The HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) diet is a controversial weight loss program that combines the administration of the HCG hormone with a very low-calorie diet (VLCD), typically around 500 calories per day during the most restrictive phase. Though proponents claim impressive weight loss results, the diet has faced scrutiny from medical professionals and regulatory agencies like the FDA. This article delves into the details of the HCG diet, examining its history, phases, dietary restrictions, potential risks, and scientific evidence.
What is the HCG Diet?
The HCG diet is a medically supervised weight loss program that combines daily injections of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) with a very low-calorie diet. At Vitalogy Health & Integrative Medicine in Denver, the team guides individuals through every phase of the HCG diet, focusing on safety, customization, and sustainable results. The goal is to reset your metabolism and help your body burn fat more efficiently.
HCG is a hormone produced in large amounts by the placenta during pregnancy. Pregnancy tests measure hCG to determine whether someone is pregnant. It is also used to treat medical conditions such as infertility and hormone imbalances.
History of the HCG Diet
British doctor Albert T. W. Simeons introduced the hCG diet in a 1954 medical journal article. He developed the idea after treating young boys with Fröhlich syndrome, a rare hormonal disorder that causes obesity. In 1971, Simeons published a book about the diet, titled Pounds & Inches: A New Approach to Obesity. The hCG diet surged in popularity in 2009, thanks to renewed attention on the Internet.
Phases of the HCG Diet
The HCG diet typically consists of three main phases:
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- Loading Phase: This phase involves eating high-calorie, high-fat foods to rev up your metabolism and prepare your body for weight loss. At the same time, you take HCG through an injection, tablet, or other form. This phase usually lasts three to six weeks.
- Weight Loss Phase: During the weight loss phase, continue taking hCG and eat only 500 calories per day for 3 to 6 weeks. This is the most restrictive phase, requiring strict adherence to the approved food list and portion sizes.
- Maintenance Phase: In this phase, you stop taking HCG and eat a well-balanced diet and exercise. The goal in this phase is to stick to your new eating habits and maintain weight loss long-term. This phase involves gradually increasing food intake while avoiding sugar and starch for about three weeks.
Dietary Restrictions and Preferences
During the low-calorie phase of the HCG diet, it’s important to stick to clean, lean foods that support fat burning and maintain your energy. The diet lets you have two meals a day: lunch and dinner. Each meal has to include one protein, one vegetable, one bread, and one fruit.
Protein: Protein is the foundation of your HCG meal plan. You’ll be eating 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of lean, carefully weighed meat at lunch and dinner. All visible fat must be meticulously trimmed from the meat before cooking, as added fat is strictly prohibited on the HCG diet. Cooking methods should avoid any oils or fats. You can broil or grill veal, beef, chicken breast, fresh white fish, lobster, crab, or shrimp as long as you don’t eat any visible fat. No salmon, eel, tuna, herring, or dried or pickled fish are allowed.
Vegetables: Your meals should also include one serving of low-calorie, fiber-rich vegetables that keep you full without adding carbs. HCG diet vegetables play a pivotal role in providing essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber without compromising the calorie count. These vegetables can be eaten raw, steamed, or lightly sautéed in a small amount of water or sodium-free broth, never in oil or butter. Vegetable choices include spinach, chard, chicory, beet greens, green salad, tomatoes, celery, fennel, onions, red radishes, cucumbers, asparagus, and cabbage.
Fruits: You’re allowed two servings of fruit per day, spaced out between meals or added as snacks. These fruits are naturally low in sugar and calories, making them ideal for satisfying sweet cravings without disrupting your weight loss progress. For fruit, you can choose an orange, an apple, a handful of strawberries, or half a grapefruit.
Bread: You may include one breadstick or one piece of Melba toast with lunch and dinner.
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Sweetener: Only Stevia is allowed as a sweetener because it’s natural and calorie-free, unlike artificial or sugar-based alternatives.
