Can CBD help you on your weight loss journey?
AN EDITED ARTICLE ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BY KL & LG
CBD and your weight loss journey – is there anything to it?
CBD oil is loved for its ability to help with anxiety, pain, and other issues, but what about CBD’s effect on weight loss? Is there any research that supports using CBD as a supplement for your weight loss journey?
Here’s what we found.
What Causes Unintentional Weight Gain?
Our body’s ability to store fat was an evolutionary design that helped us adapt to very harsh environments.
It allowed us to store fat depots for long-term excess of energy in times of scarcity. The immune system could use this stored energy to overcome diseases, infections, and help heal injuries [1].
In our modern lives, we have access to an abundance of food sources – local grocery stores, fast-food shops, and delivered almost wherever we are.
Our ability to store fat now ends up working against us if we’re not eating the right foods or exercising enough.
This leads to a higher risk of developing conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Additionally, there are other circumstances that can lead to unintentional weight gains, such as medication side effects, pregnancy, hormonal changes (menstruation and menopause), and hormonal dysfunction (hypothyroidism).
The Endocannabinoid System & Maintaining A Healthy Weight
We talk about the endocannabinoid system (ECS) very often, but, in this case, how does it relate to weight loss and health?
Healthy weight management is critical to one’s health and longevity, and the ECS is a cell-regulating system that helps to maintain the balance of some of our most important functions. While researchers are still trying to uncover the ECS’ full capabilities, some studies suggest that it may play a role in body weight control.
Endocannabinoids are lipid messengers in the ECS that are observed to interact with central and peripheral regulatory circuits that manage energy homeostasis and may influence our body weight gain and loss through interactions at the CB1 receptor [1].
OK…WHAT DOES THAT MEAN…Well, researchers found that bodyweight control is shaped early on in a mammal’s life through breast milk. It turns out breastmilk—including humans—contains anandamide (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) primary cell-signaling endocannabinoids that interact with the CB1 receptor.
One study found that when mouse pups were administered AEA while nursing, they increased in fat, insulin resistance, and higher body weight as adults. On the other hand, pups that were CB1 deficient had a reduced lifespan [1].
The researchers underscored that there are of course many other factors that contribute to fat gain and loss in the test subjects, but it does seem to show that the ECS does play a role in maintaining weight.
Evidence Of CBD For Weight Loss
With the stigma surrounding the cannabis plant slowly subsiding and as more research about potential health benefits continue to emerge, many people are turning to CBD products for various applications.
Does CBD help with weight loss?
So far, it doesn’t appear that CBD oils will directly burn calories and fat—but they may help with other vital systems in the body to create a more favorable metabolic modulation.
In short—CBD may help you lose weight indirectly through supporting healthy stress levels, managing pain, and improving sleep—all of which if unmanaged, can lead to unintentional weight gain.
So let’s dig a little deeper into this potential.
CBD May Support Healthy Stress Levels
It’s no secret that obesity and stress are linked.
According to one study, “Stress may increase the likelihood of becoming obese or overweight through its effects on eating behaviors, including increased intake of comfort foods” [2].
Several studies point to CBD oils‘ potential for helping to manage stress and anxiety. CBD interacts with the ECS to exhibit a broad pharmacological profile.
Some of the interactions observed that may directly affect stress, fear, anxiety-related behavior, and mood are interactions are the CB1 receptors, the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor, and the vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) receptor [3].
CBD May Support Sleep
One of the observed negative effects of long-term insomnia is weight gain. It makes sense when you think about it- deprive yourself of sleep for long enough, and your body will start storing more fat as a way to try to preserve energy.
Unlike prescription sleeping pills, CBD doesn’t shut down the central nervous system to knock you out. Clinical data has shown that CBD may help with sleep by calming out nervousness and anxious thoughts that may be keeping you up at night.
One short-term study conducted on 72 participants found that their mood and sleep quality improved from taking CBD oil after one month of a three-month trial [4].
