title: Herbal Acupuncture for the Treatment of Obesity.
abstract: Obesity is the state of excessive body fat accumulation and is mainly caused by consuming more calories than are burned through physical activity. Herbal acupuncture (HA), also known as pharmacopuncture, has been increasingly used in clinics of Korean medical to alleviate obesity. This review analyzed four clinical studies and 16 animal studies on the effectiveness of HA as a treatment for obesity. Clinical evidence suggests that various kinds of HA might be beneficial for treating obesity; however, further investigations with well-designed, evidence-based, randomized clinical trials are needed. Animal studies support the idea that HA might be beneficial for the treatment of obesity and provide possible mechanisms, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidation, modulating lipid metabolism and so on, to explain the effect of HA on obesity. This review, based on the evidence collected, suggests that HA could have a beneficial effect for alleviating obesity by modulating inflammation, oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, leptin, and the insulin signal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Wook
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Na
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Hwa
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Paik
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Se-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine Consilience, Dankook University, Yongin, South Korea. Electronic address: choish@dankook.ac.kr.
authors.forename: Seung-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea. Electronic address: hydrolee@korea.com.
authors.forename: Byung-Cheol
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D015669:Acupuncture Points; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: herbal acupuncture; obesity; pharmacopuncture