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Women and men who have pursued elusive weight loss regimens by injesting potions, pills and protein-powdered drinks—more than likely have tried HCG. HCG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin is a hormone, not unlike estrogen or testosterone, but HCG is a hormone secreted by the placenta of pregnant women. Knowing what this hormone is—if the mere thought is not daunting enough—should seriously give people who want to use HCG pause. .

HCG, like the hormone estrogen, can lead to blood clots in certain people. Blood clots can prevent oxygen from getting to the brain and can cause stroke. In the worst case, strokes kill; in the best case, strokes let a person know that life is fragile and that possibly one may need to live differently with a greater emphasis on taking better care of their health. Some people maybe prone to strokes without adding fad-diet hormones, like HCG, to their diet regimen; but why increase the odds?

The use of HCG in diets has been around since the 1950s when British endocrinologist A.T.W. Simeons found that providing obese patients small doses of HCG regularly helped them lose fat. The procedure only worked, however, when accompanied by a “near-starvation” diet. Apparently, HCG also only works if a person stays on an extremely low calorie diet, such as consuming 500 calories/day, which is not healthful in the long term. [Query as to why 500 calories a day by itself does not cause enough weight loss?] Other commonly known facts about HCG:

· The FDA does not approve of HCG for weight loss and advises consumers to steer clear of the “homeopathic” HCG weight-loss products sold in the form of oral drops, pellets or sprays!

· HCG may cause hyper-stimulation of the ovaries in women, which can lead to ectopic pregnancy, ruptured fallopian tubes and death.

· HCG injections can increase the risk of blood clots, stroke and certain types of cancer.

· While HCG is approved for fertility treatments, it may also cause birth defects.

We look for more news about HCG as recently the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have issued seven letters to companies warning them that they are selling illegal homeopathic HCG weight-loss drugs that have not been approved by FDA, and that make unsupported claims. You will find FDA’s list of manufacturers, distributors and products—and more information about FDA’s concerns about HCG at www.fda.gov/hcgdiet

Pieter Cohen, Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard University Medical School, commented on the use of HCG in a weight-loss diet regimen, "It's reckless, irresponsible, and completely irrational," "And any benefit [from using HCG] is not going to last." No matter one’s girth, why would anyone want to risk their life on a diet program that would ruin their health for some fleeting results that are not sustainable?

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