Category Archives: Obesity

Marijuana has newly discovered benefits with profound possibilities

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Benefits of marijuana may include help for diabetes type 2, obesity, 'good' cholesterol and more  

“According to new scientific evidence, breaking out the bong for some Mother Nature has multiple health benefits. According the American Journal of Medicine (AJA), the benefits are remarkable and some fly in the face of what should be expected from a drug that produces the ‘munchies’, a rabid appetite. The AJA reports no weight gain from marijuana users and reports marijuana may help prevent diabetes type 2 and obesity.

These benefits apply specifically to perennial pot smokers and not to former smokers.”

More: http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/steps-authentic-happiness-positive-psychology/2013/jun/4/marijuana-has-newly-discovered-benefits-profound-p/

Is marijuana good for your health? New study shows benefits

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“People who had used marijuana in the past month had smaller waists and lower levels of insulin resistance – a diabetes precursor – than those who never tried the drug, in a new study.

“These are preliminary findings,” said Dr. Murray Mittleman, who worked on the study at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. 

“It looks like there may be some favorable effects on blood sugar control, however a lot more needs to be done to have definitive answers on the risks and potential benefits of marijuana usage.”

Although pot smoking is a well-known cause of “the munchies,” some previous studies have found marijuana users tend to weigh less than other people, and one suggested they have a lower rate of diabetes. Trials in mice and rats hint that cannabis and cannabinoid receptors may influence metabolism.”
 

Marijuana Use May Protect Against Diabetes and Obesity

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“Marijuana may help protect against diabetes, according to a study published in The American Journal of Medicine.”

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“Despite being linked to increased hunger, researchers further discovered significant correlations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumferences, which is also known to decrease a person’s risk of developing diabetes.”

More: http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/1958/20130516/marijuana-use-protect-against-diabetes-obesity.htm

Marijuana Blood Sugar: A New Study Shows That Pot Smoking May Reduce Weight and Diabetes Risk

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“A new study has shown there may be a link between marijuana and diabetes prevention.”
 
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“A new study has found that people who had used marijuana in the past month had smaller waists and lower levels of insulin resistance, which is a diabetes precursor, than those who had never tried the drug, according to Reuters.

“These are preliminary findings,” Dr. Murray Mittleman, who worked on the study at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, told Reuters. “It looks like there may be some favorable effects on blood sugar control.”

More: http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/6386/20130524/marijuana-blood-sugar-new-study-shows-pot-smoking-reduce-weight.htm

The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation.

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Image result for Nat Rev Drug Discov.

“The term ‘endocannabinoid’ – originally coined in the mid-1990s after the discovery of membrane receptors for the psychoactive principle in Cannabis, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and their endogenous ligands – now indicates a whole signalling system that comprises cannabinoid receptors, endogenous ligands and enzymes for ligand biosynthesis and inactivation. This system seems to be involved in an ever-increasing number of pathological conditions. With novel products already being aimed at the pharmaceutical market little more than a decade since the discovery of cannabinoid receptors, the endocannabinoid system seems to hold even more promise for the future development of therapeutic drugs. We explore the conditions under which the potential of targeting the endocannabinoid system might be realized in the years to come.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15340387

http://www.nature.com/nrd/journal/v3/n9/full/nrd1495.html

Smoking Marijuana May Cure Obesity

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“Many people who smoke marijuana experience what increased appetite (which they commonly call the “munchies”). It would stand to reason that people who smoke would gain weight. A new study from France says otherwise.”

marijuana obesity Smoking Marijuana May Cure Obesity

“Findings on the relationship between obesity and marijuana use

Dr. Yann Le Strat is a psychiatrist at Louis-Mourier Hospital in Colombes. He says the study his team conducted showed that people who smoked marijuana were less likely to be obese than the general population. Strat and his team looked at results from data collected in the early 2000s.

His findings completely surprised him. Everyone else in the field was shocked to see what they found.

Strat and his team decided to take a closer look at their study. They theorized the subjects in their sample were not representative of the overall population or the study was tainted in some other way. Turning to another study conducted by the NESARC, they found the same thing.

Both studies compared the prevalence of obesity among people who smoked cannabis with those that did not. Strat’s study found the obesity rates among people who didn’t smoke marijuana was 22 percent, compared with a rate of 14.3 percent among those that did smoke. The other study found the obesity rate of  pot smokers was 17.2 percent, compared with a rate of 25.3 percent among non-smokers.

Andrea Giancoli is a dietitian in Los Angeles. She states there are number of possible reasons why people who smoke marijuana are less likely to become obese. They may work out more, spend more time outside or eat more fruits or vegetables. However, most people don’t associate these activities with people who smoke cannabis. Is it possible that the stereotypes we’ve had for so many years have been wrong?

Another possibility is associated with the  possibility that marijuana smokers drink more water. This may curb their appetite throughout the rest of the day.

