Can Cannabis Help you Lose Weight?
regular users sometimes have a lower BMI than non users.
Many say Cannabis can help with shedding pounds or maintaining a healthy weight. Some even swear it helps with diabetes. However, it's a little counterintuitive, given that Cannabis is typically associated with laziness and munchies, which triggers a craving for junk food.
Anyone who has used Cannabis can attest that it can make you hungry. Still, in contrast to common stereotypes, in some studies, regular cannabis users have been shown to have a lower overall BMI than non-cannabis users.
"The theory behind this stems from the fact that cannabinoids have medicinal potential due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, making cannabis a possible treatment for easing and reversing inflammation and comorbidities associated with obesity."
Inflammation is a natural process; it is a way for the immune system to fight off infections or injuries. However, chronic inflammation can contribute to diseases such as cancer, heart disease and obesity. In addition, experts acknowledge that obesity is connected to low-grade inflammation, which may contribute to the evolution of assorted metabolic conditions.
CBD, for example, has been shown to have a broad range of antioxidative and anti-inflammatory behaviours across many diverse cell receptors. That suggests that it acts on multiple systems in the body, including those associated with pain, memory, appetite and mood.
On a more practical level, one-way Cannabis may help maintain a lower weight is by replacing alcohol. Quitting drinking has been shown to help with many health benefits, including weight loss.
One of the most promising cannabinoids for regulating weight is THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin), an analogue of THC. THCV can get you stoned, but it is required in much higher quantities. THCV is more of a "medicinal" cannabinoid that may hold therapeutic potential for obesity, diabetes and addiction.
A human study showed that THCV lowered blood sugar and promoted improved markers of pancreatic function. Insulin originates from a part of the pancreas called the beta cells, which can eventually stop working, giving you Type 2 diabetes. In the THCV study, the beta cells worked less hard, which, in theory, could defer diabetes.
Subsequently, a human study showed greatly altered reward and aversion patterns in the brain in a form that suggests therapeutic efficacy in obesity without triggering the risk of depression typically encountered with other weight loss drugs."
THCV, however, is generally only present in low concentrations in cannabis plants. So, unfortunately, your standard joint won't have enough THCV to do much on its own. Despite all the evidence pointing in this direction, much more research is needed into what Cannabis does to the endocannabinoid system, including any potential side effects.
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Liz Filmer
