Much like CrossFit and banana bread, everybody is hopping on the trend of using CBD to deal with some common issues. CBD is seen as a healthier alternative to allopathic medication for stress, loss of appetite, and chronic pain.
CBD is being actively studied by several government bodies such as the FDA and has even been approved for use in one prescription drug! Despite all the hype around the substance, a lot of people aren’t really aware of the effects.
There are a lot of studies and experiments being conducted to fully understand the substance. We may not know the full potential of CBD, but questions like ‘does CBD make you hungry?’ definitely have answers!
Read on to find out more!
Does CBD Make You Hungry?
People have a lot of doubts regarding CBD, but one of the most popular is if CBD makes you hungry? The question pops up because of the commonly seen effect of marijuana, the munchies. So let’s dive in. Does CBD make you hungry?
The effect is common knowledge; it’s plastered across pop-culture. Even someone who has never touched marijuana in their lives is aware of this side-effect!
To associate CBD with hunger is a perfectly reasonable conclusion. Most people are aware that marijuana contains hundreds of compounds, and the two most well-known are THC and CBD. Less common knowledge is that THC is responsible for the most well-known effects of marijuana, including the munchies!
THC is the cannabinoid in marijuana that gets you high. Along with the high comes hunger, fatigue, and dry mouth. CBD is not the compound responsible for the high, but it does have some incredible effects. When consumed in isolation, CBD does not get you high. It also does not directly affect appetite.
It’s alright to be slightly confused at this point. The question ‘does CBD make you hungry’ is a slightly convoluted one. CBD as a compound does not trigger hunger as THC would. Unlike THC, CBD reduces any nausea or pain, making you feel like you could eat. Better put, you could say CBD increases your appetite but does not trigger hunger.
When you’re struck by a terrible bout of nausea or incredible amounts of pain, you’re unlikely to want to eat. Even favorite foods become unappealing in the face of such issues. When the symptoms are reduced, you’re bound to be more inclined to eat. This is exactly how CBD indirectly affects hunger!
Does CBD Affect Your Weight?
All this talk of hunger can only lead to more questions, the main one being about weight. In all its forms, CBD is such a trend because of the number of people starting to care more about their health and fitness. Not to sound invalidating, but CBD is the new keto!
With CBD being used for such purposes and lauded as the best thing for your fitness journey, it’s only natural that everyone wants to know how CBD can affect weight! The answer to the question ‘does CBD make you hungry?’ has already been answered; unfortunately, the effect on weight is just as vague.
Weight Gain
When it comes to weight gain, marijuana is lauded as a cure. Smoking weed leads to increased appetite, which will, in turn, lead to weight gain. Unfortunately, it isn’t as simple with CBD isolates. The substance has not been conclusively proven to induce weight gain.
In saying this, CBD is often used to increase appetite, which will eventually lead to weight gain. You might be thinking, ‘the answer to the question, does CBD make you hungry was both yes and no, so does this mean CBD may or may not induce weight gain?’
In thinking this, you are right. It can definitely improve your appetite, but it does not directly affect your weight gain.
Weight Loss
If a substance does not induce weight gain, can it at least trigger weight loss? Well, we’re sorry to disappoint, but the answer here is just as vague. CBD is not proven to trigger or make weight loss faster. What we know about CBD suggests that it increases metabolism rates, so it can definitely aid you on your weight loss journey.
Using CBD as a part of a routine could be beneficial and have positive effects, one of which is weight loss. A bigger part of weight loss is proper diet and exercise; CBD isn’t a quick snap way of losing weight.
What Does CBD Do?
Much like the question ‘does CBD make you hungry,’ people have lots of questions about what the substance actually does. Many are looking toward CBD as the new, all-natural way to deal with symptoms of disorders and diseases without bringing allopathic medicine into the treatment plan.
So, what can CBD help with?
Anxiety
The unique selling point of CBD is its relaxing properties. Much like marijuana, CBD is meant to relax you and keep you calm, cool, and collected through the day. Particularly, the substance is meant to help those with anxiety issues.
