Can Acupunture Help You Lose Weight?

It's seemingly impossible these days to scroll through social media, turn on the television, or listen to the radio without being exposed to at least one advertisement regarding the latest fad, supplement or workout that is "guaranteed" to help you lose weight.

Amongst a society that appears to be hyper-focused on health, body image and even vanity - it's important to navigate advertisements and promises with some insight into exactly what weight-loss should look and feel like, and that's health. A healthful diet and exercise are always the best way to try to achieve a healthy weight.

But, can acupuncture help?  In short, maybe. 

Psychology Today recently explored the possibility, specifically noting how ear acupuncture points can help control appetite which can then, in turn, theoretically result in weight loss. It cited a 2017 study where they examined, "18 randomized controlled studies of ear acupuncture for weight loss, though not big ones—the largest had 200 subjects. Most of the volunteers were middle-aged Asian women.  All in all, this review concluded that ear acupuncture was linked to an average loss of about 3 lbs.  Treatments that went on longer than six weeks had the best results."

Promising, right? 

It also cited research linked to the microbiome, which is the bacteria in your guts, and explained how one study actually found acupuncture can reduce them. The results? 

"Forty-five overweight or obese women in Shanghai were randomly split into three groups, including a control group that got no treatment. The other two groups received 20 acupuncture treatments focused on the abdomen for a half-hour, every other day. The points were the same for both groups, but executed by different doctors. The results: In the 30 women who received acupuncture, the average BMI dropped from close to 28 at the beginning to a bit over 25, while the control group didn’t change much."

Again, supportive that acupuncture can help with weight-loss.

If you're looking for holistic treatments to help aid you in your weight-loss journey, come in for an acupuncture consultation, and ask about our trademarked service, AcuScuplt.