CBD May Curb Appetite
One of the biggest hurdles in reducing body fat is appetite management.
Our bodies haven’t evolved much from our hunter and gatherer days — still designed to store fats. Our appetites remain high, which makes it easy to overindulge in our food intake.
Along with a healthy diet and exercise, controlling the appetite is an important part of reaching a lower body weight.
Some studies suggest that CBD can be used to support appetite control. Unlike THC—which is notorious for the “munchies” CBD seems to have the opposite effect and may reduce appetite. So, if you’re looking to integrate CBD into your diet, be sure it is broad-spectrum CBD with 0% THC in it.
The hypothalamus is a small, but important part of the brain. It controls things like hunger, thirst, and body temperature. It’s also responsible for managing stress levels and controlling moods. CBD may improve the sensitivity of the hypothalamus to reading these factors in our bodies [8].
CBD May help to manage Pain & Discomfort
There’s evidence to strongly support a correlation between chronic pain conditions and obesity.
Studies observed that people in pain are much more likely to be obese than those who don’t suffer from chronic pain.
So what’s behind this correlation?
Some suggest that people in pain tend to overeat or eat unhealthy foods to cope with their discomfort. Another theory is that obesity can actually cause pain due to the extra strain it puts on your body, which also triggers an eating-to-cope response; which can become a vicious cycle.
CBD has been shown to have properties in regulating inflammatory cytokines that are believed to be involved in many chronic pain conditions. While there aren’t any FDA-approved nonprescription CBD products designed for pain relief, there’s a substantial number of anecdotal reports of CBD’s benefits in this regard.
Since CBD may help to minimize the discomfort from chronic pain, by way of addressing the inflammation, it may help people to manage better which could lead to eating better.
CBD May Support healthier Mitochondrial Function
The mitochondria are often called the powerhouse of the cell. It’s responsible for converting food into energy that the cells can use.
Poor mitochondrial function has been linked to weight gain and insulin resistance. This is essentially when the body struggles to convert the nutrients we consume into the energy we need, which makes it harder to lose weight.
The ECS plays a role in systemic energy homeostasis to coordinate glucose and burn fat for energy. When the mitochondria become lazy, the ECS has been observed to step up to support the mitochondria to boost metabolism [5].
Studies show a lot of promise for CBD and metabolic disorders through supporting mitochondrial channels [6].
Another possible area of CBD’s effect on metabolic function and fat burn is a process called “fat browning.” It might be helpful to think of the fat in the body is made up of different types of fat tissue—white and brown fat cells. Brown fat or brown adipose tissue (BAT) is considered “good fat.” It’s what babies are born with, and what helps us to regulate body temperature in cooler conditions.
White adipose tissue (WAT) on the other hand, is the accumulation of fat droplets around the body—too many white fat cells from insulin resistance and an unhealthy lifestyle can cause obesity. The process of fat browning converts WAT into BAT—the healthier type of fat.
Improved mitochondrial function through supporting the ECS may help to convert white fat into brown fat tissue, which has been shown to improve glucose intolerance and blood lipid abnormalities in studies [7].
How Are People Using CBD Oil For Weight Loss?
There are reports of people using CBD products to support their wellness goals, including weight loss—but, like with anything you have to work at, weight loss doesn’t happen overnight.
People who see the most success in weight loss implement drastic lifestyle changes such as a nutrient-rich diet, stress management, exercise plans, and sometimes mental health therapy.
If you’re set on using CBD to lose weight, choose hemp-derived CBD products, like our at Bobby Rapscallion, over marijuana-based CBD products. CBD products made from hemp cannot have more than 0.3% THC—any more than this, you risk getting the munchies, which is more likely to make you hungry and overeat.
Many people are using CBD oils to support a better night’s sleep or to help with discomfort from challenging workouts. To get the most benefits from your CBD, choose an extract that’s full-spectrum or a THC-free broad-spectrum.
