SubscribeReal Medical Research on the HCG Weight Loss Diet
Posted on Aug 04, 2009 under HCG Diet Basics | 20 CommentsThe Original Research by Dr. A.T.W. Simeons
The research by Dr. Simeons was published in 1954 in his book, ‘Pounds and Inches’, which is widely available at no cost on many websites. He designed his protocol to be very precise regarding the amount of HCG required for injection, for the number of calories and the types foods allowed, and for the optimal duration of the program. He also published a brief synopsis of his program in the British medical journal Lancet (vol. 2, pp. 946-947, 1954).
This weight loss program has attracted considerable attention from the medical community and from people who have undergone treatment. Its popularity is one reason why so many people, including medical doctors, have decided to offer opinions on whether it works. The success of HCG for weight loss has been so great that it has attracted negative attention from the FDA.
Before I go further, I want to note that the FDA is not an agency that serves human health. It is an agency that serves the financial interests of pharmaceutical companies. Negative attention from the FDA almost always means that the health benefits of the treatment in question might undermine drug profits. Indeed, seeing the statement that HCG is not approved by the FDA for weight loss is, in my opinion, support for the effectiveness of this protocol.
Medical Studies
The government’s PubMed database lists more than 18,000 journal articles on HCG, with less than a few dozen of these having anything to do with weight loss. Most of the research on this hormone involves fertility, pregnancy, and the detection of cancerous tumors. What I want to do is call your attention to just three studies as examples of the confusion that is rampant in the medical literature on HCG and weight loss.
1963 Study
This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (vol. 12, pp. 230-234, 1963), at the height of popularity of the HCG diet plan in the U.S. In my reading of this article, it looks to me as though the researchers behind this study, from the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, followed the Simeons protocol to the letter. There was one exception: the consumption of a baked potato each day, which is not on Simeons’ list of allowed vegetables. The main result of the study was an average loss of 6.5 pounds in the HCG-treated group, compared with an average loss of 8.8 pounds in the untreated (control) group. The authors concluded that the hormone did not cause weight loss.
This study is remarkable for a couple reasons. One is that, in spite of following the Simeons protocol for 40 days, neither the treatment group nor the control group came close to the amount of weight loss that is expected. A starvation diet alone (i.e., 550 calories per day) should have caused more weight loss than reported. In fact, one subject on HCG even gained weight. The other reason that this study is remarkable is that the number of study subjects (i.e., 10 in the treatment group, 9 in the control group) and the variability of the results within each group provided insufficient statistical power to explain anything at all! Indeed, this study offered no comparative statistical analysis of weight loss. In other words, the results did not support any conclusions whatsoever.
Nevertheless, one or more factors are not obvious in this study. Generally when a study has such insignificant results, the subjects were not compliant – i.e., they did not follow the protocol very well. The researchers offered no comment on this possibility, so we will never know why both the treatment group and the control group underperformed.
1973 Study
This study was published 10 years later, also in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (vol. 26, pp. 211-218, 1963). The researchers who conducted it, at the American Society of Bariatric Physicians Research Council, studied about twice as many subjects as the 1963 study above. The final result was an average loss of 19.96 pounds in the HCG group and 11.05 pounds in the control group. More importantly, the statistical analysis supported this difference as being significant. The conclusion of this study was that HCG did cause weight loss.
1995 Meta Analysis
Meta analysis refers to a comparison of multiple studies on the same topic. This meta analysis was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (vol. 40, pp. 237-243, 1995) by researchers at Vrije University, Netherlands. They evaluated 16 studies and observed that most of them were of ‘poor methodological quality’ (meaning, bad science). Only one of the 12 articles of acceptable quality showed an effect on weight loss by HCG. The researchers concluded that ‘there is no scientific evidence that HCG is effective in the treatment of obesity’.
Meta analysis studies have become very popular in medicine because of the notion that a trend over multiple studies shows the truth. Unfortunately, the basic rules of statistics invalidate any such comparisons. Moreover, when even one study stands out against the majority, it is wrong to ignore it completely as these researchers have done. It would be much more valuable to figure out why some studies give contradictory results to one another.
This meta analysis also reveals what I call the dirty laundry of medical science – i.e., most research is so flawed that it is almost useless for saying anything at all with certainty. In fact, this is kind of a scary thought, isn’t it?
