Pros and Cons of HCG
By: SudbyTotal Views: 283, Word Count: 674,
Pros and cons of HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin) diet are really essential to know before following it. HCG diet is followed widely for quick weight loss. This diet was widely popular back in 1971. It was mentioned in the book by A.T.W. Simeons. The HCG diet uses doses of Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin hormone to bring weight loss. This specified hormone is present in the body of pregnant women. This hormone is required for fetal development and helps the mother to keep her immune system from rejecting the fetus. This is a bit risky kind of diet and hence, earlier it was given to spa customers and health resorts only under observation of specialized consultants. But now, it is widely used in homes. However, there are some pros and cons of this diet. Following are the list of it:
- Though this diet is very helpful for the weight loss program, it is known for rapid and drastic loss of weight. However, research shows that HCG is not effective in the weight loss of adults who are in a good health condition. It doesn’t respond well on the healthy adult body. The weight loss occurred due to the HCG diet is a result of extreme calorie restriction and not by following the HCG diet.
- But the rapid weight loss is hazardous to the body. Firstly, your body needs time to adjust to the fluctuation in weight and also the body contents. You can feel sudden fatigue while performing routine activities. Sudden weight loss is not at all good for health. Rapid weight loss increases chances of rebound weight gain. This continuous fluctuation in weight increases the risk of heart failure as this change in weight can put your heart under constant stress.
- This diet doesn’t have any focus on physical exercise. HCG diet doesn’t encourage including any regular and moderate exercise. In fact, it discourages the dieters from exercising. Also, it doesn’t have any selection criteria for nutritious food. There is neither proper food diet in HCG system nor does it guide you about food items.
- HCG diet is based on the extreme calorie restriction
- This diet doesn’t give you any energy or strength after losing weight. You might feel very weak after sudden weight loss. You can find tremendous fatigue after weight loss and also there are chances of side effects of the hormone.
- HCG diet is based on extreme calorie restriction. It allows you to take only 500 calories per day. According to nutritionists, the average calorie intake per day for a normal person is 1300. If you restrict yourself on such low calorie intake, it certainly creates problems for your body. The body becomes weak and you can feel dizziness, fatigue, and hunger. You will also experience food cravings and nutritional deficiencies in this diet. You will be low on every essential element in your body. This can create many health related issues.
- HCG diet is not approved by FDA (Food and Drugs Administration). Earlier it was often used in combination with steroid drugs. It was also in the list of illegal sports drugs. Athletes can be disqualified if found to be following this diet.
- By following the HCG diet, you can develop some tumors which can cause cancer. The hormone used in this diet can create such tumors. In such cases, the doctors are unable to find the traces of cancer in early stage due to the mixing of hormone material in the blood.
These are the pros and cons of the HCG diet. It is a bit risky to follow such a diet. The only advantage is that it helps you to reduce weight very quickly, but you may face the after effects of this diet, which are dangerous. So it is better to undergo such diet with proper medical consultation.
About the Author
Robert Sudby has practiced as a General Physician in Cleveland for a number of years. He is retired but still likes to share fitness secrets and tips with people. You can benefit from his articles on fitness and general well being.
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