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Acupuncture for weight loss is a treatment that helps you lose weight by improving your metabolism. It also helps you reduce stress, lower your triglyceride levels, and regulate your appetite. It has also been shown to help people lose weight in combination with a healthy diet.
Reduces stress
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine practice that helps relieve stress by improving the flow of Qi throughout the body. It has been used for centuries to help with a variety of illnesses and symptoms. The effects of acupuncture can last for several weeks or months after a treatment.
Acupuncture can also be used to control emotional eating, a common problem for those seeking to lose weight. People who suffer from emotional eating tend to eat more food than they need. In addition, insufficient sleep can contribute to weight gain as a result of poor blood sugar regulation. Acupuncture can improve sleep quality and help reduce the effects of insomnia. It is also believed to help the digestive system, particularly the spleen. Overworked spleen can lead to a slowed metabolism, an inability to retain water, and a variety of digestive problems.
Lowers ghrelin
Acupuncture works by regulating the mTOR pathway and decreasing plasma ghrelin levels. This in turn increases leptin and insulin levels in the hypothalamus. These hormones are important for the regulation of appetite and energy levels. When ghrelin levels are elevated, people tend to eat more, even though they are already full. Acupuncture helps restore these normal levels and improves the body’s response to food.
There are a variety of factors that increase ghrelin levels. Stress, starvation, and lack of physical activity are all known to increase the hormone. Acupuncture can help lower ghrelin levels, increasing leptin levels and decreasing appetite. Acupuncture can be performed on any part of the body or applied to specific points in the ear.
Lowers triglyceride levels
Acupuncture can reduce the levels of triglycerides in the body. Triglycerides are a group of fatty acids in the blood that can cause heart disease. High levels can increase the risk of heart attack, atherosclerosis, and pancreatitis.
One study found that acupuncture lowers triglyceride levels in the blood of patients who are overweight or obese. It lowered serum cholesterol and HDL cholesterol and decreased triglycerides and total cholesterol. The results were statistically significant for both groups.
Controls food cravings
The molecular mechanisms of acupuncture are not fully understood, but it has been shown that the treatment can control appetite. Earlier studies focused on specific nuclei, but the newer research has more focused on the peripheral nervous system. Researchers have discovered that acupuncture can influence the expression of orexigenic/anorexic hormones in the hypothalamus.
Acupuncture is effective at improving eating habits and aligning food preferences with body nutritional needs. The treatment can also help people control stress-related eating. Additionally, acupuncture can reduce the intake of certain substances like alcohol and drugs.
