While a great deal of controversy surrounds the HCG diet, it is a diet not as often well known as others. For those whom are aware of the diet, a number of people are drawn to the hcg allowed food including two servings of fruit including oranges, lemons, strawberries, apples and grapefruit per day plus two servings of vegetables including celery, asparagus, green salads and onions and 200 calories of protein which can come from buffalo, extra lean grass fed ground beef, crab, shrimp, lobster or fish.

One other reason the diet remains popular is the half to full pound a day most people lose while on the plan. Although, in order to do so, individuals must combine sprays, drops, pellets and hormone injections while remaining on a strict 500 calorie per day diet. While the allowed foods appear to be heart healthy choices, professionals such as Liz Weinandy RD, at Ohio State University Medical Center suggest the original and upgraded HCG diets are still a risky proposition.

Weinandy notes that neither diet has been proven safe or effective by the United States FDA. In fact, the FDA has issued a warning against using HCG diet products. As such, there is no indication as to the long term effects the diet can have on the body.

While a new upgraded version was introduced by Dr. Oz allowing for a 1500 rather than 500 daily calorie intake, the original diet still remains at 500. Dr. Oz even suggested the original plan was dangerous due to the low level of calories allowed and that primary health care providers should not recommend the original diet to clients. Whereas, both plans still maintain the same food and hormone intake requirement.

Very little research has been exhausted on either plan while the new version has not been backed by peer to peer or medical journals. As such, individuals considering going on the diet need to keep this in mind. For, when a diet has not been approved by the FDA or medical personnel, individuals are generally nothing more than guinea pigs when it comes to trying such diets.

When it comes to Weinandy, she does not believe the version of HCG diet introduced by Dr. Oz has proven any safer or more effective than the original. In addition, the diet while allowing more calories than the original is still considered a low calorie diet. While this is the case, there are a number of other diets which suggest eating 1,500 to 2,000 calories per day for maximum weight loss.

One other reason there is concern in relation to the original HCG diet is due to this low calorie count. FDA warnings have suggested the reasoning for such low calorie in-take is to create a change in eating patterns while also attempting to reset metabolism. In most cases, individuals needing to do either of these would be under the guidance of a primary care provider whom could track physiological reactions.

Both versions of the HCG diet requires individuals to take the hormone chorionic gonadotropin which is the hormone produced by placenta during pregnancy. The hormone can be ingested either through a daily injection, pellets, sprays, oral drops or pills. Individuals considering this diet may want to note that depending on age and gender, the hormone can have varying effects on overall health and well being, including emotional state.