CBD Oil for Weight Loss

 

CBD oil is making a name for itself in a big way these days. Everywhere you look, you will find stories of how CBD can be beneficial to health and wellbeing. Whether it’s to combat stress, help with sleep, or relieve pain, you’ve undoubtedly come across someone who swears by CBD. And now, there’s talk that CBD oil may even help with weight loss.

According to preliminary research, CBD may reduce food intake and boost metabolism, which could ultimately promote weight loss. This is surprising for many to hear since most assume that all cannabis derivatives will actually stimulate hunger. However, CBD is very different to its psychoactive cousin, THC – the compound responsible for marijuana’s psychoactive effects.

CBD is non-psychoactive and has completely different effects on things like metabolism and appetite – both of which play a major role in the body’s inclination to either lose or gain weight.

What Role Does the Endocannabinoid System Play?

As always, the effects of CBD are linked to the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is what helps cannabinoids, like CBD and THC, interact with the body.

When it comes to the ECS and weight loss, our metabolism is a key player. The ECS is directly linked to energy storage and nutrients transportation and thereby helps regulate everything from sleep and mood to inflammation and temperature. Additionally, a study from 2008 reported that the ECS is responsible for stimulating areas of the body involved in metabolism, such as the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract.

From a scientific viewpoint, the ECS is composed of metabolic enzymes that interact with various parts of the body. There are two endogenous compounds through which it does this – anandamide and 2-AG (2-arachidonoylglycerol). Both of these target CB1 and CB2 receptors found throughout the body. Since cannabinoids like THC and CBD also interact with these receptors, it seems likely that CBD oil may be able to help with metabolism and/or weight loss in some way.

4 Ways CBD May Help With Weight Loss

Here are a few of the ways in which CBD oil may be effective in helping with weight loss.

CBD and Fat Browning

According to a 2016 study published in the journal Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, CBD is capable of converting white-colored fat tissue (responsible for storing energy) into beige-colored fat tissue (responsible for burning it). In other words, it turns the harmful white fat associated with diabetes and obesity into hard-working brown fat cells. This process is sometimes referred to as “browning and results in:

• Enhanced ability of the body to burn calories
• Enhanced breakdown and oxidation of fat
• Decrease in the expression of proteins involved in creating new fat cells

Appetite Suppression

Most people associate cannabis with an increase in appetite, as many people seem to suffer a case of the “munchies” after smoking marijuana. In fact, some doctors even prescribe medical marijuana to chemotherapy patients in an effort to boost their appetite. However, this has got to do with the amount of THC present in a strain.

While both THC and CBD come from the cannabis plant, they’re very different compounds with different effects. A 2017 study in the Netherlands gave people different strains of cannabis to try. They found that those who got the strain with the highest CBD content had their appetite increase the least, compared to the others who had the THC-only strain.

Moreover, a 2012 study done on rats reported that CBD was likely to reduce food intake. Ultimately, CBD is believed to be more of an appetite suppressant.

Insulin Regulation

The liver is responsible for removing toxins and converting excess sugar into insulin. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas and into the cells, where it’s then converted into energy.

After many years of eating high sugar foods, insulin levels gradually rise. The problem is that irregular insulin levels can overload the pancreas and liver, throwing the body for a loop. Additionally, whenever insulin levels are high in the bloodstream, the body is unable to burn fat. As a result, shedding weight can be quite a struggle.

According to a preclinical study done in 2006, CBD has the ability to lower instances of diabetes in non-diabetic mice. Based on this finding, it’s been deduced that CBD has the potential to stabilize insulin levels and, therefore, may be effective for weight loss.

However, aside from this, the relationship between insulin regulation and CBD is not well-studied.

CBD and Exercise

Lastly, CBD is also believed to help people stay focused and energized. As reported in a 2014 research review, CBD may promote wakefulness for some people, although researchers did note that further research on the subject was needed.

But based on this finding, it’s been suggested that CBD could give those on a weight loss journey the focus and energy needed to exercise, especially if they’ve been feeling reluctant to do so. In other words, CBD could indirectly help with weight loss through its ability to enhance a person’s willingness to get active.

CBD for Weight Loss: Risks and Considerations

Although preliminary results from studies on CBD and weight loss are promising, there are a few important things to consider.

Firstly, CBD oil is in no way a treatment for obesity. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution for weight loss and should not be used as a replacement for a healthy diet and regular exercise. A person who adds CBD oil to their weight loss plan without also following a healthy diet and exercising may not see any positive impact.

It’s best to work directly with a physician when using CBD oil for weight loss. Doctors will advise on dietary requirements, as well as other healthful activities to implement. They can also discuss whether CBD would make for a good addition to a person’s wellness regime.

Final Thoughts on Using CBD Oil for Weight Loss

It’s important that you don’t see supplementing CBD oil for weight loss as a way to avoid getting active and eating well. Research on CBD is still in its infancy, and studies done on CBD and weight loss are very limited.

That said, research thus far has been promising and definitely seems to suggest that CBD may make for a great addition to one’s overall health and wellness regime. The  CBD oils available in the Silverthorne Colorado dispensaries are some of the best ones in the market.