Does using CBD oil lead to weight gain?
To start right off with the key question: does CBD oil make you gain weight? The short answer is: not in most cases, but it can. A 2018 study shows this nicely. Of the 2409 people who participated and took CBD, 153 (6.35%) reported that they felt they had gained weight. So that means that over nine in 10 people reported not gaining weight after taking CBD or actually falling off.
More often the other way around: CBD leads to weight loss
A 2022 review study that reviewed 11 studies on the effects of CBD on appetite and weight confirms this view. Most studies show a correlation between CBD and weight reduction, indicating that CBD actually leads to weight reduction more often than weight gain.
Possible causes of gaining weight when using CBD
Of course, it is extraordinary that a drug like CBD has opposite effects in different people. Yet this is not very strange, because people are different and everyone has their own CBD routine and reacts differently to CBD. Probably the following mechanisms play a role in whether you will gain weight when using CBD oil.
Eating more through less stress
CBD is known to reduce stress and thereby also improve sleep. So chances are that you too will experience less stress when you take CBD regularly. What less stress does to your weight depends on how you react to stress in this regard. Are you someone who deals with your stress by eating extra much? If so, CBD is likely to decrease your appetite and make you lose weight. Are you someone who eats less due to stress? If so, CBD can cause you to regain your appetite, which can eventually cause weight gain.
Moving less due to less stress
Just as stress promotes appetite in some people and inhibits it in others, stress also affects your exercise habits. Are you someone who cannot sit still for a second because of stress and is always pacing back and forth? Or are you always busy with household chores just to have something to do? Then there is a pretty good chance that after taking CBD you will be able to find rest and sit still. Consequently, moving less can help you gain some weight.
Increased appetite due to high dose 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 0.05% content of THC in full spectrum CBD oil can cause you to get more cravings for food and flavors. Do you regularly take a high dose of full spectrum CBD and notice that it makes you feel like eating a lot? Then try broad spectrum CBD instead of full spectrum. After all, this one is free of THC.
Myth: CBD causes slower metabolism
Then there is also a theory that says CBD causes your metabolism to slow down, and that this is the reason you gain weight. This is really a myth. CBD actually causes digestion to rebalance, which actually speeds up metabolism. Experimental animal research from 2017 shows that CBD acts on certain receptors in the brain that cause digestion to speed up, which can help with a disease like obesity.
Tips for staying on weight when using CBD
Do you want to start taking CBD and are afraid of gaining weight? Or are you noticing that CBD oil is causing you to gain weight? Then use these tips to stay at a healthy weight:
- Try to maintain a steady eating pattern and avoid snacks in between meals.
- Exercise regularly. Do you notice that CBD makes you calmer and less active? Then try to get extra exercise once or twice a week by going for a long walk or exercising, for example.
- Consider broad spectrum CBD instead of full spectrum if you notice you get cravings within an hour of taking the CBD oil.
Finally, remember that weight gain due to CBD oil is not necessarily a problem. Especially when you have been undereating due to stress and cannot find your rest well, chances are that your fat percentage is actually very low. A few extra pounds will actually make your body healthier.
