CBD oil – losing weight made easy
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Time to read 8 min
For many who dream of a perfect figure and want to lose excess pounds, losing weight is often a long and challenging process. CBD, a natural active ingredient from the hemp plant, is increasingly valued as a supportive measure.
While CBD is not a "miracle cure," more and more studies show that it can have positive effects on the body, which facilitate the path to your desired weight. In this article, you will learn how CBD can support the weight loss process and be a valuable addition to traditional measures.
CBD Oil as a Means for Weight Loss
If you have read anything about CBD, especially about its effects on the human body, you are probably familiar with many of its positive benefits. The valuable natural ingredient found in the hemp plant can be used as a medical treatment to support the healing of various diseases. For example, CBD can be used as a tool in the fight against various widespread diseases such as cancer1, Alzheimer's2 or Parkinson's3.
But did you know that CBD oil can be used for weight loss? Cannabis consumers are often associated with lack of motivation, frequent eating, and long hours on the couch. However, it turns out that this is not the case with CBD consumption, because it doesn't get you high and can also help you lose weight.4
Typical Causes of Overweight
Overweight often has various causes that are interconnected and can reinforce each other. Here are some of the most common factors that can contribute to weight gain:
Insulin resistance – Reduced effectiveness of insulin in the body, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and promoting fat storage.
Impaired glucose processing – The body's difficulty in effectively processing sugar, which often leads to weight gain.
Stress and emotional burden – Increased stress levels can lead to emotional eating and increased cortisol release, which favors fat storage.
Unhealthy eating habits – Consumption of calorie-rich, nutrient-poor foods often leads to a positive energy balance and weight gain.
Lack of exercise – A sedentary lifestyle reduces energy expenditure and promotes fat storage.
Sleep deprivation – Too little sleep can cause hormonal changes that promote cravings and weight gain.
Genetic factors – Predisposition can influence how easily or difficult someone loses or gains weight.
Benefits of CBD for Weight Loss
CBD offers a range of potential benefits that can support weight loss and bring the body into balance. Here are the most important positive effects of how CBD can help with weight loss:
Stress reduction – CBD can help reduce stress and dissatisfaction, which can curb emotional eating and thus problems with diets.
Promotion of metabolism – CBD could stimulate metabolism and promote fat breakdown and the processing of adipose tissue, which supports weight reduction.
Appetite regulation – CBD influences the endocannabinoid system, which regulates appetite and can thus control cravings in everyday life.
Promotion of insulin sensitivity – By improving insulin processing, CBD can play a role in the prevention and support of diabetes and metabolic problems.
Support of fat conversion – CBD could convert white fat cells into brown fat cells, which are burned more easily, thus contributing to the successful combination of diet and CBD.
Improvement of sleep quality – Good sleep supports overall well-being and weight reduction, as the body can recover and promote fat loss processes.
Anti-inflammatory effect – The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD can increase well-being, which contributes to long-term weight reduction and improved quality of life.
These benefits can be attributed to the way CBD works in the body, particularly its influence on the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS plays a central role in regulating various processes such as appetite, metabolism, and stress – all factors that play a significant role in weight loss.
The Endocannabinoid System
One of the areas where we can look for an explanation is the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and how it works. The ECS, mainly located in the immune system and central nervous system of the body, is a network of receptors and neurotransmitters that are important for the proper functioning of various body parts. Endocannabinoids, or the substances present in neurotransmitters, are produced naturally by the body. These are used as messengers to transmit information to cells via receptors.
CBD is an example of a cannabinoid that has the ability to behave similarly to the body's own endocannabinoids. In the case of overweight, the endocannabinoid system becomes overactive and is therefore out of balance. CBD consumption can help bring the endocannabinoid system back into balance, thanks to the active ingredient's ability to communicate with receptors.
CBD Oil Weight Loss
Non-affected individuals often assume it would be easy to "lose a few pounds." All you would have to do is consume fewer calories. However, in reality, it's not that simple:
- Reducing calorie intake usually comes with side effects, such as a constant feeling of hunger or a constant lack of energy.
- Body weight and weight loss are always closely linked to hormone levels, metabolic processes, and the endocannabinoid system.
With the arguments mentioned above, it is important to ensure that you maintain balance in your body when losing weight to minimize diseases and other health risks.
This is where CBD comes in. The cannabinoids found in CBD can help restore balance in the body and prevent dysfunctions.
CBD can help cells process glucose
Insulin resistance is one of the common reasons for overweight or obesity. When the metabolic processes in the body function normally, blood glucose levels increase with food intake, and the pancreas begins to produce insulin to transport glucose to body cells. Once it reaches the body cells, glucose is used to generate energy.
Damage only occurs when there is too much glucose in the body due to poor eating habits. The body cells are no longer able to process the large amount of glucose, and insulin resistance also develops. This can be stopped by changing your diet. A study shows that CBD consumption can also play a major role in this, as it can help cells absorb and process more glucose. Mitochondria, the energy factories of the cells, play a key role in the conversion of glucose into energy.
