For many women, maintaining an ideal weight requires a good deal of dedication, mainly because there are so many aspects of daily life that can directly affect progress. Furthermore, there are periods in the year when carving out gym time is nearly impossible, with winter holidays making it especially hard to maintain a diet. At times like these, it’s only natural to look for a little help with your weight loss journey.
For good reason, health-conscious consumers are increasingly selective with what they put into their bodies. Shoppers are steering away from synthetic drug compounds, and toward natural and sustainable alternatives. This is what continues to drive research into the possibilities of cannabis and its naturally occurring compounds, most notably cannabinoids like cannabidiol (CBD).
CBD is a non-psychoactive primary active component from the hemp plant with promising therapeutic potential. Products like CBD oil drops and gummies are easy to purchase and make supplementing with CBD very simple to do. In this post, we’ll discuss how CBD works and its connection/relationship with weight loss.
How Does CBD Work?
CBD works by communicating with the human endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system has two primary receptor groups: CB1 receptors affect the central nervous system, while CB2 receptors communicate more with the peripheral nervous system with emphasis on the immune system. This post focuses on how CBD affects CB1 receptors, which can have a direct impact on appetite, motor-skills, and how the body perceives pain.
CBD and Weight Loss
Recent studies have shown that CBD supplementation can aid in weight loss in a number of ways. This is because it can communicate with the brain to affect how the body perceives stimuli, as well as help control key chemicals that trigger appetite and weight retention.
Curbing Your Appetite
Research into the potential of CBD as a weight loss supplement is still in its infancy, but early studies show that CBD may have an effect on metabolic hormones that play a role in hunger and satiety-regulating peptides, such as ghrelin (key in short-term appetite regulation) and leptin (affects long-term satiety and energy). When these two hormones are balanced, you feel less hungry overall and any excess food cravings you might experience can be reduced or eliminated altogether.
A 2010 study found that “higher CBD to THC ratios in cannabis markedly attenuated acute bias to food stimuli, and may be explained by the antagonistic, or even inverse agonistic, properties of CBD at the CB1 receptor.” This means that CBD naturally causes the body to be less stimulated by food, meaning you’d feel hungry less often and feel full more quickly.
Researchers are now looking into CBD’s potential as an effective treatment for obesity and other eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa.
As research into CBD’s potential as a weight-loss supplement continues, findings show that on top of naturally causing a reduction in food intake it can also improve the effectiveness of weight loss induced by exercise, prescription diet pills, ketogenic diet (high fat), alternate-day fasting (restricted calorie) diets, bariatric surgery, or exposure to colder temperatures. Check out the Best CBD Oil in the UK for some such products.
Added Energy
CBD can also act as a natural energy booster, which can help increase the explosiveness of workouts, as well as slightly improve endurance. This is partially due to its efficacy as a sleep aid supplement, as supported by a 2019 large case study. Getting enough quality sleep is an important part of any weight loss or fitness program.
A Reduction in Pain and Cortisol
CBD products can also help with inflammation and cortisol levels. This is because the endocannabinoid system plays an important role in regulating pain and inflammation. CBD also appears to have the potential to reduce stress-induced release of cortisol in some users.
Cortisol plays a major role in metabolizing fats and carbs. It’s a “survival hormone,” meaning that excess levels of cortisol can cause your body to hold onto fats and carbs.
Things to Consider Before Supplementing with CBD
CBD shows significant promise as a weight loss supplement because of its ability to directly affect appetite, fight off fatigue, and help with post-workout recovery. Because it’s a naturally occurring compound, the risk of triggering allergic reactions & unwanted side effects is relatively low in comparison to a number of over-the-counter alternatives that depend on synthetic active ingredients.
As of this writing, additional research still needs to be done regarding recommended CBD dosages. Due to the way CBD works on the body, its efficacy and ideal dosage concentrations will vary from person to person. It’s advisable that you start with lower potency products and gradually increase until you reach your desired result.
Purchasing CBD doesn’t require a prescription; in fact, you can easily purchase CBD online or pick up a wide range of CBD products in specialty shops. As you should do when looking into new supplements to incorporate into a weight loss program, be sure to consult your physician. It’s always advisable to make sure that CBD supplementation won’t conflict with your current regimen or medications to reduce the likelihood of any negative side-effects.