Take Home Lesson
Human subject research is the most difficult kind of study because of so many variables that are out of the control of the experimental design. Determining cause and effect is almost impossible. Nevertheless, we can see from some research that HCG can and does drive weight loss. My view is that studies that show this result are better in terms of sticking more closely to the Simeons protocol in the experimental design, then having the study subjects adhere closely to it.
What I conclude regarding HCG and weight loss is based on what I have seen for myself. This includes many, many people who have had the same results that Simeons documented based on his clinical experience with thousands of patients. I have also had the same results for myself. There is nothing like personal experience! The key to my experience, however, was monitoring my body fat composition. Weight loss is almost irrelevant by itself. My result was a reduction of 20 pounds AND of 6% body fat in less than 30 days. Reduction in body fat is supposed to be the main effect of HCG.
Medical researchers are apparently going to argue the merits of HCG and weight loss until the end of time, citing whichever research results support their arguments. As a scientist myself, I have no doubt whatsoever that Simeons was right and that my body changes occurred because of HCG.
One More Thing
Early studies on lab animals are now beginning to show that HCG interacts with the hormone leptin. Leptin is the new master fat hormone that has been known only since 1994. Like HCG, leptin also carries a signal to the hypothalamus. I predict that the more we find out about the interaction between these two hormones, the more we will understand how ingenious the Simeons protocol really is.
All the best in natural health,
Dr. D
by Cheryl, on August 5 2009 @ 9:18 am
I find this most interesting as thousands of people cannot be wrong and I am in the midst of Phase 2 and have already recorded higher weight loss than that of some of the studies.
by patrick, on August 5 2009 @ 5:05 pm
What percentage of the 20 lbs Dr Dennis lost while on hCG was fat v. lean body would be a helpful number for readers. Thanks
by HCG Diet Facts, on August 7 2009 @ 2:59 pm
Great article, doctor! Of course, there will always be those that have the position of “don’t confuse me with the facts”, but I’m happy to read your analysis from a scientific perspective. So many people can be helped by this protocol and it’s a shame the opposition keeps quoting these same flawed studies to come to their wrong conclusions. This is welcome analysis. Thanks!
by Pattilu, on August 8 2009 @ 5:24 pm
I enjoyed this article and found some new information included. I have read quite a bit about hCG and have completed 2 rounds, losing weight both times. My daughter and I plan another round this fall. We think it is the best way to go!
Thank you for sharing your research.
by Dr. Dennis Clark, on September 14 2009 @ 10:38 am
Great suggestion, since body fat is the key number to know and follow. Check my math on this. Before I even thought about doing the HCG protocol, I started out at 210 lbs and 27% body fat, meaning my fat alone weighed 56.7 lbs. Right now I am 179 lbs and 19% body fat. Since I have now lost about 30% of my original body fat, one way to calculate this in pounds is to determine how much 30% of 56.7 lbs of fat is, which is 16.8 lbs of fat. So that would mean that my drop of 31 lbs entailed the loss of 16.8 lbs of fat, or about half of my weight loss.
I would say, however, that this calculation is just a ballpark figure, because it is oversimplified. Since it involves a rate change among multiple variables in proportion to one another, it would more accurately be expressed as a partial differential equation. I’m going to stick with the ballpark figure, though, because I’m too lazy to dig out my old calculus text and derive a new equation just to nail down the accuracy of a few more percentage points one way or another. To be honest, I don’t know if I could remember of my old calculus to even do it (I took those classes in 1970!).
I will say, however, that I followed my results on a different diet before I started HCG. The main difference that I saw on non-HCG was that I lost weight without dropping body fat composition at all.
This information may seem a little obtuse, which math often is. I just hope it give you an idea that we can see a comparative difference between HCG-based and non-HCG protocols in fat loss. Now if you have a better way to explain what I have said here, please do so. Thanks again for asking about this.
by patrick, on September 16 2009 @ 2:06 am
can you use light weight lifting to encorage the maintainance of muscle mass while undertaking the Simeons protocol or is exercise restricted to walking and swimming as aparently advocated by simeons.Can you explain a little your reasoning for the answer you give. Inquiring minds need to know.Thanks Dr D.
by brenda, on November 1 2009 @ 10:04 am
I have yet to see any information on anyone actually sustaining this weight loss. What do you have to offer on this subject?
by Helen, on November 1 2009 @ 7:26 pm
Thank you Dr.Clark, I am on my 11th day & have lost 11#. I was starting to feel dizzy on my 8th &9th days but realized that my blood pressure medicine had to be adjusted and the HCTZ for water weight had to be discontinued. This is really exciting and is what I have hoped for. I feel excellent today- no tiredness or dizziness nor feeling dehydrated like I had the rest of the days. I am so estactic to read your insight and add to my knowledge of this product; as I want to be informed well enough to share it with others. I want to locate your Aftercare Package so I know what it entails for later.
