Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

Potential Health Benefits of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)

• Increases sex drive by enhancing testosterone production [1-4]
• Treats and prevents testicular atrophy (shrinking of the testicles) [5-12]
• Increases sperm production [13-26]
• Treats male infertility [27-31]
• Lowers the risk of heart disease [32-35]
• Boosts immunity [36-39]
• Increases the chances of pregnancy [40-41]
• Improves brain health [42-43]
• Prevents breast cancer [44-48]
• Increases muscle mass [49-50]

What is Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG)?

Human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG is a hormone found in a woman’s blood and urine during pregnancy. This hormone plays a significant role during pregnancy by stimulating the corpus luteum (a part of the ovary) to produce another hormone known as progesterone. HCG is usually administered to help increase the chances of pregnancy in women.

In men, HCG administration boosts the levels of the hormone testosterone and stimulates sperm production. It’s used in conjunction with testosterone to reduce some of the side effects of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), mainly preventing testicular atrophy (shrinking of the testicles). HCG is also used to treat male infertility associated with TRT.

How Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Works

Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) stimulates the corpus luteum to produce another hormone known as progesterone. This in turn increases the chances of pregnancy. HCG also increases testosterone and sperm production in men.

Chemical Structure of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

Research on Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

A. Increases Sex Drive by Enhancing Testosterone Production

1. HCG has also been found to treat sexual dysfunction and increase sex drive:
2. In men with erectile dysfunction and lack of sexual desire, HCG administration resulted in improved sexual behavior. [1]
3. In horses with a lack of libido, HCG administration increased sex drive by boosting testosterone levels. [2]
4. In men with testosterone deficiency, HCG treatment alone or with clomiphene citrate (CC) successfully increased their testosterone levels while preserving their fertility. [3]
5. In bulls, HCG administration increased blood testosterone levels which in turn improved sexual behavior. [4]

B. Treats and Prevents Testicular Atrophy (Shrinking of the Testicles)

A number of studies found that HCG is essential for testicular health:

1. In men with sex hormone deficiency, HCG therapy stimulated testis growth and sperm production. [5]
2. In adolescent boys with testicular atrophy caused by delayed puberty, HCG was effective in treating the condition. [6]
3. In men with testis atrophy, HCG therapy successfully treated the condition and led to sperm production. [7]
4. A study showed that HCG could prevent testosterone replacement therapy-induced testicular atrophy. [8]
5. In boys aged 1-12 years old, HCG administration resulted in greater improvements in testicular volume (TV) and testicular atrophy index (TAI). [9]
6. In male patients who were treated for hypogonadism, HCG monotherapy improved intratesticular testosterone while preventing testicular atrophy. [10]
7. In boys with undescended testicles, HCG therapy resulted in the descent of the testes to the scrotum. [11]
8. In men with androgen deficiency symptoms, HCG treatment was found to reduce the prevalence of testicular atrophy. [12]

C. Increases Sperm Production

Several studies suggest that HCG can help improve male fertility by boosting sperm production:

1. In patients with testosterone deficiency, long-term administration of HCG resulted in increased sperm density and motility. [13]
2. In men with normal testes, HCG administration drastically elevated the rate of sperm secretion. [14]
3. In patients with testosterone deficiency, injection with HCG maintained normal sperm production. [15]
4. In men with testosterone deficiency, HCG treatment alone was found to be effective in stimulating complete sperm production regardless of the testicular volume. [16]
5. A study showed that HCG treatment was enough for both the initiation and maintenance of sperm production in most patients. [17]
6. In patients with testosterone deficiency, HCG treatment once a week resulted in increased sperm count. [18]
7. In pre-pubertal mice, HCG injection stimulated sperm production even in immature testicles. [19]
8. In pubertal boys with a history of orchiopexy (surgery to correct undescended testicles), weekly HCG administration restored sperm production. [20]
9. In adult men with low sexual function, HCG treatment led to the normalization of sperm production. [21]
10. In men who underwent varicocelectomy (removal of enlarged veins in the scrotum), the administration of HCG increased sperm production. [22]
11. In men with secondary testosterone deficiency, HCG administration triggered testosterone and sperm production. [23]
12. In men undergoing testosterone replacement therapy, HCG treatment successfully preserved fertility during the therapy by boosting sperm production. [24]
13. In healthy men with suppressed production of sex hormones, low dose-administration of HCG maintained normal testosterone and sperm production. [25]
14. In adolescent males with sex hormone deficiency, HCG administration with follicle-stimulating hormone therapy stimulated puberty, improved sexual function, and increased sperm production. [26]

