Cannabidiol, better known as CBD is one of the newest prescription medications approved by the US government for use as a treatment for six specific, life-threatening and fatal diseases. The list of diseases for which cannabidiol has been approved includes: seizures in children, AIDS, cancer, parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration and multiple sclerosis. This powerful new drug, which has been shown to effectively relieve pain and appetite in people with glaucoma, is one of the best bets for treating diseases that affect the nervous system. And, it may very well be responsible for the amazing success of marijuana as a medicinal, or maybe even alternative medicine.
The first of cannabidiol studies was done at the University of California, San Francisco, where Dr. Michael J. Bloomfield, M.D., was looking at the effect of cannabidiol on appetite. In the study, test subjects were given doses of cannabidiol either orally or intravenously. In the oral dose, patients lost an average of five pounds in two months. However, in the intravenous dose, there was no significant weight loss. Other studies have shown a decrease in appetite that lasted at least three months in some test subjects.
The next of cannabidiol studies was conducted at the University of Connecticut, where Dr. Steven Laviolette, decided to double the number of the rats used in his previous study. His intention was to see if the anti-nausea effect was the same when the rats were given extra doses of cannabidiol. In this particular experiment, Dr. Laviolette gave three sets of rats oral doses of cannabidiol and, at the same time, monitored their activity. What he found was that the amount of time that the rats spent inactive did rise. However, this didn’t translate into an obvious weight loss, meaning that more work remained to be done in the area of appetite suppression.
The last of the Cannabidiol studies was performed at the University of Miami, by David Katz. Dr. Katz gave half of ten male mice regular doses of cannabidiol and tracked their activity for one month. He found that the mice spent less time moving than the controls. This could mean that the amount of time spent inactivity may not be a problem; instead it could mean that the mice are simply not interested in moving. In any case, Katz believes that further study is needed to confirm that cannabidiol is an appetite suppressant.
Of course, even if cannabidiol is truly as appetite suppressing as its marketers claim, this alone does not prove that this drug holds the promise of weight loss. Another important fact that’s missing from most of the Cannabidiol research is the impact of other factors on weight gain. While cannabidiol reduces appetite, many other nutrients and drugs are also needing to get our bodies to a stable weight. Therefore, it’s important to understand how we could lose weight alongside cannabidiol.
One such study, performed at the University of Rhode Island, would seem to indicate that a chemical found in grape skins could have some positive weight loss effects. The scientists administered a chemical, resveratrol, to nine groups of volunteers. Seven of these groups showed an improvement in blood flow, a reduction of fat and fatty tissue, an increase in muscle mass and an increase in glucose levels. These results could only be tested in humans, but it shows promise in the field of anti-aging research.
While the results were promising, the researchers warn that further research is needed to determine whether resveratrol can help us lose weight. If further studies confirm that it could, the benefits of resveratrol could go well beyond mere weight loss. Resveratrol has also been shown to help prevent certain diseases and stimulate the immune system. Further research could possibly lead to the identification of other potential health benefits of resveratrol.
As mentioned earlier, cannabidiol and resveratrol work in different ways. It has been studied to see how each ingredient affects glucose levels and how the two interact together. Scientists don’t know whether or not the combination of these two substances could produce the kind of health benefits that we’re looking for. For now, we’ve got our fingers crossed that we find an easy way to reduce our appetites and get to our weight loss goals. In the meantime, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the next anti-aging discovery does show positive results!
