Human chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is naturally produced by women when they are pregnant. It is important during the early stages of pregnancy as it assists in the production of other hormones that are essential during this time. It is produced by the cells that eventually become the placenta and feeds the embryo. However, HCG can also be used for other purposes for both men and women. HCG can be taken in pill, injection, or liquid form. If you are interested in how HCG influences your body and health, it is a good idea to research and speak to a health specialist.
Weight Loss
If you need help with losing weight, you may be interested in taking HCG drops for weight loss. The HCG diet was developed by a British doctor who discovered that his patients would lose their appetite while taking HCG. As a result, his patients would eat less and lose weight. HCG diet programs claim that you can lose a pound a day, as long as HCG drops are taken safely and accompanied by a low-calorie diet.
This is because the hormone helps keep you feel fuller even while eating less, essentially tricking your body into shedding abnormal eating habits. The diet has a restriction of 500 calories a day. After a while, your body goes into starvation mode, and your metabolism increases. Although it is not FDA approved, some dieters have chronicled their satisfying results.
Fertility
One of the most common uses of HCG is to treat infertility in women. Taking HCG shots (or any other form of HCG as recommended by a doctor) can help women ovulate. HCG helps develop the egg and release it. It can be taken alone or along with other fertility treatments.
Ovulation will occur 36 hours after taking an HCG injection. If using HCG in tandem with in vitro fertilization, the doctor will perform egg retrieval within that timeframe. Because HCG is also the hormone produced by pregnant women, pregnancy tests use it as an indicator. As a result, if you are taking HCG injections to help get pregnant, keep in mind that pregnancy tests may provide false positives during infertility treatment.
Testosterone Deficiency
HCG can also be given to men to help with hypogonadism, which is a condition of testosterone deficiency. Low levels of testosterone can cause erectile dysfunction, low sperm count, increased body fat, and fatigue. HCG can help increase testosterone production, which leads to increased sperm production. Because of this, it can also help with male infertility. HCG can also help correct sexual abnormalities, such as undescended testes.
Cancer Testing
Doctors may use the HCG hormone blood test to help determine if patients have a tumor since some kinds of tumors excrete a hormone called beta-HCG. Abnormally high HCG levels can also be found in patients who have lung, breast, testicular, or ovarian cancer.
As with anything to do with your health, please be sure to speak to your doctor or healthcare professional before trying to use HCG. Although there are many benefits and uses, there can also be side-effects. Hopefully, these facts help educate you about some of the uses of HCG.