Treatments in Conventional Medicine and Their Limitations
Conventional medicine focuses on finding and treating the underlying disease causing weight loss.
- Treating Underlying Diseases: Surgery, chemotherapy, or medication is performed if cancer, diabetes, or thyroid disease is found.
- Nutritional Support: High-calorie diets or nutritional supplements are recommended.
- Appetite Stimulants: Agents like Megestrol or antidepressants (Mirtazapine) are used to stimulate appetite if necessary.
[Limitations]
In cases where no clear cause is found (about 25%), there is often no distinct treatment other than observation. Additionally, appetite stimulants carry risks of side effects (edema, thrombosis), making long-term use difficult. For the elderly, nutritional supplements alone may have low absorption rates due to reduced digestive function.
BM's Integrative Solution: Strengthening Digestion and Restoring Vitality
BM Korean Internal Medicine Clinic helps regain lost appetite and ensures that ingested nutrients become the body's energy.
- Tonifying Spleen (補脾) & Strengthening Stomach (健胃): We maximize nutrient absorption efficiency using formulas like Bojungikgi-tang or Samryeongbaekchul-san, which aid gastric motility and digestion.
- Tonifying Qi (補氣) & Nourishing Blood (養血): For weight loss due to chronic wasting diseases or aging, we reinforce both Qi and Blood with high-potency herbal medicines like Sipjeondaebo-tang or Gongjindan.
- Emotional Support: For anorexia due to depression or anxiety, we stabilize the mind and body with Gwibi-tang, allowing appetite to return naturally.
Evidence-Based Korean Medicine (Scientific Evidence)
Studies verify that Korean Medicine treatment is effective in improving anorexia and weight loss in cancer patients and the elderly.
- Improvement of Anorexia and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients: A study shows that herbal medicines like Bojungikki-tang improve cancer-related fatigue and anorexia while enhancing immune function.
- Jeong NJS, Ryu NBH, Kim NJS, Park NJW, Choi NWC, Yoon NSW. Bojungikki-Tang for Cancer-Related Fatigue: a pilot randomized clinical trial. Integrative Cancer Therapies. 2010;9(4):331-338. doi:10.1177/1534735410383170
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- Effect of Yukgunja-tang (Rikkunshito) on Anorexia: Its effectiveness in improving anorexia has been proven by promoting gastric motility and increasing the secretion of the appetite hormone Ghrelin.
- Yamada C, Saegusa Y, Nakagawa K, et al. Rikkunshito, a Japanese kampo medicine, ameliorates decreased feeding behavior via ghrelin and serotonin 2B receptor signaling in a novelty stress murine model. BioMed Research International. 2013;2013:1-9. doi:10.1155/2013/792940
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- Improvement of Cachexia: Research indicates that Sipjeondaebo-tang prevents muscle loss and suppresses weight loss by regulating inflammatory cytokines in cancer-induced cachexia models.
- Choi YK, Jung KY, Woo SM, et al. Effect of Sipjeondaebo-Tang on Cancer-Induced anorexia and cachexia in CT-26 Tumor-Bearing mice. Mediators of Inflammation. 2014;2014:1-10. doi:10.1155/2014/736563
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