Clinical trial of herbal formula on weight loss in obese Korean children
Jung-Hee Yoo1, Eui-Ju Lee, Chang-Kyu Kwak
1Department of Sasang Constitutional Medicine, College of Traditional Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Insights
A traditional Korean herbal formula (KH) effectively reduced obesity in children, decreasing BMI, body fat, and cholesterol levels over 30 days. This herbal treatment showed no significant adverse effects, indicating its clinical safety and efficacy for pediatric weight management.
Area of Science:
- Integrative and Complementary Medicine
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Obesity is a growing global health concern in children, necessitating effective and safe treatment options.
- Traditional Korean herbal medicine, particularly Taeumjowi-tang based formulas like KH, is widely used in Korea.
- Assessing the efficacy and safety of KH in pediatric obesity is crucial for evidence-based practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the short-term clinical safety and effectiveness of a traditional Korean herbal formula (KH) in obese children.
- To investigate the impact of KH on anthropometric measurements, body composition, and serum lipid profiles in pediatric obesity.
Main Methods:
- A 30-day clinical trial involving obese children (relative body weight ≥20%) treated with KH.
- Measurements included Body Mass Index (BMI), relative body weight (%RBW), body fat mass, abdominal and subscapular skinfolds.
- Serum lipid levels (total cholesterol, arteriosclerosis index) and leptin levels were analyzed. Safety was assessed through liver, heart, and kidney function tests.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions were observed in BMI (24.34 to 23.26 kg/m2), %RBW (34.41% to 25.94%), and body fat mass (17.99 to 16.50 kg) (p < 0.01).
- Anthropometric measurements showed decreased abdominal skin-fold (26.16 to 22.90 mm) and subscapular skin-fold (20.86 to 18.46 mm) (p < 0.01).
- Serum lipid profiles improved with decreased total cholesterol (195.38 to 183.25 mg/dl) and arteriosclerosis index (4.100 to 3.84 mg/dl) (p < 0.05), alongside reduced leptin levels (p < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- The traditional Korean herbal formula KH is clinically safe and effective for short-term treatment of obesity in children.
- KH administration led to significant improvements in weight, body composition, and cardiovascular risk factors.
- No significant adverse effects on major organs or withdrawal symptoms were observed, supporting KH's safety profile.
Abstract:
A traditional Korean herbal formula (KH), which is based on Taeumjowi-tang, is currently the most widely used herbal formula in Korea. In this study, KH was administered to obese children for 30 days, and was found to be clinically safe and effective. The subjects were children admitted to hospital to be treated for obesity with relative body weights (%RBW) of 20% or more. Originally, there were 31 subjects, but nine dropped out during the experiment. There were eight girls and 14 boys, whose average age was 11.00 +/- 2.62 years, average weight was 53.37 +/- 17.29 kg, and average period (30-day amount) of KH dosage was 51.18 +/- 22.58 days. The short-term effects of KH on obese children were the reduction of their BMI from 24.34 +/- 3.10 to 23.26 +/- 3.00 kg/m2, of %RBW from 34.41 +/- 10.90 to 25.94 +/- 11.18% (p < 0.01), of body fat mass from 17.99 +/- 5.37 to 16.50 +/- 4.82 kg, and of body fat from 34.16 +/- 3.75 to 32.08 +/- 3.15% (p < 0.01). Concerning anthropometrical measurements, abdominal skin-fold decreased from 26.16 +/- 9.08 to 22.90 +/- 8.35 mm, as did subscapular skin-fold from 20.86 +/- 5.20 to 18.46 +/- 5.31 mm (p < 0.01). In terms of serum lipid levels, which are indices of heart disease, their total cholesterol decreased from 195.38 +/- 31.39 to 183.25 +/- 33.27 mg/dl, the arteriosclerosis index from 4.100 +/- 0.81 to 3.84 +/- 0.64 mg/dl (p < 0.05), and serum leptin level from 14.91 +/- 6.59 to 12.24 +/- 4.98 ng/ml (p < 0.01). Concerning the safety of KH, there were no significant changes in the subjects' livers, hearts, or kidneys. Nor were there any short-term signs of clinically serious side effects or withdrawal symptoms observed. The short-term effects of KH on obese children are weight loss and a decrease in obesity.
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