D. Treats Male Infertility

A good deal of clinical evidence supports the beneficial effects of HCG on male infertility:

1. In men with testosterone deficiency, HCG stimulated testosterone and sperm production without affecting their fertility. [27]
2. In men with active hypogonadism (sex hormone deficiency), HCG treatment was effective in restoring testosterone levels either alone or in combination with Clomiphene citrate. [28]
3. A study showed that HCG therapy is an effective option for treating male infertility caused by testosterone replacement therapy. [29]
4. In late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) patients, HCG administration preserved fertility and increased testosterone levels. [30]
5. In men with testosterone-related infertility, HCG therapy was shown to significantly elevate total testosterone levels while maintaining sperm production. [31]

E. Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease

A number of convincing studies suggest that HCG can help protect against cardiovascular disease:

1. In obese women, daily treatment with HCG via nasal spray with dietary restriction and vitamin supplementation significantly lowered cardiovascular risk factors. [32]
2. In anesthetized pigs, intracoronary infusion of HCG improved heart function and increased blood flow. [33]
3. In pregnant women in their first trimester, a low concentration of HCG was associated with a high possibility of coronary heart disease. [34]
4. In animals, the combination of erythropoietin (EPO) and HCG treatment promoted cardiac remodeling after a heart attack. [35]

F. Boosts Immunity

A good deal of evidence also supports the immune-boosting properties of HCG:

1. A study showed that the increased production of HCG during pregnancy enhanced immunity against L. tropica infection. [36]
2. A study suggested that HCG may play a role in the modulation of immune system cells during pregnancy. [37]
3. In non-obese mice, HCG treatment showed immunomodulatory effects that prevented autoimmune diabetes. [38]
4. In a murine model, the immune-modulating effects of HCG promoted fetal survival. [39]

G. Increases the Chances of Pregnancy

Studies show that HCG can help increase the pregnancy rate:

1. In infertile women, HCG treatment resulted in a high pregnancy rate. [40]
2. The administration of a low-dose HCG alone in infertile women resulted in a higher pregnancy rate without any side effects. [41]

H. Improves Brain Health

Evidence suggests that HCG is integral for brain health:

1. In rats, HCG reduced plaque formation in the brain. [42]
2. In mice, HCG prevented the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. [43]

I. Prevents Breast Cancer

Studies also found that HCG has anti-cancer properties:

1. A study suggested that HCG could reduce the risk of breast cancer. [44]
2. A study showed HCG can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 50% in post-partum women. [45]
3. In female rats, HCG treatment showed positive effects in preventing the initiation and progression of breast cancer. [46]
4.  A study suggested that mimicking pregnancy with HCG treatment could be an effective strategy for breast cancer prevention. [47]
5. A study showed that an increase in HCG level during the first trimester of pregnancy could be an important factor in long-lasting protection against breast cancer. [48]

J. Increases Muscle Mass

Studies found that HCG can help combat the age-related decline in muscle mass:

1. In men with age-related testosterone deficiency, HCG injections increased muscle mass. [49]
2. In older men, HCG significantly increased muscle mass by boosting testosterone levels. [50]

Associated Side Effects of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin

Human chorionic gonadotropin side effects are very uncommon. There have been some side effects associated with the use of this drug wherein the patient had one of the issues listed below at some point while being on human chorionic gonadotropin. However, these side effects weren’t confirmed to be associated with the treatment and could have been a coincidence and not related to the use of human chorionic gonadotropin. Despite this, it was listed as a side effect associated with human chorionic gonadotropin even though these associated side effects are very uncommon.

Side effects associated with human chorionic gonadotropin may include the following:

• Diarrhea
• Feeling short of breath
• Little or no urination
• Pelvic pain
• Rapid weight gain
• Severe nausea
• Severe stomach pain
• Swelling around the waist
• Vomiting

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