CBD Oil for Weight Loss: Your Beginners Guide

Introduction

Weight loss is at the forefront of healthy living all over the world today. As a result, different solutions are emerging to combat being overweight.

Recently at a conference, CannabisRadar mentioned that CBD is one of the most popular remedies.

CBD has been used to reduce anxiety, fight acne, etc. But, does it also work for weight loss?

Continue reading to know about the relation between CBD and weight loss.

What’s CBD?

CBD, otherwise known as Cannabinoids, is one of the 100 compounds found in cannabis. It comprises 40% of the plant’s extract after tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which has the highest content in the composition.

THC is usually sought after by Cannabis recreational users for its ability to give high. CBD, on the other hand, doesn’t provide intoxication. Instead, it’s on-demand for its ability to reduce anxiety, pain, inflammation, and more.

CBD comes in different forms. It can come as an oil extract, spray, pills, and creams. Creams are easy to apply, but you can opt for the tablet or oil extract option in case you need to ingest it.

CBD, Metabolism, and Weight loss

One of the major culprits for gaining weight is slow metabolism. Metabolism is the process in which the body converts food into energy. It’s also in control of how and the rate of which your body burns calories.

Therefore, someone with slow metabolism might eventually get overweight, not to mention other health-related issues, such as high cholesterol, chronic fatigue, and high blood pressure.

What is the connection between CBD and metabolism? Some studies have hinted that CBD may improve metabolism, which could reduce weight gain and promote weight loss.

When ingested, CBD is supposed to work together with the body’s endocannabinoid system, which includes CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain that controls metabolism and food intake in the body.

In a two-week test study done on rats, results show that there were substantial bodyweight reductions and rats with a higher dose having the most significant weight loss.

Despite the promising role CBD can play in increasing metabolism, studies on this subject are still at its preliminary stages. There’s a need for more research to accurately determine the role of CBD in metabolism and weight loss.

CBD Weight Loss Claims

Asides increasing metabolism, CBD can purportedly make you lose weight by doing the following:

• • Reducing Food Intake: A lot of pro-CBD users claim CBD can help you lose weight by reducing appetite. According to a 2018 study, CBD intake may cause CB1 receptor agonists to block the receptor, thereby reducing hunger and promoting weight loss.

In a related study, the injection of CBD in rats saw a significant reduction in food appetite. Unfortunately, while there are a lot of evidence to support the effects of CBD on animal’s food intake, there are not sufficient tests on human subjects to adequately verify the impact on humans.

Other studies have shown mixed reactions to CBD. In one study, 30% out of 117 children using CBD to control epilepsy symptoms reported that CBD oil increases food appetitive. In a related study, results show that some people experience an increase in food intake, while others experienced low appetite.

• • Turning white fat into brown fat: White fat, AKA unhealthy fat, is associated with illness and weight gain. Brown fat, on the other hand, helps you burn calories.

Usually, you turn unhealthy fat into good fat by exercising, eating, resting well, etc. But, pro-CBD users claim that it can do this conversion, leading to weight loss.

A study has confirmed the possible effects of CBD in browning white fats. However, as the author notes, more research is needed to explore this possibility.

• • Helps to burn fat: Another major claim of CBD’s role in weight loss is that it helps burn fat by breaking it down and eliminate it from the body as waste.

As aforementioned, brown fat burns calories, and a person who’s overweight is likely to have white fat, more than brown fat. However, if you’re to consider the claim that CBD can convert bad fat into good fat at any face value, then it might just as well burn the fat.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the decision to use CBD as a weight loss plan depends on you. Going by current research, there are a lot of possibilities for CBD in weight loss management. However, these researches are still in the preliminary stages, and they’ve yet to produce concrete results.

Hence, CBD cannot be solely used for weight loss management. A healthy diet, exercising, and other well-researched options are still your best for weight loss. Nonetheless, CBD may be used in addition to a healthy diet and exercising.

However, before incorporating CBD into your weight management plan, it’s advisable to see a doctor for dosage and other drugs interaction.

About Shannon Clark

Shannon holds a degree in Exercise Science and is a certified personal trainer and fitness writer with over 10 years of industry experience.