How does acupuncture help people lose weight

One of the more efficient ways by which individuals with excess weight can successfully reduce their body fat is with acupuncture weight loss treatment. An increasing number of people are becoming aware of the potency of this weight loss therapy that researchers have embarked on numerous studies to see how and why it works. Some of these studies have been published in the International Journal of Obesity. One of those studies investigated 3,013 different cases of people with weight problems treated with acupuncture weight loss treatment. To provide proof of these treatments, randomized controlled studies have also been undertaken in various countries around the world.

The results of the randomized controlled studies were interesting in the sense the subjects’ body weight was reduced by an average of 1.56 kg when the correct acupuncture therapy was included in the weight loss program, in contrast to the subjects who were administered with placebo therapies. All in all, the researchers concluded that the subjects treated with acupuncture, lost more weight than those whose weight loss therapy did not involve the use of acupuncture. The researchers recommended more future long-term studies before publishing their outcomes.

So, how does acupuncture help people lose weight?

Weight loss is basically really simple – When you balance the calories that you put in your body with the calories you burn, your weight stay the same, and, if you take in fewer calories than you use them, you will lose weight. This simple and natural process of how one naturally loses weight sounds simple and clear cut; however, for many of us, our bodies are preprogrammed to eat more than we need to guarantee that we have adequate body fat to help us survive during times when food is scarce. This is unlikely to happen now (except in parts of Africa where there is chronic famine and strife) but our tendency to eat when food is available is something our ancestors have handed down to us thousands of years ago.

People have cravings that get triggered at the sight and smell of a specific type of food due to tiredness, stress, or low emotions. When we feel good about ourselves, we also tend to reward ourselves by eating our favorite dishes. Food, in other words, has turned into something that we compensate ourselves for in this modern way of living. When we eat the foods we love to eat, most of us are likely to consume much more than we really need. There are people whose bodies put on a lot of weight even when they eat a little above their normal daily consumption. Most of them, when tested, interestingly have the same metabolism as most of us. Do the bodies of these people have a more efficient way of preserving nutrients than the rest of us? The answer is probably yes, but the downside to this is the extra weight they carry adversely affects their general health and makes them less mobile to such an extent that they again add more weight to their body.

By combining Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture, both the mind and body are stimulated. Besides diminishing food craving and appetite, digestion will also improve. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, problems in the spleen and liver can result in immoderate weight gain. When an acupuncturist stimulates acupuncture points on the spleen and liver meridians, it boosts the function of the internal organs that in turn benefits the endocrine and digestive systems.

Scientists throughout the world have proven that acupuncture treatment for weight loss really works. However, it does not guarantee good results if you are not proactively engaged in eliminating the unwanted calories in your body. Besides acupuncture, you need to perform daily exercise routines and limit the amount of food you consume, as well. As an adjunctive therapy, acupuncture can assist in decreasing cravings to prevent you from eating more than your body needs. No matter how hard people try to lose weight through conventional methods such as exercises and diets, most of them will become frustrated to see that their extra pounds still refuse to go away. So, if you are dead-set in looking fit and trim, it’s time to try acupuncture, a natural alternative and efficient way to lose weight.