The HCG diet poses several health dangers that should be taken into consideration. The HCG diet limits calorie intake to 500 calories a day, and includes hormone injections to suppress hunger. Many people are able to lose one to two pounds a day on this diet which causes the body burn the stored fat supply.
Although the HCG diet is effective in for rapid weight loss, it presents several dangers and possible side-effects. Some people following the HCG diet experience severe headaches, mood swings, and fainting spells. Hair loss is also an unpleasant side-effect that people have experienced. The HCG diet interrupts the menstrual cycles in some women, causing the cycle to stop for several months even after coming off the diet. Moreover, there is an increased risk for certain types of cancer from using the HCG diet injections.
Since rapid weight loss and hormone injections both present health dangers, it is recommended that people follow the HCG diet only under the supervision of a licensed health care professional. Although it is possible to lose weight easily with the HCG diet, it is not necessarily safe to do so. The daily calorie intake for the average person should be at least 1200 calories. The HCG diet cuts that amount to less than half, leaving the body deprived of essential nutrients and vitamins. "I would never recommend someone to consume less than 1200 calories a day," warned noted doctor and television host, Dr. Oz. "You are starving yourself."
Another problem is that once people end the HCG diet, the feelings of hunger will return, more calories will be consumed, and they will start gaining the weight back. In other words, people following the HCG diet are temporarily suppressing their appetites using an injection, or drops in some cases, and eating the calorie equivalent of 1 meal per day. The HCG diet presents a health danger because it is not safe to maintain a daily intake of 500 calories , or the equivalent of 1 meal per day long-term.
Dr. Oz, advises people to use caution when starting the HCG diet. "Never feeling hungry is not a sign of being healthy," stated Dr. Oz. Be careful, do "not buy HCG supplements at the drugstore or online because there is no way to tell what is really in them," warned Dr. Oz. He also stressed the importance of being under a doctor's care while following the HCG diet.
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