CBD Weight Loss: FAQs [Updated in 2019]
With obesity being at an all-time high and many being overweight, we take a look at whether CBD, a safe and natural alternative, can help with weight loss and how it goes about doing this [Updated in 2019].
CBD Weight Loss: The Highlights
- CBD oil may, in fact, help you to lose weight. A 2017 review of scientific literature regarding CBD found that weight loss was a common side effect when it was used to treat seizures in people and reduced food intake and weight gain in rats.
- Unlike most weight loss supplements on the market, CBD is safe to use with few to no side effects and none of the side effects are harmful.
- Despite the fact that comes from the cannabis plant, CBD doesn’t have any psychoactive effects
- There are numerous other health benefits, such as helping to treat post-traumatic stress disorder, better sleep, stable blood sugar levels,
- Full-spectrum hemp CBD oil is superior to CBD isolate as it contains a wider array of compounds to which our endocannabinoid system responds to. This increases efficacy.
What is CBD?
CBD (Cannabidiol) is one of the compounds found in the Cannabis Sativa plant. As mentioned, CBD is not psychoactive meaning it doesn’t make you high. THC is the compound in cannabis that has psychoactive effects.
Some CBD products do contain a mix of CBD and THC, but there are plenty available that contain hardly any THC at all.
When CBD is derived from hemp plants it generally has a THC level of 0.03 or less. Cannabis plants grown specifically to have a high CBD to THC ratio are called hemp, whereas plants with more THC can be classified as marijuana.
Full-spectrum hemp contains a wider array of the CBD compounds. CBD isolate is still incredibly beneficial, but when you take full-spectrum CBD or whole plant CBD, it’s far more potent. You get CBDA, CBG, CBGA, CBC, CBCA in addition to CBD all of which is accepted and used to the benefit of your body.
Benefits include:
- Lower anxiety levels
- Pain-relief
- Relief for post-traumatic stress disorder
- Improved sleep quality
- Lower inflammation levels
- Healthier cholesterol levels
- Healthy blood sugar and insulin levels
- Possible relief from seizures
- Weight loss, depending on how your body reacts to CBD
Be aware that although hemp oil is healthy, it often doesn’t contain much CBD at all. If you want the above-mentioned benefits, you need to make sure that it contains CBD.
Does CBD Support Weight Loss?
For the most part, the results have been promising. Popsugar interviewed two CBD experts who are both qualified doctors: Rachna Patel, MD and Michael Verbora, MBA, MD, CCFP.
Although neither of them prescribed CBD as a weight-loss supplement when they used it to treat other conditions such as chronic pain and anxiety, many patients experienced weight loss.
While these two doctors believe that an overall lifestyle change, in particular, increased activity levels due to pain relief may have contributed to the change in weight. They did also speak about studies that could explain the weight loss too, albeit as side effects of cannabidiol.
Unless you are a follower of the keto revolution, it can be hard to think of oil and weight loss going together, but clearly, CBD cannabidiol oil or cannabis oil if it contains enough of this helpful compound, is different. So let’s look a little deeper into how CBD oil can help to reduce body weight and help to maintain a healthy weight.
CBD and Metabolism
We have two different kinds of fat (adipose tissue). White fat and brown fat. White fat is the fat that you see. It sits under our skin and around our organs. Excess white adipose tissue leads to all kinds of health risks including heart disease, stroke, and insulin resistance.
Brown fat, however, speeds up our metabolism. It helps to keep us warm too, babies have quite a bit of it. CBD can help to turn white fat into brown fat.
It also boosts the number of mitochondria we have which also leads to increased energy burn and it encourages our genes to speed up our metabolisms. Mitochondria are our cells’ powerhouses so to speak.
The Endocannabinoid System’s Role In Metabolism
This all sounds unbelievable, but once you understand the endocannabinoid system it makes sense. Each of us has our own cannabinoid system, hence the term, endocannabinoid system. We have cannabinoid receptors or CB receptors (CB1 and CB2) all over our bodies which respond to CBD.
It’s the stimulation of our CB receptors that results in all the benefits including an increase in metabolism and the shrinking of fat cells.
Although it was shown that overstimulation of CB1 resulted in an increased risk of a metabolic syndrome characterized by high blood pressure, excess belly fat, high blood sugar levels, high triglyceride levels, and high cholesterol levels, it wasn’t CBD that caused this. CBD, in fact, had protective factors against this condition.
CBD As An Appetite Suppressant
Anyone who has ever tried marijuana will know that the munchies are a common side effect. THC is responsible for this and this is also the reason why the cannabis you buy on the street isn’t the best option.
Despite this, however, in many studies done on marijuana, it was found that often users had leaner bodies than you would expect despite the increase in their appetites.
CBD, on the other hand, suppresses appetite resulting in lower food intake and may even help with cravings.
CBD Weight Loss: What The Science Says
The differences between CBD and THC have only recently become clear. With legalization, there are more and more studies coming out showing promising results for cannabis as a whole, and especially CBD.
