(Contributed Post)
If you have been trying to lose weight for some time now, but you have been struggling, there are many different ways that you can give yourself that boost that is required to start seeing the results you hope for. In this post, we will look at one method that has become very popular in recent years.
Cannabidiol, better known by its acronym CBD, is an entirely natural compound that is becoming increasingly popular worldwide for the treatment of many medical conditions from acne to anxiety, and also as a substance that can promote better health and wellbeing in general. One important use for CBD that is gaining traction in the natural health world is to assist in weight loss.
Why Weight Loss Is Important
It’s a widely publicized fact that many of us are carrying far too much weight for our own good. In fact, recent figures from a Health Study for England suggest that around 36% of people in the country are overweight and 29% are obese – in other words, have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or over. Being overweight is not good for our health. Poor health outcomes such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease have all been proven to have a strong link to being overweight. So it’s not just a matter of looking good on the beach – losing weight can also save your life. But we all know that dieting and exercising can be hard. It’s no surprise, therefore, that people are always looking for anything that can help with weight loss.
What Is CBD?
You will no doubt have heard the term CBD used extensively over the media and even in health shops, but you may be unsure as to what the product is and how it can be used. In brief. CBD is short for cannabidiol and it is an ingredient in many products that is entirely natural. Sourced from hemp plants that are specially bred for human consumption, CBD is mainly extracted from the flowers and leaves of the plant which have been made into a paste. Hemp seeds are also crushed to form a paste and CBD is also extracted from this.
Can CBD Help You To Lose Weight?
There is a growing body of anecdotal evidence to suggest that CBD can assist with weight loss, and while there hasn’t yet been a great deal of research in this area, the theory behind how it works is backed up by science. There are other alternative products that you may want to consider, like CBG, and you can read about CBG benefits and the benefits of other cannabinoids online.
It was only relatively recently, in the 1990s, that scientists discovered the existence of the endocannabinoid system in the human body. The main purpose behind the endocannabinoid system is to help the body adjust to changes in its environment. The body has two forms of cannabinoid receptors, labeled as CB1 (those generally present in the brain and central nervous system) and CB2, which are present throughout the body.
It’s been discovered that in people with obesity or those who are severely overweight, the CB1 receptors are found to be spread more widely than they should throughout the body. Early research suggests that there’s a link between obesity and the activation of these CB1 receptors.
CBD products act indirectly as triggers to switch those receptors either on or off. And this has three overall effects in simple terms:
CBD can reduce appetite, which can assist with weight loss.
CBD can help stabilize or lower insulin levels, which in turn encourages the body to burn fat rather than store it.
CBD can promote better metabolic health, which helps burn fat faster.
Does CBD Give You A High And Is It Addictive?
When thinking of CBD (cannabidiol) products, many assume that they are the same as cannabis, particularly marijuana, which is a regulated substance that it is illegal to sell openly on the market. This is not the case. While both CBD and THC (or Tetrahydrocannabinol) are related, and both substances interact in a similar way with the endocannabinoid receptors in the user’s body, each creates very different effects.
Cannabis and related substances are derived from marijuana plants that contain high levels of THC. This is a psychoactive compound that gives the user a ‘high’ sensation. Cannabidiol, on the other hand, where it’s used to promote health and wellbeing, is derived from hemp plants. These are a type of cannabis plant, but concentrations of THC in them are less than 0.3%. CBD products, therefore, do not give the user the same kind of high, and because of this, they are preferred by many people who want the benefits cannabidiol can provide without the side effects.
CBD is not addictive, and in some forms, has been judged efficacious and safe enough to be prescribed by medical professionals.
What Should You Look For In CBD For Weight Loss?
It’s important to note that CBD is not a miracle drug that will make the pounds drop off by itself – it should also be combined with an appropriate change of diet and exercise regime. However, buying a high-quality, broad-spectrum CBD oil and using it in the recommended fashion, along with improving your overall lifestyle, can help with weight loss.
Other Benefits
The full range of benefits offered by CBD has not yet been fully explored and evaluated. Nonetheless, there are already a host of conditions for which there is strong evidence to suggest that CBD can help. These include:
Anxiety and depression;
Nausea;
Pain relief;
Inflammation;
Epilepsy and other forms of seizures;
Migraines; and
Inflammatory bowel disease.
To conclude, losing weight can be incredibly difficult for a lot of people. If you have been following a healthy diet and exercise regime, but you need that extra push, CBD could be the thing for you. Of course, you need to continue eating healthy and exercising regularly to see results.
