21/08/2020
In today's FACT CHECK FRIDAYS, I will discuss about the HCG Diet and how it affects a person's health. To give you a brief background, HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy.
In the HCG diet, people basically consume HCG products in the form of oral drops, pellets and sprays which can be purchased online. A very low calorie (500 kcal) diet is accompanied by these products and promise a massive weight loss. Some sellers even claim that HCG products can "reset your metabolism" or even change "abnormal eating patterns".
It is important to note that people on restrictive diets are at an increased risk for side effects which includes an irregular heartbeat, vitamin and mineral deficiency, gallstone formation, and an imbalance of the electrolytes in the body, to name a few.
Very low-calorie diets are sometimes prescribed by health care professionals to obese individuals to lessen health conditions. Even if that's the case, strict and constant medical supervision is needed to ensure safety as very low-calorie diets may potentially be fatal.
A study conducted by Lijesen and colleagues stated that there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss of fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being. Even so HCG was only approved by the FDA as a prescription drug for the treatment of female infertility and still NOT APPROVED FOR WEIGHT LOSS as of this writing.
Just like any other restrictive diets out there, the HCG diet makes a person lose weight because of a very low calorie intake for long periods of time.
To you who's reading this right now, If you want to lose weight, do it gradually and reduce the calories you eat every day. Eating a balanced diet and regular exercise will help you achieve the body you always wanted. Lastly, HCG DIET IS A RECKLESS WAY TO SHED WEIGHT, IS NOT SUSTAINABLE AND IS LIFE-THREATENING.
REFERENCES:
Avoid Dangerous HCG Diet Products. (2020, July 13). Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/avoid-dangerous-hcg-diet-products
Stephen A. Butler & Laurence A. Cole (2016) Evidence for, and Associated Risks with, the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Supplemented Diet, Journal of Dietary Supplements, 13:6, 694-699.
Lijesen, G. K., Theeuwen, I., Assendelft, W. J., & Van Der Wal, G. (1995). The effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: a criteria-based meta-analysis. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 40(3), 237–243.
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