In recent years, we’ve heard much about our metabolisms, how to “speed them up” and how it can contribute to weight loss or healthy living. We all know and love the popular benefits that cannabis can give us, but guess what? It turns out cannabis may be yet another way to help speed up our metabolisms. It just keeps getting better!
Cannabis as a Metabolism Booster?
Metabolism is simply the amount of energy and calories your body needs to function well. As research on cannabis, CBD, and other THC products starts to increase, so does what we know about the benefits of using them. In recent years, there has been some evidence that shows that smoked marijuana (cannabis) has a stimulatory effect on metabolism and ventilatory rates, meaning that it speeds them up. In layman's terms, that means you are increasing the amount of energy your body burns at rest and during activity while also increasing the amount of oxygen you are taking in and CO2 that you are filtering out. Other products like CBD have also been shown to reduce food intake and boost metabolism - which means that in multiple forms, cannabis use may give you a quick jolt in the metabolic department. Of course, much more research needs to be done on the topic, but if cannabis functions as a metabolism stimulant, this could explain why we feel starving while using cannabis and why we don't always gain weight even after multiple run-ins with the munchies.
Why Does Weed Make You Hungry?
The age old question - what is the deal with the weed munchies? Why am I always starving after smoking? We all know that friend (or maybe it’s you) that eats an entire family-sized bag of doritos after they smoked or took an edible. According to PBS, there actually IS a scientific reason why we get the munchies from using cannabis. Our bodies release different hormones to signal when we are hungry and when we are full. When cannabis is introduced into the body, it actually stimulates the brain to release the hunger hormone, even if you are completely full or just ate. Basically, your brain is prompted to say, bring on the Taco Bell, please!
In a weird twist of fate though, CBD products actually typically suppress appetite and hunger, reducing food intake, so it's unlikely you'll be feeling starving after a CBD gummy. While neither should be used solely as a weight maintenance or loss strategy, it is always good to know how these products will interact in and with our bodies.
More Metabolism-Boosting Tips
Because we are all unique, so is everyone’s specific metabolic rate, and different things may work better or worse for you than for your buddy. If you're a cannabis user, you may already be on the right track based on what we just learned above, but there are also easy lifestyle changes that can help boost metabolism. These changes include:
- Exercise More / Weight Train - This increases muscle mass, which in turn creates increased fat burning mechanisms in the body.
- Increase Sleep Quality / Quantity - This helps your body and brain repair and recover, which is critical for a healthy metabolism.
- Don't Skip Breakfast - You burn calories by digesting, and you need to fuel your body for the day! Keep it balanced and low on sugar.
- Eat More Protein - Protein is a fat-burning compound that fuels your muscles and helps burn off excess fat in the body.
Metabolism speed and function can be based on many things, to include your genetic makeup and the unique chemistry of your body, but these few tips may help you give it a nudge in the right direction - on top of our nifty friend called cannabis.