CBD isn’t meant to cure the person of their anxiety rather help manage the symptoms. CBD’s relaxing properties can help reduce tension and overthinking and help a person remain calm despite the situation.
This property is also what helps people eat or not eat. When people are anxious, they will either eat excessively or not eat. When a person is calm, the urge to binge eat or go without food isn’t present!
Pain Relief
Another popular use of CBD is pain relief. Admittedly this is a much more popular use of the substance. Like THC, CBD has a lot of pain-relieving properties and helps people dealing with all kinds of pain. This ranges from simple body aches to chronic pain conditions.
Excessive pain can come with effects such as nausea, lack of appetite, and much more. In such cases CBD can help greatly. Like mentioned before, CBD doesn’t target the main cause of pain but rather dulls the pain itself to a manageable point. Those with chronic pain conditions especially benefit from CBD in any form.
In a situation where a person is in excessive amounts of pain, the answer to the question ‘does CBD make you hungry?’ is a resounding yes.
Are There Any Side Effects?
Does CBD make you hungry? Well, we know the answer to this. We also know what CBD can help with, but we don’t know about the side effects. No treatment on earth does not have a single side effect, and CBD is no exception.
Fatigue
The main characteristic of CBD is relaxation. With relaxation comes sleepiness and fatigue. When you initially start to use CBD in your daily life, the drowsiness can be slightly inconvenient. Over time you start to get used to the effects. You can easily combat any fatigue and drowsiness that comes with CBD usage.
Too large dosage can also cause extreme fatigue. When measuring out your CBD, make sure to do so according to your body weight. Too much can make you sleepy and tired or, in some extreme cases, cause liver toxicity.
Weight Changes
CBD is said to affect your metabolism rates. In simple terms, when combined with a healthy diet and exercise, CBD can lead to weight loss. Without the CBD increasing metabolism rates, you might see a little fluctuation in your weight.
More likely than weight loss is going to be weight gain. CBD is more likely to help you build up a healthy appetite. Without the CBD, you may find yourself eating a lot lesser, leading to fluctuations in your weight once more.
A common misconception is that discontinued use of CBD will cause withdrawal symptoms; this is not the case. CBD does not cause any untoward symptoms with no use, but there can be fatigue and appetite changes.
It is also important to put out a quick notice that CBD has only been approved for usage in one prescription drug.
When you’re planning on using CBD, it is better to speak to a doctor, especially if you’re taking other medication at the moment. There is no conclusive evidence about how CBD reacts to other medications.
How Do You Use CBD?
With all this talk of ‘does CBD make you hungry?’ and ‘what can CBD do for you?’ we now get to how to actually use CBD!
There are several methods and forms of CBD that you can use. Each one offers the same effects but has different strengths; depending on your requirement and accessibility, you can choose how you consume CBD.
Oil
CBD Oils are the most common versions of CBD. CBD oil comes in tinctures that you can orally consume. The tinctures come with a dropper that you can use to measure out your dosage. You can either just directly consume the oil or mix it in with your food.
Vaping
Vaping or smoking the CBD is the quickest way to feel the effects. When you vape CBD, it gets absorbed by your bloodstream directly. For those with breathing difficulties or lung issues, this may not be the best method.
Edibles
CBD Edibles are similar to CBD oil in that they are both consumed orally. CBD edibles are very similar to regular marijuana edibles. They are infused with CBD oils and can be consumed through food. They also come as gummies!
The edibles take a long time to show any effect. Since they have to be digested and then absorbed into the bloodstream, they are probably the slowest way to use CBD.
Lotions
CBD infused lotions and creams are very popular on the market. The idea is that the skin soaks in the CBD and deals with any issues directly. You can find these popularly marketed toward women and athletes.
To Sum Up
To conclusively answer the question ‘does CBD make you hungry?’, both yes and no. CBD indirectly affects appetite, weight gain, and weight loss; however, there is no direct correlation that has been seen yet.
When used correctly, CBD can be an incredible addition to your daily routine with basically no proven side effects. While it may seem too ‘hippy,’ CBD’s effects are just too wonderful to pass up!
