could it be that HCG is an effective hormone to treat obesity? Some think that it is but far more believe that it is nothing but a bogus claim that could be dangerous.
There are a number of books and diets based on taking HCG, however there is no scietific proof that it will improve weight loss results.
Reviews and beliefs on the effectiveness of HCG as a weight loss supplement/drug/hormone are mixed at best. Some say it does not work and in fact may allow someone to gain more easily. Others claim that it has helped them because they suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and nothing else has helped. This type of program in which someone receives shots of HCG as a weight loss aid has not been approved by the FDA as a proven treatment that is safe and effective.
One study done in recent times was done to duplicate a study done in 1973. This was the Asher-Harper study. This study was conducted to see if the HCG injections along with a 500 calorie diet would aid those in the study with weight loss. This was a double blind study done on 51 women to compare HCG to placebo. It was found that there was no difference in weight loss, body measurement or hunger suppression in any of the participants. In other words, the addition of HCG made no difference and was not a catalyst for weight loss.
If you are considering HCG use for weight loss, consider a few things before you dive in. One man who has written a book on the subject is under fire from the Federal Trade Commission because they believe that this diet may be dangerous, as HCG can also be known as a ‘tumor’ trigger in some people, just to name one problem they find with the diet. Talk with your doctor about weight loss, HCG, and other options that will work better for you without the risks that may come with an unproven and largely unstudied practice. This has not been show to work through any type of research that would normally back up any claim of this procedure working for anyone.
HCG Can work, but as different people have different types, it’s really dependent on your body type. The best thing to do is talk to a doctor and see what they say.