Acupuncture's Effects on Leptin and Ghrelin in Weight Management
Acupuncture significantly decreases leptin levels while increasing ghrelin levels, which helps regulate appetite and weight in obese individuals. 1
Mechanism of Action
- Leptin and ghrelin are key enteroendocrine hormones that regulate food intake through central nervous system interactions - leptin decreases appetite while ghrelin increases it 2
- Acupuncture treatment has been shown to decrease insulin and leptin levels while increasing plasma ghrelin and cholecystokinin (CCK) levels, contributing to weight regulation 1
- These hormonal changes occur even after just a few weeks of acupuncture treatment, suggesting relatively rapid physiological responses 1
Specific Acupuncture Points and Their Effects
- LI4 (Hegu), HT7 (Shenmen), ST36 (Zusanli), ST44 (Neiting), and SP6 (Sanyinjiao) have demonstrated effectiveness in modifying leptin and ghrelin levels when used bilaterally 1
- Sifeng (EX-UE 10) acupuncture effectively promotes ghrelin secretion while inhibiting leptin in pediatric patients with anorexia 3
- Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to downregulate orexigenic peptides including ghrelin in the stomach and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the hypothalamus 4
Clinical Applications
Weight Management
- Acupuncture treatment induces weight loss and decreases BMI compared to sham acupuncture, with these effects linked to the beneficial regulation of hormones including leptin and ghrelin 1
- The decrease in leptin levels may help address leptin resistance, a common condition in obesity where high circulating leptin fails to decrease appetite appropriately 2, 5
- Electroacupuncture administered at 2 Hz once every other day has been shown to produce further reduction in body weight even in food-restricted subjects 4
Cancer-Related Cachexia
- Targeted acupuncture may provide benefits to patients with gastrointestinal cancer cachexia by normalizing metabolic dysregulation 6
- Acupuncture treatment affects blood leptin and ghrelin levels in cancer patients, potentially helping to maintain weight during chemotherapy 6
Treatment Protocols
- Effective protocols include twice-weekly sessions of 20 minutes each for a total of 10 sessions 1
- For cancer cachexia, 8 weekly sessions following a specific acupuncture protocol has shown benefits in metabolic regulation 6
- In pediatric anorexia, weekly treatment at Sifeng (EX-UE 10) using the pricking method with a three-edged needle for 4 weeks has demonstrated superior efficacy compared to medication 3
Physiological Pathways
- Acupuncture may influence the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, affecting hormones involved in appetite regulation 7
- The regulation of leptin and ghrelin appears to be primarily through changes in food intake rather than increases in energy expenditure 4
- Acupuncture may help normalize metabolic dysregulation by affecting insulin resistance, which is indicated by changes in ghrelin levels 6
Clinical Considerations
- Acupuncture's effects on leptin and ghrelin may be particularly beneficial for patients with leptin resistance, which is common in obesity 2, 5
- No significant adverse events related to acupuncture have been reported in studies examining its effects on these hormones 1, 6
- A longer treatment duration may be required for more pronounced and sustained effects on weight management 6