Word(s) of the Week: HCG

After the holiday season, its all about trying to get all those gained weight off and/or finding out who recently tied the knot or had a new baby in the family though those January 1st reunions. Because of the fancy for both topics, I heard this buzz about HCG and got all hooked. So the geeky side of Charisma went tumbling around web surfing and got all these bits you might want to read out:

HCG, which stands for Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hormone produced by the placenta of a pregnant woman. HCG is detectable in the blood and urine within 10 days of fertilization. Because HCG is produced in the placenta and is formed during the first few days of fertilization, its presence in a woman's blood indicates that she is most probably pregnant, thus this is the basis for the 3-5 minute wonder of standard pregnancy test kits.

A pregnancy blood test or a pregnancy serum test measures the exact amount of the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), in the bloodstream. After the fertilized egg implants, or attaches, to the inside of the uterus or other structure inside the mother, the levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) rise rapidly. HCG's primary function is to support the pregnancy by encouraging the production of progesterone.

It is important to monitor the HCG levels of a woman during pregnancy; low or failing readings could signal a more recent pregnancy, miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy (is a complication of pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside the uterine cavity) while high levels might indicate being further down the month counter, multiple pregnancy or even ovarian cancer. 

HCG's importance have led to what is commonly known nowadays as HCG INJECTIONS. HCG injections are primarily used for fertility issues.The hormones are necessary for women to develop eggs, as well as for healthy eggs to prosper during ovulation. Both genders naturally have amounts of these hormones produced by the pituary gland since it is necessary for the proper development of reproductive organs. In some cases, infertility specialists determine that a man might need assistance increasing his sperm count in order to help a woman conceive. This is a common use for HCG injections to treat infertility, as it can increase sperm production.  

Some physicians prescribe HCG injections for obese patients as a method to lose weight. It is thought some doctors that the increased amounts of hormones can help with weight loss while retaining lean muscle mass.

According to some online articles i have tumbled on, HCG's "Fat Release System" is a protocol designed to use the body's natural hormonal system of regulating fat in one's body, and stimulating it to release the dense, long-term fat from the problem areas of your body. It was said that these are fat stores that would only be normally released during severe starvation of during pregnancy. 

So, there you go -- HCG as the pregnancy hormone which is your quick-best-first-help in determining if you're pregnant and a level meter guiding you through pregnancy, which eventually found its evolutionary way as a fat release protocol to convert your fat in problematic areas to energy while doing a 500 calorie a day diet plan. Ohhh the wonders of Science and online research when you're insomniac and itching to blog :)

[INFOSOURCES:http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hcg.htm http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/hcg.html http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4924310_what-does-hcg-shot-do.html http://www.ehow.com/how-does_4924310_what-does-hcg-shot-do.html http://www.what-is-hcg.net/]