A 34-year-old female asked:
If i only do the hcg diet for one month just to jump start things could this have any negative effect in my health short or long term?
1 doctor answer • 3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Stephen Camachoanswered
Family Medicine 26 years experience
HCG diet: I have seen patients have considerable side effects from the HCG oral drops diet. It is not enough nutrients and calories to be healthy. Also the diet may make you lose weight and often muscle mass and strength, but it does not teach you how to eat healthy or incorporate healthy choices to maintain weight loss?
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.6k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Dr. Daniel Royal commented
Holistic Medicine 34 years experience
The purpose of using HCG in the low 500 calorie diet is to indirectly stimulate testosterone production in order to preserve muscle mass that would otherwise occur with extreme weight loss due to fasting. The upside is you will lose weight; downside is your body fat could worsen if muscle is lost or not preserved. Moreover, the shock of sudden weight loss may trigger "yo-yo" syndrome where body attempts to regain weight that was lost...plus some!
Sep 21, 2012
Last updated Jun 10, 2014
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