“Can acupuncture help me loose weight”? This is a common question we here at the clinic. So to answer that, lets look to the science.
New research has found that acupuncture could be effective as a tool to aid weight loss. Carried out by the School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University in cooperation with the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, the study looked at 72 participants and involved a true acupuncture group vs a ‘sham’ acupuncture group (placebo acupuncture in this case).
The treatments were conducted twice a week for eight weeks. Results showed that the true acupuncture group lost 2.47kg on average over the eight weeks without changing their diet or lifestyle/exercise patterns, with one participants loosing 7.2kg over the eight weeks, while the sham acupuncture group lost almost 500g on average over the eight weeks.
Dr Zhong Lidan, who worked on the study, suggested that the weight loss may be due to acupuncture having a stimulating effect on serotonin and beta endorphin, which suppresses appetite and increases lipolysis activity — the breakdown of lipids — resulting in weight loss.
This new study backs up a previous positive research review showing that acupuncture enhances weight loss, published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2009 and a recent review that was apart of The Acupuncture Evidence Program published this year in 2017.
Our Acupuncturist & Herbalist runs the acupuncture weight loss program at Essendon Natural Health. For more information please contact reception and feel free to have a chat with us about how acupuncture might be able to enhance the dietary/lifestyle program you are on to aid in the loss of that extra weight.
Sources:
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v33/n2/full/ijo2008269a.html
http://www.acupuncture.org.au/OURSERVICES/Publications/AcupunctureEvidenceProject.aspx
https://www.yahoo.com/beauty/study-suggests-acupuncture-could-aid-weight-loss-130609479.html
B.C.M (Hons), C.Clin.Prac (China), C.Toyohari. Registered Acupuncturist and Herbalist. Integrative Natural Medicine Practitioner.
Robert is a passionate and warm practitioner who has an extensive knowledge of integrative and functional natural medicine. He is down to earth and has an interest in organic foods, gardening and sustainable living. With over a decade of experience, he is renowned for being very thorough by both fellow practitioners and patients alike.
