Weight loss drugs have been very much in the news for a number of years now. Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic are what's known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drugs. GLP-1 is a multifaceted hormone that stimulates insulin secretion, decreases gastric emptying, and inhibits food intake, which makes it a powerful drug for weight loss.(1)
More recently, Eli Lilly (the manufacturer of Mounjaro) announced it was putting up the list price of the drug by as much as 170% in the autumn. Newspapers have been reporting on people bulk-buying ahead of the price increase because of fears that they would not be able to afford the drug after that.
The rise in the popularity of weight loss drugs was one of the reasons that prompted me to do my Chinese herbal medicine dissertation on the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for weight loss. This time last year I was recruiting subjects for my small-scale research study -- six subjects agreed to take Chinese herbs over a period of 3-6 months and allowed me to track their progress. More importantly, they were required to exercise regularly and make dietary changes alongside taking herbal medicine.
(It's a small study because I had less than one year to conduct research and write the dissertation. In the end the study provided preliminary data on the feasibility for further research.)
So what were my take-aways from this piece of research? My conclusion is that Chinese herbal medicine is effective for weight loss when combined with regular exercise and change in dietary habits. However, it is not a magic pill; it requires patient commitment and compliance. For those people who didn't lose weight, I found that high stress levels and lack of time to plan, buy and prepare food were particular barriers to weight loss.
On the other hand, Chinese herbal medicine has many advantages such as bespoke formulation depending on the client's indvidual physiology and progress. No two individuals are alike. The goal is to work with clients over a period of time, and slowly taper the formula down once they have achieved their weight goal. Clients are able to check in regularly with their practitioner, who is also effectively playing the role of a coach.
But what about side effects? GLP-1 drugs have common side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, stomach pains and constipation. (2) In comparison, Chinese herbal medicine is likely a safe and sustainable intervention as long as it's prescribed by properly trained practitioners.
Even after the end of the research, I am still working with a few of my weight loss patients who continue to lose weight and decrease their abdominal fat. It's very satisfying to help people who want an alternative to Mounjaro, Ozempic or Wegovy.
1 - Müller, T.D., Finan, B., Bloom, S.R., D’Alessio, D., Drucker, D.J., Flatt, P.R., Fritsche, A., Gribble, F., Grill, H.J., Habener, J.F., Holst, J.J., Langhans, W., Meier, J.J., Nauck, M.A., Perez-Tilve, D., Pocai, A., Reimann, F., Sandoval, D.A., Schwartz, T.W. and Seeley, R.J. (2019). ‘Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)’. Molecular Metabolism, 30, pp. 72–130. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2019.09.010 (Accessed: 21 February 2025).
2- Parliament. House of Commons (2025). Weight loss medicines in England. (Number 10171). London: House of Commons.
More recently, Eli Lilly (the manufacturer of Mounjaro) announced it was putting up the list price of the drug by as much as 170% in the autumn. Newspapers have been reporting on people bulk-buying ahead of the price increase because of fears that they would not be able to afford the drug after that.
The rise in the popularity of weight loss drugs was one of the reasons that prompted me to do my Chinese herbal medicine dissertation on the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for weight loss. This time last year I was recruiting subjects for my small-scale research study -- six subjects agreed to take Chinese herbs over a period of 3-6 months and allowed me to track their progress. More importantly, they were required to exercise regularly and make dietary changes alongside taking herbal medicine.
(It's a small study because I had less than one year to conduct research and write the dissertation. In the end the study provided preliminary data on the feasibility for further research.)
So what were my take-aways from this piece of research? My conclusion is that Chinese herbal medicine is effective for weight loss when combined with regular exercise and change in dietary habits. However, it is not a magic pill; it requires patient commitment and compliance. For those people who didn't lose weight, I found that high stress levels and lack of time to plan, buy and prepare food were particular barriers to weight loss.
On the other hand, Chinese herbal medicine has many advantages such as bespoke formulation depending on the client's indvidual physiology and progress. No two individuals are alike. The goal is to work with clients over a period of time, and slowly taper the formula down once they have achieved their weight goal. Clients are able to check in regularly with their practitioner, who is also effectively playing the role of a coach.
But what about side effects? GLP-1 drugs have common side effects such as nausea, diarrhoea, stomach pains and constipation. (2) In comparison, Chinese herbal medicine is likely a safe and sustainable intervention as long as it's prescribed by properly trained practitioners.
Even after the end of the research, I am still working with a few of my weight loss patients who continue to lose weight and decrease their abdominal fat. It's very satisfying to help people who want an alternative to Mounjaro, Ozempic or Wegovy.
1 - Müller, T.D., Finan, B., Bloom, S.R., D’Alessio, D., Drucker, D.J., Flatt, P.R., Fritsche, A., Gribble, F., Grill, H.J., Habener, J.F., Holst, J.J., Langhans, W., Meier, J.J., Nauck, M.A., Perez-Tilve, D., Pocai, A., Reimann, F., Sandoval, D.A., Schwartz, T.W. and Seeley, R.J. (2019). ‘Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)’. Molecular Metabolism, 30, pp. 72–130. Available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2019.09.010 (Accessed: 21 February 2025).
2- Parliament. House of Commons (2025). Weight loss medicines in England. (Number 10171). London: House of Commons.
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