CBD oil and ketogenic diet: what you need to know

Following ketogenic diet can offer health benefits, but it’s not always easy. You’ll need all the help you can get, and CBD oil can be a great companion in your efforts. Let’s take a look at the benefits of the ketogenic diet, and see how CBD oil can fit into this diet and improve the results.

The ketogenic diet may feel like another short-lived health trend, but its benefits often exceed what many expect. As it turns out, CBD oil occupies a similar position in the wellness sector. While current research has not yielded solid evidence, we are learning more about this cannabinoid every day, and each new study is moving in an increasingly positive direction.

Having the same reputation, it’s especially interesting to think about how CBD oil could pair with a ketogenic diet. It seems that they can work in distinct and complementary ways to support the effects of both and ultimately promote overall wellness.

How ketogenic diet works

To understand how CBD oil might work with the ketogenic diet, you must first fully understand the diet itself. Essentially, it involves swapping carbs for healthy fats, while cutting out sweets and alcohol, unhealthy fats, almost all fruits, and even root vegetables like potatoes and carrots.

“Wait,” you may think, “Aren’t potatoes and carrots healthy? Why take them away?”. Well, they are generally healthy, but they, along with the other forbidden foods, interrupt a vital part of what makes the diet successful: ketosis.

You see, most cells in your body prefer to get their energy from glucose, also known as blood sugar, which we normally get from carbohydrates. However, when you eat less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day, your natural insulin levels drop as fatty acids are released in the liver and converted into ketones. The resulting compounds are involved in glucose production and give your cells the energy they need.

Once your cells regularly tap into ketones for energy, your body goes into a state of ketosis.

What are the benefits of ketosis?

So what are the benefits of changing the way your cells get their energy? Well, think about what ketones are formed from fatty acids. Normally, excess fat stays in our bodies-all the potential energy has nowhere to go. When our bodies are made to convert that energy into ketones, those fat stores are depleted much faster than they normally would be. This means you can enjoy the healthy fatty foods you love much more than usual.

For many, the benefits go far beyond that. Many children who suffer from epileptic seizures, for example, find that their symptoms occur much less often when they follow a keto diet. A 2015 study also found that the ketogenic diet may have anti-inflammatory effect, and may even alter pain perception.

How does CBD oil work with Ketosis?

So, given the benefits it offers, it’s worth stopping and asking whether CBD oil pairs well with ketosis. After all, even potatoes can interrupt ketosis, so what could CBD oil do? Fortunately, CBD oil does not interrupt ketosis. In fact, some CBD oils are made from coconut oil and MCT, both of which are popular in the keto community for their healthy fats and many other benefits.

Does CBD benefit the ketogenic diet?

Alright, so it can fit into the ketogenic diet, but how can CBD oil help that diet? In addition to having some benefits in common, CBD can alleviate other diet-related issues.

Promoting weight loss

For starters, CBD oil may be helpful in boosting ketosis and weight loss in general. Specifically, a study published in 2016 found that CBD increased markers associated with fat browning, a process by which unhealthy “white” fat is converted to healthy “brown” fat. The study also found that CBD can increase lipid (fat cell) metabolism. But, like with fat browning, this was only observed in vitro, meaning no human subjects were involved in the process.

Reducing inflammation

Out of all the potential benefits of CBD oil, its anti-inflammatory effect is one of the most studied. In fact, as recently as 2019, researchers were keen to highlight the body of work detailing how CBD oil could reduce inflammation by mediating the immune response.

Should you take CBD oil while on a ketogenic diet?

Speaking of which, trying it is the only way to know if the combination of a ketogenic diet with CBD oil works for you. The ketogenic diet itself is not for everyone, as it involves a major change in most people’s diets and requires a regular investment. That said, it is not dangerous in itself.

CBD is generally safe and is not associated with frequent side effects, as stated by the World Health Organization. However, it is always ask your doctor to speak with you doctor before starting taking CBD oil, due to the fact that cannabidiol may interact with some medications.

As for whether it will help you reach your ketogenic diet goals, that will depend on your personal experience. Get a CBD oil, perhaps one made with MCT or coconut oil, and give it a try!