As mentioned above, mitochondria are also damaged in the development of insulin resistance. Mitochondrial dysfunction is also often associated with cancer, as mitochondria play an active role in maintaining the body's strength and health. Studies show that CBD has a strong positive effect on mitochondria and this strengthens the body's metabolism.5
CBD for weight loss in practice
Simply take a certain amount of CBD every day and the pounds will drop off? It's not that simple, of course. Because losing weight - whether with or without CBD - requires discipline. CBD can therefore be seen as a support in this case, but not as a panacea. Those who exercise regularly can further stimulate their metabolism thanks to CBD, especially if it has slowed down due to a long lack of exercise. If the diet is also balanced, CBD helps the cells to break down existing fat cells and inhibits the deposition of new cells.
However, cannabidiol can help the organism on many different levels. Since problems such as obesity often also entail concomitant symptoms such as depression or other psychological problems, CBD can also provide support here. It is already known that positive changes occur with the intake of CBD in the area of depression or even anxiety.6 In addition, it can also act on and stimulate the cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular problems are not uncommon in obesity, for example due to a lack of exercise.
Can CBD stimulate appetite?
Unlike the cannabinoid THC, CBD does not promote appetite. Studies have observed that subjects who consumed THC had a greater craving for food than those who took CBD.
CBD oil for weight loss - Conclusion
Of course, it doesn't have to be severe obesity to use CBD as a weight loss aid. Even people who want to lose weight due to personal preferences can add CBD to their diet plan. It has been proven that CBD products can even inhibit appetite4 and thus prevent cravings. The various effects naturally vary from person to person, but it is certainly worth a try.
Sources and Studies
1Ivanov, V. N., Wu, J., Wang, T., & Hei, T. K. (2019). Inhibition of ATM kinase upregulates levels of cell death induced by cannabidiol and γ-irradiation in human glioblastoma cells. Oncotarget, 10(8), 825–846. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.26582 The 2019 study shows that CBD can promote cell death and make glioblastoma cells more sensitive to radiation. Dariš, B., Tancer Verboten, M., Knez, Ž., & Ferk, P. (2019). Cannabinoids in cancer treatment: Therapeutic potential and legislation. Bosnian journal of basic medical sciences, 19(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2018.3532 A 2019 literature review shows that several studies found that CBD extracts can help reduce cancer cell viability and prevent cancer cell proliferation.
2Cheng D, Spiro AS, Jenner AM, Garner B, Karl T. Long-term cannabidiol treatment prevents the development of social recognition memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice. J Alzheimers Dis. 2014;42(4):1383-96. doi: 10.3233/JAD-140921. PMID: 25024347. This study is the first to demonstrate CBD's ability to prevent the development of a social recognition deficit in Alzheimer's. It provides the first evidence that CBD has potential as a preventive treatment for Alzheimer's with particular relevance to symptoms of social withdrawal and facial recognition.
3Kindred, J. H., Li, K., Ketelhut, N. B., Proessl, F., Fling, B. W., Honce, J. M., Shaffer, W. R., & Rudroff, T. (2017). Cannabis use in people with Parkinson's disease and Multiple Sclerosis: A web-based investigation. Complementary therapies in medicine, 33, 99–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2017.07.002 The study shows that cannabis can have a positive effect on mood, memory, fatigue, and obesity in people with Parkinson's and Multiple Sclerosis.
4Rossi, F., Punzo, F., Umano, G. R., Argenziano, M., & Miraglia Del Giudice, E. (2018). Role of Cannabinoids in Obesity. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(9), 2690. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19092690 CBD binds primarily to the CB2 receptor in our body. The study found that stimulating CB2 receptors reduces inflammation and food intake, thereby potentially contributing to the reduction of obesity.
5Shanshan Sun, Fangyuan Hu, Jihong Wu, Shenghai Zhang. (2017). Cannabidiol attenuates OGD/R-induced damage by enhancing mitochondrial bioenergetics and modulating glucose metabolism via pentose-phosphate pathway in hippocampal neurons, Redox Biology, Volume 11, 577-585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redox.2016.12.029.
6Lake, S., Kerr, T., Buxton, J., Walsh, Z., Marshall, B. D., Wood, E., & Milloy, M.-J. (2020). Does cannabis use modify the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on severe depression and suicidal ideation? Evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study of Canadians. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 34(2), 181–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881119882806 The Journal of Psychopharmacology published the results of a 2020 study showing that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) increases the risk of depression and suicidal ideation. Of approximately 24,000 respondents, 1.7% suffered from PTSD. 28.2% of them (106 people) consumed cannabis. It was found that cannabis use could mitigate the possible consequences of post-traumatic stress disorder, i.e., depression and suicide.
