Living Fitness

Homeopathic hCG is an even more controversial derivative of an already controversial diet supplement. In a nutshell, homeopathic hCG (HHCG) is a highly diluted version of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone produced by women when they become pregnant. In conventional use, hCG is extracted from the urine (which is sterile) and processed for medicinal purposes. Homeopathic versions are futher processed under the guidelines of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States (HPUS).

Historically, the hormone has been used to treat problems with infertility in women and problems with dropped testicles in boys. In the Fifties, Dr. Albert Simeons began experimenting with its use on obese patients, noting that hCG worked effectively for collecting adipose tissue (accumulated fat) while preserving lean muscle tissue; furthermore, it acted as an appetite suppressant than enabled patient to feel full on a diet of only 500 to 550 calories a day.

Homeopathic HCG vs Real HCG

HCG homeopathic preparations are made by taking an active ingredient—in this case, hCG—and diluting it multiple times, vigorously shaking it between dilutions, to the point where few or even no molecules of the original substance are left. According to homeopathic theory, this process of “potentization” allows the substance to leave a biochemical imprint on the water molecules so that the medicinal effect remains intact, even in the substance’s virtual absence.

Non-homeopathic hCG drops can only be obtained through a prescription. Since many physicians discourage any Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD), getting them to prescribe pure hCG can be difficult; so many dieters enroll in an hCG weight loss clinic, where they can receive daily injections or drops with a prescription. Even doctors at these weight loss clinics are often critical of HHCG, dismissing it as a placebo.

How Do HCG and HHCG Work?

Dieters on hCG are said to lose between 15 and 40 pounds a month—a rather spectacular claim. Whether homeopathic or “real” hCG is used, critics contend that the rapid weight loss is strictly the result of the calorie restriction. On 500 calories a day, losing a pound a day is not at all far-fetched. But does hCG contribute anything substantive to the diet?

There are many testimonials in which dieters claim to be able to maintain the low calorie diet without feeling hungry. According to Dr. Simeons, this results from the hCG stimulating the hypothalamus to mobilize fat deposits, allowing them to make their stored calories available to the metabolism. Instead of getting their energy from carbohydrates, dieters get their energy from fat.

Is Homeopathic HCG a Placebo?

This supposedly does not occur with homeopathic hCG. According the critics, the lack of ketosis under the HHCG diet can be demonstrated with keto strips (a.k.a. keto sticks). When ketones are present, urine turns the keto strips dark. This would also indicate that muscle tissue was being preserved. While critics have insisted keto strips tested after homeopathic hCG was taken, many commenters on the internet have stated that they’ve carried out the test themselves, and found that the strips did, in fact, turn dark.

Skeptics note that, at a standard 6x dilution, there would not be enough of the hormone in a conventional 30c container of hCG to have any appetite suppressant effect; therefore, support it provides to the dieter is purely psychological. For anyone anxious to test the hCG diet, it’s highly recommended to test pure, prescription hCG for a week to get a baseline of its effectiveness before switching to homeopathic hCG.