Cannabis could reduce obesity accordingly to a recent study promoted by Canadian reseachers. In this study some mice were fed in laboratory with a high fat diet. Those mice fed with a daily dose of THC increased less weight than those who were fed without that dose. The study results show that cannabis could have a protector effect over high levels of intestinal microbes associated with obesity.
During last decades many studies had demonstrated a highlight role of endocannabinoid system in obesisty developement. The typical reaction of munchies after marijuana consume used to make people think that cannnabis made you increase your weight. While all people are different, a study made in 2011, found that cannabis consumers were less likely to increase weight, one of the first indicators about cannabis role in body weight is more complex that what it seems.
A recent study, provided by Calgary University, and Canadian Center for Addiction and Mental Care proves that exist a true relationship between body weight, cannabis consume, and different organisms alive in your intestine. Researchers fed muce with different types of diet (one more soft and another fat enriched), and injected THC daily (equal dose to smoke to joints) or placebo, along 6 weeks.
Those mice fed with a soft diet (13% of fat calories) didn't increase weight, wether THC was injected or not. Mice fed with a strong fat diet (45% of calories derived from fat) increased 4 grams of weight ( a 20% of its body weight). On the other side, those mice fed with a high-rate fat diet who toke THC daily didn't increased its weight at the end of the trial.
During this study scientist also monitored changes in mice's intestinal flora(beneficial microorganisms simbiotic that live in the intestine that play a key role in digest, inmunity and obesity. While intestines of obessed mice have a firmicutes relative to bacterial microbes, this study found that daily feeding of THC kept that ratio under control in a high-fat diet in mice, also preventing the weight increase. Interestingly THC increased other microbes levels, Akkermansia muciniphila, in mice fed with high-rate fat diet, but didn't in those mice following a healthy and soft diet, highlighting the complex of factors in play.
Results of study with cannabis
The study theorizes that THC could be interacting with intestine microbes in a way that prevents the weight increase. Obese individuals have bigger amounts of endocannabinoids in their intestines, and degrading enzyms. Cells in certain tissues of body produce endocannabinoids like anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), wich active endocannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) that act as appetite regulators, body temperature and pain-sensation.
High levels of endocannabinoids in the intestines of obese individuals showed to the researchers that an antagonist cannabinoid receptor, with oposite effects to an agonist, could reverse the effects of obessity. Tests for rimbonant, a CB1 antagonist receptor, were initially successful causing weight loss, but depriving the body of natural cannabinoid receptor activation had negative effects including depression and suicide. Rimbonant was never aproved by FDA, and was only on sale in Europe for three years before withdrawn.
THC, on the other hand, is a partial agonist of both cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Its unique effects on the body can not be equated to full agonists like powerful ingredients in synthetic cannabis, wich can cause psychiatric events, seizures, coma, organ failure, etc. Calgary researchers believe this partial agonist activity of THC has some role modulating gut flora, and gut permeability. Their results are certainly promising.
Source:
Imbalanced Digestive Bacteria Cause Obesity & Heart Disease
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