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Cannabidiol and other cannabinoids like THC have recently been buzzing in the wellness zone for many people due to their potential benefits. Besides relaxation, one of the most popular ones is wellness, and some users have started using CBD in keto diets.
But is CBD keto-friendly? One of the main features of this type of dietary regime is using oils and protein and avoiding carbohydrates to stay in a metabolic state. Whether CBD can be keto-friendly depends on a few characteristics, making it work synergistically with this type of diet.
If you want to know what features can make CBD useful in keto diets, we’ve gathered a small guide on using CBD oil and gummies for this regime. We’ll also cover if CBD actually has carbs and some keto-friendly products you can use during your diet.
Key Takeaways
- The keto diet is a dietary regime that basically avoids carbohydrates so your body can burn fat in a state called ketosis.
- Cannabidiol-based products often use keto-friendly ingredients, like MCT and coconut oil.
- CBD can be keto-friendly depending on the tincture and the kinds of sweeteners it has.
- CBD tinctures or oil may help keto diets with potential benefits like aiding with weight loss, inflammation, neuroprotective properties, and aiding with some symptoms of keto flu.
A Quick Look at the Best Keto-Friendly CBD
- Dragon Hemp – Relief Tincture
- FAB CBD – CBD Oil
- Avid Hemp CBD – CBD Oil
What is a Keto Diet?
Before diving into whether CBD and keto can work together, let’s talk about this regimen first. The keto diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that aims to put the body in a specific metabolic state called ketosis.
Without getting too sciency, ketosis will make your body burn fat instead of glucose when it needs energy. Keto is actually a short way of saying ketosis, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the keto diet as well.
While this diet can have serious potential benefits for weight loss, such as potentially reducing blood sugar and insulin level, inflammation, and even improving brain function, it is very limited in terms of the food it allows.
Because of this, it might have several potential risks and side effects, such as kidney stones, something called “keto flu,” and general discomfort. This is where CBD might help, as it can help with specific symptoms of staying in Ketosis. Let’s dive further into this.
Is CBD Keto-Friendly?
So, how do keto and CBD work together? Cannabidiol (CBD) could be helpful to the ketosis diet by helping some biological mechanisms of this diet. Since CBD is a mostly non-psychoactive compound that works with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), it may aid in regulating mood and appetite, which are crucial for the Keto diet.
Now, CBD products can be Keto-friendly as long as the products do not contain carbohydrates and complex sugars. Luckily enough, some CBD oils and tinctures use products that people also use in this diet, like MCT and coconut oil. Cannabidiol-infused gummies can also be keto-friendly as long as they don’t use pectin or sugars to add flavor to the product.
So, in general, CBD can help in several ways with this regime. We’ll delve deeper into this in a section with the potential benefits of CBD oil and even some keto CBD gummies that may help with inflammation, aid weight loss, and could even have neuroprotective properties.
Does CBD Oil Have Carbs?
Generally speaking, CBD oil has very low and almost no carbohydrates, depending on the ingredients used. This is very good news if you plan on adding CBD to your diet, specifically if you want to add good fats to your diet too.
That said, some producers might use additives or sugar-based ingredients in their formulas. Make sure to read the ingredient list and avoid all sugars like fructose or glucose, except for low-carbohydrate options like stevia or monk fruit.
Cannabidiol oil, since it’s fully hemp-derived, is also gluten-free and vegan. This allows many users to add CBD oil to their diet.
Now, edibles can also be keto-friendly; just make sure to look for products that do not have sugar so you ensure the edibles you have are keto CBD gummies and not a product that might disrupt the ketosis.
Benefits of CBD Oil for the Keto Diet
We’ve talked about how CBD oil can be helpful generally, but there are specific benefits that could help with the keto diet. These potential effects include aiding with weight loss, specifically with browning fat cells. Other effects include aiding with inflammation and even helping with neuroprotective properties.
CBD Oil & Keto For Weight Loss
The first way CBD oil could help with weight loss is through appetite suppression. CBD has been studied to help with appetite suppression, and this review from 2022 did a systematic review of how it could actually help.
Generally speaking, more research is needed for clinical treatment, but out of the 11 trials, most reported that patients had an appetite reduction by using cannabidiol.
White Fat Cells vs. Brown Fat Cells
Now, there’s a way that CBD can also help, and it is related to how we burn fat. Basically, this 2016 study associated CBD with fat browning. This process converts “white” fat, which is considered unhealthy in our bodies, to “brown” fat.
