Is the Human Chorionic Hormone Diet Safe?

Have you heard anything about the human chorionic hormone (hCG) diet? (Actually, hCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin)? Or have you tried it yourself? I've examined the claims regarding this diet and must tell you this: Please look before you leap.

The body releases human chorionic hormone in large amounts during pregnancy. A British physician first promoted hCG as a weight-loss aid in the 1950s, claiming that hCG could cause the body to preferentially burn stored fat, particularly from the stomach, hips, and thighs.

But It Doesn't Work

According to an article posted by Stephen Barrett, MD, on Diet Scam Watch, "no research exists to support these claims." Barrett appended 18 references to his statement.

There's more. A document issued by a public education affiliate of The Endocrine Society and entitled "Myth vs. Fact: the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Diet," states that the hCG diet is ineffective in achieving weight loss and may be harmful to health. This fact sheet lists a number of the potential risk factors for taking this hormone for weight-loss purposes, such as blood clots, vaginal bleeding, and ovarian cysts in women and, in men, breast enlargement and decreased sperm production. It also states that the very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) that's recommended for persons taking hCG can be deficient in over 40 important nutrients, and carries such potential risks as irregular heartbeat and gallstones.

Finally, a 2010 article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association stated that 1) the severe weight loss touted by the hCG diet is most likely related to the VLCD rather than to the hCG itself, and that 2) this regimen can result in nutritional deficiencies.

And Yet it's Still for Sale

Although hCG has been approved as a treatment for infertility, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved hCG as a weight-loss aid. Moreover, the FDA cites no benefit of hCG in the treatment of obesity. Recently, the agency had to issue a warning to some companies that were marketing over-the-counter hCG products as "homeopathic" remedies for weight loss.

And, in spite of all these respected naysayers, hCG is still on the market as a sublingual (under-the-tongue) lozenge.

"Weight Loss 101"

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND--formerly known at The American Dietetic Association or ADA), with its characteristic good sense, says that reducing your daily food intake by 500 to 1,000 calories per day should result in your gradually losing 1 to 2 pounds per week.

So, Be on Your Guard

This same AND article, by the way, included questions that you should ask yourself whenever you find yourself reading information about a popular diet:

• Is the diet nutritionally adequate? How does it compare to the government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010?
• Does the diet allow for individual preference and tastes?
• Will you be able to sustain the diet over weeks and months?
• Does the diet recommend getting some physical activity?
• Before the diet will guarantee your success, does it recommend that you first buy special supplements or products?
• Does the information you're reading about the diet cite any research?
• What are the authors' credentials?

When it comes to popular diets, it's definitely "let the buyer beware" all the way--and as usual I strongly recommended that you check with your doctor before starting any new diet regimen.