Many have heard the term pregnancy diet in reference to the homeopathic HCG weight loss plan. It leaves a lot of people with questions. Do you have to be pregnant to be on the homeopathic HCG weight loss plan? Do you have to not be pregnant to be on the homeopathic HCG weight loss plan? Do you have to have been previously pregnant to be on the homeopathic HCG weight loss plan? The answer to all of these questions is no; no to all of the above.

So why is it called the Pregnancy Diet? It's a little odd at first, but the term did come about for a reason. HCG's official name is human chorionic gonadotropin. It's a glycoprotein hormone produced during pregnancy. It's created by the developing embryo soon after conception and later on by the placenta.

The HCG's purpose during the course of pregnancy is to protect the corpus luteum of the ovary from disintegration. In this way it ensures progesterone production continues as is critical during human pregnancy. It has also been suggested that HCG affects the immune tolerance of the pregnancy.

Many relate HCG to pregnancy because it is one of the factors most often used to determine pregnancy. Early pregnancy testing if often based on the detection of HCG.

Another reason HCG is often referred to as a Pregnancy Diet is due to the heavy use of HCG in fertility treatments. HCG is used extensively as a parenteral fertility medication. In certain instances ovulation can be triggered by administration of HCG. HCG is used during the IVF process to trigger the ovulation process. It is also used to increase/enhance the production of progesterone. HCG is also used for male fertility treatment. It can stimulate the leydig cells to synthesize testosterone.

HCG as a weight loss aid was introduced by Dr. Simeons over 50 years ago. The original plan was dependent upon daily injections. Recent evolution of the HCG formula and its administration has led to reputable homeopathic oral HCG products and weight loss plans that enable dieters to take advantage of the weight loss benefits without injections. The oral administration method has increased the general availability of the dieting method leading to a massive explosion in the popularity of homeopathic HCG weight loss plan dieting in the last year.