James Falvo
New member
Another Mike Ross artcle
The HCG Diet: Stop Promoting the Nonsense!
So again, all diet rage and the latest fad, the HCG diet has found its way back from the dead. Many people including fly-by-night doctors are touting the weight loss and redistribution of fat by following the HCG diet. Companies are creating pills and drops with HCG claiming it’s the real thing or even better. Well let’s break it down in easy to understand science and show you why this is complete nonsense.
HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. It’s a naturally occurring hormone that is associated with pregnancy. HCG can be prescribed as a fertility drug in women or in men to bring their testes back online after a steroid cycle. HCG in women, when pregnant, plays the role of moving fat stores and nutrients to the placenta for the developing fetus. So here is where the myth starts. Note the line “for the developing fetus.” Even if you mobilized fat in a normal woman, what fetus is she feeding?
Next we can look at a few studies. Please search the following 2 links. You can read the summaries really quick and discern that this is a scam.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Weight Loss: A Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial
The Effect of HCG in the Treatment of Obesity by Means of the Simeons Therapy: A Criteria-based Meta-
analysis.
In the above articles, you’ll notice the mention of a very low calorie diet (VLCD). A VLCD is a 500 calorie or less per day diet. So let me ask you this. If you ate 500 calories per day for 1 week, how much weight do you think you’d lose? Quite a lot. Besides the 3-6 lbs of water weight you’d lose, you would probably drop another 3 lbs of physical weight. Too bad it will be mostly muscle you lose. Less muscle means a slower metabolism. Not a good thing for losing weight. But wait you say, “I have HCG in my system. I just paid $50-$150 for these pills or drops.” Well sorry to say, you’ve been snookered. There is no evidence that oral HCG products are effective for weight loss says Elizabeth Miller, head of the FDA’s Internet and fraud team. The pills/drops may not be harmful, but companies pushing them are committing “economic fraud.” Also note, HCG is not a homeopathic remedy and this is and this is an illegal claim to FDA laws. Read more about the FDA’s advice on this matter at usatoday.com
So who do you want to believe? The fat loss clinic on the corner with the doctor who cares only about profit? The pill pusher CEO’s and marketers of bogus HCG products? Or, the pharmacist and wellness coach who started a company that looks out for you the customer?
These products containing HCG are not only fake, they are technically illegal. You could easily spend $300 a month at a clinic for weight loss and starve yourself. But why? You’ll put every pound back on plus some. However, if you’re committed to succeeding you could do it the right way through lifestyle modification. PN can even recommend a nutritionist to you. We sell proven products with proven ingredients that can help you shed the pounds the healthy way. Please see my other article onboosting your metabolism without stimulants
for more advice. Also, don’t hesitate to comment or email us for advice or info, we’re always here to help.
Mike Ross, PharmD, SFN
Bosch, B. et al 1990. Human chorionic gonadofropin and weight loss: A double blind, placebo controlled trial. South African Medical Journal , 17(4), 185-89.
Lijensen, G. et al 1995. The effect of HCG in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: A criteria-based meta-analysis. British Pharmacology , 49, 237-43.
The HCG Diet: Stop Promoting the Nonsense!
So again, all diet rage and the latest fad, the HCG diet has found its way back from the dead. Many people including fly-by-night doctors are touting the weight loss and redistribution of fat by following the HCG diet. Companies are creating pills and drops with HCG claiming it’s the real thing or even better. Well let’s break it down in easy to understand science and show you why this is complete nonsense.
HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. It’s a naturally occurring hormone that is associated with pregnancy. HCG can be prescribed as a fertility drug in women or in men to bring their testes back online after a steroid cycle. HCG in women, when pregnant, plays the role of moving fat stores and nutrients to the placenta for the developing fetus. So here is where the myth starts. Note the line “for the developing fetus.” Even if you mobilized fat in a normal woman, what fetus is she feeding?
Next we can look at a few studies. Please search the following 2 links. You can read the summaries really quick and discern that this is a scam.
Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Weight Loss: A Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Trial
The Effect of HCG in the Treatment of Obesity by Means of the Simeons Therapy: A Criteria-based Meta-
analysis.
In the above articles, you’ll notice the mention of a very low calorie diet (VLCD). A VLCD is a 500 calorie or less per day diet. So let me ask you this. If you ate 500 calories per day for 1 week, how much weight do you think you’d lose? Quite a lot. Besides the 3-6 lbs of water weight you’d lose, you would probably drop another 3 lbs of physical weight. Too bad it will be mostly muscle you lose. Less muscle means a slower metabolism. Not a good thing for losing weight. But wait you say, “I have HCG in my system. I just paid $50-$150 for these pills or drops.” Well sorry to say, you’ve been snookered. There is no evidence that oral HCG products are effective for weight loss says Elizabeth Miller, head of the FDA’s Internet and fraud team. The pills/drops may not be harmful, but companies pushing them are committing “economic fraud.” Also note, HCG is not a homeopathic remedy and this is and this is an illegal claim to FDA laws. Read more about the FDA’s advice on this matter at usatoday.com
So who do you want to believe? The fat loss clinic on the corner with the doctor who cares only about profit? The pill pusher CEO’s and marketers of bogus HCG products? Or, the pharmacist and wellness coach who started a company that looks out for you the customer?
These products containing HCG are not only fake, they are technically illegal. You could easily spend $300 a month at a clinic for weight loss and starve yourself. But why? You’ll put every pound back on plus some. However, if you’re committed to succeeding you could do it the right way through lifestyle modification. PN can even recommend a nutritionist to you. We sell proven products with proven ingredients that can help you shed the pounds the healthy way. Please see my other article onboosting your metabolism without stimulants
for more advice. Also, don’t hesitate to comment or email us for advice or info, we’re always here to help.
Mike Ross, PharmD, SFN
Bosch, B. et al 1990. Human chorionic gonadofropin and weight loss: A double blind, placebo controlled trial. South African Medical Journal , 17(4), 185-89.
Lijensen, G. et al 1995. The effect of HCG in the treatment of obesity by means of the Simeons therapy: A criteria-based meta-analysis. British Pharmacology , 49, 237-43.
