REWARDS
CBD, the good-for-you cannabis-derivative, is gaining traction for a ton of therapeutic benefits, including taming painful and downright annoying stomach issues caused by inflammation.
More formally known as cannabidiol, CBD is the non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant which is proving useful for everything from calming anxieties to lessening epileptic seizures. (Check out these posts on what is CBD? and the benefits it provides for an overview).
With so much talk lately on digestive health, and with inflammation at the root of our guts’ issues, CBD is looking quite appealing to those with sensitive stomachs.
While inflammation can cause problems in other areas other than our digestive tract (namely pain-related concerns like arthritis, headaches, and red or itchy skin), we are dedicating this post to CBD and inflammation as it pertains to gut health.
From Leaky Gut to Crohn’s Disease, we’ll take a look at how CBD has the potential to heal us from the inside out.
But first, let’s define what inflammation is.
What is Inflammation and what causes it?
Inflammation is our body’s response to harmful stimuli like junk food, excess stress, and chemicals from the environment.
When your body feels attacked, invaded, or simply uncomfortable, its reaction to those unwanted factors is typically inflammation, which can come in many different forms and can come out of what seems like absolutely nowhere.
You know you have inflammation because you will feel it, and if it’s skin-related, you’ll be able to see it. A skin rash, swelling of a joint, and gut issues like bloating, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, and Crohn’s Disease are all tell-tale and quite obvious signs of inflammation.
Even though inflammation can be a rude and ugly evil, it can oftentimes be relieved, and even cured, when you know your triggers (like spicy food or lack of exercise). And by taking CBD, your digestive problems may be stopped right in their tracks.
How does CBD Fight Inflammation?
The most promising area of study relating to CBD as an inflammatory aversion involves the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), the crucial bodily system which works to promote and maintain homeostasis in the body.
CBD has a distinct and direct way of interacting with the ECS that appears promising for therapeutic applications when it comes to inflammation. Here’s how it all comes together:
The ECS produces natural cannabinoids within the body on its own, called endocannabinoids, while CBD acts as an external cannabinoid sending appropriate messages to cannabinoid receptors to warn off first signs of inflammation.
Cannabinoid receptors are mainly concentrated in our brains, stomachs, and intestines, so when CBD comes in contact with them, signals are sent throughout the body to regulate nausea, vomiting, and any overproduction of stomach acid.
As more studies are published proving the relationship between our ECS, cannabinoids, and gut health, there are a few preliminary findings to note when taking CBD for its health benefits. When you take CBD before your stomach is in knots, it should act as a precautionary substance, blocking any inflammation from entering your gut. If CBD is taken after you get that queasy or crampy feeling in your stomach, it will go in and fight areas of inflammation, resulting in you feeling like you can breathe easy again.
Aside from the somewhat “normal” digestive issues caused by not eating right, not exercising, and not fueling your body with the nutrients it craves, some more specific (and very painful) gut issues many people are experiencing today are leaky gut and Crohn’s Disease.
Gastrointestinal Diseases and CBD
Leaky gut happens when the digestive barrier stops functioning properly. Healthy digestive tracts are lined with a mucus barrier which absorbs nutrients from the food we eat, and also prevents larger particles (that should stay put) from escaping.
If the mucus barrier is compromised by inflammation, it allows these large particles through, which isn’t good news. This can cause increased pain, irritation, and more inflammation if it isn’t treated.
Leaky gut is frustrating for medical professionals, too, as there doesn’t seem to be an easy fix for it. But, scientists have set out to determine if cannabinoids like CBD could influence gut permeability, and are discovering potentially promising findings, like those found in this study below:
In a study conducted in 2012, researchers noted the activation of cannabinoid receptors decreased emesis, inflammation, gastric acid secretion and intestinal motility.
While their findings are currently representative of early phases of discovery, they concluded CBD (and THC) have therapeutic potential in leaky gut and Crohn’s Disease.
Conclusion
If you have digestive issues like leaky gut, taking CBD to get your body back on track to a normal and healthy digestive tract is definitely worth exploring.
Although many people are already using CBD on a self-prescribed basis for optimal gut health, further research on the subject could legitimize their choice of product and dosage. In the near future, CBD could be a suitable determinant for people with Crohn’s Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and other digestive issues. Daintri offers a wide variety of CBD products that can benefit your digestive system such as CBD oil, tinctures, edibles, concentrates and more.
Daintri is an online retailer that curates high quality CBD products that meet stringent levels of superiority and safety. Daintri takes the difficulty out of finding the right CBD product for your needs by curating the best products on the market. Made from pure and potent CBD sourced from premier hemp producers, these producers are specially created to deliver the best possible health effects.