The 2016 study discovering that CBD can cause fat browning was a huge discovery but studies have been done even before this showing that marijuana even helps to combat insulin resistance which is common in overweight people.
While anecdotal reports say that many experience a drop in appetite after taking CBD, only an animal study in 2012 has proven this.
Scientists all agree that more studies are needed because there are unknown factors such as the effect that CBD has on hormones, but for now, very few side effects have been found.
Considering that you can easily adjust your dose if you use a reputable brand and comparing these side effects to the negative side effects of weight-loss supplements, that is nothing.
Doctors agree that it’s safe. So safe, that even children are prescribed CBD in the case of seizures that no other medication works for.
The Recommended Dosage For Weight Loss
We are all different and what works for one person might not work for someone else. Suggested doses on your chosen product is a good starting point, but you may need to lower it or even up the dose depending on what works for you. But how do you know?
If you do find that you feel more tired, experience nausea, or even feel more anxious than normal, lowering the dose is a good call. However, if the recommended dose isn’t showing any results after a few weeks, try increasing the dose slowly to prevent side effects.
Chatting to your doctor is the best course of action, but you can also try this CBD dosage calculator.
You also need to make sure that you choose a reputable brand. There are many fakes out there.
One brand that is one of the forerunners in the CBD industry is Charlotte’s Web. If drops and capsules aren’t your things and you prefer to use a weight loss spray, you will need to choose a different brand.
Always read a few reviews and make sure that the brand is willing to provide the reports from labs proving the safety and authenticity of their products.
CBD Weight Loss: Do Cannabinoids Aid The Weight Loss Process?
The research is certainly promising as is the anecdotal evidence. CBD may not have the same effect on everyone and ultimately the results will depend on how your body reacts provided you are consuming a dose that works for you.
The fact that CBD increases the metabolism, affects fat cells and has very few if any side effects, makes this one of the safest weight loss aids that you can use. You do need to wait a few weeks to see if you are experiencing the benefits and you need to be consistent.
Weight loss won’t happen in a day or necessarily even a week or two. As is often the case with natural supplements, it can take a while for your body to start responding.
It’s also important to note that if you are eating pizzas, cheeseburgers, pies, and sugary processed and junk food every day, you are very likely not doing your efforts any favors. So keep this kind of food to a minimum.
CBD is not a magic weight loss pill. No pill is. But many people have found that it’s a very helpful tool. Even just the fact that it helps with getting a good night’s sleep and reduces stress is already a benefit for most of us in today’s world.
CBD Weight Loss: Frequently Ask Questions
How does CBD differ from cannabis?
Cannabis contains both THC and CBD. While THC is the psychoactive ingredient that gets people high. While both ingredients are cannabinoids, THC actually binds to the receptors in your brain inducing that feeling of euphoria.
CBD does not have this property. It does not bind to your brain’s receptors and does not make you feel high.
Are there any dangers of dieting with CBD?
CBD is considered to be a dietary supplement and so carries no more risk than any other natural vitamin. Of course, everyone is different and different compounds affect people in different ways.
Be sure to check the label of any CBD products you do buy to ensure they don’t have any unwanted ingredients. To be on the safe side, it’s always best to buy any CBD based product from a reputable vendor.
How do I incorporate CBD into my weight loss program?
Any form of CBD oil will work, whether it’s taken as a concentrate, capsule, or edible. A lot of people prefer to use CBD capsules for weight loss as they’re easy to administer and leave very little room for error. Edibles such as chewing gums are also quite useful in suppressing one’s appetite.
What dose of CBD oil should I be using?
Unfortunately, there is no one set answer to this question as it will depend on a number of different factors. Everyone metabolizes things at a different rate, so while some people will find that 5 mg is perfectly fine for them, others may need as much as 50 mg or more.
The best way to find the right dose for you is to start low (perhaps 5 mg) and work your way up to a level where you are feeling the desired effects. Try each dose for a few days at a time to give it a chance to work.
If you don’t feel the desired effects after around five days try increasing the dose by another 5 mg or so and maintain for a few days. Repeat and increase as necessary until you find the right dose for you.
Will CBD show up on a drugs test?
Drug tests look for THC readings, so as long as you stick to buying CBD products that are low in THC you should have no problem at all.
We hope you found this article useful and are now a little more informed as to how CBD can help you lose weight. Using CBD to help with weight loss is one of the cleanest ways to diet and a lot of people are starting to realize this.
It’s a natural weight loss tool that doesn’t affect the user’s body temperature, heart rate, or blood pressure.
But, there’s never a ‘one size fits all’ solution when it comes to dieting, so if you do find that it’s not working as well as you’d hoped maybe try combing your CBD diet with another technique.
There are plenty of effective methods out there for losing weight using CBD, you just need to find the one that works for you.
Disclaimer
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. Farma Health assumes no responsibility for the improper use of these products.
We recommend consulting with a qualified medical doctor or physician when preparing a treatment plan for any and all diseases or ailments. The information on our website is intended to provide general information regarding CBD products and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction.
