Los Angeles, CA: The use of an FDA-approved, plant-derived formulation of CBD (Epidiolex) stimulates weight gain in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), according to randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial data published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
Researchers affiliated with the University of Southern California and the University of California at San Diego assessed the twice-daily use of Epidiolex versus placebo in 32 women diagnosed with anorexia. (Food and Drug Administration officials granted market approval in 2018 to Epidiolex, a prescription medicine containing a standardized formulation of plant-derived cannabidiol for the treatment of two rare forms of childhood epilepsy.) Patients consumed standardized doses of either CBD or a placebo for three weeks.
Study participants who consumed CBD acknowledged no serious side effects and experienced “a significant increase in BMI over time compared to the placebo group.”
The study’s authors concluded: “This study demonstrates a favorable safety profile for CBD in women with AN and atypical AN, with the capacity to support weight recovery and an indication of improving eating disorder psychopathology. … Future research into CBD, focusing on a larger sample size and longer course, may be necessary to make definitive conclusions about the mechanism through which CBD impacts AN pathophysiology as well as the maximal dose at which effects are still seen. Additionally, combining CBD with other treatment strategies such as a specific dietary alteration may be necessary to appreciate its full therapeutic capacity.”
Other studies suggest that low doses of THC can improve psychological symptoms in patients with anorexia and stimulate weight gain.
Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol in anorexia nervosa: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled pilot study to test safety, pharmacokinetics, and symptom change,” appears in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.