If Inflammation Causes Obesity, Can Cannabis Help Break the Cycle?

Cannabis has grown significantly in the medical world as new uses of the natural herb are researched and validated. This has encouraged the opening of new legal medical marijuana markets in various regions. It has also helped increase the acceptance of cannabis among the population, as many who were initially opposed to the idea of ​​cannabis are now embracing it.

Based on anecdotal reports and extensive studies, cannabis has been shown to be useful in treating some chronic conditions like depression, insomnia, inflammation, obesity, and so on.

A closer look at inflammation and obesity

Many chronically related conditions are linked to inflammation in one way or another. Obesity is no exception to this trend. The condition also comes with various comorbidities. Therefore, when physicians prescribe medication for obesity, the goal of therapy is to treat associated comorbidities. These comorbidities include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar.

Photo by NeONBRAND via Unsplash

Inflammation is implicated in the comorbidities associated with obesity, meaning it plays a large role in the development of the condition. Inflammation is a major cause of high blood pressure and equally promotes the risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Another look at obesity also shows that cytokines, substances released by immune cells, play a role in the development of obesity. They cause insulin resistance and other health problems that serve as precursors to type 2 diabetes. It is known that type 2 diabetes often leads to obesity.

Obesity does not come on suddenly as it is a product of consistent lifestyle choices. These habits include a consistent diet high in sugar and processed foods, which help raise blood sugar levels. When glucose levels in the body system are elevated, the body responds by increasing the amount of insulin produced to remove glucose from the bloodstream.

Photo by Rostislav_Sedlacek/Getty Images

The unhealthy cycle of obesity

Producing an increased amount of insulin is the body’s response mechanism to prevent high sugar levels that result from regular consumption of processed foods. Eventually, the body becomes desensitized to insulin, which in turn reduces the body’s ability to respond to the effects of insulin. Invariably, blood sugar levels in the body rise, leading to inflammation and ultimately producing more insulin resistance. This unhealthy cycle continues and the end product is high blood sugar, which in turn causes obesity.

RELATED: THCV: The merger of two 21st-century billion-dollar industries

This unhealthy cycle also affected the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS works through the unique relationship between endocannabinoids, which directly or indirectly affect cannabinoid receptors in the body. Operation of the ECS can encourage overeating of processed foods and nutrient-poor foods, which increases endocannabinoid counts. With increased appetite and more overeating, the unhealthy cycle of high blood sugar and insulin resistance continues.

Cannabis, Inflammation and Obesity

Studies have shown that there is a unique relationship between cannabinoids, inflammation and obesity. These unique effects of cannabinoids on the body system have been widely used for medicinal marijuana. CBD is one of the important cannabinoids in the matrix of cannabis plants and has an anti-inflammatory effect. The cannabinoid has a US government patent for its anti-inflammatory effects, showing just how much research has been done on the cannabinoid. CBD also works effectively to lower cholesterol and therefore lower blood sugar. This shows that CBD is useful in reducing the incidence of obesity and its comorbidities.

RELATED: Is Cannabis Legalization Linked to Declining Obesity Rates?

The implication of ECS in the development of obesity could also prove useful for CBD’s effectiveness in managing obesity. CBD interacts directly or indirectly with the ECS to enable different responses throughout the body. This effect is used by CBD to promote the reduction of inflammation throughout the body. CBD is also important for reducing the disorderly consumption of processed foods. Therefore, by reducing the unhealthy consumption of processed foods, CBD reduces the development of inflammation and ultimately obesity.

Photo by Shidlovski/Getty Images

How can cannabis break the cycle?

The usual steps outside of using cannabis used to treat obesity mostly have to do with lifestyle changes. A crucial important step is a change in eating habits to stop the unhealthy cycle and ensure insulin is effectively removing glucose from the bloodstream. It’s also important to develop and stick to a strong anti-inflammatory eating plan to deal with the unhealthy cycle of obesity.

Cannabis can be very beneficial for reducing obesity and its comorbidities through the effects of CBD. For this reason, it is important to include cannabis strains high in CBD in the diet of such patients. For patients who may have trouble smoking cannabis, there are other forms of consumption that ensure the target cannabinoid is available for the desired effect. CBD already exists in various product forms such as oils, tinctures, topical creams, and transdermal patches.

RELATED: How CBD Can Potentially Fight Obesity

It is also important to ensure that one consults a nutritionist with appropriate knowledge about the role of the ECS in promoting obesity. Such a professional is well equipped to advise the patient on which strains of cannabis to use to stop binge eating and correct ECS dysfunction. Such professionals are present in some cannabis dispensaries, where they provide important medical and nutritional advice to patients.

bottom line

The relationship between inflammation and obesity stems from a cycle of events that include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. This unhealthy cycle is also compounded by cytokines secreted by immune cells, which promotes insulin resistance. Managing inflammation is critical to controlling obesity, and this is where cannabis can help break the cycle. CBD is very effective at reducing inflammation in the body, which in turn makes it useful for dealing with obesity.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and has been republished with permission.