These types of products contain a range of hemp’s naturally occurring phytochemicals which help to balance the effects of CBD and make them much more potent than CBD isolate products.
To sum it all up
CBD isn’t exactly a fat-burning supplement or shows any drastic changes in controlling weight in the research we’ve encountered, but we do know that the endocannabinoid system does play a role in supporting healthy metabolic function and many other vital systems in maintaining homeostasis.
And CBD is a plant-derived compound that interacts with the ECS to help it communicate more effectively within these systems.
The key to successful weight loss is to consider long-term lifestyle changes. You shouldn’t expect to melt fat off your body with any weight loss supplements or exercise regimens.
CBD oil can be a great addition to your wellness routine, but it’s not a cure-all. Adding as little as 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily and reducing the number of processed foods each day can go a long way in helping you find a healthier weight.
Bobby Rapscallion’s CBD Products
At Bobby Rapscallion, honesty and integrity are values put into everything. Our hemp is farmed on American soil using organic practices. Our extracts are meticulously tested by our team and a third-party lab to ensure the highest quality standards. Since we stand firmly behind the profound effects of the entourage effect, you won’t find CBD isolate products in our catalog—but we understand that full-spectrum products aren’t ideal for everyone, which is why most of our products are also available in a THC-free broad-spectrum option.
Our high-potency oils start at a Potency Level 1 for those that are wanting to ease into CBD but need a higher dose. Keeping to this focus, we’ll be releasing Potency Levels 2 & 3 in the future. This is to make sure that all of our customers have the option to get high-quality CBD at a potency level that works best for them.
Our CBD Oil
CBD oils are a product staple for a CBD brand. We’ve carefully crafted our CBD oils to keep our high-quality hemp crops the star of the show. CBD oil also provides a wide range of versatility as you can take them sublingual (under the tongue) for fast-acting effects, or mix our flavored options into your favorite foods and drinks for wellness with a unique twist. CBD oils are a favorite for beginners and experts alike for their versatility and because you can customize your doses drop by drop.
our CBD Gummies
For those who don’t enjoy the natural bitter terpene flavor in hemp oils, but still want the whole plant benefits, CBD gummies might be a better solution for you.
We create selectively-crafted gummies at a cGMP facility and make them fresh to order. These also come in assorted flavors to mask the hempy taste and potencies start at 45MG per gummy.
Always remember that the ingestion process is different between oils and edibles like gummies. So we provide products that allow you to decide what works best for you and how you want to experience CBD.
Resources:
- Horn, H., Böhme, B., Dietrich, L., & Koch, M. (2018). Endocannabinoids in body weight control. Pharmaceuticals, 11(2), 55.
- Van der Valk, E. S., Savas, M., & van Rossum, E. F. (2018). Stress and obesity: are there more susceptible individuals?. Current obesity reports, 7(2), 193-203.
- Blessing, E. M., Steenkamp, M. M., Manzanares, J., & Marmar, C. R. (2015). Cannabidiol as a potential treatment for anxiety disorders. Neurotherapeutics, 12(4), 825-836.
- Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019). Cannabidiol in anxiety and sleep: a large case series. The Permanente Journal, 23.
- Lipina, C., Irving, A. J., & Hundal, H. S. (2014). Mitochondria: a possible nexus for the regulation of energy homeostasis by the endocannabinoid system?. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 307(1), E1-E13.
- Ryan, D., Drysdale, A. J., Lafourcade, C., Pertwee, R. G., & Platt, B. (2009). Cannabidiol targets mitochondria to regulate intracellular Ca2+ levels. Journal of Neuroscience, 29(7), 2053-2063.
- Wenger, T., & Moldrich, G. (2002). The role of endocannabinoids in the hypothalamic regulation of visceral function. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids (PLEFA), 66(2-3), 301-307.
- Parray, H. A., & Yun, J. W. (2016). Cannabidiol promotes browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Molecular and cellular biochemistry, 416(1), 131-139.
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