A lways ravenous? Now you can actually zap away
your hunger. Electroacupuncture (acupuncture with an electric current), along with a reduced calorie diet, suppressed appetite and helped overweight people burn more fat in a recent study. Here’s the scoop.
Why it works
Electroacupuncture lowers blood levels of the hunger- regulating hormone leptin, researchers say. Leptin normally tells you when you’re full, but if you’re overweight, leptin can become chronically elevated, leading to resistance and
missing of the “full” signal. Electroacupuncture seems to act on the hypothalamus, the brain area that releases hunger hormones, and has a calming effect, which can reduce stress eating, says Daniel Hsu, a licensed acupuncturist in New York City.
What you can expect
As with traditional acupuncture, a practitioner places needles on specific points on the body, says Steve Compton, assistant professor of acupuncture at Northwestern Health Sciences University. The needles are then attached (via wires with small metal clips) to a device that releases electric pulses. The intensity of the current can be adjusted to your comfort level—you may feel a mild tingling or pulsing, says Compton. A session lasts 20 to 30 minutes and, ideally, is repeated once or twice a week for 3 to 6 weeks, whether the treat- ment is for pain relief or weight management.
Find a practitioner
Search the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine’s directory at nccaom.org to find licensedacupuncturists. Many have experience with electro acupuncture; those who don’t should refer you to someone who does, says Compton. Expect to pay a bit more for an electro acupuncture session— Compton adds $10 to his traditional acupuncture fee of $70. —SE