Strat acknowledges the possibility that marijuana smokers are more active. He doesn’t think the likelihood is very high, but says it can’t be ruled out. It would be helpful if an additional study was conducted which observed the exercise habits of people smoking marijuana. Such a study could dispel the stereotypes of marijuana smokers and explain the findings in these two studies.

Giancoli and Strat are both clearly interested in understanding the phenomenon. Everybody in their field wants an explanation for these findings. For the moment, the explanation remains a mystery. Both of these studies have clearly created an interesting new insight into marijuana and obesity.”

http://www.hivehealthmedia.com/smoking-marijuana-cure-obesity/

New study suggests pot smokers are skinnier – msnbc

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“Could marijuana be the secret weapon in solving America’s obesity problem? A surprising new study published in the American Journal of Medicine suggested the health benefits of smoking pot may extend beyond pain relief.

Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the University of Nebraska and the Harvard School of Public Health conducted a study with 4,657 adults from 2005 to 2010–out of which 547 identified themselves as current marijuana users and 1,975 admitted to smoking at least once in the past (but more than a 30-day window). Participants got tested on their waist size and glucose, insulin and insulin resistance levels.

“We looked at their ability to handle carbohydrates, the ability of the body to handle sugar, and how well the body metabolizes it,” Dr. Murray Mittleman, one of the authors of that study, told MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell.

The results? The study indicated that current pot smokers have much smaller waist circumferences — by about an inch, on average — compared to those who have never lit up, even after taking things like sex and age into consideration. Insulin levels for marijuana smokers compared to non-marijuana smokers were slashed by 16% and insulin resistance went down by 17%. And their “good”cholesterol was higher by three points.

“Several prior studies, actually, have indicated that marijuana users tend to be leaner, despite the fact that they do tend to consume more calories,” said Mittleman. “One of the caveats, I would say, about our findings is that it was based on self-report.  And really at this stage, we need much more solid research, including experimental studies, to really provide doctors with the evidence base to make recommendations.””

More: http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/05/16/new-study-suggests-pot-smokers-are-skinnier/

Marijuana May Deflect Obesity

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“Cannabis seems to have many different allures. It can produce a “high.” It can give the feeling of munchies. Now, it can possibly help combat obesity. Scientists recently revealed that they found two compounds from cannabis leaves that could up the total energy that the body burns.”

 

“Previous studies of two specific compounds demonstrated that they could be used to treat type-two diabetes. The compounds were also discovered to have the ability to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood stream and decrease fat in important organs such as the liver. With the aim of treating patients who have “metabolic syndrome,” the researchers are currently conducting clinical trials in 200 patients with the drug. With “metabolic syndrome,” diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity combine to heighten the risk of heart disease and stroke in patients.”

Read more: http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1112653330/research-finds-marijuana-may-deflect-obesity/

Despite the munchies: Marijuana might make you skinny

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“Apparently one of the many side effects of marijuana is to make some people slimmer – despite the much-joked-about munchies.”

Apparently one of the many side effects of marijuana is to make some people slimmer - despite the much-joked-about munchies.
 
“We all know that the munchies and jokes about the munchies are a celebrated part of marijuana culture (pro and con). But it turns out that the munchies may not have as big an impact on waist size as one might think.

“We found significant associations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumferences.”

So concludes a new study published in The American Journal of Medicine by scientists from Harvard, University of Nebraska and Beth Israel medical center.

Basically, the researchers found:

Of the participants in our study sample, 579 were current marijuana users and 1975 were past users. In multivariable adjusted models, current marijuana use was associated with 16% lower fasting insulin levels (95% confidence interval [CI], −26, −6) and 17% lower HOMA-IR (95% CI, −27, −6). We found significant associations between marijuana use and smaller waist circumferences. Among current users, we found no significant dose-response.”

 

Read more: http://blog.seattlepi.com/marijuana/2013/05/16/despite-the-munchies-marijuana-might-make-you-skinny/

Pot Smokers May Have Lower Risk of Obesity

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“Despite the tendency of marijuana users to experience the “munchies,” pot smokers may have a lower risk of obesity that those who don’t use the drug, a new study finds.”

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 “The results show the prevalence of obesity is lower among people who frequently smoke pot compared with those who have never inhaled.

The researchers said they were surprised by their initial results, because they expected to find the opposite. So they examined a second sample of people, and found exactly the same result. Together, the two samples studied more than 50,000 people.

The reason behind the link is not clear. It could be that people who use cannabis also engage in other behaviors that lower their obesity risk. Or it may be that pot smokers exercise more or have a specific diet that keeps them thin, said study researcher Yann Le Strat, a psychiatrist at Louis Mourier Hospital in France.

“On a personal point of view, I would be surprised that cannabis use is associated with a higher rate of physical activity, but this cannot be ruled out,” Le Strat told MyHealthNewsDaily.

Another possibility is that components of cannabis may help people lose weight. If this turns out to be the case, researchers should investigate which components these might be and try to put them into drug form, Le Strat said.”

Read more: http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/1651-cannabis-obesity-risk.html