A natural way to lose weight with the traditional Korean medicine tongbi-san

05/22/2019 / By Michelle Simmons

Today, many people still eat unhealthy foods and live a sedentary lifestyle, causing them to struggle with weight issues and obesity. Fortunately, researchers from Sangji University in South Korea have found a natural solution to obesity in the form of a traditional herbal medicine called tongbi-san.

Tongbi-san contains three herbs, namely, nut grass (Cyperus rotundus L.), satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu), and China root (Poria cocos). It is used in traditional Korean medicine to treat conditions like dysuria and circulation dysfunction. In Korean medicine, it is said that if the body’s systemic circulation is abnormal, it can manifest itself as an excretion problem or as obesity. Because of this theory, traditional medicine practitioners in Korea began using tongbi-san to treat obesity.

In their study, the researchers examined the anti-obesity effects of tongbi-san using obese mice. They investigated whether or not tongbi-san can inhibit adipogenesis in the liver and epididymal adipose tissue of these animals. The researchers first fed mice a high-fat diet for 11 weeks to induce obesity. They treated some of the mice with the drug orlistat or with tongbi-san and left the controls without treatment. The researchers measured the body weight of the mice each week.

At the end of the observation period, the researchers found that obese mice treated with tongbi-san had significantly reduced body weight, epididymal fat, and fat around the waist. Treatment with tongbi-san also increased the expression of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and decreased the expression of transcription factors in their liver and epididymal fat. These results suggested that tongbi-san can prevent adipogenesis by regulating lipid accumulation and adipogenic-related factors in obese mice.

The researchers concluded that tongbi-san has an inhibitory effect on adipogenesis and may be used as treatment for obesity. Their study was published in the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Other ways to lose weight

Despite its anti-obesity effects, tongbi-san may not help you lose weight if you keep eating unhealthy foods and living a sedentary lifestyle. The following tips, combined with taking tongbi-san, can help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight safely:

Avoid processed foods and added sugars. Processed foods contain high amounts of calories, fat, sodium, and sugar. These foods also contain less nutrients than whole foods and cause addictive eating behaviors. Added sugars, on the other hand, should also be avoided. Fructose, one of the most consumed sugars, is quickly converted to fats. These fats then get released into the blood, causing people to gain weight. (Related: Losing weight can be as easy as starting a vegan diet.)
Avoid refined carbohydrates. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, white bread, and white flour, can cause more harm to the body’s metabolism than saturated fats. Instead of refined carbs, eat whole grains.
Eat more protein: Eating more foods rich in protein also help in weight loss. Foods that contain protein include eggs, chicken, fish, beans, peas, lentils, tofu, and lean meats.
Eat more fiber: Fiber helps a person lose weight in several ways. A study published in the journal Nutrition Reviews showed that increasing fiber intake can help a person feel fuller faster and longer. In addition, fiber helps in weight loss by promoting digestion and the growth of good gut bacteria.
Eat slowly and in small portions: The way you eat also matters in weight management. Eating slowly can help reduce your calorie intake while eating small portions may have a positive effect on mental health.
Exercise more: Cardio exercises, such as running or walking, and resistance training are helpful in losing weight. Cardio helps the body burn calories faster, while resistance training helps you build lean muscle mass.