I reference any words I take from BB2k. This is my revisit to a "warning" article he posted when the HCG diet was first making waves. It's still popular so I wanted to get this info circulating again.
I am seeing just as many weight loss clinics and alternative doctors as ever pushing the HCG diet. I'm not licensed in medicine but I feel I'm a logical guy and by this I mean that....well, a crash diet is a crash diet...right?
HCG DIET
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced during pregnancy by the cells that form the placenta. This hormone is detected in the blood around 11 days after conception; it is detected in the urine around 12-14 days after conception. While it is most commonly associated with pregnancy, it is present in both genders. (1)
What it does in the body:
HCG signals the hypothalamus (area of the brain that affects metabolism) to mobilize fat stores. In pregnancy, this helps the body bring nutrients into the placenta, fueling the fetus with the energy to grow. In the world of AAS, we know HCG as a peptide that mimics LH, and in doing this "tricks" the testes into producing testosterone and sperm.
The Weight Loss Frenzy...the claim:
The HCG diet calls for weekly or bi-weekly sub-q injections. The "experts" claim you will help you lose 1-3 pounds per day, and in some cases they are true statements...but does that rapid loss in weight sound healthy to anyone??
500-calories per day is the diet plan you will follow on this money making fad diet. IMPO, if anyone was to eat a maximum of 500 calories daily they would lose the same amount of weight as a participant in the HCG diet...because that's how the fat (and muscle) is lost!!
Scientific evidence:
There is no scientific evidence supporting HCG injections as a weight loss strategy. In addition, these injections have not been approved by the FDA for use in weight loss. In fact, since 1975 the FDA has required all marketing and advertising of HCG to state the following: “HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”
“HCG is a hormone extracted from urine of pregnant women. It is approved by FDA for treatment of certain problems of the male reproductive system and in stimulating ovulation in women who have had difficulty becoming pregnant. No evidence has been presented, however, to substantiate claims for HCG as a weight-loss aid.” via the FDA
HCG ban:
The hormone was recently added to the list of “banned substances” in Major League Baseball, as it was becoming increasingly popular among steroid users. Athletes turned to this, among other “performance enhancing drugs” because it “mitigates the side effects of ending a cycle of steroids.”
Negative side effects:
The common side effects include headaches, mood swings, depression, blood clots, confusion, and dizziness. Some women also develop a condition called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS); symptoms of this include pelvic pain, swelling of the hands and legs, stomach pain, weight gain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, vomiting/nausea, and/or urinating less than normal.
the above bold was C&P'd from BB2K's blog
(1) Body By BB2K; The HCG Diet...What you may not know!
Body By BB2K
I am seeing just as many weight loss clinics and alternative doctors as ever pushing the HCG diet. I'm not licensed in medicine but I feel I'm a logical guy and by this I mean that....well, a crash diet is a crash diet...right?
HCG DIET
HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced during pregnancy by the cells that form the placenta. This hormone is detected in the blood around 11 days after conception; it is detected in the urine around 12-14 days after conception. While it is most commonly associated with pregnancy, it is present in both genders. (1)
What it does in the body:
HCG signals the hypothalamus (area of the brain that affects metabolism) to mobilize fat stores. In pregnancy, this helps the body bring nutrients into the placenta, fueling the fetus with the energy to grow. In the world of AAS, we know HCG as a peptide that mimics LH, and in doing this "tricks" the testes into producing testosterone and sperm.
The Weight Loss Frenzy...the claim:
The HCG diet calls for weekly or bi-weekly sub-q injections. The "experts" claim you will help you lose 1-3 pounds per day, and in some cases they are true statements...but does that rapid loss in weight sound healthy to anyone??
500-calories per day is the diet plan you will follow on this money making fad diet. IMPO, if anyone was to eat a maximum of 500 calories daily they would lose the same amount of weight as a participant in the HCG diet...because that's how the fat (and muscle) is lost!!
Scientific evidence:
There is no scientific evidence supporting HCG injections as a weight loss strategy. In addition, these injections have not been approved by the FDA for use in weight loss. In fact, since 1975 the FDA has required all marketing and advertising of HCG to state the following: “HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or ‘normal’ distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets.”
“HCG is a hormone extracted from urine of pregnant women. It is approved by FDA for treatment of certain problems of the male reproductive system and in stimulating ovulation in women who have had difficulty becoming pregnant. No evidence has been presented, however, to substantiate claims for HCG as a weight-loss aid.” via the FDA
HCG ban:
The hormone was recently added to the list of “banned substances” in Major League Baseball, as it was becoming increasingly popular among steroid users. Athletes turned to this, among other “performance enhancing drugs” because it “mitigates the side effects of ending a cycle of steroids.”
Negative side effects:
The common side effects include headaches, mood swings, depression, blood clots, confusion, and dizziness. Some women also develop a condition called Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS); symptoms of this include pelvic pain, swelling of the hands and legs, stomach pain, weight gain, shortness of breath, diarrhea, vomiting/nausea, and/or urinating less than normal.
the above bold was C&P'd from BB2K's blog
(1) Body By BB2K; The HCG Diet...What you may not know!
Body By BB2K
