Advantages of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Weight Loss, Commonly Used Chinese Herbal Preparations for Weight Loss, and Commonly Used Weight Loss Formulas
What are the advantages of using traditional Chinese medicine for weight loss?
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) weight loss is based on the principle of combining disease identification and syndrome differentiation. The treatment with Chinese medicine also adopts a holistic approach, addressing both the symptoms and the root cause, strengthening the body's resistance, eliminating dampness and phlegm, clearing excess heat, replenishing qi and blood, and soothing the liver and relieving depression to regulate the body's metabolic balance.
Therefore, it does not have the side effects of Western weight loss drugs, such as appetite suppression, fatigue, diarrhea, etc., nor will it cause side effects such as sympathetic nerve hyperactivity and depression.
Traditional Chinese medicine can not only help with weight loss, but also regulate blood lipids, lowering blood cholesterol and triglycerides while raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Some traditional Chinese medicines for weight loss can also lower blood pressure, improve heart function, and relieve symptoms such as gastrointestinal discomfort and constipation, which are things that Western medicines for weight loss cannot do.
What are some commonly used traditional Chinese medicine preparations for weight loss?
The following are some traditional Chinese medicine preparations for weight loss that have been clinically validated.
Slimming pills: Astragalus membranaceus, Stephania tetrandra, processed Polygonum multiflorum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, raw hawthorn, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Artemisia capillaris, buffalo horn.
For general health improvement: Pinellia ternata, Citrus reticulata peel, Poria cocos, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Atractylodes lancea, Atractylodes macrocephala, Plantago asiatica, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Benincasa hispida peel, Areca catechu peel, Citrus aurantium, Cyperus rotundus, Artemisia capillaris.
Slimming tea: raw Polygonum multiflorum, hawthorn, cassia seed, prunella vulgaris, radish seed, tea leaves, and sage.
Jianmeiling: rhubarb.
Lipid-Lowering Capsules: Contains 28 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines including Codonopsis pilosula, Astragalus membranaceus, Poria cocos, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Cinnamomum cassia, Cassia tora, Crataegus pinnatifida, Pinellia ternata, Stephania tetrandra, Citrus reticulata peel, Prunus armeniaca, Areca catechu peel, Citrus aurantium, and Rheum palmatum.
Jianmei Pills: Astragalus membranaceus, Polygonum multiflorum, Saposhnikovia divaricata, Atractylodes macrocephala, Rheum palmatum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Epimedium brevicornu, Polygonatum sibiricum, and Halloysite.
Ningzhi: Atractylodes macrocephala, Citrus reticulata peel, Pinellia ternata, Salvia miltiorrhiza.
Mai'an Granules: Malt, Hawthorn.
Weight loss drink: lotus leaf, hawthorn, raw Job's tears, dried tangerine peel.
Weight loss formula: 18g of Si Ni San, 9g of Poria cocos peel, 15g of Paulownia tomentosa bark, 4.5g of dried tangerine peel, 9g of Alisma plantago-aquatica, and 60g of Citrus reticulata. Boil to make 50ml. Take 50-60ml twice a day for 2-3 months as one course of treatment.
Weight Loss and Fitness Elixir: Fangji Huangqi Decoction + Fangfeng Tongsheng Powder + Xiaoyao Powder + Er Chen Decoction.
Strengthening and lipid-lowering compound: Astragalus membranaceus (processed), Poria cocos, Pharbitis nil, Prunus japonica seed, Polygonatum sibiricum, Crataegus pinnatifida, and Cassia tora.
Lipid-lowering oral liquid: Contains 25% rhubarb water extract, each vial contains 20ml, containing 5g of raw herb, once a day, after meals.
What are some commonly used weight loss formulas, and how effective are they?
Currently, commonly used weight loss formulas in clinical practice mainly include:
(1) Fangfeng Tongsheng Powder (from Xuanming Fanglun)
It is composed of rhubarb, mirabilite, saposhnikovia root, ephedra, schizonepeta, ginger, peppermint, forsythia, platycodon root, gardenia, gypsum, atractylodes macrocephala, licorice, etc.
