HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin, which is a term used to define one of the hormones that appear in women during pregnancy, with a great role in feeding the uterus and keeping it healthy. One of the most common uses for HCG is as a treatment for fertility, in an injectable form invented a few years ago. However, more and more people decide to use this substance as an aid for losing weight in a very short period of time, without being completely aware of the numerous side effects that can occur. For example, some of the severe consequences range from strong feelings of depression, headaches and blood clots. In addition to this, there were also a couple of patients suffering from pulmonary embolism, which directly resulted from following the HCG diet. This is just one of the life threatening medical conditions encountered by this category of people.
The most common form of HCG used for weight loss is in drops and tablets. Some of these products are commercialized in most pharmacies throughout the world and even in nutrition center, despite the fact that their purpose is not for losing weight. Claiming that HCG products can help lose weight if combined with other substances is illegal and fraudulent at the same time, since these drugs are not approved by specialized authorities, being regarded as harmful for the human body.
The diet itself was created in Europe and the end of the 1950s, being based on a theory according to which administering HCG helps reduce the appetite for food, therefore diminishing the amount of nutrients absorbed by the body and helping people keep a constant daily limit of around 500 calories, which will help them lose weight in a very short time. This technique has successfully helped artists, actors and other Hollywood personalities who had to lose weight for roles in movies, for example. According to those who chose this diet, this substance helps people lose one pound a day and even more, depending on the restrictions on calories.
However, as you probably imagined, there are also some major disadvantages of this type of diet. In some cases, this rough diet can lead to starvation and therefore to serious complications for most people. Most specialists in this field recommend consuming at least 1,200 calories per day in order for your body to stay fit and react to external factors normally. In addition to this, most of the diets that can help lose more than a kilogram per week are considered dangerous and require medical supervision.
Since 1970, the diet based on HCG has become more and more popular, with the medications being commercialized in attractive packets. There are also some doctors who believe that all HGC does is create the so called placebo effect that makes people believe that they are not hungry anymore, even though the number of calories consumed is rather small. All in all, HCG can be regarded as a last resort for situations when you really have to lose a lot of weight in a very short time. Otherwise, patients should try to avoid it and resort to milder solutions.