This narrative review proposes that acupuncture targets obesity through the same gut-brain peptide pathways as nutritional interventions, including GLP-1, short-chain fatty acids, and GPR43 signaling.
Shared targets: GLP-1, SCFAs, GPR43The review identifies these gut-brain signaling molecules as convergence points between acupuncture mechanisms and established nutritional/pharmacological obesity interventions
What the researchers found
The review proposes an integrative framework connecting acupuncture to obesity treatment through the microbiota-gut-brain axis, identifying shared targets with dietary interventions:
- Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut bacteria
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) — the same peptide hormone targeted by semaglutide and other obesity drugs
- G protein-coupled receptors, particularly GPR43, which mediates SCFA and metabolic signaling
Acupuncture is proposed to improve microbial diversity, enhance gut barrier integrity, regulate nutrient-derived signaling molecules, and influence appetite control and inflammatory responses through neural, endocrine, and immune networks within the gut-brain axis.
Why it matters
As GLP-1 receptor agonists become blockbuster drugs for obesity, understanding non-pharmacological approaches that may modulate the same peptide signaling pathways is valuable. If acupuncture genuinely enhances endogenous GLP-1 release or gut peptide signaling, it could serve as a complementary therapy — potentially improving outcomes when combined with dietary modifications or reducing reliance on expensive medications.
How the study worked
This is a narrative review synthesizing published research on acupuncture's effects on gut microbiota, gut barrier function, peptide hormone signaling (particularly GLP-1), and metabolic outcomes in the context of obesity. The review draws parallels between acupuncture mechanisms and dietary/nutritional interventions that target the same pathways.
What this study cannot tell us
This is a narrative review presenting a conceptual framework rather than systematic evidence. The quality and rigor of the underlying acupuncture studies cited are variable. Direct evidence that acupuncture significantly modulates GLP-1 levels in humans is limited. The proposed mechanisms are largely speculative, drawing parallels between acupuncture effects and known nutritional pathways without definitive mechanistic proof. Sham-controlled acupuncture trials for obesity have shown mixed results.
How to read the evidence
This is a narrative review presenting a conceptual framework. It does not include new data or systematic evidence synthesis. The underlying acupuncture evidence ranges from preclinical to small clinical studies with variable quality.
When this study was published
Published in 2025, this review reflects current interest in integrating traditional medicine approaches with modern understanding of gut peptide biology and the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
The bigger picture
The gut-brain axis is increasingly recognized as central to metabolic health, and GLP-1 is its most clinically important peptide mediator. This review places acupuncture within this framework, suggesting it works through established metabolic pathways rather than mysterious mechanisms. Whether acupuncture's effects on GLP-1 and gut peptides are clinically significant compared to pharmacological GLP-1 agonists remains to be determined, but the conceptual link to established peptide biology is notable.
Questions still open
- Does acupuncture produce measurable increases in circulating GLP-1 levels comparable to pharmacological or dietary interventions?
- Could combining acupuncture with GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy enhance metabolic outcomes beyond either approach alone?
- What specific acupuncture protocols and acupoints most reliably affect gut peptide signaling?
Common questions
Could acupuncture really affect the same hormones as Ozempic?
What is the microbiota-gut-brain axis?
Read the original research
Acupuncture and nutritional parallels in obesity: a narrative review of multi-pathway modulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
Frontiers in nutrition, 12, 1610814
Citation
Ma, Kun; Wang, Feifei; Zhang, Xinying; Guo, Liangqing; Huang, Yanqin. (2025). Acupuncture and nutritional parallels in obesity: a narrative review of multi-pathway modulation of the microbiota-gut-brain axis.. Frontiers in nutrition, 12, 1610814. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1610814