Cannabis can increase appetite in patients with cancer, HIV and other medical conditions that make it difficult to eat. It can also help with cachexia, a loss of appetite during treatment for certain types of cancer.
However, the effects of cannabis on weight vary from person to person. That’s why a personalized approach is best. It involves learning what strains, forms of administration, cannabinoids and terpenes produce particular effects based on your diet.
Increased Appetite
If you’re a regular user of marijuana, then you know the term “the munchies.” This phrase refers to an increase in appetite that many people experience after smoking or eating certain types of cannabis. It’s a well-known phenomenon that is commonly portrayed in movies and TV shows, but it’s not just a myth.
The reason for this effect is simple: cannabis makes you feel hungry because it stimulates the endocannabinoid receptor CB1 in your brain. This receptor is responsible for making your body crave certain foods, so when it’s activated, you want to eat more of them.
It also can make you think you’re hungry even if you’ve eaten recently, which can lead to overeating. The good news is that you can manage this effect by eating healthy snacks and drinking a lot of water.
Although a small number of studies have found that cannabis can cause weight gain, these results aren’t conclusive. In fact, a study in mice has shown that cannabis can actually cause weight loss. However, this was done on mice rather than humans, so researchers have no idea if it would be the same for human users.
A growing body of evidence suggests that cannabinoids in marijuana affect your appetite and metabolism, which can lead to weight gain. This is particularly the case in some clinical populations, such as HIV-positive patients and cancer patients.
It’s also important to note that there are some strains and forms of administration that have been found to have more or less appetite-boosting effects based on your diet, so it’s essential to speak with a physician to learn which type of cannabis is best for you. In particular, CBD-rich cannabis can help with appetite in low-weight individuals.
Decreased Appetite
A loss of appetite can be a sign of several things. It may be a symptom of depression, drug or alcohol use, or an eating disorder. If you have a history of loss of appetite, it’s important to seek medical attention right away.
The type of cannabis you consume can play a role in how it affects your appetite and weight. It’s best to consult with a functional medicine physician to discuss what strains, forms of administration, cannabinoids and terpenes produce particular effects based on your diet.
Many people find that smoking marijuana helps them to feel fuller and eat less. This is likely because the drug can ease anxiety and make people more relaxed. It also helps to reduce stress and pain, two major contributors to overeating.
Studies have shown that young adults who smoke weed tend to have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than those who don’t. In addition, using marijuana can reduce the amount of calories consumed from alcoholic drinks.
However, some people who smoke weed may still be overweight or obese. This could be because they eat a lot of high-calorie foods and drink a lot of alcoholic beverages.
This could lead to an increased risk of obesity and heart disease, but it’s not clear if that’s due to the cannabis or another factor. Researchers have found that using cannabis can help people with chronic pain to relax and eat less, which in turn may help them to lose weight.
According to one study, smoked cannabis has an effect on appetite similar to that of an anti-epileptic medication called fenfluramine. It is possible that this might be because fenfluramine activates the same parts of the brain as THC.
Other research has shown that cannabis can boost food intake in patients with HIV and AIDS. It may also increase the appetite of people suffering from wasting syndrome, or cachexia. This condition can result in malnutrition, which may be fatal if not treated.
There are a number of medications that are used to treat these conditions. Dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros) and nabilone (Cesamet) are drugs that have been approved by the FDA for this purpose. These are oral medications that contain synthetic versions of a number of compounds found in cannabis. These include
Increased Calories
The effects of cannabis on appetite and weight can vary based on how you consume it. You can use marijuana in a variety of ways, including smoking, vaping or dabbing, eating edibles or tinctures, or by injecting it into your system through an implant.
Some people can gain a few pounds while using cannabis, but the good news is that this isn’t a direct cause of obesity. It is possible that some people may simply have a tendency to overeat while high, particularly if they don’t exercise much and don’t eat healthy foods.
One study from more than 20 years ago found that smokers consumed about 40 percent more calories each day than non-smokers, and the majority of those calories came from junk food like candy bars and potato chips. Moreover, a recent study found that cannabis users were less likely to have a higher body mass index than non-users, but they also had a higher calorie intake.
Other research shows that marijuana can suppress appetite, which can make it easier for people to lose weight. This is because cannabinoids can influence neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin, as well as hormones that regulate appetite.
The endocannabinoid system regulates many important functions in the body, from memory to pain, but it also plays a role in regulating appetite. Its receptors can be overactive in some conditions, which can lead to obesity and elevated fat levels.
According to a study on obese mice, a cannabinoid compound called THCV blocks this receptor, and this reduces the mice’s weight and their levels of fat. It’s a small effect, but it might be the reason that cannabis can be so effective in helping people to lose weight.
Another possibility is that cannabis is an effective appetite stimulant for people who are unable to eat, including cancer patients or those with eating disorders. The drug is also known to help some people sleep better, which can improve their ability to control their hunger.
The best way to know for sure if cannabis is affecting your weight is to consult a doctor or nutritionist. A health professional can also help you identify if there are any other potential problems with your diet that might be causing your weight to fluctuate.
Decreased Calories
Cannabis can affect a person’s appetite in many ways. Some people have more energy after using cannabis than before, and others may have a decreased appetite. There’s also a growing body of evidence that suggests that cannabis can help patients lose weight.
The effects of cannabis on appetite are varied from one person to another, and can depend on how much is taken and how often it’s used. Those who use cannabis regularly can expect to experience the munchies, or what some people call the “stoner’s munchies,” which is a feeling of hunger that lasts up to an hour after smoking marijuana.
Researchers have found that short exposure to vaporised cannabis in rats stimulated appetite circuits in the brain, leading to increased food intake even when the rats had recently eaten. The researchers believe that the effect is due to cannabinoids tricking the brain into a “hunger mode” so that it can process information about hunger and satiation.
This type of effect is similar to the way that opiates and other drugs that are absorbed into the bloodstream can also trigger appetite. However, THC is not the only cannabinoid that can have this effect.
There’s also a compound called cannabigerol (CBG) that can have the same effect. This is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that doesn’t have the same intoxicating properties as THC, so it may be more effective at stimulating appetite without the high.
While the exact mechanism behind the effects of cannabis on appetite and weight is still unknown, it appears that THC reduces the negative effects of an elevated ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids in the American diet. Those who eat a diet that’s too high in omega-6 fatty acids can have increased rates of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
In addition, THC has been shown to reduce the amount of fat stored in the body. It can also increase satiety, making you feel fuller after eating.
While research is ongoing, the scientific consensus seems to be that cannabis can be an effective way to promote weight loss and lower the risk of obesity and diabetes in people who are at high risk. Chronic users of cannabis appear to lose more weight than those who stop using the drug, although this is not always consistent. It’s important to remember that if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s best to consult with your doctor before starting any new treatment.
