Obesity has never been on the agenda of Traditional Chinese
Medicine (TCM) as it has not been a social or medical problem in
China. The ancient Chinese theory is based on the Yin-Yang
philosophy and the Five Elements. According to TCM, weight gain
or obesity is caused by unhealthy yin-yang interaction and
disturbances in the balance of functions of the body organs.
When you eat, the food is digested, the nutrients are absorbed
and the waste material is excreted. An imbalance of these three
functions causes retention of water, fat or food in the body,
leading to weight gain.
Even though obesity control specifically has not been a major
focus of TCM, there are many people who claim to have the
formula for reducing weight naturally using Chinese obesity
solutions.
However, with the ban on two herbal weight loss solutions
manufactured in China and sold over the internet, there has been
an extensive debate over the use of Chinese herbal remedies for
weight loss. These two drugs were marketed as natural weight
losssupplements but were actually found to contain a banned
substance - N-nitroso-fenfluramine - associated with heart
problems. The most commonly used Chinese herb, Ma Huang or
ephedra has also been known to cause heart valve conditions and
is banned by the FDA.
TCM does not advocate the use of any one single herb for
treating obesity. Instead the numerous herbs that are part of
Chinese weight loss medications are used in conjunction with
other herbs to treat obesity. These combinations are based on
individual metabolic rates and physical conditions.
Based on that theory, most Chinese herbs are focused on what
experts of TCM term as ‘dispelling pathogenic wind from the body
surface’. The basic target is to increase metabolism and
sweating, reduce swelling and eliminate food stagnation in the
body. TCM, thus targets healthy functioning of the spleen, which
is responsible for controlling transformation and movement of
fluids by effectively managing muscles and flesh. Spleen is also
the root for accumulation of phlegm. TCM believes that spleen
can be damaged by excessive intake of fatty foods and lack of
exercise.
One of the safest weight loss solutions that has a Chinese
connection and does not need any consultation from an expert is
Chinese herbal green tea. Chinese green tea is processed
differently from other green teas, which gives it its typical
flavor and taste. It speeds up the body’s metabolism rate and
burns calories faster. Green tea suppresses appetite and does
not add to the calorie intake if taken without sugar.
It is important to keep in mind that there is no miracle weight
loss cure in any therapy. Like all other therapies, TCM too
insists upon an active lifestyle, exercise and diet regulation
as natural cures for obesity. The idea is to purge the body by
natural detoxification, easy bowel movements and restoring the
balance between different organs involved in processing what we
eat.
References:
http://weightloss.about.com/cs/products/a/aa091603a.htm
http://www.herb-doc.com/p4.htm
http://www.annecollins.com/obesity/obesity-chinese-treatment.htm
http://www.activeherb.com/weightloss/
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=27786
Information:
Whole Food Nutritional Supplements
NativeRemedies.com - Natural Herbal Remedies for your health
