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Natural Standard - Professional

HCGDiet
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ScientificName
None.

Alsoknownas:ATWSimeonsDiet,ATWSimeonsMethod,DietaHCG,HCG,HumanChorionicGonadotropinDiet,LowCalorieDiet
(LCD),MthodeSimeons,ProtocoledeHCG,ProtocoleSimeons,RgimeHCG,RgimePauvreenCalories,RgimeTrsFaibleen
Calories,RgimeTrsHypocalorique,SimeonsDiet,SimeonsMethod,SimeonsProtocol,VeryLowCalorieDiet(VLCD).

PeopleUseThisFor
TheHCGdietisusedforweightlossandtreatingobesity.

Safety
POSSIBLYSAFE...whenusedappropriately,shortterm.SomeclinicalresearchshowsthattheHCGdietcanbesafelyusedunder
closemedicalsupervision.However,becauseitutilizestheprescriptiondrughumanchorionicgonadotropin(HCG)andaverylow
caloriediet,itshouldonlybeusedunderthesupervisionandmonitoringofahealthprofessional(17043,17045,17046,17047,17048,
17049,17050).
PREGNANCY:LIKELYUNSAFE...whenusedbyinjection.Humanchorionicgonadotropin(HCG),whichisacomponentoftheHCG
diet,isteratogenic.Ithasbeenlinkedtoahighrateofcongenitalabnormalitiesinanimalmodels(17042).Pregnantwomenshouldnot
usetheHCGdiet.
LACTATION:Insufficientreliableinformationavailableavoidusing.

Effectiveness

Seedetailedevidencesummary

LIKELYINEFFECTIVE
Weightloss.TheHCGdietscombinesaverylowcaloriedietwithadministrationofthedrughumanchorionicgonadotropin(HCG).
Verylowcaloriedietsof500800caloriesdailyhavebeenshowntocauseshorttermweightlosshowever,thelongtermeffectiveness
ofthesedietsisunknown(17043,17044).MostclinicaltrialsevaluatingtheeffectivenessofaddingHCGtoaverylowcaloriediet,as
withtheHCFdiet,areofverypoormethodologicalquality.ThehighestqualitystudiesconsistentlyshowthattheHCGdietdoesnot
significantlyreduceweightorcausefatredistributioncomparedtousingaverylowcaloriedietalone(17045,17046,17047,17048,
17049,17050).

Administration/Application
TheHCGdietconsistsofaverylowcaloriedietof500800caloriesperdayinconjunctionwithadministrationofhumanchorionic
gonadotropin(HCG).HCGmaybeadministeredorally,sublingually,orbyintramuscularinjection.Forintramuscularinjection,
proponentsoftheHCGdietrecommend125200IUdaily.

AdverseEffects
TheHCGdietincludesuseofaverylowcaloriedietandthedrughumanchorionicgonadotropin(HCG).Verylowcaloriediets
generallyrestrictcalorieintaketo500800caloriesdaily.Becausethislevelofcalorierestrictionissosevere,itisgenerally
recommendedonlyforseverelyobesepatientswhowillhaveclosemedicalsupervision.Thesedietscanbesafelyusedundermedical
supervision,however,verycloseattentionmustbepaidtoensureadequatenutrientintake.Verylowcaloriedietscanalsocausevery
rapidshorttermweightloss.Anincreasedriskofgallstoneformationhasbeenassociatedwithsuchrapidweightloss.
TheuseofHCGisgenerallywelltolerated,butshouldalsoonlybeusedundermedicalsupervision.HCGcancausesideeffects
includingheadache,fatigue,irritability,restlessness,depression,edema,andgynecomastia.Othersideeffectsthathavealsobeen
reportedincludeenlargementandruptureofovariancysts,thromboembolism,testiculartumors,hypogonadisminmales,ascites,and
pleuraleffusion(17042,17301).

InteractionswithLabTests
HUMANCHORIONICGONADOTROPIN(HCG):Takinghumanchorionicgonadotropin(HCG),whichisusedasacomponentofthe
HCGdiet,cancrossreactwithradioimmunoassaysforgonadotropinsincludingHCG(17042).HCGscreeningtestsareoftenusedto
detectearlypregnancy.Therefore,takingHCGaspartoftheHCGdietcanpotentiallycauseafalsepositivepregnancytest.
LUTEINIZINGHORMONE(LH):Humanchorionicgonadotropin(HCG),whichisusedasacomponentoftheHCGdiet,hasendocrine
actionsimilartoLH.HCGcancrossreactwithradioimmunoassaysforLH(17042).

InteractionswithDiseases
PROSTATECANCER:Humanchorionicgonadotropin(HCG),whichisusedasacomponentoftheHCGdiet,stimulatesproductionof
androgens(17042).Increasedandrogenscanexacerbateprostateandotherandrogenmediatedcancers.

Theory/MechanismofAction
TheHCGdiet,alsoknownastheSimeonsmethod,combinesaverylowcaloriedietwiththeuseofhumanchorionicgonadotropin
(HCG)hormoneforweightloss.
Theverylowcaloriediet(VLCD)componentusuallyrestrictsdailycaloricintaketo500800calories.

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HCGisadministeredeitherbyintramuscularinjection,sublingually,ororallyalongwiththeVLCD.HCGisnormallyproducedbythe
bodyandincreasesinwomenwhentheyarepregnant.Infact,pregnancytestsuseHCGasthemarkerforpregnancy.
TheuseofHCGforobesityandweightlosswassuggestedbyaLondonphysiciannamedATWSimeonsinthe1950s.Hethoughtthat
fatdistributioninobesepatientsresembledthefatdistributioninpatientswithFrolich'ssyndrome,whichwastreatedwithHCG.
SimeonshypothesizedthatHCGmightthereforebeaneffectiveadjunctivetreatmentforobesity(17301).
ProponentsofHCGalsosuggestthatusingthehormonecouldaccelerateweightlossandredistributefatfromthethighsandbuttocks
todifferentareasofthebody(17301).

EvidenceTable/Discussion
SeedetailedEvidenceSummary

References
SeeMonographReferences
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