Category Archives: Diabetes

Study: Why Pot Smokers Are Skinnier

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“Marijuana users had smaller waists and scored higher across several measures of blood sugar regulation.”
 
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“”Marijuana use is associated with an acute increase in caloric intake,” goes the clinical jargon for popular lore. Still despite eating more while high (by some measures, over 600 extra calories per day), marijuana users’ extra intake doesn’t seem to be reflected in increased BMI. Indeed, studies have identified a reduced prevalence of obesity in the pot smoking community…
 

IMPLICATIONS: Although they’re not sure exactly how it happens, write the authors, these findings suggest that marijuana somehow works to improve insulin control, regulating body weight and perhaps explaining why marijuana users have a lower incidence of diabetes. Adding to the big questions — “can weed can treat obesity?” and “marijuana makes you skinny?!” — is the possibility that marijuana might be useful in helping people to manage their blood sugar.”

Read more: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/study-why-pot-smokers-are-skinnier/275846/

Regular Marijuana Users May Be Skinnier, Have Better Blood Sugar Control: Study

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“People who regularly smoke marijuana may have better control of their blood sugar and may be skinnier than non-marijuana users, according to a new study.”

Marijuana Users Skinnier
 
“The research, published in the American Journal of Medicine, shows that people who reported regularly using marijuana had a lower risk of insulin resistance and had lower fasting insulin levels, compared with people who never used marijuana. Researchers also found an association between using marijuana and having a smaller waist circumference and higher levels of “good” HDL cholesterol, compared with non-users. The research was conducted by scientists from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the University of Nebraska and the Harvard School of Public Health.”
 
 

The Marijuana Diet? Scientists find link between pot smoking and weight loss

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“Low levels of insulin associated with users of marijuana. Vast ramifications seen.”

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“Smoking refer can help you better metabolize fats and carbs.

Go ahead, take another toke — the munchies don’t make you fat.

That’s the conclusion of a report published in the American Journal of Medicine, which found a strong correlation between marijuana use and a smaller waistband.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Nebraska, Harvard and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, examined 4,657 adults, 579 of whom regularly smoked reefer.

“We found significant associations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumferences,” the researchers report.

Specifically, potheads had 16% lower levels of insulin than their non-smoking peers.

The hormone regulates metabolism of fat and carbs. The Atlantic noted that the findings perhaps explain why smokers of the wacky tobacky are less prone to diabetes.

Even people who had smoked weed in the past but did not currently puff showed similar, though less striking, results.”

 http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/smoke-pot-thin-article-1.1345812

Smoking marijuana linked to lower diabetes risk in study – CBS News

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A man smokes marijuana on the official opening night of Club 64, a marijuana-specific social club, where a New Year's Eve party was held, in Denver, on Dec. 31, 2012

“You may have heard that marijuana smokers get hungry after using the drug, and the authors of a new study point out that marijuana users tend to take in more calories than their counterparts.

But, their study found that pot smokers aren’t any more likely to be obese than non-smokers. Equally surprising, the researchers found marijuana may actually be a tool in controlling blood sugar — and may be key in helping diabetics keep their condition in check.

The new study, which was published on May 15 in The American Journal of Medicine, showed that regular marijuana use was linked to significantly lower levels of fasting insulin. Smokers were also less likely to be insulin resistant, a condition where the body’s cells no longer respond to a hormone that controls carbohydrates and fat metabolism called insulin. High levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance could lead to diabetes.”

Read more:http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57584924/smoking-marijuana-linked-to-lower-diabetes-risk-in-study/

Could marijuana reduce diabetes risk? – Fox News

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“There’s an unexpected link between marijuana use and factors related to Type 2 diabetes that has medical researchers intrigued.”
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“Several studies have found that marijuana users take in more food calories than nonusers, but they still have lower rates of obesity and diabetes, and lower average body mass index (BMI) levels.

In a new study, researchers investigated what effects marijuana and its active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) might have on people’s metabolism, especially insulin levels.

Insulin resistance an important risk factor for diabetes is a metabolic disorder that occurs when the body’s cells cannot properly intake insulin. The American Heart Association estimates 35 percent of U.S. adults have metabolic disorders that include insulin resistance.

To examine the link between THC and metabolism, researchers gathered the results of 4,657 adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a cross-sectional study administered annually by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of the study’s participants, 579 were current marijuana users, 1,975 had used the drug in the past but not recently, and 2,103 had never tried marijuana. Researchers analyzed the participants’ fasting insulin levels, cholesterol levels, insulin resistance and waist sizes.

Multiple benefits seen”

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/05/16/could-marijuana-reduce-diabetes-risk/

Marijuana Helps Control Diabetes, Promotes Good Cholesterol, Leads to Lower Waist Size, and Lowers Bladder Cancer Risk, New Studies Show

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“Smoking marijuana has “remarkable” effect on diabetic problems and may lower risk of getting the disease, a study published on Wednesday states

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“This news comes a few days after a presentation at the annual conference of the American Urological Association that links heavy pot use to a much lower risk of bladder cancer…The more pot, the better: Researchers found that people who used marijuana more than 500 times a year were better off as far as bladder-cancer risk than those who used it infrequently.Whatever problems marijuana may cause, diabetes and bladder cancer apparently aren’t among them.”

