CBD for Appetite Control & Weight Management | Medsana

CBD for Appetite Control and Weight Management: How it Works

When you think of the effects cannabis has on the human body, a few things inevitably come to mind. Feelings of bliss or “head high”, the need to sleep and relax, and an overwhelming urge to eat everything in sight.

Take the classic gluttonous duo, Shaggy and Scooby from Scooby-Doo. Main characters of a children’s cartoon, the human-canine twosome are emblematic of the pot-smoking, peace-sign-throwing movement of the 1960s. Their constant hankerings for staggeringly tall sandwiches and mountainous desserts is presumably a result of all the cannabis they smoke (off-screen, of course.)

If only Shaggy and Scooby had taken CBD instead of THC, they could have spent more time chasing bad guys.

That’s because CBD could be a useful tool for appetite regulation and weight management. Preliminary research has found that CBD may be promising for underweight and overweight people by reducing inflammation, suppressing or boosting appetite, and lowering the risk of related health issues like metabolic disorder and anorexia.

At Medsana, we help people live fuller, healthier lives with the help of our all-natural, THC-free CBD products. Keep reading to learn more about CBD for appetite control, but remember: There is no such thing as a perfect body, and being large or thin does not alone signify healthiness.

We’re not encouraging you to use CBD so you can look a certain way; we’re encouraging you to use CBD so you can feel a certain way. 

How does CBD work for weight loss?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a natural compound found in the cannabis plant. Unlike fellow cannabinoid THC, CBD is not psychoactive and doesn’t cause a “high.”

What it does do is work within the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a system that keeps our bodies in “the Goldilocks zone,” the optimal internal conditions in which our bodies prefer to function.

Among many other things, the ECS regulates immune response, appetite, metabolism, and communication between cells. It does so by responding to different chemicals that bind to two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. 

Most CB1 receptors are located in the brain and central nervous system (CNS). But for obese people, these receptors become more widespread, particularly in fatty tissue. That’s why some researchers believe there’s a connection between activated CB1 receptors and weight loss.

Now that we understand the system in which CBD is processed, let’s take a deeper dive into how CBD may assist with weight loss.

CBD Can Help Reduce Appetite

Remember the CB1 and CB2 receptors we mentioned a moment ago? We can thank them for controlling our appetites, as they play a large role in hunger and food intake. But they’re not the only players in the game - a protein called leptin, which is produced in adipose (fatty) tissue, is also important in this process.

Leptin is an important factor in food intake and body weight control.

In fact, one study found that CBD worked as an appetite suppressant in rats, beating several other types of cannabinoids, like cannabinol and cannabigerol. Another study found that rats injected with CBD daily over two weeks showed a significant drop in body weight. The higher the dose, the more pronounced the weight loss.

More human studies need to be done, but these are promising preliminary results in the argument for CBD for appetite control and weight loss.

When you’re ready to try a CBD product for weight management, check out Medsana’s 1000mg CBD tincture or 3000mg CBD tincture. It’s our highest-concentration oral CBD, and you can take it by holding one dropper full beneath your tongue for 20 seconds before swallowing.

CBD Boosts (And Regulates) Metabolism

Together, CBD and the ECS are a force to be reckoned with. That’s because the ECS is highly involved in controlling energy metabolism, particularly in the CB1 receptor that controls lipid and glucose (fat and sugar) metabolism.

Let’s take this one step further and bring in everyone’s favorite part of science class: mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. Mitochondria convert sugars, fats, and proteins into energy that sustains us. Mitochondrial imbalances (diabetes being one of the most well-known) make it much more difficult for someone to lose weight.

Thankfully, CBD has been found to regulate mitochondrial activity, which in turn regulates the ECS, which then regulates our metabolic balance, which helps our bodies burn calories.

But that’s not the only way CBD can boost metabolism. A study published in the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry found that CBD decreases the amount of proteins needed to create fat cells, meaning there’s less space for fat to be made and stored.

CBD Can Help Turn "Bad" Fat into "Good" Fat

Speaking of fat, let’s get one thing straight: fat is not necessarily a bad thing. Unfortunately, we often think that having fat is a bad thing, but it’s actually necessary for our bodies to function properly. If we didn’t have fat, we wouldn’t be alive.

Scientifically speaking, there are two types of fat: brown, which some call the “good” type, and white, which some call “bad.” White fat has certainly been villainized, but it does serve a purpose. White fat helped our species survive and kept us from starving by storing energy (fat) in the case of extreme situations where we couldn’t eat for days - or even weeks. 

However, not many people face that issue nowadays, so excess fat that isn’t being used can negatively affect our metabolism.

On the other hand, brown fat burns off energy as heat, which means that it burns off calories. Scientists believe brown fat originated in people who lived in colder climates where it was necessary to have more “insulation” to stay warm.

A 2016 study found that CBD promoted the “browning” of fat cells by stimulating genes and proteins to effectively break down fat cells. The study found that CBD can actually convert white fat cells to brown.

More research is needed, but there is reason to be optimistic toward CBD as a fat burner and weight loss instigator.

Medsana CBD to Help With Appetite Control and Weight Management

Modern society has come a long way in our understanding of how a healthy body should function, but unfortunately, there are still plenty of assumptions about how a healthy body should look.

At Medsana, we believe people of all shapes and sizes deserve to live full, satisfying lives. That doesn’t mean being skinny or thick, and it doesn’t mean looking a certain way. We want every customer to have more energy, more focus, and more pleasure in performing their favorite activities and working toward the best version of themselves.

If you believe you have a weight management problem, you should speak with your doctor before trying a new product or substance. Once you meet with your doctor or health professional, try one of our CBD wellness products. We welcome everyone on the journey to getting healthy, and we’re here to help you live a life without limitations.