Forget about vacation diets, cannabis can help you lose weight

The cannabis ingredient CBD or cannabidiol has found its way into mainstream consumer goods in various forms. The most popular of these products include drinks, gums, and even lotions. As a result, CBD enjoys a somewhat jealous position of a neo-panacea. In fact, medical research suggests that CBD can help with everything from getting a good night’s sleep to eliminating pain to reducing stress and anxiety. The newest potential benefit of CBD on the radar of experts and researchers is the impact of CBD on weight loss. Let’s take a closer look at this particular potential effect of using CBD in this article.

CBD

First of all, we should orientate ourselves on the basis of CBD. It’s also different from other cannabis components. CBD is one of the most active ingredients in cannabis. Obtained from wheat hemp, it is also a component of medicinal cannabis. CBD differs from the other main component of cannabis, THC, in that it lacks the psychoactive “high”. According to the WHO or the World Health Organization, “CBD does not show any effects in humans that indicate a potential for abuse or dependence”.

Researching the Potential Link Between CBD and Weight Loss

Before we can examine how CBD affects weight, we first need to distinguish between the two types of fat that are common in humans, i.e. brown and white fat. Medical professionals point out that the main function of brown fat cells is to burn calories and thereby generate heat. On the other hand, white fat cells store energy and supply exactly what is needed. As a result, healthy people tend to have far larger brown fat cells than obese or overweight people. With physical activity, white fat produces brown fat cells. It signals that the body is burning calories and losing weight naturally.

According to medical experts, CBD facilitates such a conversion process. In addition, CBD interacts with the body’s own endocannabinoid system receptors CB 1 and 2. These two receptors play an important role in the feeling of hunger and the body’s metabolism. CBD stimulates the metabolism and reduces food cravings, both of which lead to the loss of excess weight.

CBD and mood

Another dimension to consider when studying the effects of CBD on the body is the impetus to exercise. CBD is known for its effect on a person’s mood, motivating you for the various demands of life, including weight loss exercises.

Photo of Leon Ardho, Courtesy of Pexels

However, the link between CBD and weight loss is not supported by extensive human studies. However, there is actually several pieces of evidence to suggest that CBD can indirectly affect weight loss in a number of ways.

Experts and researchers also point out how well known the relationship is between CBD consumption and the quality and frequency of sleep. Such effects, in turn, influence the hormonal functions that control the feeling of hunger. Leptin and ghrelin are some of the prominent names that come to mind on the subject. Ghrelin production increases due to insomnia, while leptin production decreases. Interestingly, ghrelin has the opposite effect of making you feel hungry, while leptin makes you feel full. So sleep is directly linked to the fact that a person eats more (or less) depending on how hungry they are.

Final thoughts

The final piece of information that can possibly shed light on how CBD affects weight loss is the relationship between the link and stress levels and body inflammation. Both have a significant influence on body weight. Inflammation is a natural result of heavy exercise. CBD helps keep it under control, which makes recovery easier and makes people exercise more. It ultimately leads to higher fat burning and better maintenance of lean muscles. In addition to this, CBD also helps relieve people of stress. This leads to a lower consumption of unnecessary snacks and drinks.

To a better, healthier vacation and new year resolutions with CBD!