 More: http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2013/05/marijuana_helps_control_diabet.php

Smoking cannabis could reduce the risk of diabetes by controlling blood sugar

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“People who regularly smoke cannabis may have a lower risk of developing diabetes, new research suggests.”
 
Marijuana users had significantly lower levels of the hormone insulin - indicating better blood sugar control“Marijuana users had significantly lower levels of the hormone insulin – indicating better blood sugar control… could pave the way for the development of treatments using the plant’s compound active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

Marijuana users had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than non-users.

They were also less likely to be insulin resistant and had smaller waists.

Previous research has found cannabis smokers are less likely to be obese.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2324743/Smoking-cannabis-reduce-risk-diabetes-controlling-blood-sugar.html 

Regular Cannabis Users ‘Have Better Blood Sugar Control’

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“People who regularly use cannabis have better blood sugar control than those who do not, providing implications for use of the drug in diabetic control.”

Cannabis users have lower blood sugar levels than non-users (Reuters)

“Research published in the American Journal of Medicine found current marijuana users are less likely to be insulin resistant and have significantly lower fasting insulin levels, even after patients with diabetes were excluded from the study. 

The ream found cannabis users’ fasting insulin levels were 16% lower than non-users…

Cannabis in becoming increasingly used for medical purposes, with the active ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) approved in the US as a treatment for the side effect of chemotherapy. It is legal for recreational use in two states and 19 for medical use.

The researchers looked at data obtained through the National Health and Nutrition Survey between 2005 and 2010.

They looked at questionnaires from 4,657 people, of which 579 were regular cannabis users, 1,975 had used marijuana but not regularly and 2,103 had never used the drug.

Insulin and glucose were measured through blood samples after a nine hour fast and insulin resistance was calculated.

The team found that people who had used cannabis in the last month had lower levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance and higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), which is associated with better cardiovascular health…”

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/467817/20130515/cannabis-marijuana-lower-blood-sugar-levels-diabetes.htm

Better Diabetic Control Seen In Marijuana Users

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“Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) has been used ritualistically for thousands of years and, for centuries, has been used as a way to relieve pain, improve mood and increase appetite. While several studies have given the wacky tobacky, as it is referred to by some, a bad rap, others have shown some positives. One such positive is the role marijuana may play in preventing PTSD symptoms from occurring. In another newly published paper, researchers have shown that regular marijuana may help with diabetes control.

Investigators from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, published a paper in the current issue of the The American Journal of Medicine detailing how marijuana users had significantly lower fasting insulin and were less likely to be insulin resistant than those who did not smoke the weed. The researchers noted that this remained true even after excluding patients who had a diagnosis of diabetes…

For the current study, the BIDMC team analyzed data obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) between 2005 and 2010. Their research included data from 4,657 patients who completed a drug use questionnaire. Of these, 579 were current marijuana users, 1,975 had used it in the past, and 2,103 had never used the drug recreationally or medicinally. The team measured fasting insulin and glucose via blood samples after patients fasted for nine hours. The team also evaluated insulin resistance via homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

The researchers found that those who reported using marijuana in the past month had lower levels of fasting insulin and HOMA-IR and higher levels of HDL “good” cholesterol. Those who reported not using marijuana at any time in the last month had weaker associations, suggesting to the team that marijuana use on insulin and insulin resistance exists only during recent use. Current users had 16 percent lower fasting insulin levels than those who reported never using marijuana.

The team also found a link between marijuana use and waistlines. While diabetes is often associated with larger waistlines, the study group found that marijuana users most often had smaller waistlines.”

Read more: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112847494/marijuana-use-helps-manage-insulin-diabetic-control-051513/

Marijuana for Diabetic Control

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“For centuries, cannabis sativa, more commonly known as marijuana, has been used as a folk remedy to relieve pain, improve mood, and increase appetite…

Much of what we know about cannabis comes from folktales and limited clinical observation. It was in this context that I was pleased to receive the submission published in this edition of The American Journal of Medicine, entitled “The Impact of Marijuana Use on Glucose, Insulin, and Insulin Resistance Among US Adults.” This epidemiologic, observational study demonstrated that among diabetic patients who admitted to using marijuana, insulin resistance was decreased and diabetic control was improved. Penner et al analyzed data obtained during the National Health and Nutrition Survey between 2005 and 2010. They studied data from 4657 patients, of whom 579 were current users of cannabis, 1975 used cannabis in the past but were not current users, and 2103 had never inhaled or ingested marijuana. These patients had fasting insulin and glucose levels measured along with a test for insulin resistance.

 Remarkably, fasting insulin levels were reduced in current cannabis users but not in former or never users. Two additional observations were that waist circumference was smaller and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol blood levels were higher in current cannabis users.

These are indeed remarkable observations that are supported, as the authors note, by basic science experiments that came to similar conclusions…”

http://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(13)00313-6/fulltext