Best Chinese Herbs for Weight Loss

Play YouTube Video

Struggling to slim down? You’re not alone. Losing weight often feels like an uphill battle, especially when you’ve tried it all but nothing seems to work.

What if you had a secret weapon that made dropping extra pounds easier – and improved your overall health at the same time? You do! The secret is Chinese Herbs for Weight Loss.

Chinese Herbal Medicine is no “miracle cure” or fad diet – it’s a holistic medical system that has been around for thousands of years. Rather than use a one-pill-fits-all method, Chinese medicine takes your unique constitution and obesity type into account to match you with the right herbs for weight loss for your body.

Want to find out how you can use Chinese medicine to lose weight naturally? Read on to learn why Chinese Herbs for Weight Loss work, what pattern of weight gain your body falls into, and the best Chinese herbs for weight loss for you.

Do Chinese Herbs Work for Weight Loss?

With so many weight loss tips, blogs, books, and fads out there, many people wonder if Eastern medicine weight loss remedies like Chinese herbs really work.

The beauty of Chinese medicine is that it takes a holistic approach to help you lose weight. There are no tricks, gimmicks, or fads – it’s all about helping your body find its healthiest balance possible! Chinese herbs help you stay on track with your weight loss goals and give you the extra support needed to lose weight and keep it off.

If there is any magic behind Chinese Herbal Medicine to maintain a healthy weight, it’s Chinese medicine’s ability to re-establish balance at a deep level. Chinese medicine focuses on the root of the problem: the reason your individual body gains and holds on to unnecessary weight.

But don’t just take our word for it! Research shows that Chinese herbal medicine is safe and effective for managing weight. One study showed that a specific herbal formula was successful in reducing the BMI of study participants. Other studies show that the addition of Chinese Herbal Medicine to a healthy diet and exercise can offer faster and more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone.

Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine for Weight Loss: Patterns of Weight Gain and Obesity

Let’s take a look at some of the different root patterns of weight gain. These various health problems help us better understand why you struggle to lose weight and the best Chinese herbs for weight loss for your unique body.

1) DOWN AND OUT: SPLEEN QI DEFICIENCY

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the spleen (and pancreas) is one of your most important organs. The spleen (and pancreas) is responsible for transforming your food into qi, or your life force energy. Consider qi to be the battery your body runs on; it keeps you energized throughout the day – you want it fully charged and ready to go!

However, if you have a spleen qi deficiency, you will feel like you are in low-power mode: drained, tired, lethargic, heavy, and slow-moving. You won’t have the energy to go about your day, which leads to a feeling of blah. With weak spleen qi, bowel movements are often loose and may even contain undigested food in the stool.

Another common symptom of spleen qi deficiency is weight gain. Since the spleen is responsible for transforming nutrients in the stomach into usable blood and qi, a weak spleen cannot manage all this work. As a result, food and fluids build up. This leads to what Chinese medicine calls dampness. Dampness is excess water and mucus that stagnates in your body. In the digestive system, dampness represents the excess fat and water weight you carry.

Spleen Qi Deficiency Weight Loss Remedy

The Chinese remedy for this type of weight gain is to strengthen the spleen and digestive function. Consider Chinese herbal supplements such as Gui Pi Wan or Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan.  Both Chinese herbal remedies will help to support the spleen and improve your overall energy.

2) BURNED OUT: YANG DEFICIENCY

Yang deficiency is one of the basic Traditional Chinese Medicine patterns of imbalance. At its simplest, yang (warming, activating, moving) deficiency is a lack of energy in the body. Yang deficiency can occur for a variety of reasons, such as aging, illness, diet choices, lifestyle choices, or a natural personal constitution.

A slow metabolism is often related to yang deficiency. The transformation of food and nutrients slows down, the digestive processes stagnate, and that dreaded dampness (fat and water weight) builds up. Your body doesn’t have enough energy and warmth to keep the digestive system moving efficiently.

Without enough warming and transforming power from yang, this type of weight gain tends to have lots of water weight and swelling as fluids seep into the abdomen and lower legs. Bowel movements may be slow, irregular, and loose.

3) MODERN WARRIOR: LIVER QI STAGNATION AND STRESS

Modern life is stressful! Over time, all this worry leads to chronic stress, poor sleep, and eventually weight gain.

Studies show that chronic stress creates quite the hormonal cocktail. This imbalance is the perfect recipe for stubborn weight gain and belly fat. This might be you if you have noticed your weight gain take a dramatic turn after getting a new job, moving into a new house, beginning or ending a relationship, bearing children, or experiencing another kind of major life change.

The Liver is the organ that responds most to stress. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Liver is responsible for making sure things flow properly and that all of the other organ systems are working in sync. When things go off balance (either physically or emotionally) the Liver becomes stressed. Over time, this causes disharmony in the digestive system, qi stagnation, and hormonal imbalances.

