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Cannabinoids like CBD have been getting a lot of attention in the last few years as more studies are being done. And there are plenty of products on the market, such as CBD extract products and CBD edibles. Between researchers, cannabinoid enthusiasts, and the general public, there's a lot of hype surrounding CBD and its potential therapeutic benefits for our bodies. More specifically, our metabolism. While THC is already well-known for its metabolic effects, as illustrated by an increased appetite via “the munchies,” many people wonder if any given CBD product may also play a role in the speed and efficiency of our metabolism.¹ So…can CBD boost metabolism? Here's what you should know.
What Is Your Metabolism, Anyway?
Your metabolism is a natural background process made up of a few different chemical changes that convert food and beverages into energy.² During this process, it breaks down any calories ingested—integrating them with oxygen to turn calories into energy. That energy can then be distributed throughout the body—enabling it to grow, remain healthy, and regenerate.
Your metabolism is always at work, even when you're at rest. Your body needs energy for all of its other background functions—such as regulating hormones, growing and repairing cells, and breathing. The amount of calories you need to carry out these essential functions is your basal metabolic rate. (AKA—your metabolism.)
Everybody's metabolism is different. Even though it influences how much energy you require to survive, how much you exercise, eat, and drink plays a more prominent role in your weight and can help you determine how to maintain a healthy weight. That being said, several factors contribute to your unique basal metabolism—like your biological sex, age, and the size and composition of your body.
For example, taller people—as well as people who have larger muscles—will tend to burn more calories than people whose bodies are smaller in size. Men usually have more muscle and less body fat than women do, so they tend to burn more calories. Those who are up in years tend to have slower metabolisms as their muscle mass decreases and they gain more fat. With all that in mind, the energy needed for the body’s background processes is typically pretty consistent. They aren't changed easily unless you're exercising a lot or digesting and processing food very quickly.
Metabolism & Weight Loss
Most of the time, when people are interested in metabolism speed, it's related to a desire to lose weight. But the verdict is still out on whether or not changing or "boosting" your metabolism aids in actual weight loss. There are so many diet culture articles that promise you can get fit in 30 days when sticking to diets designed to "boost” your metabolism and help prevent weight gain—but there is still a lot of debate within the scientific community about whether there’s any validity to that.
According to Harvard Health, metabolism is genetic and beyond control.³ Some inherited genes promote a faster metabolism—which is why some people can eat much more than others without gaining much body weight. Alternatively, others just have a naturally slower metabolism.
Your biological factors and lifestyle choices determine how many calories you'll burn. If you have a fast metabolism, you're likely to burn more calories while resting and exercising. As high metabolisms require more calories to maintain weight, slower ones burn fewer. Regardless of how fast or slow your metabolism may be, balancing your calorie intake with physical activity is your best bet when it comes to helping better manage a healthy weight.
However, it's partially true that metabolism plays a role in weight. The genetic aspect just can’t be overlooked. Balancing your caloric intake and the calories you burn during exercise changes your weight. At the same time, your metabolic rate doesn't fluctuate too much without external factors such as exercise, sleep, and consistently giving your body enough calories to avoid a starvation response—which can cause the body to hold on to more calories in fat cells.
How Does CBD Affect Metabolism?
As mentioned, there’s a lot to cover regarding the subjects of metabolism, weight gain, calories, and fat—and to this day, scientists aren’t sure if adjusting metabolism without exercise is even possible. Some evidence suggests that CBD could play a role in some of the behind-the-scenes processes that support our metabolism.
While there isn’t necessarily a CBD treatment or cure for slow metabolism, CBD works closely with the endocannabinoid system.⁴ The ECS hosts naturally occurring chemicals known as endocannabinoids which have receptors throughout the body and central nervous system that serve as chemical messengers. The whole purpose of this system is to help keep the body in balance—or homeostatic. By communicating with various body parts, the ECS affects physiological background processes like mood, appetite, body temperature, our sleep-wake cycle, and more.
