What is hCG?

[Tiff]

Is it safe to take this horomone? What exactly is it and why is it recommended for weight loss? Does it come in any other form other than injections?

[antoniojones1968]

hCG (Human chorionic gonadotropin) is a hormone that women produce during pregnancy for the normal development of the fetus. When used as a treatment, hCG is most commonly used as a fertility treatment in both men and women.

As for weight loss, the theory is that taking injections of hCG while following the hCG diet, which limits you to 500 calories per day, will help you shrink down your body size. There is absolutely no evidence that this hormone does that...I would say that if you're following this diet, the extremely limited number of calories and any exercise you're supposed to do will take care of the weight loss for you.

Also, taking these injections are completely illegal unless they are administered to you by your healthcare provider as a fertility treatment. Any weight loss diet that recommends these injections should be avoided. Plain and simple.

[lia]

This is one of the dumbest diets I've ever heard of for weight loss. hCG isn't gong to help you lose weight and the diet you're supposed to follow while taking it is absurd! Sure you'll lose weight if you're eating only 500 calories per day, but you're also like to get sick considering your starving yourself. Never follow any diet that is so low in calories, unless it is prescribed to you by your doctor for health reasons and you're being monitored while on it. And yeah, hCG injections are illegal unless they're being administered by a legitimate healthcare practitioner for fertility treatments.

[brightstar]

I am in agreement that hCG should be avoided and is a total scam for weight loss (not to mention illegal). To answer your second question, Tiff, it only comes in the form of injections.

[Gina]

If you see any diet linked to hCG, don't even give it a second look. Move on to find something else. As everyone else here said, injections of this hormone are illegal for everything other than fertility and even then they can only be administered by a licensed healthcare provider.

[Nelly]

I just thought that hCG was a little extreme for weight loss...I didn't realize that it was actually illegal!

[Tiff]

Wow! Okay I'm glad I asked. I didn't realize it was illegal for weight loss and I also didn't know that it's recommended with a diet that is so low in calories. Yikes! Why is so much stuff that is recommended for weight loss scary? Are people only interested in making money? Doesn't anyone care about the health of others? I'm really getting disheartened by so many false claims :( Thanks for providing me with all your opinions/info everyone.