(2) Da Chai Hu Tang (from the Treatise on Cold Damage)
It is composed of Bupleurum, Scutellaria baicalensis, Paeonia lactiflora, Pinellia ternata, Citrus aurantium, Rheum palmatum, Ziziphus jujuba, and Zingiber officinale.
It is often used for those with a large body, thick abdominal wall, and fullness in the chest and ribs.
(3) Fangji Huangqi Decoction (from "Synopsis of Prescriptions of the Golden Chamber")
It is composed of Stephania tetrandra, Astragalus membranaceus, Atractylodes macrocephala, and Glycyrrhiza uralensis.
It is especially suitable for obese patients with deficiency syndrome or mixed deficiency and excess syndrome, who have symptoms such as pale skin, easy sweating, weak muscles, knee pain or edema, and no constipation.
(4) Wendan Decoction and Daotan Decoction
It is composed of dried tangerine peel, pinellia, poria cocos, licorice, bamboo shavings, immature bitter orange, and arisaema cum bile.
Long-term use has a good therapeutic effect on simple obesity.
I have treated 90 cases of obesity with good results, with the average weight dropping from 88kg to 76.5kg.
(5) Qi Xiao Wan (produced by Tianjin Darentang Pharmaceutical Factory)
It is composed of Rehmannia glutinosa, Prunus mume, Chaenomeles speciosa, Paeonia lactiflora, and Adenophora stricta.
Take one pill each morning and evening on an empty stomach with warm water.
It is indicated for simple obesity.
It has been used to treat 125 cases of obesity, with an overall effective rate of 81.6%.
(6) Light Body No. 2 (Formula from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Medical University)
It is composed of Astragalus membranaceus, Saposhnikovia divaricata, Atractylodes macrocephala, Ligusticum chuanxiong, processed Polygonum multiflorum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, raw Crataegus pinnatifida, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Artemisia capillaris, buffalo horn, Epimedium, and raw Rheum palmatum.
Fifty patients with simple obesity were treated with a course of treatment ranging from 4 to 23 weeks. As a result, 48 patients were effective, with an average weight loss of 3.72 kg and a significant decrease in serum triglycerides and cholesterol.
(7) Platinum Pill
It is composed of alum and turmeric.
Take 6g each time, 3 times a day, for 40-60 days.
Among 170 patients with hyperlipidemia and obesity, weight decreased significantly after taking the medication, with an average weight loss of 3.75 kg.
(8) Weight loss pills
Composed of senna leaves, pine needle tea, alisma, bamboo leaves, sophora flowers, prunella vulgaris, lepidium seeds, and poria cocos, it has the effects of removing dampness and phlegm, promoting urination and relieving constipation.
Of the 183 cases treated, the overall effective rate was 74.3%, with an average weight reduction of 2.52 kg.
(9) Weight Loss and Light Body Joy
A concentrated decoction composed of Leucas cephalotes, Cassia tora, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Nelumbo nucifera leaf, Stephania tetrandra, Rehmannia glutinosa, red ginseng, buffalo horn, Astragalus membranaceus, and Scolopendra subspinipes was used to treat 51 cases, with an effective rate of 94.1%.
(10) Weight Loss and Fat Reduction
It is made into a powder from Polygonum multiflorum, Prunella vulgaris, winter melon peel, and dried tangerine peel.
After one month of treatment, based on an observation of 231 cases, 219 cases lost more than 2 kg, 8 cases were ineffective, and 4 cases gained weight, with an effective rate of 94.8%.
A small number of cases have experienced side effects such as nausea and abdominal pain before defecation.
(11) Slimming Drink
It is composed of lotus leaf, hawthorn and alisma.
Use as a tea substitute, with a treatment course of 3 months.
Of the 41 cases of simple obesity treated, 27 cases showed significant improvement (weight loss of more than 2 kg), with a significant improvement rate of 68.2%.
(12) Ningzhi
It is composed of Atractylodes macrocephala, Citrus reticulata peel, Pinellia ternata, Salvia miltiorrhiza, etc.
Eight tablets each time, three times a day, 90 cases were treated, with an effective rate of 72% and an average weight loss of 1.71 kg.