Ear Acupuncture Can Reduce Weight, Let's Try It Now
In addition to exercise, researchers in Japan say ear acupuncture has been shown to reduce weight, reduce body mass index (BMI) and reduce appetite.
However, the acupuncture technique used in this study does not require needles.
Instead of using needles, the acupuncture technique in this study uses small metal beads that are attached to the outer ear with medical adhesive tape.
Summarizing from the New York Post, doctors at the F Clinic in Tokyo explained that the metal beads are attached to six points on the outer ear to stimulate the nerves and organs that regulate appetite.
In Japan itself, the ear acupuncture method as an alternative to losing weight has been used for more than 30 years.
The study, presented at the 2023 European Congress on Obesity meeting in Dublin, Ireland, observed 81 men who were overweight or obese for three months.
In addition to installing acupuncture beads in both of their ears, known as auricular acupuncture, the men kept a food diary and were asked to reduce their food intake by half.
After three months, the men lost an average of 4 inches (10.4 centimeters) from their waists and their body fat percentage also dropped by 4 percent. The average BMI among study participants also dropped by nearly 3 points.
The researchers note that the study was limited by the small number of participants and the short duration of the study. Additionally, the researchers could not prove conclusively that the weight loss was due to acupuncture.
How acupuncture works is not fully understood. However, the technique is based on the belief that health is regulated by the flow of energy throughout the body.
Ear acupuncture may help balance the endocrine system, reduce cravings and moderate the body’s metabolic rate.
This is not the first time auricular acupuncture has been studied for weight loss. A 2015 study published in the journal BMJ Open Gastroenterology involving 10 participants found significant weight loss among study participants who received ear acupuncture.
Acupuncture has been used for centuries in Asia to treat a variety of health conditions, including digestive ailments, sexual dysfunction, drug addiction, arthritis pain, headaches, and other disorders.