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This 2,000-Year-Old Herb Could Be the Key to Weight Loss
Scitech Daily ^ | June 02, 2025 | University of Science and Technology of China

Posted on 06/02/2025 11:19:58 AM PDT by Red Badger

Halofuginone shows promise for weight loss by boosting key metabolic regulators.

Overweight and obesity have quickly become major global health challenges, increasing the risk for a wide range of serious diseases. As people around the world strive for healthier lifestyles, the demand for effective weight loss solutions is growing stronger than ever. Halofuginone (HF), a natural compound extracted from the roots and leaves of the Changshan plant, could emerge as a powerful new option for tackling obesity.

For more than 2,000 years, Changshan, the root of Dichroa febrifuga Lour, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever caused by malaria. While its healing properties have been known for centuries, scientists have only recently started to explore whether HF might also help address modern health concerns like obesity and its related complications.

In an important breakthrough, a research team led by Professor Jianping Weng from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), working closely with Academician John R. Speakman from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, found that HF can do much more than previously thought.

Their study, published in Science Advances, revealed that HF boosts levels of two critical proteins: growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). These proteins play key roles in controlling appetite and regulating metabolism, leading to reduced body weight and better overall metabolic health.

In a preclinical mouse experiment, researchers accidentally discovered that HF could safely reduce weight, and further studied its weight reduction effect in a diet-induced obese (DIO) animal model.

Mechanisms Behind Weight Reduction

The study found that GDF15, the so called “anorexigenic factor”, which reduced food intake and achieved weight loss by acting on the GDNF family receptor α-like (GFRAL) receptor in the brain.

Anti Malarial Medicines Mice Weight Loss Graphic - Representative gross images of mice. Credit: USTC

FGF21, as a core metabolic hormone secreted by the liver, can promote energy consumption, enhance insulin sensitivity, and regulate metabolism in the liver and adipose tissue.

The secret of how HF achieved significant weight management effects lay in its increasing of endogenous GDF15 and FGF21, thereby reducing appetite and increasing energy expenditure in a dual approach. Compared to GDF15 and FGF21 recombinant protein drugs, upregulating GDF15 and FGF21 levels through small molecule drugs are more economical and of patient compliance.

Consistent Metabolic Benefits

In a DIO mouse model, researchers observed a significant decrease in body weight and enhanced energy metabolism (FGF21 promotes fat burning), as well as improved insulin sensitivity.

These metabolic benefits of HF were maintained regardless of the sex of the mouse, the method of administration, the type of animal model (DIO mice, ob/ob mice, DIO minipigs) and the feeding temperature.

The researchers further pointed out that HF up-regulated the expression and secretion of GDF15 and FGF21 through integrating stress response. Knocking down GDF15 and FGF21, respectively, can partially offset the weight loss mediated by HF. HF, as an EPRS1 inhibitor, can exert the effect of reducing weight.

However, MAZ-negative compounds, which are unable to inhibit EPRS1, could not reduce weight and did not have the ability to upregulate GDF15 and FGF21, implying that EPRS1 may be the direct molecular target of HF for weight loss.

The study suggests that HF and its chemical derivatives hold promise as potential new drugs for treating the obesity. From antimalarial to anti-obesity, the cross-disciplinary preclinical use of HF, once again, underlines the significance of the traditional Chinese medicine in modern drug research and development.

Reference:

“The clinical antiprotozoal drug halofuginone promotes weight loss by elevating GDF15 and FGF21”

by Suowen Xu, Zhenghong Liu, Tian Tian, Wenqi Zhao, Zhihua Wang, Monan Liu, Mengyun Xu, Fanshun Zhang, Zhidan Zhang, Meijie Chen, Yanjun Yin, Meiming Su, Wenxiang Fang, Wenhao Pan, Shiyong Liu, Min-dian Li, Peter J. Little, Danielle Kamato, Songyang Zhang, Dongdong Wang, Stefan Offermanns, John R. Speakman and Jianping Weng, 26 March 2025, Science Advances.

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adt3142


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: ccp; changshan; changshanplant; china; dichroafebrifugalour; halofuginone; health; hf; loss; obesity; root; tcm; weight

1 posted on 06/02/2025 11:19:58 AM PDT by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=Halofuginone&_sacat=0&_from=R40&_sop=15
2 posted on 06/02/2025 11:22:34 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: Red Badger

Is there any herb not at least 2000 years old?


3 posted on 06/02/2025 11:24:55 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

Just the ones in my wife’s kitchen..............


4 posted on 06/02/2025 11:26:51 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger
Don't you just love those "Could Be" claims?

It really means, a near certainty it "could not be."

5 posted on 06/02/2025 11:36:57 AM PDT by higgmeister (In the Shadow of The Big Chicken! )
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To: higgmeister

They are essentially protecting themselves from lawsuits, like when they use ‘alleged’ in a story about a crime.............................


6 posted on 06/02/2025 11:42:59 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

But you’d never let on that you’ve noticed!


7 posted on 06/02/2025 11:45:34 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

Dinner was delicious, Sweetheart!.............................(Here, Fido).......


8 posted on 06/02/2025 11:47:49 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

The Chinese and Indians have come up with a lot of discoveries on natural compounds, especially in the last ten years or so.

I bet halofuginone’s a lot less expensive than GLP-1 meds.


9 posted on 06/02/2025 11:52:19 AM PDT by packagingguy
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To: Red Badger

Buy one now! Get one free!!

You know this is coming. Just watch late night TV.


10 posted on 06/02/2025 11:57:23 AM PDT by Seruzawa ("The Political left is the Garden of Eden of incompetence" - Marx the Smarter (Groucho))
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To: Red Badger

Hasn’t the obesity problem already been pretty much solved with the GLP-1 drugs?


11 posted on 06/02/2025 12:05:33 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Many people have bad side effects from the drugs that can be quite severe....................


12 posted on 06/02/2025 12:06:35 PM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: 9YearLurker
Is there any herb not at least 2000 years old?

Yes.

Herb London
Herb Alpert
Herb the Burger King Nerd
13 posted on 06/02/2025 12:08:48 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Red Badger

Geez, anything but fix the food.


14 posted on 06/02/2025 12:21:36 PM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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To: Dr. Sivana

Herb Tarlek.


15 posted on 06/02/2025 12:56:48 PM PDT by wally_bert (I cannot be sure for certain, but in my personal opinion I am certain that I am not sure..)
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To: wally_bert

Herb Woodley


16 posted on 06/02/2025 1:33:40 PM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
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To: Red Badger

😁


17 posted on 06/02/2025 3:11:48 PM PDT by Cobra64 (ECommon sense isn’t common anymore.)
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To: Seruzawa

After the tonenail fungus ads.


18 posted on 06/02/2025 3:13:03 PM PDT by Cobra64 (ECommon sense isn’t common anymore.)
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