Category Archives: Obesity

Weight loss outcomes are not compromised in bariatric patients using cannabis

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SpringerLink

“Background: The legalization of cannabis in several states has led to increased documented use in the population. Bariatric surgery patients are no exception with estimates of anywhere from 6 to 8%. Cannabis is known to be associated with increased appetite, mood disorders, hyperphagia, and rarely, hyperemesis, which can potentially affect post-surgical weight loss. We aim to study the differences in bariatric surgery outcomes between cannabis users and non-users.

Results: A cohort of 364 sleeve gastrectomy patients met inclusion criteria, 31 (8.5%) CU and 333 (91.5%) non-CU. There was no difference in EWL between CU and non-CU at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, and 2 years. However, the CU group trended towards greater EWL at 3 years (52.9% vs. 38.1%, p = 0.094) and at 5 years (49.8% vs. 32.7%, p = 0.068). There were no significant differences between CU and non-CU with respect to either incidence or severity of PONV at one year after surgery or longer follow-up.

Conclusion: Cannabis users did not experience inferior weight loss after bariatric surgery despite common assumptions that appetite stimulation can lead to suboptimal weight loss outcomes. Our findings add to other work challenging this dogma. Larger, long-term, multicenter studies are warranted.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35861881/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00464-022-09453-x

Cannabis Extract Effects on Metabolic Parameters and Gut Microbiota Composition in a Mice Model of NAFLD and Obesity

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“Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major cause of chronic liver abnormalities and has been linked with metabolic syndrome hallmarks. Unfortunately, current treatments are limited.

This work aimed to elucidate the effects of three cannabis extracts on metabolic alteration and gut microbiota composition in a mouse model of NAFLD and obesity.

Male mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Following the establishment of obesity, the HFD-fed group was subdivided into HFD or HFD that was supplemented with one of three cannabis extracts (CN1, CN2, and CN6) for additional 8 weeks. Metabolic parameters together with intestinal microbiota composition were evaluated.

Except for several minor changes in gene expression, no profound metabolic effect was found due to cannabis extracts addition. Nevertheless, marked changes were observed in gut microbiota diversity and composition, with CN1 and CN6 exhibiting microbial abundance patterns that are associated with more beneficial outcomes.

Taken together, specific cannabis extracts’ addition to an HFD results in more favorable modifications in gut microbiota. Although no marked metabolic effect was disclosed, longer treatments duration and/or higher extracts concentrations may be needed. More research is required to ascertain this conjecture and to establish the influence of various cannabis extracts on host health in general and NAFLD in particular.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35795290/

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2022/7964018/

“Cannabis use is associated with reduced prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A cross-sectional study”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28441459/

β-Caryophyllene, a Dietary Cannabinoid, Protects Against Metabolic and Immune Dysregulation in a Diet-Induced Obesity Mouse Model

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“Obesity is an abnormal or excessive accumulation of fat in the body that exacerbates metabolic and inflammatory processes, and impairs the health of afflicted individuals.

β-caryophyllene is a natural sesquiterpene that is a dietary cannabinoid with anti-inflammatory properties and potential activity against metabolic diseases.

In the present study, we evaluated the effect of β-caryophyllene on C57BL/6 mice using a diet-induced obesity model. Male mice were randomly assigned to the following groups over a 16-week period: (1) standard diet as lean control, (2) high-fat diet (HFD) as obese control, and (3) HFD + β-caryophyllene with β-caryophyllene at 50 mg/kg.

Treatment with β-caryophyllene improved various metabolic parameters including increased total body weight, fasting glucose levels, oral-glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, fasting triglycerides, adipocyte hypertrophy, and liver macrovesicular steatosis. β-caryophyllene also modulated the levels and expression of immune response factors including adiponectin, leptin, insulin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, and Toll-like receptor-4.

Our data indicate that chronic supplementation with β-caryophyllene can improve relevant metabolic and immunological processes in obese mice.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35792574/

“Beta-caryophyllene is a dietary cannabinoid.”  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18574142

“β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a common constitute of the essential oils of numerous spice, food plants and major component in Cannabis.”   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23138934

Cannabis use as a factor of lower corpulence in hepatitis C-infected patients: results from the ANRS CO22 Hepather cohort

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“Background: Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at greater risk of developing metabolic disorders. Obesity is a major risk factor for these disorders, and therefore, managing body weight is crucial. Cannabis use, which is common in these patients, has been associated with lower corpulence in various populations. However, this relationship has not yet been studied in persons with chronic HCV infection.

Methods: Using baseline data from the French ANRS CO22 Hepather cohort, we used binary logistic and multinomial logistic regression models to test for an inverse relationship between cannabis use (former/current) and (i) central obesity (i.e., large waist circumference) and (ii) overweight and obesity (i.e., elevated body mass index (BMI)) in patients from the cohort who had chronic HCV infection. We also tested for relationships between cannabis use and both waist circumference and BMI as continuous variables, using linear regression models.

