11.29.08
Posted in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Herbal Recipes, Obesity & Weight loss at 9:33 pm by Dr. Pharm Tao
Information on Chinese Medicine for Weight Loss:
* How to Heal Obesity Using Chinese Herbal Medicine:
Principles and Methods for Personalized Weight Loss
* Chinese Diet Recipes for Healthy Weigh Loss
* Chinese Herbal Recipes for Weight Loss in Different Age Groups
* Personalized Chinese Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss in Different Types of Obesity
* Classical and Patent Chinese Herbal Recipes for Weight Loss
* Chinese Herbal Recipes for Obesity-Related Diseases
Hypocrellin A (HA) is a natural compound. It is a perylene quinonoid pigment extracted from the Chinese medicinal fungus Hypocrella bambuase. It can be used for weight loss and for healing obesity-related diabetes.
Researchers explored the inhibitory effect of hypocrellin A on protein kinase C (PKC) enzyme activity in insulin target tissues of obese rats (Qu et al., 2003). They found that hypocrellin A could significantly inhibit the activity of the PKC enzyme from liver and soleus skeletal muscle, and the influence was dose-dependent.
Their study also showed that the natural compound, hypocrellin A, could selectively inhibit certain PKC isoforms. This interesting study suggests that hypocrellin A may help treat the diseases through working on the PKC pathway. This mechanism may have potentials in adjusting the abnormalities of glucose and lipid metabolism during insulin resistant and diabetic states.
Additional investigations would be helpful to indentify the most susceptible PKC isoforms to HA. Such identification may even be meaningful for establishing personalized solution for the treatment of obesity.
Some other studies investigated the effects of herbal tablets. For example, researchers studied the effects of the Yishoujiangzhi tablet among 130 cases of hyperlipidemia (Guan and Zhao, 1995). The herbal tablet contains herbs including Radix Polygori Multiflori, Rhizoma Polygonati, Fructus Lycii, Crataegus Pinnatifida, and Cassia Tora. They found that the herbal tablet had an effective rate of 87.0% in reducing serum cholesterol and 80.8% in reducing triglyceride.
Another kind of herbal tablet, which is called “lipid lowering and fat restraining tablet (LLFR tablet)†has been found to have good effects among 64 cases of obesity. Those obese patients also had hypertension, hyperlipidemia and paramenia (Chen, 1995).
The above examples suggest that Chinese herbal products including herbal tablets can be useful for weight loss. In addition, they can also helpful for healing obesity complicated with other diseases including diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
References:
Chen, M. (1995). “Observation of curative effect of lipid lowering and fat restraining tablets on complicated obesity.” J Tradit Chin Med 15(4): 252-5.
Guan, Y. and S. Zhao (1995). “Yishou jiangzhi (de-blood-lipid) tablets in the treatment of hyperlipemia.” J Tradit Chin Med 15(3): 178-9.
Qu, X., L. Dang, et al. (2003). “Inhibitory effect of hypocrellin A on protein kinase C in liver and skeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats.” Am J Chin Med 31(6): 871-8.
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11.28.08
Posted in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Herbs, Obesity & Weight loss at 4:31 pm by Dr. Pharm Tao
Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), especially Chinese herbal remedies have great potentials to be used for natural weight loss and the treatment of obesity. For example, a Chinese group investigated thirty-one Chinese medicinal herbs used for weight loss (Tian et al., 2004). They examined the effects of the herbs on the inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FAS). FAS has been considered a potential new target for the treatment of obesity.
The results of their study showed that 17 of the herbs could inhibit the activity of FAS, and 9 of them were highly potent FAS inhibitors. Among these herbs, tuber fleeceflower root, parasitic loranthus, green tea leaf and ginkgo leaf had similar or greater inhibitory potencies than those of cerulenin.
They also found that tuber fleeceflower root, parasitic loranthus, and green tea leaf could significantly decrease the body weight of rats. In addition, tuber fleeceflower root and parasitic loranthus could significantly inhibit the food intake in rats.
Another study done in South Korea tested the influences of adlay seed crude extract (ACE, Coix lachrymajobi var. mayuen) on the expressions of the adipocyte markers among obesity rats induced by high fat diet (HFD) (Kim et al., 2004). The researchers observed that the tested group treated with the herbal extract had significant reductions in food intakes and body weights.
Furthermore, the weights of epididymal and peritoneal fat were significantly reduced in the herb-treated group, compared with the controls. The sizes in white adipose tissue (WAT) examined through microscope were markedly decreased in the herb-treated group. The researchers also measured the levels of triglyceride, total-cholesterol and leptin in blood serum, and found that these levels were significantly reduced in the herb-treated group.
