why does marijuana make you hungry
Why Does Marijuana Make You Hungry?
There’s a biological reason why marijuana makes you hungry. A study presented at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior has found this explanation. This discovery could open new avenues for medical marijuana use. Marijuana stimulates the endocannabinoid system in the brain, a hormone that makes you feel hungry. And while you can get high from marijuana without gaining too much weight, the munchies can be a problem if you don’t eat properly. obtaining a medical marijuana card in ny
Cannabis acts on the same pathways that make us feel full. This is because the chemicals in marijuana bind to the receptors in the brain and block the production of ghrelin, a hormone that signals fullness. Cannabis makes people more receptive to smell and taste food. Since smell is a big part of taste, this can increase the motivation to eat. The same mechanism occurs in the hypothalamus, where cannabis binds to the receptors in the brain that influence appetite.
Interestingly, marijuana increases the activity of the olfactory bulb, which is the same part of the brain responsible for making us feel hungry. In mice genetically engineered without cannabinoid receptors, they did not experience an increase in appetite after consuming marijuana. Interestingly, depriving the mice of food for 24 hours increased the natural levels of eCB, which increased food intake and sensitivity to smell. The ECS is crucial to feeding behavior in animals and humans.
The chemical THC, which triggers the hunger hormone ghrelin in the hypothalamus, also acts on receptors in the nucleus accumbens. This increases dopamine levels in the brain, which is associated with the pleasure of eating while high. However, it does not necessarily cause hunger. This mechanism may also be responsible for triggering the craving for sweets when smoked marijuana. That may explain why cannabis makes people feel hungry when they’re not actually hungry.
As the body uses cannabinoids for many functions, marijuana affects the levels of these substances in the hypothalamus. These chemicals act on endogenous cannabinoid receptors in the brain and stimulate the release of ghrelin. While this doesn’t explain why marijuana makes people hungry, it does have some benefits. For one thing, it’s good for your health. Marijuana reduces the levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite.
People with advanced cancers are often afflicted with wasting syndrome, a condition whereby they have a poor appetite. Marijuana can increase the amount of endocannabinoids in the body, which can decrease appetite and result in a lower BMI. But marijuana doesn’t increase appetite in all people, and some studies suggest that marijuana users are unlikely to gain weight. It also appears that marijuana users have lower body fat and higher THC levels than non-users, making the munchies a more natural part of a marijuana use regimen.
Researchers have found that chronic administration of THC inhibits fat mass gain in rats. In human studies, epidemiological associations between chronic marijuana use and lower prevalence of diabetes and obesity are also strong. More research is needed to determine the effect of cannabis when administered chronically versus acutely. There is no evidence to prove cannabis can help you lose weight, but the study results are encouraging and warrant further investigation. The ECS is a key part of the metabolism and researchers are pursuing new medications to target it.