For most people, weight loss is a challenge. Unfortunately, there are plenty of companies looking to take advantage of this fact by hawking ineffective and potentially dangerous dieting products. Before you buy hCG drops, learn what our health and fitness expert has to say.

Human chorionic gonadotropin

Numerous companies are marketing human chorionic gonadotropin as a dieting aid; however, according to health and fitness expert, Jake Weathers, there is no evidence that it works.

“The Food and Drug Administration recently sent warning letters to some of the larger companies currently marketing hCG drops,” he said. “According to the federal agency, there is no evidence that these supplements aid weight loss in any way.”

A hormone produced by the human placenta, human chorionic gonadotropin is currently approved to treat specific medical conditions, such as prepubertal cryptorchidism and hypogonadism. Unfortunately, it does have the potential to cause unpleasant side effects, an especially troubling concern for people who are using it to try to lose weight.

“The FDA has warned consumers to stay away from this supplement,” Weathers said. “When people decide to take dieting drugs, they usually have to balance potential side effects against their desire to drop fat. In this case, it’s clear the risk outweighs the benefit, especially since there may be no benefit at all.”

Smarter Options

The dieting industry rakes in billions of dollars every year, thanks to a seemingly endless amount of consumers looking for easy, quick results. According to Weathers, dieters will find much more success if they ignore fad products, such as hCG drops, and focus instead on healthy lifestyle changes.

“If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you must make long-term changes,” he said. “This means moving more and eating foods that are high in fiber and protein. There is no magic pill that will make you skinny. It just doesn’t exist and probably never will.”