Secret to weight loss could be in your ears: new research

Had it up to your ears with weight loss gimmicks? You might be on the right track.

Acupuncture on the outer ear has been shown to reduce weight, ease food cravings and lower body mass index, according to researchers from Japan.

But the acupuncture technique used in this study doesn’t require needles. Instead, small metal beads are attached to the outer ear with surgical tape. 

“Since these tiny metal beads are attached to six points on the outer ear that stimulate nerves and organs which regulate appetite … this type of acupuncture does not require complex knowledge or skill,” said Dr. Takahiro Fujimoto from Clinic F in Tokyo in a news release.

“In Japan, this method to aid weight loss has been used for over 30 years.”

The study, presented at the 2023 European Congress on Obesity meeting in Dublin, Ireland, followed 81 men who were overweight or obese for three months. In addition to having acupuncture beads placed on both of their ears (known as auricular acupuncture), the men kept food diaries and were asked to cut their food intake in half. 

After three months, the men lost an average of 4 inches off their waist and reduced their body fat percentage by 4%. Average BMI among the study participants also dropped by almost 3 points. There was no control group, and the researchers noted that the study was limited by the small number of participants and the study’s short length of time. Additionally, the researchers cannot definitively prove that the weight loss was caused by the acupuncture.

“Our findings suggest that acupuncture on the ear may aid weight loss when paired with diet and exercise,” said Fujimoto. “It’s likely that acupuncture has a positive effect by curbing cravings and appetite, improving digestion, and boosting metabolism.”

Exactly how this acupuncture method works isn’t known, but the technique is based on the belief that health is regulated by the flow of energy throughout the body. Ear acupuncture may help to balance the endocrine system, reduce food cravings and moderate the body’s rate of metabolism.

This isn’t the first time auricular acupuncture has been studied for weight loss: A 2015 study published in the journal BMJ Open Gastroenterology with 10 participants found significant weight loss among study participants who received ear acupuncture.

And in a 2020 study published in the journal OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, Fujimoto achieved weight loss results among women similar to those found among men in the more recent study. Furthermore, the women’s weight loss was maintained for six months after the treatment ended.

Acupuncture has been used for centuries in Asia to treat dozens of health conditions, including digestive diseases, sexual dysfunction, drug addiction and pain from arthritis, headaches and other disorders. 

Recent research reveals that acupuncture may also help women with a loss of sexual energy, ease the suffering of people with COVID-19 and even provide a quick wake-up for drowsy people.