Acupuncture for Weight loss-
By Susie Orenstein-Turner, L.Ac, MPA

It has been documented that patients who received acupuncture
lost twice as much weight as patients who were on diets alone.  
Acupuncture can affect appetite, intestinal motility, and
metabolism as well as the emotional factors that lead to binge
eating.

The February, 2006 issue of  The International Journal of
Neuroscience reports that acupuncture increases excitability of the
satiety center in the hypothalamus, and raises serotonin levels
which enhance intestinal motility, suppress appetite and control
stress and depression via endorphin and dopamine production.

As early as September 93’, an article in the Journal of Traditional
Chinese Medicine, documents that acupuncture effects weight loss
by enhancing the functioning of both the hypothalamus-pituitary-
adrenal systems and the sympathetic-adrenal system.  

Hence, the balancing of these endocrine functions helps lower
body weight through balancing insulin levels, leveling out appetite,
improving digestion, helping with metabolism, and decreasing
obsessive eating from fluctuations in hormones and brain
chemicals like serotonin and cortisol.  Lastly, it is claimed, that
acupuncture increases overall energy levels thereby decreasing the
dependency on food to “make it through the day”.

The utilization of acupuncture points on the ear has been shown
to stimulate endorphins, which are responsible for fighting
cravings for carbohydrates in particular, and to cause calming and
relaxing effects which make it easier to deal with the stress and
anxiety that triggers overeating.  

It is the increase in endorphins through acupuncture that affects
digestion and hormonal systems to rebalance the metabolism and
decrease hunger and cravings.  The changes in the endocrine
systems allow the body to absorb less fat.  The increase in
endorphins after acupuncture can contribute to a loss in body
weight through decreases in total cholesterol/lipid counts.

According to Chinese Medicine, weight loss involves the following
organ systems: the spleen/ stomach, the liver and the kidney.  
Acupuncture restores the stomach, improves the process of
utilization of food and increases nutrient absorption by
strengthening the digestive system that allows the body to break
down waste products for elimination.  

For people who suffer from bad digestion, acupuncture can
enhance metabolism and prevent bloating and heaviness.  When
we are stressed, the liver energy becomes contracted and
blocked, and irritability, depression and anxiety result.  

For those who are overweight, due to emotional eating, the liver is
the organ that must be focused on, since the job of the liver is to
harmonize.  Acupuncture can “smooth the liver energy” and help
the body deal with stress better and restore the natural flow so
the individual does not turn to food as a coping mechanism.  

The kidney system deals with water retention.  In Chinese
Medicine, a state of water imbalance is caused by diminished
kidney function.  If there is a problem with water imbalance in the
body, stimulating the kidney channel through specific acupuncture
points can aid with the body’s elimination of excess water.

A study at the University of Adelaide, South Australia, aimed to
determine the effectiveness of the stimulation of ear acupuncture
points on appetite suppression, followed 60 overweight subjects,
who had two ear acupuncture points stimulated for four weeks.  
At the end of the study, 95% of the active group noticed
suppression of appetite, whereas none of the control group
noticed such a change.   Both the number of subjects who lost
weight and the mean weight loss were higher in the active group.  
The conclusion of the study was that stimulation of auricular
acupuncture points is an effective method of appetite
suppression, which leads to weight loss.

The Department of Neurophysiology at the School of Medicine in
Japan at Tokai conducted a study of 55 mildly obese patients for a
twelve- week period.  At the end of the study, 63.6% of the
subjects (35 patients) had decreases in body weight.  Again the
conclusion was that acupuncture helped the subjects lose body
weight.

In conclusion, if you experience an excessive appetite, low energy
levels, bad digestion, slow metabolism, emotional eating,
obsessive eating disorders, and water retention you may want to
try acupuncture.  With the changes in the endocrine systems, the
production of endorphins and balanced brain chemistry and
hormones, your issues with weight can become a thing of the
past.

Nutritional Weight Loss Cleanse
   Along with acupuncture sessions, I highly recommend a weight
loss nutritional cleanse program called Isagenix to lose weight
naturally through detoxing and replenishing your body with
exceptional nutrients.  The program will also help you maintain
your target weight through sound nutritional products so that
your body is not "starved" of what it needs.  
      Isagenix products cleanse harmful impurities and toxins from
your system that are preventing you from losing the weight that
you want to.  They help your body burn fat and build lean muscle
mass while naturally reducing your cravings for unhealthy foods.  
They help absorb balanced nutrients and improve mental clarity.  
You will have more energy through your day and feel a sense of
total well being.

If you would like more information on Isagenix, please visit my
website: www.cleansingweightloss.isagenix.com.

Weight Loss