This way, the study found it could increase the metabolism and help process fat cells easier. White fat cells tend to take more time to be processed and are usually stored in tissue, which greatly contributes to obesity and other cardiovascular problems.
CBD & Keto For Inflammation
Cannabidiol can also help with overall inflammation, whether it’s cellular or overall discomfort due to the ketosis process. Thanks to how CBD interacts with our nervous system by interacting with the ECS, it can help to send signals to our body to lower the swelling in general.
Neuroprotective Properties of CBD
Your brain’s health is very important in diets as well. Keto diets could help to energize patients thanks to the energy-effectiveness, antioxidants, and general protection from decaying brain cells.
Cannabidiol has shown great promise in helping with neurodegenerative diseases. This study revealed that CBD could help protect the decay of certain brain cells throughout the ECS, also helping with the patients’ general discomfort in the process.
Aiding with Keto Flu Symptoms
Lastly, people starting the keto diet might have something called the “keto flu.” This diagnosis might cause nausea, discomfort, inflammation, and general stress due to the lack of carbohydrates as a primary body response.
Luckily, CBD is a known antiemetic agent, meaning it may help prevent nausea and general vomiting. Cannabidiol is also known for its possible sedative properties, which could potentially help to keep at bay some of the symptoms of keto flu in general.
Using CBD Oil on a Keto Diet
How can you add CBD to your diet? Well, you are probably now used to triple-checking all the labels of things you eat before actually buying them. This is something you should also do with cannabinoid and hemp-based products too, as not all CBD products are created in the same way.
The first step is to check if the products have third-party lab testing. This will ensure the quality of cannabinoids and carrier oil used, so you make sure the brand is actually using coconut oil instead of any vegetable substitutes.
The second step, check the label for sugars or non-keto-approved sweeteners. Avoid all kinds of sugars, syrups, fructose, or pectin. These will break the ketosis cycle, so keep yourself to Stevia and Monk Fruit.
The third step, try to stick to small ingredient lists with organic hemp. Unless you are into researching all the herbs and superfoods, sometimes the best idea is to keep things simple and try organic products.
Lastly, try products that can be absorbed easily. Some people won’t like using edibles at first, so maybe using CBD gel caps or tinctures can be the way to go. You can also try adding tinctures to beverages or actual meals; just make sure to add it to the fatty part of the recipe if you plan on cooking with a cannabinoid-based tincture.
The Best Keto-Friendly CBD Products Online
Now that we’ve been through CBD and keto and answering if CBD is keto-friendly, you might want to try a few products. The following products are all good to use while on this diet, with no added sugar or ingredients that might affect your current diet and help you try CBD and keto.
Dragon Hemp – Relief Tincture
For a brand that mixes ancient herbology and the power of CBD, you’ll want to try Dragon Hemp’s Relief Tincture. With high-quality extracts and ancient Chinese medicine inspiration, this brand blends science and history to bring the best CBD products.
This tincture has 1,200 mg of premium, cold-extracted CBD hemp in a full-spectrum formula. The Relief tincture also has corydalis, turmeric, myrrh, and other Chinese herbs that may aid in reducing pain, promoting blood circulation, and aiding with inflammation.
FAB CBD – CBD Oil
For a high-quality CBD oil with multiple flavor and strength options, no added sugar, and terpene-based flavors, try FAB CBD’s CBD Oil. Their formula is all organically sourced, with non-GMO and pesticide-free hemp.
This tincture has five delicious flavors: natural, citrus, mint, vanilla, and berry. The formula on this tincture is full-spectrum, with four different strengths 300mg, 600mg, 1200mg, and up to 2400mg in a 30ml dropper bottle.
Avid Hemp CBD – CBD Oil
Lastly, you can also try a highly customizable option with no added sugar: the Avid Hemp CBD’s CBD Oil. This formula comes in three different strengths, with 1,500mg, 3,000mg, and 300mg of CBD per 30ml bottle.
This tincture is third-party lab-tested and is made with fractionated coconut oil with hemp extract. You can try the Unflavored, Peach, Mint, Strawberry, and Lemon flavors, which are perfect for adding to your working-out water or some tea with your keto snacks.
Final Thoughts
To conclude the conversation, make sure to check the CBD products you get have keto-approved sweeteners and stick to simpler products unless you consult the ingredient list with your healthcare professional first. Remember you can add cannabidiol-based tinctures to foods in this diet or even add it to drinks; just make sure that if you are cooking with it, you add it to the fatty portion of the meal.
Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission when you purchase products featured here. Please consult your doctor before starting any new supplement to see it is right for you.