HCG Diet Dangers

Not many can turn the pages of a magazine without a wistful look at the gorgeously slim models displaying perfect figures. While technology has brought about amazing life style changes, the said lifestyles have led to increasing obesity in entire populations in many countries all over the world.

It is to be expected that any diet program claiming wonder results, backed by excellent reviews, will become a craze. One such product is the HCG diet which utilizes effects of HCG (human chorionic gonadotrophic hormone ) to do its trick.

This hcg diet has been increasing in popularity since 2007. As with any new regimen, one needs a clear understanding of any possible HCG diet dangers before starting up:

Common HCG side effects

During the first week many or some of the following are common-constipation, nausea, rarely hair loss, fatigue, dizziness, irritability and moodiness. During this time your body is getting accustomed to the reduced food in take; these symptoms are results to that and subside after the first week.

HCG diet dangers regarding the formulation itself

The FDA has approved the use of HCG in a homeopathic oral drop formulation as an acceptable and approved safe weight loss treatment method.

Unfortunately there are many companies without such FDA approval who are churning out similar products claiming similar results – here in lies the danger – they either contain too small or too high concentrations of HCG than recommended.

So buyers need to be careful about the source of these products. To avoid being misled by spurious products and scams – buy only from authentic, verified sources which are FDA approved .

HCG Injections vs oral drops

Before the oral homeopathic drops were introduced, HCG injections were in use since the 1950s.
There are some HCG diet dangers assoctiated with the injectible form.

Injections seem to have more side effects-

  • In my opinion, the very fact that its an injection makes it undesirable ,ugh!
  • You, as the lay person may not know the exact location or site to inject. So, you may inject into fat or even into a vein in which case absorption is hampered.
  • Risk of developing abscesses, blood clots, soreness, even cysts occasionally at the injection site -so you need to take them under supervision of a medical practitioner every couple of days-what a nuisance!
  • The injections are costlier compared to the oral drops.

One rare HCG diet danger in the use of the injected HCG in women is Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome(OHSS).

What is OHSS?

It is a complication suffered by less than 10% of women undergoing fertility treatment. Apparently HCG injections (this is much higher concentration than used for the HCG diet) are administered during this treatment to stimulate egg production. In some women it can lead to over-stimulation, leading to swelling of the ovaries leading to symptoms like bloated abdomen, pelvic pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

But this is not to say it can cause similar effects to a similar extent when used in the HCG diet plan:

a) It has been reported mostly in the fertility treatment scenario where, as mentioned, the doses are much higher compared to the HCG diet oral drops doses.

b) The oral drops are a homeopathic formulation with very minimal HCG concentrations.

c) Even the mild reaction of this form has been usually associated with injected HCG, not oral.

d) Such symptoms are self limiting, in most instances, even in the fertility treatments

One of the most important dangers of the HCG diet relates to exercising or in this instance, making sure not to overdo it. One needs to be very careful to consciously do only low impact exercises such as walking. With regular diets (as in partly starving yourself) it is essential that you boost the fat burning process by means of additional activities which utilize the fat, aka exercising.

When you are on the HCG diet your intake is suddenly restricted to 500 calories/day as opposed to the required 1000 calories/day. But there is a limit to how much fat can be burned safely for it to remain within healthy limits .

With the hcg diet plan, the requisite, permissible quantities of fat that can be safely utilized in a day are already reached. Hence, straining the body beyond these limits may lead to weakness in spite of supplements and possibly may lead to loss of muscle which is not a desirable outcome of any weight loss program. In conclusion being aware about the HCG diet dangers enables you to avoid the pitfalls and make it work for you in the best possible way. Happy dieting!