Obesity and overweight are the most common lifestyle conditions affecting millions of people worldwide. Without prompt intervention, these conditions may open you up for other lifestyle diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease.
The good news is that obesity and being overweight are not only preventable. They’re also reversible. In recent years, cannabis has emerged as one of the most effective weight management remedies.
But can marijuana aid your weight loss goals? That question shall be the focus of this post.
Choosing the Best Cannabis Products for Weight Loss
Before we delve deeper into marijuana’s potential for aiding weight loss, it’s essential to begin by understanding that cannabis produces hundreds of medically beneficial compounds. These compounds are known as cannabinoids, and the two most widely studied ones are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Cannabidiol is responsible for most cannabis’ therapeutic benefits, whereas tetrahydrocannabinol is the compound in weed that gives the plant its psychoactive properties.
When looking for the best cannabis product for weight loss, the convention is to choose products containing higher CBD and lower amounts of THC. That’s especially true if you’re a new marijuana user who’s not already familiar with THC’s psychedelic properties.
But as you get used to tetrahydrocannabinol, you’ll discover that the compound also offers immense therapeutic benefits. Medical marijuana doctors generally encourage using marijuana products formulated with CBD, THC, and a host of other cannabinoids for compounded healing effects.
Another consideration when choosing the best marijuana products for weight loss is to buy the products from established retailers. Purchasing cannabis weight loss supplements from GetKush Online Store or other reputable sellers gives you peace of mind knowing you’re investing in premium-quality products.
Ways Cannabis Can Help You with Weight Loss
1. Cannabis May Resolve Pain-induced Immobility
Joint pain and muscle aches can reduce your mobility significantly, rendering you less active. Inactive people are generally less motivated to engage in workouts and other fat-burning activities.
Fortunately, cannabis may relieve symptoms of pain and stiffness, thereby enhancing mobility. Marijuana treats pain by impacting various pain-signaling mechanisms in your endocannabinoid system.
Inflammation is the primary marker of obesity. Therefore, one effective way to prevent or reverse obesity is by managing inflammation. And that’s another area cannabis may come in handy.
Marijuana is also a vasodilator and can dilate constricted arteries, thereby increasing blood circulation. Increased blood circulation means more oxygenated blood and nutrients reach the inflamed tissues, an important physiological process required to alleviate inflammation.
3. Cannabis May Reduce Appetite
Cannabis is probably better known for stimulating appetite than suppressing it. However, most people don’t realize that only THC and a handful of other psychoactive cannabinoids in marijuana are responsible for the ‘munchies’. Cannabidiol, which happens to be the most abundant cannabinoid in medical marijuana supplements, is a renowned appetite suppressant.
A 2018 study found that CBD antagonizes CB1 receptors. CB1 receptors are endocannabinoid receptors that play a role in appetite stimulation. They also happen to be the same receptors that THC generally binds to, in a process that produces the ‘munchies’ as one of the effects. Therefore, consuming cannabis products high in CBD may help reduce your appetite and keep your food portions low, which is necessary for maintaining a lean weight.
A 2013 animal study found that cannabidiol reduced appetite in rats. Although these studies were conducted in rats, the findings might also apply to humans as cannabis interacts with all mammals in a near-similar manner.
Cannabis is also marketed for its positive effects on metabolism. According to one study, cannabidiol interacts with specific endocannabinoid receptors in the brain and lymphoid tissue to reduce food intake while boosting metabolism.
Higher metabolism means your body expends more fat than it stores it, which is necessary for keeping your weight down.
5. Cannabis May Expedite Fat Browning
Cannabis extracts have been shown to promote fat browning.
Body fat predominantly exists in two forms – white fat cells and brown fat cells. Both white and brown fat cells are responsible for converting fat into energy while also insulating the body’s vital organs. However, excess white fat cells are often linked to chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
On the flip side, brown fat cells are generally abundant among people with a healthy weight. Therefore, converting white fat cells into brown fat cells might help keep your weight down while also lowering the risks of lifestyle conditions.
Researchers have since established that cannabidiol could expedite fat browning. In one test-tube study, it emerged that CBD boosted the conversion of white fats into brown fats by enhancing the expression of specific proteins and genes involved in the fat browning process.
Final Word
There are numerous ways marijuana may aid weight loss. What makes cannabis recommended for weight management is that the herb has a more favorable safety profile than conventional weight loss supplements.
However, note that marijuana remains illegal in numerous countries worldwide. So, always check your local cannabis laws before using any weed-based products.
