It’s common knowledge these days that the THC in the hemp plant affects your metabolism by increasing appetite, causing one to get those snack attacks, aka: the munchies. However, it turns out that the non-psychoactive part of the hemp plant (CBD) may affect our metabolism in a quite different way!
If you’re not familiar with CBD and what it is, I suggest reading THIS POST first…if you are familiar, read on!
How CBD affects your metabolism
There’s now research to support that CBD does indeed have a direct effect on our metabolism. In a 2016 study researchers carefully monitored CBD and its effects on immature fat cells (preadipocytes). They surprisingly found that the cannabinoid had three ways of effecting “fat browning“.
Not only did they discover how CBD played a role in the breakdown of fat, but also how it can boost the number and activity of mitochondria (increasing the body’s power to burn calories) as well as reducing the production of proteins involved in creating new fat cells within the body. Kinda crazy!
While many believe that white fat can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, etc., on the contrary, brown fat can potentially promote weight loss by burning energy. Researchers agreed by the end of the study that CBD has the ability to induce “fat browning” as mentioned above. Now if you know me by now and follow me on my Instagram, I am not about “weight loss” or “calorie burning”….however, I am about being healthy. So this may be helpful for those obese and needing to drop a few lbs FOR THEIR HEALTH, and for their health only.
How CBD affects the gut
But health is so important! I always say, “it all starts in the gut” and many have heard the term and idea that out gut is our “second brain.” Have acne? Most likely you can heal it by healing your gut. Have a sickness or the flu? The underlying matter may be in your gut! Why? The gut is the center and “home” to so many other areas in your body. Think of it as the root, and all areas of your body are connected and branch out from the center. So having a healthy gut is essential for good health. There are many foods that contribute to gut health, and CBD may be one of them!
A paper published within the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research declares that cannabis has been used for ages to treat a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. The endocannabinoid system is pointed out in the article as a participant of the gastrointestinal function, gut motility, gut-brain-mediated fat intake and hunger signalling, inflammation, and dynamic interactions with gut microbiota.
Leaky Gut
Ever heard of Leaky Gut? I had it! Thankfully not anymore and it took a while for me to get over it (this was before my exposure and discovery to CBD).
The gut is lined by a barrier of epithelial cells that are linked together by tight junction proteins. These tight junctions are a doorway between your gut and your bloodstream, controlling what passes between them. They allow nutrients to pass through, whilst preventing harmful substances from breaching the gut.
In cases of leaky gut, the tight junctions become increasingly porous and allow access to harmful bacteria and pathogens. This can result in not only an inflamed body, but opens up doors to easily getting sick, catching anything and everything that comes your way. The causes of leaky gut are many, from chronic stress to poor diet and toxin overload. There’s no one reason a person can attain leaky gut, but an imbalance in the gut microbiota can also be a cause of the condition.
CBD may be the answer to decreasing the permeability at tight junctions. The Advanced Research in Gastroenterology & Hepatology published a paper stating that CBD has been shown to directly restore endothelial membrane permeability. Therefore, the cannabinoid may help restore the epithelial integrity of tight junctions! Kinda cool!
IBS
I initially started taking CBD for my IBS and to help reduce inflammation in the gut. It’s known to relax the intestinal muscles as well as block gastrointestinal mechanisms that produce stomach pain associated with IBS.
This study on potential applications against gastrointestinal diseases revealed, that cannabis reduced spontaneous intestinal movements and alleviated both colonic spasms and abdominal pain. A 2004 study indicates there is strong evidence for cannabinoid treatments in managing bowel diseases thanks both to cannabis’ ability to reduce nerve pain as well as its anti-inflammatory properties.
While many irritable bowel syndrome patients take probiotic food supplements, the research on human microbiome is still at its beginning. I found this study (on rats) interesting, which reveals presence of the good bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus in the gut increased the amount of cannabinoid and opioid receptors, resulting in a decreased pain.
The endocannabinoid system plays a role in a wide range of functions, including appetite, digestion, immune regulation, mood, sleep, reproduction, and pain. Ethan Russo has theorized in this study that people with IBS might lack endocannabinoids. And in this clinical study it suggests that cannabinoid treatments can lower sensitivity and inflammation in patients with gastrointestinal disorders.
All this of course is not the ONLY answer to restoring your gut so please keep in mind that CBD is an aid, not the answer. The certain CBD products I currently use are listed under “CBD Products” in my Products I Love section.
If you have any questions or just want to share your thoughts, I would love to hear them HERE on THIS POST. I will only be responding to comment on Instagram for the sake of simplicity on my end. Hope to see you there!
