"I heard that CBD can speed up your metabolism and help me lose weight. Is this true?"
Marcy S.
By boosting your metabolism—the rate at which your body converts food and nutrients into energy, and gets rid of waste—can be an important factor in weight loss. And yes, CBD can play a part in boosting your metabolism.
CBD (cannabidiol ) is a mostly non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis—and it has the ability to help fight a variety of health conditions, such as anxiety, chronic pain, inflammation, and seizures. But it can also play a role in speeding up your metabolism.
One Korean study found that CBD can do this by:
- Increasing the body’s ability to burn calories by boosting the activity of the mitochondria in cells
- Decreasing the availability of proteins that are necessary to generate fat cells
- Aiding in the browning of fat by stimulating genes and proteins to more effectively break down and oxidize fat cells
And while the cannabinoid THC may be responsible for cannabis users getting the munchies, CBD may actually suppress appetite, so again may be an effective tool for weight loss.
In the endocannabinoid system (ECS), CB1 receptors are often linked to obesity. CBD serves as a CB1 antagonist, which means it prevents CB1 receptors from activating and can work to speed up metabolism as a result.
Keanu Larson
Studies show that CBD can also play a role in converting white fat to brown fat. Not all fat is created equal. The difference between white fat and brown fat is driving interest in “fat browning” and the role it may play in boosting the metabolism and helping to lose weight.
White fat is usually viewed as bad fat, because it stores energy in the body and is associated with undesirable health conditions such as the increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Brown fat, on the other hand, burns energy and can actually increase weight loss. According to a study published by the Diabetes & Metabolism Journal, brown fat can ramp up energy expenditure and produce heat, limiting weight gain.
It is possible to turn white fat into brown fat—something that CBD has been shown to do, helping to boost the metabolism, burn more energy, and control weight gain.
Courtney L.
It’s also worth noting that marijuana users generally tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-users. It may help reduce weight gain, fat mass gain, and energy uptake.
Cannabis use can also be associated with a lower metabolic syndrome. The syndrome includes a series of health risks, such as an increased waistline, elevated blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose, making people more susceptible to diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
Researchers found: “Current marijuana use is associated with lower odds of metabolic syndrome across emerging and middle-aged U.S. adults.”
And this is good news.
Jacqueline Oule
