Anorexia is a food disorder potentially dangerous for the survival of the individual. It is characterized by excessive weight loss and an altered perception of the body. This food disorder can lead to different forms of psychological issues in the body. CBD helps with anxiety and panic issues. Though this might not be alike, there is a chance that CBD could help with patients suffering from anorexia. Before going into how CBD can help with anorexia, let’s grasp the full understanding of anorexia.
What Is Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa, anorexia for short, is an eating disorder that can have fatal consequences. People suffering from anorexia consume very restrictive quantities of food, which leads to starvation. Eventually, they can become dangerously thin and malnourished — yet still perceive themselves as overweight. Frequently, people with anorexia are so undernourished that they have to be in the hospital. Even then they deny that anything is wrong with them.
Anorexia usually develops during puberty. Nine out of 10 people with anorexia are female and about 1 percent of U.S. females between ages 10 and 25 is anorexic. A person is anorexic when they restrict their food intake to such an extent it leads to significantly low body weight which accompanies an intense fear of gaining weight and an excessive concern with body weight or shape.
There Are Two Subtypes Of Anorexia:
- One type is linked to a different type of eating disorder called bulimia, which is by ”bingeing and purging;” a person eats and then deliberately vomits.
- The other subtype manifests itself through severe restriction of food and calories.
A person with anorexia usually obsess about food and weight. They may develop peculiar eating rituals, such as refusing to eat in front of other people or arranging food on the plate in a certain order. Many people with anorexia seem to care a lot about food. They may collect cookbooks and prepare sumptuous meals for their friends and families — but they don’t join in. Often, they also maintain an intensive exercise regimen.
What Is The Cause Of Anorexia?
The exact causes of anorexia nervosa are unknown. However, the condition sometimes runs in families; young women with a parent or sibling with an eating disorder are likelier to develop one themselves.
Then there are psychological, environmental, and social factors that may contribute to the development of anorexia. People with anorexia come to believe that their lives would be better if only they were thinner. These people tend to be perfectionists and overachievers. In fact, the typical anorexic person is a good student in school and community activities. Many experts think that anorexia is part of an unconscious attempt to come to terms with unresolved conflicts or painful childhood experiences. While sexual abuse has been shown to be a factor in the development of bulimia, it is not with the development of anorexia.
How CBD Oil Helps with Anorexia?
There are a number of herbal supplements that are able to improve anorexia nervosa by increasing hormones that involve hunger and satiety – the feeling of being full. There is more than one way in which CBD oil can help relieve the symptoms of anorexia:
CBD Helps To Boost Your Mood
CBD oil offers a surprising range of mood enhancement benefits. This is important because a low mood is often one of the main drivers of anorexia. Antidepressant drugs such as SSRI or SNRI medications are a popular choice among doctors for treating this condition.
In the case of the cannabis plant, the most significant effect on mood comes from CBD itself, which has been shown to relieve depressive symptoms in animals. Other compounds in the full-spectrum oil, such as terpenes (borneol, eucalyptol, limonene, beta-caryophyllene, and d-linalool) have extra antidepressant and mood-enhancing effects. Other cannabinoids, such as cannabichromene (CBC) have also shown to offer antidepressant activity. CBC, like CBD, is non-psychoactive and is the third most abundant cannabinoid in the plant.
It Can Help Grow Appetite
Contrary to popular belief, CBD does not increase appetite. In fact, it has the opposite effect, lowering appetite overall. CBD on its own shows that it inhibit appetite, making it important to stay away from CBD isolates (products containing ONLY CBD).
However, CBD has also been shown to boost the effects of THC, including its effects on appetite, making a blend that contains both of these cannabinoids even better at boosting appetite levels overall. This is why we always recommend using only cannabis oils that are considered “full-spectrum”. Even if the THC content is very low, these are more effective than CBD oils without any THC at all for treating anorexia.
If you live in a legal state, or in a country where cannabis oils of all kinds are legal, you’re best to go for something with a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD.
How To Use CBD For Anorexia?
Other cannabinoids, such as CBG (cannabigerol) can also increase appetite — so finding high-grade CBG products are a better option than pure CBD products.
CBD Oil Relieves Stress & Anxiety
This is the major area to be cautious of when treating anorexia with CBD oil or other cannabis oils. CBD has been shown to lower anxiety, which is highly beneficial for people with anorexia nervosa. The nervosa part of the name actually refers to the nervous and anxious nature of people suffering from this condition. CBD oils with high levels of CBD are going to be of benefit here.
It’s recommended that you find an extract that contains both THC and CBD — if legal where you live, of course. This is because both of these cannabinoids have separate benefits to offer anorexia. If THC oils aren’t legal in your state, that’s okay – CBD will offer many of the same benefits.
Stay away from CBD isolates and opt for a full-spectrum extract to avoid curbing hunger even further. Whenever trying CBD for the first time, it’s good practice to start with a smaller dose and work your way up slowly from there.
Try with about 4 mg of CBD equivalent, and work your way up by 4 mg each day until you either experience some side effects or get the results you’re looking for. If you experience side effects, simply lower the dose the next day
