With CBD still being a fairly new industry, there are a lot of myths out there about how it affects our bodies.
Since much of the general public continues to ignorantly believe that CBD and marijuana are the same thing, a large number of people think that using a CBD product will deliver the same effects as smoking marijuana.
As we know, marijuana and CBD are two totally different products that interact with the body in completely different ways.
It’s widely known that the THC in marijuana can increase your appetite. That’s because of the unique properties of this chemical compound.
However, hemp is marijuana’s non-psychoactive cousin that doesn’t contain enough THC to really do anything at all. Therefore, people who use CBD will not experience the appetite-increasing effects of this psychoactive compound.
Now, new studies suggest that CBD may actually help a person lose weight thanks to its effects on the appetite as well as the fascinating way in which it interacts with the body’s fat-burning metabolism.
As more and more fad diets and fitness supplements appear on the market every day, it may be time to consider CBD as a legitimate contender in the weight loss game.
Can CBD Actually Aid in Weight Loss?
Only recently, it became legal to cultivate hemp for the extraction of CBD. Now that CBD is becoming a mainstream product, more and more medical researchers are taking a deep look into the ways in which it interacts with the human body.
This has allowed for a massive amount of studies in recent years that demonstrate the ways in which CBD has the potential to treat an enormous range of common ailments such as anxiety, arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome.
Recently, scientists found that CBD has another potential benefit as well, and that is weight loss.
Yes, cannabis may actually help your body lose weight.
Unlike most fad products on the market that are targeted toward people looking to trim down, CBD might actually boast certain properties that affect the ways in which the body stores fat cells.
CBD and Your Body
So, why is it that CBD is regarded as such a cure-all miracle product? In order to understand why this one compound has such a vast array of potentially positive effects on the mind and body, we have to consider the endocannabinoid system.
Back in the 90s, researchers found that the body has an endocannabinoid system that’s specially designed to create cannabinoids that regulate the body’s processes.
Essentially, this system is in charge of making sure that the body maintains homeostasis, a state in which all of the body’s processes are regulated and balanced.
The endocannabinoid system produces cannabinoids so that they may attach themselves to cannabinoid receptors that exist throughout the body. Once these cannabinoids interact with these receptors, fascinating chemical reactions occur that stimulate the regulation of bodily processes including pain tolerance, immune function, mood, sleep and energy.
These researchers also found that many people are naturally deficient in cannabinoids. The body is supposed to produce these on their own, but certain factors have interfered with that process.
So, it’s important for people who have a cannabinoid deficiency to get their hands on a natural source of cannabinoids. That’s where CBD comes in.
The reason why CBD may be able to help a person lose weight is because it helps regulate the way in which the body stores and uses fat. It also regulates appetite, another crucial process of the body that requires regulation in order to work properly.
What do the Studies Say?
Every mammal has white adipose tissue that stores fat cells for later use. The problem is that when we accumulate more fat than we can burn, this tissue also accumulates in the body, eventually causing obesity.
One study found that giving CBD to rats promoted the browning of these fat cells. This browning process stimulates the burning of fat cells so that they are no longer stored in the body.
After all, we all know that the key to losing weight is burning more fat than we consume.
Yet, another study found that giving CBD to rats stimulated weight loss. Fascinatingly, the researchers observed that the CBD administered interacted with the rats’ CB2 receptors to block weight gain from occurring by stimulating the metabolism in a way that burned through fat quickly.
A third and totally different study determined that cannabis use is linked to a smaller waistline. This has to do with the way in which cannabis interacts with glucose. Essentially, it encourages the metabolization of sugar so that the glucose doesn’t turn into fat cells that accumulates in the form of abdominal fat.
In terms of how CBD affects appetite, a new research indicated that certain strains of hemp are capable of making a person eat less by satisfying the neurotransmitters that are triggered when a person is hungry.
There are also some statistics that back up the theory that CBD use can help with weight loss. One study found that on average, Alaskan cannabis users had lower body mass indexes than those who didn’t use cannabis.
But, there’s another thing to consider here. CBD has largely been associated with a decrease in anxiety, stress and depression. We know that these types of mood disorders can lead a person to overeat in an effort to self-medicate. It’s possible that by simply taking CBD to treat anxiety or depression, a person can calm their nervous system down in a way that prevents them from feeling the urge to self-medicate through food.
How to Use CBD for Weight Loss
If you’re going to try to take CBD in an effort to aid in your weight loss routine, we first suggest that you inform your doctor.
While CBD is widely considered safe, your doctor will want to know about any products that you’re taking.
The best type of CBD product for weight loss is one that delivers long-lasting results so that the effects last for several hours.
Typically, these types of products are oral tinctures and edibles. Oral tinctures are absorbed through the tissue of the mouth when applied under the tongue. Edibles are ingested, and their effects are felt after the product has traveled through the digestive system and into the liver.
When it comes to figuring out the right dosage level, be aware of the fact that everyone’s body is different, and everyone’s endocannabinoid system is different as well.
Therefore, what is the perfect dosage for your friend might not be the right one for you. Experiment a little bit, knowing that CBD is non-toxic and is considered safe to take in fairly large doses.
Also, make sure that you purchase a high-quality CBD product if you want to test the compound’s potential effects on weight. There are a lot of low-quality CBD products out there that are lacking in potency. If you want to really see if CBD can help you lose weight, you have to be willing to spend a little bit in order to get a product that’s pure, potent and high in quality.
Lastly, give it time, CBD is not a quick fix. If you’ve got a cannabinoid deficiency, treat it like any dietary supplement, allowing a couple weeks for the compound to build up in the body before producing potential results.
While some people experience its effects within days, others might not really reap the possible benefits of CBD until a month or so after starting use. Don’t give up just because you’re not losing weight right away.
CBD May Help You Lose Weight After All
While no one can say for certain at the moment, lots of research indicates a strong link between CBD and weight loss. With its fascinating variety of possible benefits, it’s really no surprise that weight loss is yet another potential effect of the hemp plant.