In addition, they found that leptin and TNF-alpha mRNA expressions in WAT of rats were remarkably reduced in the herb-treated group, compared with the controls. Their study indicates that the adlay seed crude extract is useful for natural weight loss and for the treatment of obesity. It can regulate the expressions of leptin and TNF-alpha, food intake, fat size, adipose tissue mass and serum hyperlipidemia in obesity rat fed with high fat diet.
These studies elucidate some of the mechanisms of weight loss induced by Chinese herbal remedies. These herbs can help reduce the body weight, through inhibiting the food intake, fat size, and adipose tissue mass. At the molecular level, they can adjust the levels of fatty acid synthase, leptin and TNF-alpha. They are promising for the development of natural, nontoxic, safe, and low-cost weight loss supplements.
References:
Kim, S. O., S. J. Yun, et al. (2004). “Hypolipidemic effects of crude extract of adlay seed (Coix lachrymajobi var. mayuen) in obesity rat fed high fat diet: relations of TNF-alpha and leptin mRNA expressions and serum lipid levels.” Life Sci 75(11): 1391-404.
Tian, W. X., L. C. Li, et al. (2004). “Weight reduction by Chinese medicinal herbs may be related to inhibition of fatty acid synthase.” Life Sci 74(19): 2389-99.
Information on Chinese Medicine for Weight Loss:
* How to Heal Obesity Using Chinese Herbal Medicine:
Principles and Methods for Personalized Weight Loss
* Chinese Diet Recipes for Healthy Weigh Loss
* Chinese Herbal Recipes for Weight Loss in Different Age Groups
* Personalized Chinese Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss in Different Types of Obesity
* Classical and Patent Chinese Herbal Recipes for Weight Loss
* Chinese Herbal Recipes for Obesity-Related Diseases
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11.27.08
Posted in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Herbs, Obesity & Weight loss at 4:04 pm by Dr. Pharm Tao
Chinese ginseng has been used for the treatment of diabetes. However, its mechanisms are still not known. Researchers at the University of Chicago studied the antihyperglycemic effects of the total ginsenosides in Chinese ginseng in diabetic mice (Xie et al., 2005). They extracted ginsenosides from leaves and the stem of Chinese ginseng.
The researchers observed that the fasting blood glucose levels were significantly reduced in diabetic mice treated with ginsenosides. The mice also showed significantly improved glucose tolerance. Another remarkable effect was the significant decrease in bodyweight of the experimental mice. The result of their study indicates that the total ginsenosides extracted from Chinese ginseng leaves and the stem not only have great potential for healing diabetes, but also can be used for natural weight loss.
The rhizomes of Panax japonicus are traditional herbs that have been used for healing life-style related ailments such as arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. It is often used as a substitute herb for ginseng roots. A study done in Japan researched the effects of chikusetsusaponins isolated from P. japonicus rhizomes for weight loss and the healing of obesity (Han et al., 2005).
The study was done in experimental mice with a high-fat diet for nine weeks. The researchers measured the inhibitory effects of total chikusetsusaponins and various purified chikusetsusaponins on pancreatic lipase activity. They discovered that total chikusetsusaponins inhibited the elevation in body weight and parametrial adipose tissue weight in mice fed with a high-fat diet.
In addition, they found that the experimental group with total chikusetsusaponins had a significant increase in the fecal content and triacylglycerol level, compared with the high-fat diet control groups without the herbal treatment. It was shown that total chikusetsusaponins could suppress the elevation of the plasma triacylglycerol level, as well as the pancreatic lipase activity.
Their study shows that chikusetsusaponins isolated from P. japonicus rhizomes are effective for weight loss and anti-obesity in mice fed with a high-fat diet. Such effects could be caused by postponing the intestinal absorption of dietary fat, and inhibiting the pancreatic lipase activity.
The above studies have demonstrated that ginseng or substituted herbs of ginseng can be used for natural weight loss and as anti-obesity supplements. In addition, these herbal supplements are also useful for the treatment of obesity-associated diseases such as diabetes.
References:
Han, L. K., Y. N. Zheng, et al. (2005). “Anti-obesity effects of chikusetsusaponins isolated from Panax japonicus rhizomes.” BMC Complement Altern Med 5: 9.
Xie, J. T., C. Z. Wang, et al. (2005). “Antihyperglycemic effects of total ginsenosides from leaves and stem of Panax ginseng.” Acta Pharmacol Sin 26(9): 1104-10.
Information on Chinese Medicine for Weight Loss:
* How to Heal Obesity Using Chinese Herbal Medicine:
Principles and Methods for Personalized Weight Loss
* Chinese Diet Recipes for Healthy Weigh Loss
* Chinese Herbal Recipes for Weight Loss in Different Age Groups
* Personalized Chinese Herbal Remedies for Weight Loss in Different Types of Obesity
* Classical and Patent Chinese Herbal Recipes for Weight Loss
* Chinese Herbal Recipes for Obesity-Related Diseases
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