Does using CBD oil lead to weight gain?
Let's start with the key question: does CBD oil make you gain weight? The short answer is: in most cases not, but it is possible. A study from 2018 show this nicely. Of the 2409 people who took CBD, 153 (6,35%) reported feeling like they had gained weight. This means that more than nine out of ten people indicated that they did not gain weight or lost weight after taking CBD.
More often the other way around: CBD leads to weight loss
A overview study from 2022, which reviewed eleven studies on the effects of CBD on appetite and weight, confirms this picture. Most studies show a correlation between CBD and weight loss, which indicates that CBD actually leads to weight loss more often than weight gain.
Possible causes of gaining weight when using CBD
It is of course special that a substance such as CBD has opposite effects on different people. Yet that is not very strange, because people are different and everyone has its own CBD routine and responds differently to CBD. The following mechanisms probably play a role in whether you will gain weight when using CBD oil.
Eating more due to less stress
CBD is known to reduce stress and therefore sleep also improves. There is a good chance that you will also experience less stress when you regularly take CBD. What less stress does to your weight depends on how you respond to stress in this regard. Are you someone who deals with your stress by eating extra food? Then there is a good chance that your appetite will decrease due to CBD and that you will therefore lose weight. Are you someone who eats less due to stress? Then CBD can help you regain your appetite, which can eventually cause weight gain.
Less exercise due to less stress
Just as stress promotes the appetite of one person and inhibits it in another, stress also affects your exercise pattern. Are you someone who cannot sit still for a second due to stress and is therefore always pacing back and forth? Or, for example, are you always busy with household chores just to have something to do? Then there is a good chance that you will be able to find peace and sit still after taking CBD. As a result, you may gain some weight by exercising less.
More appetite due to high doses of full spectrum CBD
A third reason why people gain weight when regularly taking a large dose of CBD oil is that they are hypersensitive to THC. In this case, even a very low THC content of 0,05% is possible full spectrum CBD oil make you want to eat and taste more. Do you regularly take a high dose of full spectrum CBD and do you notice that it makes you feel like eating? Then give it a try broad-spectrum CBD instead of full spectrum. This is because it is free of THC.
Myth: CBD slows down metabolism
Then there is another theory that CBD slows down your metabolism, which is why you gain weight. This is really a myth. CBD ensures that digestion is restored to balance, which actually accelerates metabolism. Laboratory animal research from 2017 shows that CBD acts on certain receptors in the brain that accelerate digestion, which can help with a disease such as obesity.
Tips for maintaining weight when using CBD
Do you want to start taking CBD and are you afraid of gaining weight? Or do you notice that CBD oil leads to weight gain for you? Then use these tips to maintain a healthy weight:
- Try to stick to a regular diet and avoid snacks.
- Exercise regularly. Do you notice that CBD makes you calmer and that you exercise less? Then try to exercise once or twice a week, for example by taking a long walk or exercising.
- Consider broad spectrum CBD instead of full spectrum if you notice that you feel hungry within an hour of taking the CBD oil.
Finally, remember that weight gain due to CBD oil does not necessarily have to be a problem. Particularly if you have eaten too little due to stress and are unable to rest properly, there is a good chance that your fat percentage is actually very low. A few extra kilos will actually make your body healthier.
