What are gastrointestinal complaints?
At any given moment, around 40% of people have at least one symptom of a digestive problem. Given this, it is no wonder that several over-the-counter drugs claim to be able to address these frequent digestive problems. Constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, and bloating are common and typically transient digestive conditions known as functional disorders.
IBS, which affects the large intestine, is a common long-term stomach problem. IBS symptoms can range from cramps and bloating to gassiness, constipation, and diarrhea, and can be treated with a variety of drugs.
Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel illness, is a much more serious digestive condition (IBD). It is more severe than IBS, yet it is just as frequent. According to statistics, the condition affects around 700,000 people in the United States.
IBD is a condition in which the digestive system becomes inflamed, resulting in a range of symptoms. Abdominal pain, soreness, and discomfort can range in intensity from mild to severe, including recurrent vomiting, high fever, and even abscesses.
These symptoms are not only physically harmful, but their side effects can also interfere with a person’s everyday life and mental health. If the symptoms are strong enough, the patient is unlikely to want to leave the house for work or socialize.
What, on the other hand, is the source of these problems? Gastric troubles can be caused by anything from a change in diet to an increase in stress levels. They can also be caused by factors such as a lack of activity, the use of medications, or pregnancy.
Living with gastrointestinal problems
Chronic digestive illnesses affect 20 million people in the United States. As a result, it is no surprise that this is one of the most expensive diseases to treat in the United States. Long-term patients may find it pricey and stressful to treat their condition with the hundreds of prescription drugs available.
Most therapies have typical side effects on the body that might cause further physical problems for the user and, in turn, have an influence on mental health.
Why use CBD for gastrointestinal problems?
The use of CBD for a range of digestive disorders is becoming more popular. This cannabinoid has an effect on human health via interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
Endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors such as CB1 and CB2 are components of the ECS. CBD regulates the functioning of the ECS and other different receptors, and they activate numerous reactions that help maintain a state of equilibrium throughout the body.
CBD may also help to reduce cortisol, a catabolic hormone. Cortisol degrades biological tissues and has a negative influence on the lining of our gastrointestinal tract. Keeping cortisol levels under control is essential for keeping a healthy digestive tract.
Benefits of CBD
CBD’s digestive system advantages have been studied for over a decade. While the number of human subjects research is limited, with most having small sample sizes, the results are encouraging.
292 individuals with IBD were included in Israeli research published in 2012. Around half of them had previously used or were now consuming cannabis at the time of the research. Overall, 32% of MMJ users indicated they used it to treat nausea, diarrhea, and low appetite. Current cannabis users reported a considerable improvement in such symptoms, according to the study.
The effect of cannabis on inflammation and gastrointestinal mucosal defense was investigated in a review of papers published in 2016. Cannabinoids’ direct stimulation of CB1 receptors reduced stomach acid output and gastric motor activity, according to the study. The procedure also reduced the production of stomach mucosal lesions caused by alcohol, stress, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
The ECS was shown to be a viable target in the therapy of IBDs, according to the researchers. They also said that preliminary clinical investigations supported the hypothesis.
In the year 2020, one of the most current important reviews was released. It investigated and explored CBD products and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids for GI problems prevention and therapy. The researchers came to the conclusion that CBD, in particular, might be beneficial for a variety of GI disorders and illnesses. More study is needed to validate the relationship, though.
CBD oil research
Another reason to think about CBD for digestion is its ability to control hunger. This is especially beneficial if you eat too often or too much and get bloating as a result. For best digestion, you should wait at least 3-4 hours between meals and snacks.
CBD can help you lose weight by suppressing your appetite. This was the conclusion of research published in the journal Psychopharmacology in 2012. (Berlin). When compared to CBG and CBN, the researchers discovered that CBD consumption resulted in a substantial drop in food intake in rats.
The frequency of bowel motions, also known as motility, is affected by a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. CBD was discovered to have the ability to assist control GI motility in a 2005 research. However, it is dependent on the individual’s symptoms. If you suffer from constipation, this is good news.
There’s evidence that CBD can help with constipation symptoms including stomach aches, nausea, and bloating. Cannabinoids, for example, were shown to be able to control nausea and vomiting in a 2011 research.
For digestive issues, there are a variety of CBD products to explore. The most popular CBD products are CBD oils. However, there is an age-old cure for stomach problems that, when combined with CBD, might bring even more comfort.
Will CBD calm your stomach?
So far, the evidence shows that the answer is ‘yes.’ The ECS and the GI tract have a strong relationship. CB receptors are found all over the body, including in the stomach, and endocannabinoids work with them. CB1 receptors are mostly present in the brain, whereas CB2 receptors are mostly found in the stomach. When any organ of the digestive system swells, these receptors connect with cannabinoids like CBD to alleviate inflammation.
CBD has been shown to aid with gastrointestinal problems such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, gastritis, and constipation in hundreds of trials. CBD’s antiemetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anxiolytic qualities may be useful in treating a variety of digestive problems.
Conclusion
Clinical experiments are currently being carried out. We have yet to see conclusive evidence that CBD may completely eliminate the symptoms of digestive illnesses. Nonetheless, there has been a lot of interesting research on how CBD interacts with the body. Furthermore, a rising number of people who take CBD for GI difficulties believe that it works.
While we recognize that making the switch to CBD might be intimidating, the benefits speak for themselves. Many favorable testimonies imply that CBD can help with digestion while posing very few hazards. This is a benefit that prescription drugs do not provide.
