Ancient roasted lotus leaf remedy fights obesity in mice
Wei K, Yu J, Zhou H, Pan B, Su J
Medicinal Plants
The lotus growing in your local pond isn't just a pretty water plant, its leaves contain compounds that traditional healers have processed and used against weight gain since the 1300s, and researchers just showed how it actually works in the body.
Lotus leaves have been dried, burned, and used as medicine in China for hundreds of years to help with weight problems. Scientists gave this processed lotus leaf powder to obese mice and found it shrank their fat cells, cleaned up their blood sugar and cholesterol, and helped their gut bacteria and intestinal lining work better. Two natural compounds in the leaf, nuciferine and quercetin, turned out to be the active ingredients doing most of the work.
Key Findings
Hyh (calcined lotus leaf) treatment for 8 weeks significantly reduced body weight, Lee's index, abdominal circumference, and body fat in diet-induced obese mice
Nuciferine and quercetin activate the LEP/AMPK/ACC pathway to promote fat burning, confirmed via LEPR gene knockdown and Compound C inhibitor experiments
Treatment restored intestinal barrier proteins (occludin, claudin1, ZO-1), increased gut microbial diversity, boosted short-chain fatty acids, and enriched Rikenella bacteria linked to lower obesity markers
chevron_right Technical Summary
A charred form of lotus leaf, used in traditional medicine for centuries, reduced weight gain and fat accumulation in obese mice by boosting fat-burning pathways and repairing gut health, offering scientific support for an old remedy.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Heyehui attenuates diet-induced obesity via regulating LEP/AMPK/ACC axis and restoring intestinal function in mice.
Obesity, a global epidemic characterized by excessive adipose accumulation and disrupted metabolic homeostasis, is closely linked to type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Lotus lea...
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