Thank you so much!
by Helen, on November 3 2009 @ 5:49 pm
Helen again…off my High Blood Pressure medication and my blood pressure yesterday was BETTER than it was ON MEDICATION earlier this year! That alone is encouraging me. There are about 20 people in our church body following the protocol-lots of people getting healthier daily.
The above info. is great- especially when so few have heard of HCG. Thank you!
by micaela, on November 12 2009 @ 6:26 pm
I love your letters and giving us all the facts about HCG is great even thos studies that dont show good results. So we can make our own decition. Thank and keep the work up.
by tracey, on November 23 2009 @ 9:12 am
Dr Simeon’s protocol is not just a diet…it is a lifestyle change. If you follow it precisely, then you will keep the weight off. The problem with people that gain it all back is that they think it’s okay to go back to eating the way they used to eat before the diet. Of course you will gain it all back if you go back to your soda and daily doughnut. I have kept it off and it’s only because I eat healthier than before or I would pack it all back on. People need to realize that they need to change the way they eat forever…not just a couple of months.
by Marshaq, on November 28 2009 @ 5:35 pm
I have done 1 round of 25 days and lost 24lbs of fat and only 1 pound of muscle. Went from a size 10+ to a loose 6.
by Mitchell, on December 21 2009 @ 9:40 am
Hello,
Does anyone have information on the exact diet? I received my HCG but never received the book or DVD. HELP!
Signed,
Anxious
by Dr. Dennis Clark, on December 22 2009 @ 11:13 am
To what book or DVD are you referring? Where did you get your HCG? I might be able to give you some pointers if you can provide some more details.
by Sherry Ashberger, on December 29 2009 @ 2:29 pm
If someone would go through all the logs, written and video, posted on the web, day by day of HCG dieters, they would HAVE the exact information about whether HCG works or not, AND, if NOT, the PROOF of whether the person was following the protocol strictly or not, since most of these logs give comments on just that! If these aren’t proof enough of how well HCG works, I don’t know what is!!
May we all find the bounty of sticking closely to the protocol and experiencing new life and happiness in our new healthy bodies via HCG!!
by Dr. Dennis Clark, on December 29 2009 @ 2:43 pm
Sounds like impeccable logic to me, Sherry. In fact, all I did was to read through the Simeons book to get all the information that I needed on the diet. Then I found a source of oral/sublingual HCG from a compounding pharmacy, and here I am 30 pounds lighter and 8% body fat less. Some folks just make things more difficult than necessary.
by HCG Diet, on January 8 2010 @ 9:53 am
Thank you Dr.Clark for bring us back to history of this HCG diet program. I really enjoyed this research article and will recommend it other HCG dieters.
by Dr. Dennis Clark, on January 8 2010 @ 4:38 pm
Thanks. I like to dig out things that add to the discussion of this wonderful diet protocol. The whole topic has a rich history in the research literature, so I will be bringing up more of it at time goes on. You keep up your good work, too! You offer a lot of great information on your website.
by Randy Bond, on January 25 2010 @ 2:57 am
It would be interesting to have an actual meta analysis completed following Dr. Simeons protocol to the letter. This is my first round on hcg and I have so far lost 12 lbs. in 10 days. From everything else I have read that has positive feedback regarding the Hcg diet protocol and Dr. Simeons theories most of them elude to the fact that Dr. Simeons was ahead of his time. So far I would have to agree! I agree with others that have stated this is also a lifestyle change and that we must eat healthier than before to keep this weight off. I agree with that as well, but an occasional splurge is not going to kill you either.
by Dr. Dennis Clark, on January 25 2010 @ 9:34 am
Meta analyses are funny things. When I studied statistics in college, we were forbidden from comparing data that were taken from different times and places. Now we have the meta analysis, whereby data are compared among different studies! Oh, well. Times change. I agree with you in that it would at lease be very interesting, regardless of statistical validity, to do such an analysis on the HCG diet. At the very least, published studies would get a new look and a new evaluation as to their experimental designs. Thanks for your input, Randy!