THE HCG DIET
• What is HCG?⠀
Discovered by Albert Simeons and he proposed HCG as a weight loss tool.⠀
HCG, or human chorionic gonadotropin, is a hormone present at high levels in early pregnancy.⠀
HCG has also been used to treat fertility issues in both men and women.However, elevated blood levels of HCG may also be a symptom of several types of cancer, including placental, ovarian and testicular cancer.⠀
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• How HCG works in a human body?⠀
HCG works in 2 main components-⠀
1. An ultra-low-calorie diet of around 500 calories per day.⠀
2. The HCG hormone administered via injections.⠀
HCG is a protein-based hormone produced during pregnancy that tells a woman’s body that it’s pregnant.⠀
HCG helps maintain the production of important hormones like progesterone and estrogen, which are essential for the development of the embryo and fetus.⠀
After the first three months of pregnancy, blood levels of HCG decrease.⠀
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• Does HCG helps you to lose weight?⠀
Proponents of the HCG diet claim that it boosts metabolism and helps you lose large amounts of fat — all without feeling hungry.⠀
Various theories attempt to explain HCG’s weight loss mechanisms.⠀
However, multiple studies have concluded that weight loss achieved by the HCG diet is due to ultra-low-calorie intake alone and has nothing to do with the HCG hormone.⠀
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• How the diet is prescribed?⠀
The HCG diet is a very low-fat, very low-calorie diet.⠀
It is generally divided into three phases:⠀
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Loading phase: Start taking HCG and eat plenty of high-fat, high-calorie foods for two days.⠀
Weight loss phase: Continue taking HCG and eat only 500 calories per day for 3–6 weeks.⠀
Maintenance phase: Stop taking HCG. Gradually increase food intake but avoid sugar and starch for three weeks.⠀
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Butter, oils and sugar should be avoided, but you’re encouraged to drink a lot of water. Mineral water, coffee and tea are allowed as well.⠀
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• Does this diet really work?⠀
The HCG diet may work but only because you’re cutting calories.The HCG diet limits calorie intake to around 500 calories per day for weeks at a time, making it an extreme weight loss diet.⠀
• Side effects?⠀
Headaches,Depression,Fatigue⠀
These may be largely due to its starvation
Nutrition 