Why Cannabis Users Are Thin – Cannabis | weed | marijuana

Why are cannabis users thin? Of course, not every connoisseur is slim. Cannabis stimulates the appetite, so we tend to consume more calories than the average person.

But in general, cannabis connoisseurs tend to be thinner than, say, beer-bellied recreational drinkers.

Researchers at the University of California at Irvine believe they have found the reason for this. However, they warn that this “pseudo-health benefit” comes at a price.

Is that true? Or does the refrigerated container madness creep into a scientific research project?

What’s the problem with persistently thin cannabis users?

Study details

The study, Why Cannabis Users Are Thin, is titled, “Adolescent exposure to low-dose THC disrupts energy balance and adipose organ homeostasis in adulthood.”

Researchers administered low doses of THC to juvenile mice and compared them to the control group. They found that the THC mice were leaner, but described this condition as “pseudo-skinny.”

They claim that the mice treated with THC suffer from “molecular and functional fat abnormalities.”

Adipose tissue is adipose tissue. It is responsible for storing energy in the form of fat. It plays an important role in regulating metabolism and hormone production.

“Molecular abnormalities” mean deviations from normal genetic processes in adipose tissue. “Functional abnormalities” refer to physiological changes, including the way adipose tissue stores and releases energy, or changes in hormone secretion.

That does not sound good. Adipose tissue dysfunction is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. But that’s not what the researchers found when they administered low doses of THC to growing mice.

According to the study

We found that daily low-dose administration of the intoxicating component Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) of cannabis to adolescent male mice resulted in an adult metabolic phenotype characterized by decreased fat mass, increased muscle mass, and the use of fat for fuel is.

Where’s the bad news?

Why cannabis users are thin

Let’s break down why cannabis users are thin in more detail. What exactly did the researchers find in THC-treated mice? Is this “pseudo-slim” state just refrigerated container madness masquerading as science?

The researchers found that mice treated with THC had less body fat and more muscle mass, changing the way their bodies burned fat for energy. But they also found that the mice showed partial resistance to obesity, or abnormal blood lipid levels.

This suggests that “exposure” to THC in adolescence does in fact have a protective effect against these conditions.

The mice treated with THC also produced more heat (enhanced thermogenesis), which is likely related to their increased muscle mass. Additionally, researchers found that mice treated with THC exhibited increased production of proteins typically associated with muscle tissue.

Mice treated with THC had impaired lipolysis, which is the breakdown of fat stored in adipose tissue. This was significant with exposure to cold and stimulation of β-adrenergic receptors.

This suggests that the body does not release fatty acids in response to the cold. This could also explain why stoners have below average body temperatures.

Overall, to answer why cannabis users are thin would take more than one study in mice. The terms “overexpression” and “dysfunction” used in the study also imply bias.

Why not use the term “increased production” instead of “overexpression”? And how can they use the word “dysfunction” when the study failed to establish a causal relationship between the observed metabolic phenotype and the changes in adipose tissue?

The term “pseudo-lean” is a value statement. When researchers tested a weight-loss drug, they likely concluded that it worked, albeit with side effects.

So why the refrigerated container madness?

THC as a weight loss drug

If you are obese, smoking cannabis will not make you thin. If anything, cravings may be contributing to your condition.

These researchers found that low THC exposure reduced fat mass and increased muscle mass in growing mice. These are considered “functional abnormalities in adipose tissue”.

And so this “pseudo-lean” state may not be healthy or optimal. The cause may be a functional disorder of the adipose tissue. But what applies to mice does not always apply to humans.

The researchers use the term “pseudostate” because they don’t know the long-term effects on metabolic health.

Luckily, humans have been using cannabis for thousands of years. And this study used low doses of THC, so critics can’t come back with the argument, “Today’s potent weed is different from previous generations!”

If long-term metabolic health problems had developed in lean cannabis users, we probably would have noticed by now.

We didn’t need a study to confirm that long-term alcohol users eventually develop fatty liver disease. The ancient Greeks believed that the condition was due to excessive phlegm and an imbalance in “humor”. It wasn’t until 1836 that researchers found out what was happening.

This brings to light an important trend in this study on why cannabis users are thin.

Why cannabis users are thin

Aside from the fact that what’s true for mice doesn’t necessarily apply to humans (and this study didn’t prove a causal relationship), the results are still intriguing.

For example, THC-treated mice had lower levels of insulin, leptin, triglycerides, cholesterol, and serum glucose in fasting plasma than the control group.

Lower fasting plasma insulin levels indicate that the THC mice exhibited improved insulin sensitivity. This means they need less insulin to maintain normal blood sugar levels.

Leptin (a hormone secreted by fat cells) plays a role in regulating appetite and energy levels. The study suggests that low doses of THC in teenage years alter leptin. Likewise, lower triglyceride levels indicate reduced fat accumulation or altered lipid metabolism.

Researchers link high cholesterol to cardiovascular risk. The mice treated with THC had lower cholesterol levels, which had a positive effect on lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health.

The concentration of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream indicates a lower blood sugar level. However, the researchers found no difference in the way the body processes glucose between the THC mice and the control group.

Does this study answer why cannabis users are thin?

So does this study answer why cannabis users are thin? Not quite. It sheds some light on the processes, but only by examining mice.

The scientific conclusions and media headlines might have been different if it had been a trial of weight loss drugs. However, being cannabis, all benefits are considered “pseudo,” which is why the researchers warn of long-term unknowns.

Indeed, before smoking weed for weight loss, an overweight teenager should change their diet and start exercising.

However, the “pseudo” status attributed to cannabis’ tendency towards lean users is unjustified. At least for this study.