However, the ECS might also play a role in metabolic functions, like transporting nutrients and energy throughout the body—thus dictating how energy is stored in various fat cells.⁵ Evidence also suggests that the ECS may play a role in managing insulin sensitivities that cause diabetes.⁶ One study found that ECS could stimulate the GI tract, skeletal muscles, and the endocrine pancreas by releasing endocannabinoids that bind to receptors in the brain, digestive tract, and muscular tissue.⁷
That's where CBD comes into play. Research indicates that CBD binds to the endocannabinoid receptors in these areas—so it may help metabolize the compounds absorbed during digestion and the leftovers stored in fat cells. Additionally, some evidence suggests CBD may antagonize some of these endocannabinoid receptors, which may help the ECS keep the body balanced against metabolic conditions such as metabolic syndrome.⁸
All in all, CBD may bind to or antagonize the endocannabinoid receptors found throughout the body. In working with the ECS, CBD may affect various aspects of metabolism, like aiding digestion, transporting and storing nutrients, decreasing appetite, and optimizing insulin levels—which all play a role in biological metabolic rates.⁹⁻¹⁰
Can CBD Boost Metabolism?
While the theory of boosting metabolism still straddles the fence between fact and fiction, some studies indicate that CBD's relationship with the ECS can potentially influence metabolism and body weight.
CBD's relationship with the ECS might affect metabolism in a few different ways. One study by researchers at the Department of Biotechnology at Daegu University found CBD might affect fat storage in three different ways.¹¹ First, CBD may stimulate the ECS into communicating with the genes and proteins that help break down fat. CBD could also help the ECS boost mitochondria activity in cells, improving the rate energy is processed and burned. Finally, the study discovered that CBD may trigger a decrease in the expression of proteins the ECS releases to increase fat cell production in the body.
Researchers concluded that CBD and the ECS may help convert white fat cells into beneficial brown fat—which is significantly easier to burn than white fat reserves. All that said, CBD itself doesn't boost metabolism in the slightest. It simply may help could trigger your ECS into automating background processes that can potentially increase your metabolic rate and make it easier for the body to store and burn fat, transform food into energy, and optimize insulin levels.
Can CBD Be Used For Weight Loss?
In short, the relationship between CBD and the ECS could play a role in weight loss. However, it is important to remember that outside of your biological factors, things like exercise and your caloric intake versus output also help determine whether or not you’ll lose weight.
Can CBD cause loss of appetite? Another potential benefit of CBD in regards to weight loss is that research has demonstrated it may also decrease appetite and food intake.¹² While some cannabinoids like THC and CBN (a degraded form of THC) may increase appetite and food intake—due to the infamous munchies phenomenon—CBD may decrease it. You’ll lose weight if you lower caloric intake and expend more energy through exercise. CBD may play a part in helping curb an increased appetite for food—which can lead to it possibly supporting weight loss.
Furthermore, how CBD can aid the ECS in automating background processes that play a role in metabolism may also assist in losing weight.¹³
All things considered, CBD isn't a diet pill that will make you drop 20 pounds like some diet fads in tabloids may claim. For it to show any effects, it needs to be taken daily (like a supplement) to aid your ECS in functioning at its best. By consistently introducing CBD to your ECS, there’s the potential for metabolic benefits that will help weight loss when coupled with reduced caloric intake and regular exercise. If you want to try it for yourself, you can trust Lazarus Naturals CBD for effective support as you pave your path toward life-long wellness.¹⁴ We offer a range of CBD oil, CBD capsules, CBD isolate, and CBD gummy products (among others) for you to choose from. There's bound to be a CBD product that any new or seasoned cannabis users can use. Whether you’re looking to explore CBD skincare benefits or need CBD for hangover headaches after a night out, find the best CBD product for you today!
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Sources:
¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/367234/
²https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/metabolism/art-20046508
⁴https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569
⁵https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/13/2/373/htm
⁷https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5877694/
⁸https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-022-00137-w
⁹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16596788/
¹⁰https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22543671/
¹¹https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27067870/
¹²https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22543671/