Question from Nicole concerning HCG and weight Loss:

Hi Lorene,

I just heard about this on the radio as there is a naturopath offering this weight loss program in Vancouver.

I am just curious about this and wondering if you know anything more about this and/or your thoughts/opinions.  I would certainly be interested in trying it to jumpstart my weight loss, but skeptical.  Looks like even Dr. Oz is okaying the benefits of this versus being overweight/obese. Thanks

Nicole,

Thanks for sending me the info – I have done some research and have come up with several opinions which  feel the HCG component is a placebo affect. To me, this makes sense as anytime a person cleans up their diet, and decreases their caloric and carbohydrate intake, they will lose weight!

I also have some concerns about using hormones, when more natural options can address the challenge. There are safe, healthy options to “kickstart” weight loss, with herbal metabolic boosters derived from plants and foods.

We have had tremendous success with weight loss with this basic two step approach:

1. Teaching people how to eat properly, which means limit your carbohydrates to those which give you nutrition:

• primarily low carbohydrate vegetables
• protein:-organic animal source or nuts and seeds
• low carb fruits like berries
• once weight loss is happening for 2 weeks, then gradually add legumes in small quantities.

Go online and get yourself a carb counter to learn the values, or contact our office to send you one.

2) to “kickstart” weightloss, we have tremendous success by using a protein shake daily with either SynerProtein Powder or NutriBurn Whey Protein with CLA, an added metabolic booster. If these are combined with alkalinizing greens, either from the garden, or from GreenZone, plus some high anti-oxidant, low carb fruit such as berries, (or a shot of Zambroza – the strongest liquid anti-oxidant available), you will not only lose weight, but trim and tone those muscles, decrease cravings, and have more energy! With significant weight loss, there is always some detoxification happening as the fat cells release stored toxins, which is why vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants should be part of a healthy program. With GreenZone and high vegetable intake, you are helping this. If diet is not great, add one  or two packets of SuperTrio per day to provide ALL these essentials.

I will email you a Fact Sheet on each of these products so you can see exactly what they contain. Anyone else can request this weight loss package for free by contacting our office. These will in the end, help you with your weight loss goals, and save you the added expense of the naturopath.

You may also go on the www.naturessunshine.com website. To receive a discount, you need a sponsor number; please use 309344.

I am including some of the online references about HCG, a summary with italics  for emphasis:

A controversial usage of HCG is as an adjunct to the British endocrinologist Albert T. W. Simeons‘ ultra-low-calorie weight-loss diet (less than 500 calories). Simeons, while studying pregnant women in India on a calorie-deficient diet, and “fat boys” with pituitary problems (Frölich’s syndrome) treated with low-dose hCG, claimed that both lost fat rather than lean (muscle) tissue.

The controversy proceeds from warnings by the Journal of the American Medical Association and the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition^[14] that hCG is neither safe, nor effective as a weight-loss aid.^[15] However, recent studies in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism show hCG can have an effect on the lean body mass of older men with androgen deficiency.^[16]

A meta analysis found that studies supporting hCG for weight loss were of poor methodological quality and concluded that “there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity; it does not bring about weight-loss or fat-redistribution, nor does it reduce hunger or induce a feeling of well-being”.^[17]

The United States Food and Drug Administration has stated that  this drug (Homeopathic HCG preparations) is fraudulent and ineffective for weight loss. It is also not protected as a homeopathic drug and has been deemed an illegal substance.^[19][20]

According to the studies noted above, the weight loss indicated by individuals on an “hCG diet” can be attributed entirely to the fact that such diets proscribe a consumption rate of 500-550 calorie per day, or approximately one quarter of what is commonly accepted as the daily recommended value for a male adult of average build and activity. Further, double-blind studies note no decrease in appetite by those taking hCG versus individuals on placebos and have offered no evidence that individuals taking hCG are more likely to lose fat than lean tissue.