According to a study, marijuana users could gain less weight than non-users despite snack foods



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Among the most well-known effects of marijuana, there is the irresistible hunger that invades many people after consuming, called "snack foods." No bag of chips, packet of oreos, or anything sweet, salty or greasy is safe at the beginning of the snack. So, you might think that all this nibbling would result in giving more weight to the users, but a new study suggests that this is not the case & nbsp;– & nbsp;In fact, the opposite can be true.

Researchers badyzed data on body mbad index (BMI) from 33,000 participants in National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Disorders, comparing the BMI of marijuana users and non-consumers aged 18 and over over a three-year period.

They found a small variance in average weight between users and non-users (about two pounds), but this modest difference remained valid throughout most of the study group.

"An average difference of two pounds does not seem like much, but we found it in more than 30,000 people with all types of behavior, and we still got that result." Lead author of the study, Omayma Alshaarawy, is an adjunct professor of family medicine at Michigan State University.

The study also found that marijuana users seemed to gain less weight over time than non-users.

"Over a period of three years, all participants saw their weight increase, but it is interesting to note that those who consumed marijuana had a lower weight increase than those who never used marijuana. consumed. " Alshaarawy said. "Our study relies on more and more evidence that this opposite effect is occurring."

Other studies found a similar correlation between marijuana use and lower rates of weight gain and obesity, but the probable cause is still involved. Some marijuana cannabinoid compounds may alter the metabolism in opposite ways, or users may adapt their behavior to counterbalance extra calories.

"It could be more behavioral, as if a person was becoming more aware of his dietary intake while she was worried about cravings after cannabis use," says Alshaarawy. "Or it could be the use of cannabis itself, which can change how certain cells, or receptors, react in the body and ultimately affect weight gain."

Whatever the truth (and it could very well be a combination of metabolic and behavioral changes), the researchers pointed out that marijuana use should not be seen as an improvement in blood pressure. ;food.

"People should not see it as a way to maintain or even lose weight," Alshaarawy added. "Cannabis-related health problems far outweigh its positive, albeit modest, effects on weight gain."

Along with this caveat, we should also add that it was an observational study looking for correlations, not a causal one. This research does not prove that marijuana use contributes to weight loss, but only over a three-year period, researchers observed a consistent correlation. More research will have to fill in gaps to understand why this correlation exists.

In case you're wondering & nbsp; why marijuana triggers munchies – & nbsp;The latest research suggests that THC, the psychoactive compound of marijuana, triggers a cascade of brain activities in the neural networks underlying our sense of smell and taste. When this activity reaches a certain threshold, the brain reacts as if we are dying of hunger and the hunt for snacks is launched. & Nbsp; This is a finding & nbsp; based only on experiments with miceHowever, the precise mechanism of snack foods in humans is still not entirely clear.

The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

You can find David DiSalvo on & nbsp;Twitter,& nbsp;Facebook& nbsp;Google Plusand on his website,& nbsp;daviddisalvo.org

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One of the most well-known effects of marijuana is the overwhelming hunger pangs that many people get after using marijuana, called "cravings". No bag of chips, packet of oreos, or anything sweet, salty or greasy is safe at the beginning of the snack. So you may think that all this nibbling would give more weight to users, but a new study suggests that this is not the case In fact, the opposite can be true.

The researchers badyzed data on the body mbad index (BMI) of 33,000 participants from the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Diseases, comparing the BMI of the consumers and non-users of marijuana aged 18 and over over a three-year period.

They found a small variance in average weight between users and non-users (about two pounds), but this modest difference remained valid throughout most of the study group.

"An average difference of two pounds does not seem like much, but we found it in more than 30,000 people with all types of behaviors and we always got that result," said the senior author of the book. Study, Omayma Alshaarawy, badistant professor of family medicine in Michigan. State University.

The study also found that marijuana users seemed to gain less weight over time than non-users.

"Over a period of three years, all participants increased their weight, but it is interesting to note that those who consumed marijuana had a lower weight gain than those who never used marijuana. "said Alshaarawy. "Our study relies on growing evidence that this opposite effect is occurring."

Other studies have shown a similar correlation between marijuana use and lower rates of weight gain and obesity, but the probable cause is still involved. It is possible that some cannabinoid compounds in marijuana modify the metabolism inversely, or that users adapt their behavior to counteract additional calories.

"This could be more behavioral, as if a person was becoming more aware of his dietary intake while she was worried about cravings after cannabis use," Alshaarawy said. "Or it could be the use of cannabis itself, which can alter how certain cells, or receptors, react in the body and can ultimately affect weight gain."

Whatever the truth (and it could very well be a combination of metabolic and behavioral changes), the researchers pointed out that marijuana use should not be seen as an improvement in blood pressure. ;food.

"People should not see it as a way to maintain or even lose weight," Alshaarawy added. "Health concerns related to cannabis far outweigh its positive, albeit modest, effects on weight gain."

Along with this caveat, we should also add that it was an observational study looking for correlations, not a causal one. This research does not prove that marijuana use contributes to weight loss, but only over a three-year period, researchers observed a consistent correlation. More research will have to fill in gaps to understand why this correlation exists.

In case you're wondering why marijuana triggers munchies The latest research suggests that THC, the psychoactive compound of marijuana, triggers a cascade of brain activities in the neural networks underlying our sense of smell and taste. When this activity reaches a certain threshold, the brain reacts as if we are hungry and the hunt for snacks begins. However, this is a discovery based solely on experiments on mice. Therefore, the precise nibbling mechanism in humans is not yet entirely clear.

The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

You can find David DiSalvo on Twitter, Facebook, Google Plusand on his website, daviddisalvo.org

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