Results: Among the 6348 participants in the study population, 55% had central obesity, 13.7% had obesity according to their BMI, and 12.4% were current cannabis users. After multivariable adjustment, current cannabis use was associated with lower risk of central obesity (adjusted odds ratio, aOR [95% confidence interval, CI]: 0.45 [0.37-0.55]), BMI-based obesity (adjusted relative risk ratio (aRRR) [95% CI]: 0.27 [0.19-0.39]), and overweight (aRRR [95% CI]: 0.47 [0.38-0.59]). This was also true for former use, but to a lesser extent. Former and current cannabis use were inversely associated with waist circumference and BMI.

Conclusions: We found that former and, to a greater extent, current cannabis use were consistently associated with smaller waist circumference, lower BMI, and lower risks of overweight, obesity, and central obesity in patients with chronic HCV infection. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these relationships and to assess the effect of cannabis use on corpulence and liver outcomes after HCV cure.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35690798/

“To conclude, we found that both former and, to a greater extent, current cannabis use were consistently associated with lower waist circumference, lower BMI values, and lower risks of overweight, obesity, and central obesity in patients with chronic HCV infection.”

https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-022-00138-9


Part of Springer Nature

Cannabis Use Is Inversely Associated with Overweight and Obesity in Hepatitis B Virus-Infected Patients (ANRS CO22 Hepather Cohort)

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View details for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research cover image“Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may evolve into cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and this progression may be accelerated by specific risk factors, including overweight and obesity. Although evidence for a protective effect of cannabis use on elevated body weight has been found for other populations, no data are available for HBV-infected patients. 

Aims: We aimed to identify risk factors (including cannabis use) for overweight and obesity in patients with HBV chronic infection. 

Methods: Using baseline data from the French ANRS CO22 Hepather cohort, we performed two separate analyses, one using “central obesity” (based on waist circumference) and the other “overweight” and “obesity” (based on body mass index) as outcomes. Logistic and multinomial regressions were used to model central obesity and overweight/obesity, respectively. 

Results: Among the 3706 patients in the study population, 50.8% had central obesity, 34.7% overweight, and 14.4% obesity. After multivariable adjustment, current cannabis use was associated with a 59% lower risk of central obesity compared with no lifetime use (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]: 0.41 [0.24 to 0.70]). It was also associated with a 54% and 84% lower risk of overweight (adjusted relative risk ratio [95% CI]: 0.46 [0.27 to 0.76]) and obesity (0.16 [0.04 to 0.67]), respectively. 

Conclusions: Cannabis use was associated with lower risks of overweight and obesity in patients with HBV chronic infection. Future studies should test whether these potential benefits of cannabis and cannabinoid use translate into reduced liver disease progression in this high-risk population.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34648718/

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2021.0094

Novel CBG Derivatives Can Reduce Inflammation, Pain and Obesity

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molecules-logo“Interest in CBG (cannabigerol) has been growing in the past few years, due to its anti-inflammatory properties and other therapeutic benefits.

Here we report the synthesis of three new CBG derivatives (HUM-223, HUM-233 and HUM-234) and show them to possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

In addition, HUM-234 also prevents obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The metabolic state of the treated mice on HFD is significantly better than that of vehicle-treated mice, and their liver slices show significantly less steatosis than untreated HFD or CBG-treated ones from HFD mice.

We believe that HUM-223, HUM-233 and HUM-234 have the potential for development as novel drug candidates for the treatment of inflammatory conditions, and in the case of HUM-234, potentially for obesity where there is a huge unmet need.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34577072/

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/26/18/5601

Cannabidiol – A phytocannabinoid that widely affects sphingolipid metabolism under conditions of brain insulin resistance

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Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy“Obesity-related insulin resistance (IR) and attenuated brain insulin signaling are significant risk factors for neurodegenerative disorders, e.g., Alzheimer’s disease. IR and type 2 diabetes correlate with an increased concentration of sphingolipids, a class of lipids that play an essential structural role in cellular membranes and cell signaling pathways.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonpsychoactive constituent of Cannabis sativa plant that interacts with the endocannabinoidome. Despite known positive effects of CBD on improvement in diabetes and its aftermath, e.g., anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects, there are no studies evaluating the effect of phytocannabinoids on the brain insulin resistance and sphingolipid metabolism. Our experiment was carried out on Wistar rats that received a high-fat diet and/or intraperitoneal CBD injections.

In our study, we indicated inhibition of de novo synthesis and salvage pathways, which resulted in significant changes in the concentration of sphingolipids, e.g., ceramide and sphingomyelin. Furthermore, we observed reduced brain IR and decreased tau protein phosphorylation what might be protective against neuropathologies development.

