What Is The HCG Diet?
HCG Diet Introduction
One of the most popular diets developed in recent memory is the HCG diet. In fact, it is so popular that all kinds of variations of this diet were developed. There are people that actually subscribe to this technique, and yet there are those that say that this is nothing more than a quack diet. So what is the truth behind this diet? In this article, we would try and get to know more about the HCG diet, what it really is all about, how it works, and if it really works, if at all.
The HCG diet is considered to be a nontraditional diet in the sense that you’ll have to take something in order to make the diet work. You’ll have to take HCG, also known as human chorionic gonadotropin, in order to trigger the weight loss associated with this diet. But wait, what exactly is HCG?
Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone produced by pregnant women. A glycoprotein, this hormone is responsible for the maintenance of the corpus luteum. This triggers the release of the hormone progesterone which is responsible for enriching the uterus for the facilitation of the growth of the fetus. In addition to that, it is believed that HCG plays a role in protecting the child from the mother’s own immune system. Lastly, HCG also plays a role in the differentiation of cells.
But one of the novel, albeit controversial, uses of HCG is its use as a dietary supplement. The framework of the HCG diet was created by Albert T. W. Simeons, a British endocrinologist. While studying pregnant women and boys with pituitary problems in India, he claims that with a low-calorie diet combined with the use of HCG, he has been able to burn purely fat. This is a break from conventional dieting as low-calorie diets are known to have the downside of burning muscle for energy instead. Using this discovery, Simeons created his book Pounds and Inches in 1954. Contained inside the manuscript is the framework of the HCG diet, with it being claimed to be “the weight loss miracle cure”.
How Does the HCG Diet Work?
There have been many forms and variations of this diet circulating recently, with each of them claiming different degrees of effectiveness. And of course, each of them claims to be the answer for weight loss. But when you try to look at it, they are all fundamentally the same, with only few and minor deviations from the theories of Simeons found in Pounds and Inches. The strategy goes like this. Combine HCG doses with a diet that is extremely low in calories, and you have the recipe for fast weight loss without losing any lean body tissue.
Opinions about the HCG diet is a total split, with some people alleging complete effectiveness and safety with the use of this diet, with others saying otherwise. On the affirmative side, it is easy to argue that this diet couldn’t have lasted for more than 50 years if it doesn’t work, right? When you think of it, if you are consuming a markedly reduced amount of calories (500 calories daily on the average), you are really bound to lose weight no matter what. However, there is a counter-argument to this. It has never been scientifically proven that the HCG diet indeed prevents the loss of lean weight, and it can also be argued that the weight loss is mainly caused by the reduced calories. Furthermore, most nutritionists consider this diet dangerous, not only because HCG is not exactly endorsed by the medical community, but consuming only 500 calories a day sounds like a health disaster waiting to happen.
The jury is still out about the HCG diet. Is it good or not? It all depends on which fence you are on.