Beverages: The diet allows as much water, coffee, and tea as you want. You can also have up to 1 tablespoon of milk per day. You can use sugar substitutes but not sugar to sweeten drinks. Butter and oils aren't allowed. Herbal tea, such as chamomile or peppermint, is also a good option. Infused water with slices of cucumber, lemon, or mint can add flavor without extra calories.
Other Considerations:
- Vegetarian/Vegan: Though many fruits and vegetables are included in the diet, during the weight loss phase, you’ll need to eat some protein from animal sources, such as chicken, beef, fish, and eggs. That could be a problem for vegetarians and vegans.
- Gluten-Free: Gluten-free shouldn’t be an issue. You can choose gluten-free carbs to eat during the loading and maintenance phases of the diet.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
The HCG diet can produce impressive weight loss results when followed precisely, but it requires planning, consistency, and medical support. However, it's crucial to be aware of the potential risks and side effects associated with the diet:
- FDA Warning: HCG products are not FDA-approved for weight loss. In fact, the FDA warns against using them, saying that very restrictive diets, such as the hCG diet, are dangerous. Claims about the weight loss benefits of the hCG diet are not proven. Taking hCG while drastically cutting calories may cause more harm than benefit.
- Side Effects of HCG Injections: hCG injections for other medical uses are linked to problems such as allergic reactions, mood changes, acne, facial hair growth, headache, swelling of the breasts, penis, or testes, nausea, vomiting, and upset stomach, pelvic pain, and bloating.
- Side Effects of Extreme Calorie Restriction: It's very hard to stick to a strict calorie limit. Not only is it uncomfortable to live on just 500 calories a day, but it can also be dangerous. It’s impossible to meet all your nutritional needs on so few calories. Consuming less than 1,200 calories a day makes it tough to get enough vitamins and minerals without taking supplements. People who follow very restrictive diets like this one are at risk for gallstones, an imbalance of the electrolytes that help your muscles and nerves work, and abnormal heartbeat. The hCG diet also contains less protein than experts recommend you get each day.
- Potential for Cancer Worsening: HCG weight-loss products are linked with making some cancers worse, including prostate cancer. The HCG in these products may prompt the body to make hormones called androgens.
Doctors sometimes recommend a very low-calorie diet (under 1,000 calories per day) if someone is obese and has a medical condition, such as high blood pressure, but these diets must be carefully supervised by a doctor.
Scientific Evidence and Research
Many studies have tested the effectiveness of the hCG diet ever since Simeons introduced it. A 1995 analysis of 24 studies found no evidence that this diet helps reduce hunger, promote weight loss, or trim fat from areas like the hips and thighs. Other research found that placebo, or fake injections, worked just as well as hCG injections for treating obesity. Due to the lack of evidence, the American Society of Bariatric Physicians recommends against using the hCG diet for weight loss.
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A 1995 meta-analysis of the research which reviewed 8 uncontrolled and 16 controlled studies concluded that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity.
The Role of Calorie Restriction
Multiple studies throughout the years have concluded that weight loss achieved by the hCG diet is due to ultra-low-calorie intake alone. It has nothing to do with the hCG hormone. Most of these studies compared the effects of hCG and placebo injections given to individuals on a calorie-restricted diet. Weight loss was identical or nearly identical between the two groups. Furthermore, these studies determined that the hCG hormone didn’t significantly reduce hunger.
Long-Term Weight Loss and Sustainability
Low calorie diets may promote rapid short-term weight loss, but they’re not effective for long-term weight loss. When you’re on a very low calorie diet, your body adapts by increasing hunger hormones and slowing energy expenditure, which makes maintaining your weight loss very difficult. This is why nutrition experts recommend small calorie deficits over extreme calorie restriction.
Alternatives to the HCG Diet
There are safer ways to lose weight that don't require supplements or highly restrictive diets. If you’re carrying a significant volume of extra weight, moving closer to a healthy weight is one of the most important choices you can make. Talk with your healthcare professional about making healthy changes that lead to lasting weight loss.
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