{"id":29493,"date":"2024-01-31T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabishealthnews.co.uk\/?p=29493"},"modified":"2024-01-30T15:32:57","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T15:32:57","slug":"cannabinoids-and-obesity-could-cannabis-help-tackle-a-global-health-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabishealthnews.co.uk\/2024\/01\/31\/cannabinoids-and-obesity-could-cannabis-help-tackle-a-global-health-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabinoids and obesity: could cannabis help tackle a global health crisis?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a new extract from the Principles of Cannabinology Handbook, Viola Brugnatelli and Fabio Turco, examine whether cannabis could play a role in tackling the global obesity crisis.<\/h3>\n

Obesity has evolved into a significant public health crisis, with alarming global prevalence rates and with profound health and economic implications. Aside from healthcare costs, lost productivity at work, an increase in mortality rates, and permanent disabilities are also consequences. Obesity demands innovative solutions, and the cannabis plant might hold a key to unlocking new treatment modalities.<\/p>\n

In this article – an extract from the Handbook Principle of Cannabinology<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by Cannabiscientia SA- we embark on a journey to explore the potential of Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA) and other cannabinoids in the context of obesity and its associated health concerns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Obesity in brief<\/b><\/h4>\n

With obesity’s prevalence tripling since 1975 and affecting over 1.9 billion adults, this condition is associated with cardiovascular diseases,<\/a> diabetes,<\/a> and other components of metabolic syndromes, making it a major public health concern. The pathophysiology of obesity involves an imbalance in energy intake and expenditure, leading to the accumulation of triglycerides in white adipose tissue. Hormonal dysregulation, such as leptin resistance and insulin resistance, contributes to the pathophysiological mechanism of obesity, while chronic inflammation is a key component, with proinflammatory factors produced in adipose tissue leading to systemic low-grade inflammation. Conventional approaches focus on caloric reduction and increased physical activity, but pharmacological interventions, with their limited and often short-lived effectiveness, have demonstrated unfavorable risk-benefit ratios and side effects.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, obesity’s development is influenced by a multitude of factors, including genetics, biology, psychology, sociocultural aspects, and the environment, leading to significant variability in individual responses to treatment.<\/span><\/p>\n

The role of thermogenesis<\/b><\/h4>\n

Thermogenesis also plays a pivotal role in controlling obesity. This metabolic process, responsible for heat production in the body, occurs predominantly in adipose (fat) and muscle tissue. Thermogenesis consumes a substantial portion of the energy produced by metabolism and, thus, holds the potential to aid in weight control.<\/span><\/p>\n

Humans have two types of adipose tissue:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n