4) ENDLESS HUNGER: STOMACH HEAT

Do you feel like you can never get enough to eat or are you prone to overeating? You could eat all day, anything and everything, and never feel full. Maybe you even indulge in fried and spicy foods quite often and have a strong or intense thirst. You might also get bright red breakouts on your face or chest, or even suffer from heartburn or insomnia.

These are all signs that point to Stomach Heat. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this imbalance leads to excessive eating without ever feeling satisfied. Stomach Heat can cause increased calorie intake and therefore weight gain and obesity. This vicious cycle continues as the build-up of food creates more heat and perpetuates this pattern.

5) HEAVY BURDEN: DAMP ACCUMULATION

While dampness is a symptom of a bigger root problem rather than a key imbalance itself, it can be worthwhile to address this issue at the symptom level. Dampness is not only the result of an underlying imbalance but can also hinder the body from making changes.

Dampness is like a swamp. Everything stagnates and becomes murky in its presence. To improve digestion, increase metabolism, and drop that weight for good, eliminate the dampness and fix the root problem. It’s a bit like plugging the hole in a sinking boat while scooping out the water at the same time. Neither action on its own will make the boat float again – both are needed for a full recovery. The best method is to plug the hole (i.e. treat the root) while scooping out the water (eliminating the dampness).

Dampness Weight Loss Remedy

Transform and eliminate excess dampness to reduce body fat and make losing weight easier and more effective. Try a Chinese medicine root pattern formula such as Li Zhong Wan, Wu Pi Wan, or Jiang Zhi Jian Fei.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Herbs for Weight Loss

Ready to break your pattern and finally lose the weight? Chinese herbs for weight loss can help. Here we’ll share which Chinese Herbal Medicine formulas are best for fat burning, and review the best Chinese herbs for different patterns of weight gain and obesity.

Chinese Medicine Weight Loss Pills

Lose Weight with Added Support: Chinese Herbs for Fat Burning, Metabolism, and Detox

• For bloating and food accumulation: Bao He Wan
• For boosting metabolism: Central Qi/ Bu Zhong Yi Qi Wan
• For fat burning and increased fat metabolism: Jian Zhi Jiang Fei – Keep Fit
• For clearing the digestive tract: Run Chang Wan

Chinese Weight Loss Tea

Side Effects of Chinese Herbs for Weight Loss

Chinese Herbal Medicine is very safe and effective for weight loss. In most cases, you’ll not only notice a gradual weight loss, but you’ll also start to feel healthier in general after taking Chinese herbs.

Because Chinese herbs detoxify and clear excess waste from the body (especially when used for weight loss) it is normal to experience changes in bowel movements when taking Chinese herbs. You may notice looser stools for the first few days while taking your formulas. This is a normal way for the body to clear out old waste. But if it persists, stop taking the formula and reach out to your local Chinese medicine practitioner for consultation.

As with any herb, supplement, or medication, it’s best to check with your health care provider before starting a new regimen.

Other Traditional Chinese Medicine Weight Loss Tips

• Chew your food thoroughly to enhance digestion and feel full faster.
• Eat and live in tune with the seasons for more effective weight loss.
• Fill up on fresh fruits and vegetables with high fiber content.
• Don’t skip the fat. Healthy fats can keep you satiated and are necessary for proper weight loss.
• If you have a hot constitution, Stomach Heat, or inflammation, avoid cooking with too many spicy ingredients.
• If you have a cold constitution, Spleen Qi deficiency, or Yang deficiency, eat warming foods and increase your use of herbs and spices. Avoid cold or icy foods, drink plenty of fluids and stay active.
• Avoid “damp-producing” foods such as dairy, fried foods, processed foods, and sugar.
• Swap soft drinks and alcohol with ginger tea, mint tea, green tea, or healthy mocktails.
• Be sure you get plenty of exercise and practice stress-relief techniques like meditation, yoga, or journaling. This reduces stress (and stress cravings) to keep your cortisol managed and your weight loss progress on track.
• Drink a Chinese weight loss tea before meals to help prevent overeating.

The Chinese Medicine Approach to Healthy Weight Loss

Chinese herbal medicine is all about addressing the root of the problem. “Miracle” pills and fad diets may promise a quick change, but these are neither sustainable nor holistic. It’s time to get out of the weight-gain-rut and make a real turn towards health.

The beauty of Chinese medicine lies in its ability to treat stubborn weight gain while establishing balance and health for the entire body. Losing weight naturally with diet, exercise, and herbal medicine can be a slow and steady approach but it is worth it in the end. Dedication and holistic help make for long-lasting results to be proud of!

If you are embarking on a weight loss journey, consider pairing up with a Chinese herbal formula for added support. Not only will you lose weight more effectively, but your whole body will benefit from the transformation!

So, what are your current weight loss goals? Will you try Chinese Herbs for Weight Loss to reach them? Let us know in the comments!