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Does smoking weed increase cholesterol?

Find out if you are at risk of a heart attack from smoking weed

By William BPublished 2 years ago 3 min read
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Does smoking weed increase cholesterol?
Photo by jesse orrico on Unsplash

Cannabis consumption in our country is increasing more and more as the days go by, in fact, it is pretty likely that even if you are not a weed consumer, you have a family member who enjoys its benefits.

And all is good with that, the problem for many is that more than half of the population of the United States is considered obese and with serious cholesterol problems, so it is quite natural to wonder how marijuana can affect the cholesterol levels in your body and that of your loved ones.

Typically when it comes to health questions related to marijuana, there is little or no relevant clinical research on the topic. Luckily, this is not the case!

Several studies primarily show cannabinoids can affect our body's cholesterol in some specific cases. So by analyzing them, we will be able to answer whether cannabis affects cholesterol for better or for worse.

Below we will address this topic together in depth to draw our own conclusions and give you a clearer idea of the scenario you face if you smoke marijuana and have cholesterol problems.

If your looking for detailed info about weed, you should visit WeedStripes.com

What effects does cannabis have on cholesterol?

Before getting into the subject and clarifying that cholesterol is an organic compound that exists naturally in the cells of the body and is essential for several bodily functions, such as the manufacture of hormones and the proper digestion of food.

However, the excess of this substance in our body can cause major health problems and help to develop cardiovascular diseases.

A study that was carried out in 2012 and published a little later by "BMJ Open" examined the relationship between cannabis consumption, cholesterol, glucose, and insulin levels in cannabis smokers.

It found that the subjects had a higher prevalence of HDL cholesterol and total cholesterol, meaning that daily cannabis users had an elevated level of good cholesterol!

In addition, another important and more recent study was conducted by the Journal of the American Heart Association team, which examined CBD and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. It comes to reinforce the results obtained in previous research.

They indicated that stimulating CB2 receptors, it manages to reduce inflammation and inhibit LDL activity while significantly improving HDL levels.

Drugs that raise cholesterol

There are many drugs that can affect our cholesterol levels, some can increase bad cholesterol, decrease good cholesterol, or both. Usually, these are drugs prescribed for the treatment of certain diseases, among them we can get beta blockers, anabolic steroids, HIV protease inhibitors among others.

It is important to note that if these drugs were prescribed by a physician with access to your medical history, they should already take into account your cholesterol levels so their benefits generally outweigh the risks.

By CRYSTALWEED cannabis on Unsplash

Does CBD raise cholesterol?

Quite the contrary! Repeated clinical studies have shown that CBD improves cholesterol through its ability to regulate lipid uptake and blood pressure.

Cannabidiol has the ability to bind to the receptors responsible for controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, thus helping to reduce their levels. Not to mention its anti-inflammatory properties, it can be an effective way to treat stress-related blood pressure.

How can I reduce high cholesterol?

High cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks, so it is highly recommended to improve our lifestyle, try these tricks that will help you get to healthy cholesterol levels:

Healthy eating: You should reduce saturated fats as much as possible, eliminate all trans fats from your diet, and incorporate foods rich in omega-3 and fiber! Don't forget to always add a good source of animal protein to help lower LDL levels.

Exercise: Moderate physical activity can help increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (yes, the good cholesterol). So, try to take daily walks, ride a bike on the weekends or practice a sport you enjoy!

Beware of alcohol: Alcohol has been linked to higher levels of HDL (bad) cholesterol, so if you are an alcohol drinker, try to change your routine and have at most one drink a day or avoid it at all!

Too much alcohol can lead to serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke.

I hope this short reading is to your liking and has cleared your doubts about the relationship that THC, CBD, and weed in general, can have with respect to cholesterol.

In the same way, I hope you put into practice all the tips I have left you to help reduce bad cholesterol levels without having to give up marijuana!

I hope to see you here soon, a hug!

health
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About the Creator

William B

Enthusiast and regular cannabis user who seeks to provide informative resources through weedstripes.com to help clear up misconceptions that newbies and not so newbies may have regarding weed.

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