The Benefits Of CBD Oil For The Standard American Diet

This is the case for the majority of Americans. 90% of adults don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.(1)

Don’t get us wrong — the occasional indulgence is perfectly warranted. Key word: occasional. (Everything in moderation, remember?)

It’s when special-occasion foods become commonplace that we start to see health challenges like:

• Obesity
• Insulin resistance and diabetes
• Inflammation
• Heart disease
• Stress and anxiety

The FDA is strict about not allowing CBD oil to be sold or marketed as a dietary supplement. That said, it has some benefits that could make it a viable tool for easing the burden caused by some of these conditions. It may even help prevent them from developing in the first place.

We’ll be salivating over these potential perks of CBD in this article. But first, let’s dig into the sad facts of the Standard American Diet (aka, the SAD).

Why The Standard American Diet Is SAD

Fiber-rich, nutrient-dense foods are hallmarks of a healthy diet. Think colorful fruits and veg, legumes, fish, and whole grains.

The SAD, on the other hand, is high in sugar, sodium, red meat, and unhealthy fats. The majority of calories comes from processed and animal-based foods instead of a diversity of nutritious, plant-based sources.

Some SAD Causes

Nutritious whole foods are usually the first to go when people get busy (or...dare we say it...lazy or finicky — we’ve all been there!). And, unfortunately, healthy foods can be hard to come by for those who reside in food deserts — areas where grocery stores and fresh foods are limited yet processed and fast food are abundant.

Add on stress and the smorgasbord of processed foods available in stores and restaurants— it’s no wonder that the majority of Americans struggle to eat a balanced diet.(2)

SAD & Public Health

The sad fact is that an unbalanced diet has become standard in America. And just like everything else we consume, unhealthy foods affect the body and mind. Here are some facts and figures about how that reflects in public health:(3)

• 40% of Americans are obese.
• The leading causes of premature death — such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes — are diet-related.
• Poor nutrition during pregnancy and childhood is associated with mental and behavioral delays.

These factoids don’t include the many nuances of physical and mental health complications that result from poor diet. But, they do shed light on the SAD truth: When people get the majority of their calories from over-processed food, their health suffers.

The ECS: Where CBD & The SAD Collide

So, what exactly does CBD have to do with SAD related challenges?

The answer lies in the endocannabinoid system, or ECS for short.

Using its network of cannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes, the ECS is the body’s internal communication grid that helps regulate homeostasis. (Homeostasis = all systems are running smoothly.)

The ECS talks to other systems in the body to control processes such as:

• Appetite
• Immune function
• Digestion
• Sleep
• Memory
• Mood
• Reproduction
• Cardiovascular function

Eating foods that don’t support a healthy body can stress your body systems, the ECS included. Your body naturally has cannabinoids (called endocannabinoids). But, the phytocannabinoids from cannabis — such as cannabidiol (aka CBD) — can step in and may bring things back to a balanced state.

CBD For The Standard American Diet

There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s take a bite-sized look at each benefit of using CBD oil when eating a typical western diet.

CBD May Reduce Appetite

Let’s start with the obvious: appetite suppression and regulation.

Processed foods include ingredients that make us crave and overeat things that may not be the best for us. Sugar is one great example. Not only does it taste great, but it’s downright addicting.

The body’s naturally-occurring cannabinoids signal to receptors in the ECS known as CB1 and CB2, influencing the desire to eat. Some of these cannabinoids can even make sweet foods taste better — as if it weren’t hard enough to resist them!(4)

CBD has been found to reduce food intake by interacting with CB1 and CB2 receptors.(5) Scientists are still learning how this interaction goes down, but it does suggest that CBD could help reduce food cravings.

Weight Loss With CBD

Sure, nixing your urge to scarf down an entire sleeve of cookies can help with weight loss. But CBD may help the body burn fat more efficiently, too.

It comes down to brown fat and white fat. These are the two types of fat in your body.

• White fat stores energy and provides insulation.
• Brown fat is fat that’s ready to be “burned off” and turned into heat.

It may not sound like a good thing, but more brown fat is a good thing when you’re trying to lose weight. White fat can be converted to brown fat through exercise. However, one study found that CBD may also help with the process.(6)

CBD Oil & Inflammation

The Standard American Diet is high in saturated fat and sugar, making it a pro-inflammatory diet. Chronic inflammation has been linked to health concerns like cancer, heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Foods that are high in saturated fats — think red meat and highly processed oils — are high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-6 fatty acids are known to cause inflammation.

CBD oil is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties which have been widely studied.(7) These attributes could be helpful in managing inflammation caused by diet.

CBD May Promote Balanced Mood

Mental health is an important part of overall health.

Sugar crashes and foods that just make you feel like ickcan affect your mindset and psychological well-being in many ways. A diet low in omega-3 levels has even been linked to mood disorders caused by poor ECS function.(8)

While eating a healthy, well-rounded diet rich in plants and omega-3s is the best way to avoid these problems, the fast-paced western lifestyle can make this difficult. Incorporating CBD might keep stress and anxiety at bay.(9)

How To Use CBD When Eating A SAD

Lucky for us, getting CBD oil couldn’t be more convenient. From CBD oil drops to CBD gummies and topical CBD creams, there’s a CBD product for everyone. You can even order CBD online.

Evidence suggests that taking CBD oil with food can help your body absorb CBD better.(10) And, CBD made with nanotechnology is more bioavailable (easier to absorb). So if you’re looking to get the most out of your CBD oil, taking a nano CBD oil with a snack or meal is a great place to start.

From SAD To Satisfied With CBD

Getting enough nutrition can be challenging for many people living a western lifestyle for a variety of reasons. The resulting Standard American Diet can lead to a variety of mental and physical health complications.

CBD oil may not have a spot in the food pyramid, but it could be a daily dose that supports your wellness if your diet is lacking in nutrition. It could help neutralize food cravings, burn more fat, improve mood, and more.

Since CBD is just about everywhere these days, it’s easy enough to add CBD to your everyday routine. Happily, Pure Craft offers a variety of superior CBD oil products that could help fight the effects of a SAD regimen.

DON’T BE SAD, SHOP FOR CBD NOW

References

1. Norton, A. (2021). Many Adults Don’t Get Enough Fruits, Vegetables. Nourish by WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20210205/many-adults-dont-get-enough-fruits-vegetables#1
2. Aubrey, A, et al. (2016). 75 Percent of Americans Say They Eat Healthy — Despite Evidence to the Contrary. NPR: The Salt. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/08/03/487640479/75-percent-of-americans-say-they-eat-healthy-despite-evidence-to-the-contrary
3. (2021). Adult Obesity Facts. Centers for Disease Control. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
4. Yoshida, R, et al. (2010). Endocannabinoids selectively enhance sweet taste. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0912048107
5. Koch, M. (2017). Cannabinoid Receptor Signaling in Central Regulation of Feeding Behavior: A Mini-Review. Frontiers in neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2017.00293
6. Parray, HA, et al. (2016). Cannabidiol promotes browning in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Molecular and cellular biochemistry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-016-2702-5
7. Atalay, S, et al. (2019). Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol. Antioxidants. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9010021
8. Lafourcade, M, et al. (2011). Nutritional omega-3 deficiency abolishes endocannabinoid-mediated neuronal functions. Nature neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2736
9. Carter, A. (2020). Using CBD Oil for Anxiety: Does It Work? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-for-anxiety#how-cbd-works
10. Birnbaum, AK, et al. (2019). Food effect on pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol oral capsules in adult patients with refractory epilepsy. Epilepsia. https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16093