CBD for Weight Loss

The Benefits of Hemp CBD Oil for Weight Loss

CBD’s impact on weight is possible thanks to the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is primarily a system of receptors known as CB1 and CB2, which directly or indirectly interact with different cannabinoids (in CBD’s case, the relationship with these receptors is indirect).

We know the ECS is responsible for regulating and balancing many bodily processes and functions, including processes that contribute to weight loss.

CBD and Appetite

There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence about CBD’s appetite-suppressing properties but little research. However, the famous CBD epilepsy study^[1] reported appetite reduction as a side effect of CBD.

CBD oil’s relationship to weight loss is broadly not understood. However, one study^[2] found that CBD encouraged unhealthy white fat converting into calorie-burning brown fat.

Consequently, brown fat increases calorie-burning by triggering “thermogenesis” – the body’s natural heat-production process.

CBD and Insulin

CBD doesn’t just help you lose weight; it could also be valuable for people with diabetes. We have little information about CBD’s impact on insulin levels for those with type 2 diabetes. But because diabetes is an inflammatory health condition, CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties could theoretically help.

CBD Normalizes Insulin Levels to Enhance Burning Fats

Most research into CBD for weight loss was done on mice and rats, making it difficult to know how those results apply to humans.

One human study^[3] found that CBD did not affect blood sugar levels, while animal studies^[4] showed reduced blood sugar and cholesterol. However, researchers in human research discovered CBD could reduce insulin resistance.

Further animal studies also suggest CBD can promote insulin production, maintaining normal levels to help appropriately metabolize fat. If this works for humans, it could prove helpful in reducing or eliminating weight gain from diabetes in those who take insulin.

Can High Insulin Prevent Weight Loss?

Insulin is critical for maintaining normal blood sugar levels. This isn’t an issue for non-diabetics, whose bodies naturally produce and balance insulin accordingly.

But diabetes patients who use insulin may notice issues with weight gain. High insulin is the culprit here.

Two instances lead to high insulin:

• Insulin resistance (which CBD may help with)
• Diabetes medication (insulin)

Weight gain due to insulin therapy is particularly prominent among individuals with type 2 diabetes – 90% of whom are overweight or obese.

Patients need to eat healthily and exercise regularly. Even with diet and exercise, weight control with diabetes is an uphill battle. Adding CBD oil to your daily routine could make weight loss or weight control easier.

CBD and Metabolic Health

Metabolism is one of many processes involving the ECS. Since metabolism is a crucial factor in weight loss and maintenance, it would be a considerable advantage if CBD positively affected it.

However, too much could make cannabidiol exert opposing effects, so balance is vital.

Supporting Mitochondria and Metabolism

As research on cannabinoids continues, we constantly see discoveries on how these compounds – including CBD – interact with our bodies.

For the most part, we hear about the ECS and its CB1 and CB2 receptors. But we also found some exciting interactions indicating a substantial impact on cell mitochondria for people who use CBD.

A study published in 2019^[5] proved an interaction between mitochondria and leukemic cells, destabilizing calcium homeostasis and, consequently, impairing their growth.

But can this same interaction be integral when using CBD oil for weight loss?

Mitochondria are like batteries, responsible for storing and dispersing biochemical energy in their cells.

Although the above study notes an antagonistic relationship between CBD and cell mitochondria, the mechanism with weight loss differs depending on the cells.

CBD potentially reduces protein expression responsible for making unhealthy white fat cells and conveniently increases mitochondria in brown fat cells.

There’s still more research to be done, but if accurate, we can’t underestimate CBD’s role in energy-burning and weight loss.

Can Lazy Mitochondria Make Us Fat?

Mitochondria can’t be “lazy” in the literal sense, but some defects may cause them to work less efficiently. This could put a damper on your CBD weight loss program.

There are many mitochondrial diseases^[6]; however, that can dramatically affect your quality of life, weight gain being just the tip of the iceberg. They don’t stand on their own but rather result from other unrelated health problems, like Alzheimer’s, muscular dystrophy, or cancer.

Mitochondrial issues are universally genetic, so prevention is unfortunately impossible.

The problem stems from the afflicted mitochondria’s inability to process energy as efficiently as their healthy counterparts.

Most notably, mitochondrial diseases can (among other things) cause a lack of desire or ability to exercise and make people more susceptible to diabetes.

We already discussed how diabetes causes patients to struggle with weight. But even non-diabetics will have trouble following a weight loss plan if their bodies don’t have enough energy to function correctly.

The Endocannabinoid System and Its Role in Weight Control

It’s no secret that obesity is only second to tobacco as a significant cause of preventable death in the United States. Weight-related illnesses, like heart disease and stroke, take about 300,000 lives^[7] per year.

And let’s not forget the societal costs of obesity, such as eating disorders, crash diets, and healthcare costs.

In recent decades, plenty of “miracle diets” became popular, but what they share in common is that they’re generally unsuccessful.

Considering our never-ending quest for health and personal appearance, it’s natural that the connection between the ECS and weight sparked an interest.

There’s strong evidence suggesting that the endocannabinoid system is actively involved in weight regulation. If true, CBD oil for weight loss is an avenue worth exploring.

Should You Try CBD to Curb Excess Weight?

By now, you might be at least curious about trying hemp CBD oil for weight loss. After all, a plant-derived tincture sounds more natural than living off of soup for two weeks or using diet pills.

Nothing would please us more than to say CBD is 100% safe and effective. While the World Health Organization agrees CBD poses no threat to your health, we’ve made some recent discoveries that may not make CBD oil right for you.

So should you try CBD to curb excess weight? The answer is a solid “maybe.”