We believe that our research will concern a new possible therapeutic approach with Cannabis -plant derived compounds and within a few years, cannabinoids would be considered as prominent substances for targeting both metabolic and neurodegenerative pathologies.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34435590/

“CBD might be an essential factor that leads to the reduction of brain IR. Thus, we believe that our research will concern a new possible therapeutic approach with a Cannabis-plant derived compounds and within a few years, those substances would be considered as prominent compounds for targeting both metabolic and neurodegenerative pathologies.”

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0753332221008404?via%3Dihub

Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV): a commentary on potential therapeutic benefit for the management of obesity and diabetes

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figure1“Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) is a cannabis-derived compound with unique properties that set it apart from the more common cannabinoids, such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The main advantage of THCV over THC is the lack of psychoactive effects. In rodent studies, THCV decreases appetite, increases satiety, and up-regulates energy metabolism, making it a clinically useful remedy for weight loss and management of obesity and type 2 diabetic patients. The distinctions between THCV and THC in terms of glycemic control, glucose metabolism, and energy regulation have been demonstrated in previous studies. Also, the effect of THCV on dyslipidemia and glycemic control in type 2 diabetics showed reduced fasting plasma glucose concentration when compared to a placebo group. In contrast, THC is indicated in individuals with cachexia. However, the uniquely diverse properties of THCV provide neuroprotection, appetite suppression, glycemic control, and reduced side effects, etc.; therefore, making it a potential priority candidate for the development of clinically useful therapies in the future. Hopefully, THCV could provide an optional platform for the treatment of life-threatening diseases.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33526143/

“The psychoactive effects of THC in marijuana are the main reasons for its classification as a Schedule I substance, even though it is the THC that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for appetite stimulation and weight gain. In contrast to THC, clinical and therapeutic advantages of THCV regarding its lack of psychoactive effects in human studies are of great value in pharmacotherapy. It is envisioned that the unique and diverse characteristics of THCV could be explored for further development into clinically useful medicines for the treatment of life-threatening diseases.”

https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-020-0016-7

Cannabis sativa as a Treatment for Obesity: From Anti-Inflammatory Indirect Support to a Promising Metabolic Re-Establishment Target

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View details for Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research cover image“Introduction: Obesity is defined as an excess of accumulation of fat that can be harmful to health. Storage of excess fat in the adipose tissue triggers an inflammatory process, which makes obesity a low-grade chronic inflammatory disease. Obesity is considered a complex and multifactorial disease; hence, no intervention strategy appears to be an ideal treatment for all individuals. Therefore, new therapeutic alternatives are often studied for the treatment of this disease. Currently, herbal medicines are gaining ground in the treatment of obesity and its comorbidities. In this context, much attention is being paid to Cannabis sativa derivatives, and their therapeutic functions are being widely studied, including in treating obesity. 

Objective: Highlight the pharmacological properties of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidinol (THC), and cannabidiol (CBD), the predominant isolated components of Cannabis sativa, as well as its therapeutic potential in the treatment of obesity. 

Results: Evidence shows that Cannabis sativa derivatives have therapeutic potential due to their anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, people who use cannabis have a lower body mass index than those who do not, making the plant an option to reduce and reverse inflammation and comorbidities in obesity. 

Conclusion: It is concluded that phytocannabinoids derived from Cannabis sativa have therapeutic potential due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, making the plant a study option to reduce and reverse inflammation and comorbidities associated with obesity.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34242511/

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/can.2021.0016

Protective Effects of ( E)-β-Caryophyllene (BCP) in Chronic Inflammation

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nutrients-logo“(E)-β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a bicyclic sesquiterpene widely distributed in the plant kingdom, where it contributes a unique aroma to essential oils and has a pivotal role in the survival and evolution of higher plants.

Recent studies provided evidence for protective roles of BCP in animal cells, highlighting its possible use as a novel therapeutic tool.

Experimental results show the ability of BCP to reduce pro-inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor-alfa (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), thus ameliorating chronic pathologies characterized by inflammation and oxidative stress, in particular metabolic and neurological diseases.

Through the binding to CB2 cannabinoid receptors and the interaction with members of the family of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), BCP shows beneficial effects on obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH) liver diseases, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, pain and other nervous system disorders.

This review describes the current knowledge on the biosynthesis and natural sources of BCP, and reviews its role and mechanisms of action in different inflammation-related metabolic and neurologic disorders.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33114564/

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/11/3273

“β-caryophyllene (BCP) is a common constitute of the essential oils of numerous spice, food plants and major component in Cannabis.”   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23138934

“Beta-caryophyllene is a dietary cannabinoid.”   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18574142