Traditional Chinese medicine-based phytotherapeutics for junk food-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction

Obesity driven by high-sugar and high-fat dietary patterns has become a major global health challenge and is closely associated with metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders. Growing evidence indicates that junk food disrupts lipid metabolism, alters gut microbiota, and triggers chronic inflammation, leading to systemic metabolic dysfunction. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), rooted in holistic regulation of organ systems, blood circulation, and energy balance, offers multi-target plant-based strategies for modulating obesity. This review summarizes key mechanisms through which Chinese medicinal plants counteract obesity, including appetite suppression, regulation of lipid metabolism, activation of thermogenesis, modulation of gut microbiota, and anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory actions. Representative herbs such as Panax ginseng, Nelumbo nucifera, Cinnamomum cassia, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, and Pueraria lobata exhibit lipid-lowering, glucose-regulating, and inflammation-modulating activity in experimental and clinical studies. Overall, TCM herbal therapies provide a holistic and safe approach to correcting metabolic imbalance through multi-pathway regulation. However, standardized formulation, mechanistic validation, and large-scale clinical trials are urgently required to establish their efficacy and translational value. Future work integrating traditional knowledge with biomedical research will help position TCM-based phytotherapy as a scientifically grounded strategy for obesity prevention and management.