CNN
—
Be inspired by a weekly summary on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for news and tools designed to improve your well-being..
If you smoke or eat weed, you may have experienced “marijuana cravings” or a desire for salty, sweet, or high-carb foods when using the drug.
But what exactly are these cannabis-related cravings? Why is this happening?
Well, you can blame them on the drug’s active ingredient, tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.
THC is responsible for the “high” that many people experience when consuming cannabis. But it is also primarily responsible for the increased cravings people experience when taking this medication.
The brain is divided into regions: some areas control our mood, while others influence our appetite, making us eat or stop eating. Every time we use a drug, it is distributed everywhere. So when THC enters the parts of the brain that affect mood, it stimulates euphoria, explained Gary Wenk, director of undergraduate neuroscience programs at Ohio State University and author of “Your Brain on Food “. .” And when THC hits the area of the brain that influences appetite, it will “stimulate you to eat,” Wenk said.
Although research suggests a variety of possible mechanisms, cannabis’ ability to increase appetite is “very well documented,” said Ginger Hultin, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Cannabis research has found that THC stimulates the endocannabinoid system, a complex area of the brain that regulates eating behavior and energy balance. “It affects certain primitive areas of the brain, things that control appetite and emotions,” Hultin said.
“THC interacts with receptors in our brain that regulate emotion, pain, and our sense of smell and taste,” said Janice Newell Bissex, a registered dietitian. “It may also promote the release of the hormone ghrelin, which stimulates hunger.”
The scientific mechanisms are complex. According to an animal study, by binding to receptors in the brain’s olfactory bulb, THC appears to improve our sensitivity to smell, which would make food flavors more potent and encourage us to eat more.
Other research has found that neurons that normally shut down when eating actually stimulate more marijuana use. “The neurons that typically control our satiety level can be usurped when marijuana is consumed,” Wenk said.
THC also increases the release of dopamine, which enhances the pleasure of eating, Bissex explained. In addition to making food more enjoyable, dopamine — a brain chemical that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers — can reduce inhibitions, Hultin explained.
“Lowering inhibitions is a big challenge with weed and alcohol,” she said. “People know what they should eat, but all of a sudden their inhibitions drop and they eat unhealthy foods. »
The effects are intensified in those who carry extra pounds. “In obese people, when they see chocolate malt, it will activate their dopamine system to a greater extent than non-obese people,” Wenk explained. As a result, “these individuals may be primed to have a greater food craving response.”
Hultin, who helps healthy people maintain good eating habits in Washington state, where marijuana is legalized, has seen how the drug can increase appetite and affect weight.
“People will say they will use marijuana to relax… but it will increase their appetite for chips and ice cream… and unhealthy foods they want to avoid,” she said. These people are able to link their weight problems to their marijuana use, she explained.
Consuming marijuana in edibles poses a unique challenge because edibles can worsen the effects of THC on appetite and weight. For example, sugary edibles such as candies, cookies, lollipops, and brownies not only add calories, which can lead to weight gain, but they can also cause spikes and drops in blood sugar. , which can increase cravings, Hultin explained.
Research into the effects of cannabis on appetite has not gone unnoticed by the pharmaceutical industry.
“There’s a really fascinating story surrounding the drug rimonabant,” Wenk said. “Many years ago, researchers thought that if cravings were because THC stimulates food receptors and tricks us into eating lots of carbohydrates, then why can’t we design a drug to block these receptors?
The researchers sought to test whether they could manipulate the feeding centers that play a role in determining our desire to eat.
“They tested the drug … and people lost weight and gave up their interest in cheeseburgers, fries, alcohol and cigarettes,” Wenk said. “They thought, ‘This is an amazing drug!’ » People were losing weight and giving up their addictions!
But researchers quickly realized that it was not safe to block all of a person’s endocannabinoid receptors, which control mood and eating behaviors, at all times. “People became depressed and started committing suicide,” Wenk said. Clinical trials were stopped and the drug was withdrawn from the market.
The results revealed that it is impossible to selectively block some endocannabinoid receptors and not others.
“The euphoria we feel when we eat something tasty or enjoy the company of a loved one involves our brain’s internal endocannabanoid system saying ‘thank you.’ However, if you block the action of this system, you rob yourself of your ability to feel joy at any time,” Wenk said.
For people suffering from illnesses that suppress the appetite, the increased hunger produced by the drug may be therapeutic. “Although some may find this an unwanted side effect, appetite stimulation is exactly the result many elderly, cancer or HIV patients are looking for,” explained Bissex, who recently became a holistic health practitioner. cannabis after seeing his father’s chronic pain improve. after using medical marijuana.
“My father tried cannabis when traditional painkillers were ineffective and caused terrible side effects, including constipation and fatigue. Not only was he relieved of his pain, but he also noticed a welcome increase in his appetite,” she said.
Hultin previously worked as an oncology dietitian and saw first-hand the effects of the drug on cancer patients. “I’ve literally had patients tell me, ‘I can’t eat unless I use marijuana.’ »
“When you see someone so sick in front of you and you just want to help them eat, and then they tell you, ‘I can’t eat without this stuff,’ I say, ‘Maybe it’s- be what you need’. Hultin said.
Whether you choose to use pot or not, perhaps the simplest way to summarize the role marijuana plays in controlling appetite is that it helps the brain ensure our survival, i.e. -say to make sure we eat.
“The brain has only two tasks: survival of its owner and procreation,” Wenk said. “None of this is possible without eating.”
If you’re concerned about weight gain when consuming cannabis, Bissex recommends making sure healthy snacks are available. “Stocking up on popcorn, veggie sticks with hummus, whole grain crackers with low-fat dip, and tortilla chips with salsa could satisfy cravings without consuming too much sugar and calories. »
Lisa Drayer is a nutritionist, author and CNN contributor on health and nutrition.
News Source : amp.cnn.com
Gn Health
