As summer approaches, shedding those extra pounds accumulated during the winter months can seem like a daunting task. However, thanks to medical acupuncture, a natural and risk-free solution, you can achieve your weight goals.
Weight control: have you considered acupuncture?
As summer nears, many of us start thinking about how to lose those extra pounds gained during the winter. Among the numerous weight management strategies available, acupuncture stands out as an interesting and unconventional option. But how can this ancient practice of traditional Chinese medicine help with weight management? Let's explore.
While often associated with pain relief and treating various conditions and symptoms, acupuncture can also play a significant role in weight loss. By stimulating specific points on our body, the needles can influence metabolism, reduce appetite, and improve stress management – crucial factors for those seeking to lose weight before summer.
Why is acupuncture effective for weight control?
Acupuncture offers a range of benefits for weight management, acting through complex mechanisms involving the neuroendocrine system, the immune system, and the gut microbiome. One of the primary effects of acupuncture is the regulation of appetite and metabolism. Acupuncture stimulates specific body points that influence the levels of satiety and hunger hormones, known as leptin and ghrelin, respectively. Leptin reduces appetite and increases energy expenditure, while ghrelin stimulates appetite. In obese individuals, leptin resistance is often observed, a condition that acupuncture can help correct by improving sensitivity to this hormone and reducing ghrelin production, consequently controlling appetite.
Furthermore, scientific studies have shown that acupuncture seems to have a positive effect on glucose and lipid metabolism, improving insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance, a common problem in obese individuals. This helps control blood sugar levels and prevent conditions like type 2 diabetes. Acupuncture also contributes to reducing low-grade chronic inflammation, often associated with obesity. This anti-inflammatory effect is crucial, as chronic inflammation can interfere with appetite and metabolism regulation, perpetuating the cycle of obesity.
Another mechanism through which acupuncture supports weight loss is the modulation of the gut microbiome. Recent studies suggest that acupuncture can improve the diversity and balance of the gut microbiome, which, in addition to being a major modulator of physical and mental well-being, plays an important role in digestion and metabolism. A healthy microbiome can contribute to better nutrient absorption and improved weight management.
Acupuncture can also help reduce stress and anxiety, which often lead to emotional or compulsive eating. Acupuncture has significant effects on stress response regulation and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, contributing to reduced cortisol levels and low-grade chronic inflammation. By reducing stress levels, emotional eating and cravings for sweets can be diminished. These combined mechanisms can help achieve and maintain effective and sustainable weight loss. (Landgraaf et al. 2023 - Fumagalli et al. 2023).
Benefits of acupuncture for weight control
Here are the benefits of acupuncture for weight control summarized:
- Appetite reduction through balancing leptin resistance and decreasing ghrelin, resulting in reduced hunger
- Improved glucose and lipid metabolism, increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance
- Blood sugar level control and prevention of type 2 diabetes
- Reduction of low-grade chronic inflammation often associated with obesity
- Essential anti-inflammatory effect for appetite and metabolism regulation
- Improved diversity and balance of the gut microbiome
- Promotion of better digestion and weight management through a healthy microbiome
- Reduced stress, anxiety, emotional eating, and improved sleep
Why choose acupuncture to help you lose weight?
Compared to other weight loss solutions, acupuncture offers several unique advantages. First, it is a natural technique that does not involve the use of drugs or chemical supplements, reducing the risk of side effects. This makes it a safe choice for many people, including those who may have contraindications to using certain weight loss medications.
Additionally, acupuncture offers an excellent cost-benefit ratio. The cost of acupuncture sessions is generally lower than many other weight loss treatment options, such as prolonged pharmacological treatments, surgical procedures, or structured dietary programs. Considering the multiple health benefits that acupuncture can offer, both in the short and long term, the economic investment is advantageous.
Another important aspect is that acupuncture is customizable. Acupuncturists can tailor the treatment to the specific needs of each individual, considering not only body weight but also other aspects of physical health (e.g., pain, menopause) and mental health (e.g., anxiety and stress). This 360-degree approach can lead to more lasting results than methods that focus solely on diet or exercise.
Finally, the motivational role of acupuncture is also helpful. Undergoing regular acupuncture sessions can help people stay engaged in their weight loss journey, providing continuous motivational support and encouragement.
How to integrate acupuncture into a weight loss plan
If you are considering using acupuncture as part of your strategy to lose weight before summer, along with regular physical activity, it is important to integrate it into a structured weight management plan.
Acupuncture alone may not be sufficient to achieve significant results, and it is essential to adopt a dietary program. Our Sinomedica Shou Shen® program, based on over two decades of experience and retrospective clinical studies on more than 11,000 patients from Sinomedica centers, combines a low-carbohydrate diet with weekly acupuncture sessions to promote weight loss.
At Sinomedica, we have a team of highly qualified specialists in both Chinese and conventional medicine, capable of supporting you on your weight loss journey with effective and innovative medical acupuncture sessions. Want to learn more?
Bibliography:
- Landgraaf, Raymond Guy, Michelle Nicté Bloem, Massimo Fumagalli, Marc Alexander Benninga, Fleur De Lorijn, e Max Nieuwdorp. «Acupuncture as Multi-Targeted Therapy for the Multifactorial Disease Obesity: A Complex Neuro-Endocrine-Immune Interplay». Frontiers in Endocrinology 14 (18 September 2023): 1236370.
- Fumagalli, Massimo, Raymond G Landgraaf, Nadège N Schiavi-Lods, Sorin S Golcea, Harry R Büller, e Max Nieuwdorp. «Novel Insights into Weight Loss: Acupuncture Combined with a Very Low-Carbohydrate Diet—a Swiss Experience». Acupuncture in Medicine 41, fasc. 6 (December 2023): 327–35.
