Reviewed by최연승대표원장
Are there any side effects to taking herbal medicine while dieting? I'm particularly wondering if it's risky to combine it with strict diet control or intermittent fasting.
It is safe as long as the medicine is prescribed according to your specific body constitution. However, if you use potent medicines while fasting excessively, you may experience extreme fatigue or insomnia. Since digestive capacity and baseline physical strength vary by individual, it is crucial to prioritize your body's internal balance over following generic weight loss trends.
Many patients visit us experiencing severe lethargy after attempting 'time-restricted eating' or intermittent fasting. If the metabolism-boosting effects of herbal medicine act too strongly while your caloric intake is strictly limited, your body may struggle to cope, leading to dizziness or heart palpitations. This is generally not a flaw in the medicine itself, but rather a mismatch between your body's 'total energy reserve' and the 'potency of the medication.'
In Traditional Korean Medicine, this state is often viewed as Spleen Deficiency (脾虛, Bi-heo). When the digestive and absorptive functions of the Spleen are weakened, overly restrictive dieting causes a rapid drop in vital energy. In such cases, rather than focusing solely on weight loss, we incorporate tonic herbs to reinforce your fundamental strength first.
Furthermore, if there is a significant accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮, Dam-eum) or Blood Stasis (瘀血, Eo-hyeol) in the body, your system may react more sensitively to sudden dietary changes. Therefore, instead of unconditional restriction, I carefully examine your sleep patterns, digestive health, and history with conventional weight loss drugs.
The key is finding the 'right pace' for your body. Rather than pushing yourself too hard out of urgency, I recommend a gradual and healthy adjustment coordinated closely with your practitioner.