Frequent Pot Users Slimmer than Non-Users, Mouse Study Suggests

If you want to lose weight and get a beach body by this summer, try consuming marijuana often.

Frequent cannabis consumers may have lower body mass index (BMI) and be leaner than non-consumers, data from a new mouse model study suggests. While a bite can induce appetite in the short term, the overall effects of frequent cannabis use suggest something bigger is at play.

the study, “Adolescent exposure to low-dose THC disrupts energy balance and adipose organ homeostasis in adulthoodwas published in this magazine on June 1. cell metabolism and was announced in press release. The researchers initially set out to measure BMI levels, but noted that few other observations could explain the overall effects of cannabis.

As usual, studies were limited to mouse models, given US legal constraints. The researchers observed adolescent male and female mice who were given THC (5 mg/kg) he once daily. They found that THC-exposed male and female mice gained significantly less weight than control mice. The researchers ruled out nearly all other possible factors. Subsequent analyzes focused on males showed that this effect was not attributable to changes in growth rate, head length, tail length, femur length and weight, motor activity, food intake, or nutrients. was shown. absorption.

One study author said that thinking of cannabis only as a psychoactive substance is one-sided.

“We often think of cannabis only as a psychotropic drug,” he said. Dr. Daniele PiomeliDirector of the UCI Center for Cannabis Research, Louise Turner-Arnold Professor of Neuroscience, Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the UCI School of Medicine.

She continued: “But its effects go far beyond the brain. Its main ingredient, THC, mimics a group of chemical messengers called endocannabinoids that regulate vital functions throughout the body. Our results show that , showing that interference with endocannabinoid signaling in adolescence can permanently disrupt adipose organ function, with far-reaching effects on physical and mental health.”

The study showed that frequent consumers had lower BMIs, but in teenagers, especially those whose bodies were still developing, changes in metabolism that could contribute to several unknown factors. It also points out that observed

The researchers also noticed a few other things. THC-fed mice were partially tolerant to obesity and hyperglycemia, but had higher-than-normal body temperature and were unable to mobilize fuel from stored fat. Some of these traits are also evident in humans who frequently use cannabis, the researchers said.

Cells from THC-treated mice appeared normal under the microscope, but produced large amounts of muscle protein in fat. (They shouldn’t be there.) On the other hand, we observed fewer of the same proteins in muscle.

Although it is still too early to confirm, the researchers speculated that these “alien” proteins may interfere with the function of fat cells and their ability to store and release nutrients. They speculated that these changes could affect mental processes such as attention.

After all, there is always evidence that smokers are thinner, and the data is abundant.

“Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies consistently report lower BMI in healthy cannabis users compared to nonusers, and furthermore, cannabis use and BMI, waist circumference, and other cardiometabolic risk factors also reported an inverse correlation with ,” said the study, reported by 16 sources. Quoted.

In 2017, longitudinal study Danish researchers have shattered the long-standing myth that smoking cannabis makes you gain weight.

This study was funded primarily by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).