CBD and Prescription Medication

In the years since the FDA approved a CBD drug to treat severe epilepsy, experts noticed a disturbing interaction between CBD and certain medications, in addition to alcohol^[8].

The issue arises during metabolism. CBD interacts with the same liver enzyme^[9] as many prescription medications. Known as CYP3A4, this belongs to the P450 enzyme family, which metabolizes many substances, including over 50% of prescription medications^[10].

Consequently, CBD can alter or even shut down these enzymes, causing a medication imbalance. As a result, you may notice increased side effects or decreased efficacy.

CBD’s effects may also get muted.

We still don’t have a complete list, but a rule of thumb is that if your medication can’t mix with grapefruit^[11], it likely can’t handle CBD.

What to Check for When Buying Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil to Manage Weight

Like any commodity, CBD products vary in quality. If this is your first time shopping for CBD oil, try not to feel overwhelmed. While there are many oil choices, there are only a few things you need to check to measure quality.

CBD Percentage

CBD products come in a wide range of concentrations, expressed in milligrams (per bottle) or percentages. It makes it easy to find the right product for your body (and budget).

If you’re not sure exactly how much CBD you’re getting per serving, use our handy idWeeds CBD dosage calculator to plan your doses.

Ingredients

CBD oil is a pretty simple product, needing only hemp-based CBD extract and a carrier oil (ideally MCT or coconut oil).

However, some products might contain additional ingredients, like flavoring, added vitamins, or minerals.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, just a matter of personal preference.

Another thing to look for is terpenes. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD (more on that shortly) should contain natural plant compounds called terpenes.

However, some vendors add plant-based terpenes to beef up their formula. This is easy to spot. If the label then likely lists “terpenes” as an ingredient.

It’s not necessarily harmful, but it’s deceptive and indicates that maybe the vendor’s chosen extraction process does a poor job retaining hemp’s natural compounds.

Organic CBD vs. Certified Organic

A lot of people value “organic” as a huge bonus point for any manufacturer. It indicates purity, safety, and sustainability.

But be careful when you see the word “organic.” For something to be legally organic, the USDA labels it “Certified Organic,”^[12] where 95 to 99% of the product is organic.

“Certified 100% Organic” is the only way to confirm that the entire product is organic.

Many unscrupulous manufacturers may stamp “organic” on their labels due to their popularity as a buzzword to get away with half-baked organic practices. For instance, this might mean the plant – despite being grown organically – could be covered in synthetic pesticides.

Non-GMO

“Non-GMO” is a huge selling point for some people. But all hemp is technically genetically modified through thousands of years of selective cultivation.

But today, we think of “GMO” as a plant organism artificially modified in a lab. If that’s what you’re worried about, then not to worry. There aren’t any legal GMO hemp plants^[13] on the market as far as federal regulators know.

Third-Party Testing

Third-party testing is the one thing you need to see on a CBD oil label. When the FDA finally investigated CBD products^[14], they found 70% of them didn’t contain the cannabinoid levels that vendors promised.

Independent analysis ensures that what you’re getting in your CBD oil reflects what’s advertised on the bottle.

Testing also verifies that pesticides and outside contaminants are either non-existent or at safe levels.

If available, you can usually find these results right on the vendor’s website or upon request.

Why Full-Spectrum CBD is the Best Choice for Weight Loss

Earlier, we mentioned terpenes, along with full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD oil. A third option exists, called CBD isolate, which is CBD processed to its purest form, reaching 99.9% CBD.

Full-spectrum CBD contains all the additional compounds – including up to 0.3% THC – found in the hemp plant.

Broad-spectrum is almost as robust as full-spectrum but with zero THC.

Isolate is THC-free and contains virtually no additional terpenes or cannabinoids.

So which one should you choose? First, let’s take CBD isolate right off the table. It may be the purest, but it lacks many of the other beneficial compounds needed to truly harness CBD’s weight loss potential.

Preserving terpenes and cannabinoids is vital due to the entourage effect, a synergistic connection between these components. The greater diversity, the more you’ll benefit. This is why full-spectrum is the best choice.

However, if you’re concerned about THC, broad-spectrum eliminates this with little impact on the other cannabinoids.

How to Use CBD in Managing Extra Weight

Like any weight loss program, no two CBD weight loss plans are alike. The dosage and frequency depend entirely on factors such as:

• Fat levels
• CBD oil potency
• Desired results (weight loss or maintenance)
• Diet
• Body chemistry

Because of the above considerations, it’s hard to pinpoint the ideal dose for weight loss. When using oil or other CBD products, the universal rule of “start low and go slow” applies.

It’s essential to follow this process because you don’t know how your body will react to a total dose.

Start as low as possible – we recommend 2.5 to 5mg. Gradually increase by 10mg every one to two weeks until you notice your desired results.

A Word About Weight

It’s essential to keep in mind how weight plays a role in CBD dosage. While you should always start small, it’s your fat levels that decide how much CBD you need.

According to Dr. Jordan Tishler, MD, CBD’s attraction to fat affects bioavailability^[15]. He explains that about 70% of the CBD you ingest goes to your fat cells.

Ultimately, it’s not about how much you weigh but how much of that weight is body fat.

For instance, let’s say we have two men, named Bill and Steve. Both are five feet, ten inches tall, and weigh 250 pounds.

Bill is a professional weightlifter with noticeable muscle mass. Steve isn’t athletic, with most of his weight coming from excess body fat.

Despite both being the same gender and size, Steve’s CBD dosage for weight loss (or any therapeutic purpose) would need to be much higher than Bill’s.

Keep this in mind when setting your expectations.