HCG Hormone for Weight Loss

There are many different kinds of weight loss pills, powders and creams available on the market that promise to shed the pounds, but in reality they just shed your money. One such miracle cure is the HCG hormone diet. A diet that has been around for decades and still pops up in the headlines. This hormone has been proven to not be affective in weight loss.

What is HCG Hormone?

HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin hormone and is produced in great amounts during pregnancy. In fact, it is one of the tests a doctor will do to check to see if you early pregnancy is developing normally. A pregnant woman should increase her HCG levels quickly and steadily and it will continue to climb throughout the pregnancy.

What Does HCG Do?

HCG is made by the body to help feed the developing fetus by converting fat into food for the fetus and also helps in the creation of progesterone, which strengthens the uterus. While HCG is most commonly found in large amounts in pregnant women, it is present in small amounts in both men and women. It has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the fertility problems in both sexes.

The HCG Diet

The HCG weight loss diet fad began in the in 1950s and was a coupling of HCG injections and a 500 calorie per day diet. Since the HCG stimulates fat cells in pregnant women, the idea was it would do the same thing for anyone that takes it and would be a cure for obesity. The diets very strict 500 calorie diet is very strict on how much carbohydrates and fat can be taken in a day.

HCG and Weight Loss

Since the diet has been around since the 1950s, there have been a number of studies examining HCG's role in weight loss and the overall conclusion has been it has no effect on weight loss. The FDA and the Journal of American Medical Association have both said that there is no evidence to suggest HCG has any role in weight loss. Instead, the 500 calorie diet is the real reason why people lose weight and has nothing to do with the HCG injections.

HCG Diet Today

There are still several weight loss websites and institutions that support the HCG diet and offer it as part of their overall weight loss treatment. It should be noted that the FDA has not approved HCG hormones injections or pills for the purpose of weight loss. It is important that you talk to your doctor before starting any weight loss system, especially any that involve such a low calorie diet and hormone injections.