CBD as a Suitable Treatment for Binge Eating Disorder

Binge eating disorder is very common, although few people know about it. This disorder can sometimes negatively affect a person's self-esteem and lead to depression; however, CBD products have been claimed to aid people with this disorder. This article looks at what eating disorders are, how CBD might help those suffering from them, and the different forms of CBD that is available.
There has been a great focus on some diseases affecting the communities, but people don't seem to forget and underestimate the damage that eating disorders might cause. Eating disorders can sometimes be scary and very difficult to deal with; they can even cause further complications such as depression and destroy lives. Although several medications are used to help those suffering from eating disorders, many might want to opt for a more natural way. Thankfully, natural compounds such as CBD have been in the limelight for helping those with eating disorders.

What is an Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are persistent eating behaviors that can negatively impact one's health and emotions. Contrary to what people might believe, an eating disorder entails more than just food, as there is the word 'eat' in it. Eating disorders usually involve weight fluctuations and a negative perception of one's body. The causes of eating disorders vary from person to person; however, there are three main causes; depression, biological abnormalities, and long-term dieting, as Ranatala et al. (2019) showed.
Depression can cause this disorder because people who don't know how to cope with their feelings might develop it. Scientists also believe that those that have abnormal genes or hormonal irregularities might develop binge disorders. Teenagers are more susceptible to this disorder because they are usually more vulnerable to having dangerous ideas of beauty.These teenagers usually suffer from low self-esteem and are more affected by peer pressure with the trouble of having to deal with the changes in hormones that can happen to them.
Binge-eating disorder is a less known type of eating disorder that is characterized by the person binge eating, only to feel a sense of shame later. Although several various factors may lead to a person binge eating, they may sometimes lead to obesity, depression, and anxiety. This can hurt the person's health, especially if the person has been a victim of bullying due to the body or social media. CBD is claimed by manyto help in the management of eating disorders, as Soucar (2022)illustrated.

How Might CBD Help?

Before we know how CBD might help those with binge eating disorders, let's remind ourselves more about CBD. The cannabis plant is widely known and has been under strict containment laws; however, most people don't know that there are two variations of the plant. The two main compounds of the cannabis plant are THC and CBD; although they come from the same plant, they have their differences too. CBD is widely known for its health benefits, while THC is mostly known for its psychoactive effects. CBD has been claimed to help with various health diseases in humans, such as acne and arthritis, and even has been known to suppress some cancer symptoms. However, CBD has also been claimed to help those with Binge eating disorders.
CBD's properties for helping those with depression are widely known, as Laczkovics et al. (2021)explained. Binge eating is known to cause depression. CBD is thought to interact with the endocannabinoid system to affect the person's mood and help those with anxiety cope with their anxiety or other mental conditions. CBDs' ability to help curb depression and anxiety can help prevent BED.
Binge eating disorder is thought to cause diabetes; CBD handles diabetes by leveling the amount of sugar in the body. Although diabetes is normally not reversible, CBD might help you balance it and help it not get out of hand.
Long-term dieting is thought to be one of the causes of binge eating disorder, and sometimes when a person is sick, they might find themselves eating a large amount of food for the body to fight off diseases. Boosting your immunity might go a long way to help you deal with your Binge eating disorder. Although it might not directly treat your disorder, it can help you deal with the symptoms.

Forms of CBD

You can find many forms of CBD products in the market; because of the surge in demand for CBD products, many companies have ventured into the CBD scene to produce many forms to fit the diversity of the customers. You can find CBD edibles, topicals, and CBD oils. Because these products are taken in different ways, they might differ in the amount of time needed for you to feel the effects of CBD. CBD edibles take a longer time because it requires the products to pass through the digestive system; CBD oil may take a shorter time when they are placed under the tongue as there are a lot of blood vessels under the tongue.
Knowing the right dosage of CBD might require you to start taking a small dosage of the products and moving up to higher dosages to know just the right amount of CBD for you to feel the effects. The FDA has not yet approved a universal dosage of CBD products. Still, you can easily track the amount of CBD taken by measuring the drops or capsules and the approximate percentage of CBD each drop or capsule contains.

Do They Have Any Side Effects?

CBD products are generally considered safe for consumption; however, some users of CBD report feeling some side effects. However, many side effects are easily tolerable. These side effects might include fatigue, diarrhea, and a change of diet, as Boehnke, Häuser&Fitzcharles (2022)concluded. These side effects usually differ in intensity and might depend on the concentration or amount of CBD taken and might differ for each user. However, to be safe, you should talk to your doctor before using any CBD products to prevent any reaction to your previously prescribed pharmaceutical drugs.

Conclusion

Binge eating disorder is a disease that can affect many people, and although many people still don't know much about it, it can have adverse effects on the patient. Binge eating disease can have emotional and health complications such as depression and anxiety; the disorder can also result in other complications such as diabetes, which can result in other complications. Many have been opting for natural products such as CBD to combat this disorder, and research has yielded positive results. Although much of the research is still in its infantry stages, this hasn't stopped many CBD enthusiasts from using CBD products.

References

Boehnke, K. F., Häuser, W., & Fitzcharles, M. A. (2022).Cannabidiol (CBD) in Rheumatic Diseases (Musculoskeletal Pain). Current Rheumatology Reports, 1-9.
Laczkovics, C., Kothgassner, O. D., Felnhofer, A., & Klier, C. M. (2021).Cannabidiol treatment in an adolescent with multiple substance abuse, social anxiety and depression. neuropsychiatrie, 35(1), 31-34.
Rantala, M. J., Luoto, S., Krama, T., & Krams, I. (2019). Eating disorders: an evolutionary psychoneuroimmunological approach. Frontiers in psychology, 2200.
Soucar, J. (2022). Cannabinoids and the Effects on the Serotonergic System as a Treatment for Eating Disorders.