When we talk about CBD, we are referring to a non-psychoactive compound from the cannabis plant, which, for several years now, has proven to be an excellent option to combat some diseases, more specifically their symptoms, thanks to properties such as analgesics, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-anxiety and more.
At the same time, this wonderful cannabis compound is not only responsible for relieving or eradicating symptoms, but it can also be used to improve the general health of our body, since it contains vitamins, minerals and some other advantages that help maintain a healthy body. optimal quality of life.
Next, we will emphasize one of the most important systems in our body, such as the intestinal system, we will mention a fairly common pathology, called irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), the benefits that CBD provides for this condition, the studies that support this information and how Cannabidiol can positively influence the health of our intestine.
irritable bowel
Irritable bowel syndrome, or better known as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is defined as one of the functional digestive disorders (FDD), which is characterized by the presence of specific symptoms such as dolor abdominal associated with changes in the frequency and/or consistency of evacuations, this being different from inflammatory bowel disease.
The causes that represent this disease have not yet been defined, however, it is associated with bacterial or parasitic intestinal infections, age, having a predominance in adolescence or early adulthood, and less probability after 50 years of age. sex being more frequent in women than in men. Another cause that could develop this condition is stress and even genetics.
Among its symptoms, we can find more specifically the aforementioned abdominal pain, gas, distention of the abdomen, a feeling of fullness and changes in intestinal habits such as diarrhea or constipation.
These symptoms can affect each patient in a different way, being mild in the majority, and in some very strong, this will also depend on the way in which they present, since, in some cases, they worsen to the point that it seems that they are not going to improve, and in others, that they improve quickly or even disappear completely.
This disease can have severe complications in patients, mainly decreasing your quality of life, forcing them to follow a rigorous diet, and experience possible symptoms in social areas such as work, as well as problems falling asleep; Mood problems are associated, such as depression o anxiety.
Science and its research on CBD and the intestine
In a study published in 2005, the beneficial properties of Tetrahydrocannabinol were demonstrated in response to gastrointestinal conditions, this was thanks to the association of CB1 receptors present in the enteric nerves, which, through pharmacological stimulation, can cause gastro effects. protective, decreased intestinal secretion and reduced gastric intestinal motility.
Endogenous cannabinoids such as anandamide Y2-aracidonylglycerol, are contained in the digestive tract, as well as, it has a mechanism to absorb endocannabinoids and enzymatic degradation, all this allowed the researchers to conclude that if an alteration of the endocannabinoid system was carried out through the pharmacological route , new options could be obtained to treat a series of gastrointestinal diseases, including nausea and vomiting, Crohn's disease, paralytic ileus, gastro-encephalic reflux, gastric ulcers, secretory diarrhea and of course irritable bowel syndrome.
Evidence such as these is also present in a study carried out in 2004, which reaffirms the beneficial properties of both cannabis compounds (THC and CBD) in the therapeutic treatment of diseases of the digestive system, where, at the same time, concluded that the reduction of pain and inflammation are main and important reasons for the use of marijuana.
Another study published in 2008 consisted of investigating the mechanism through which the endocannabinoid system passes in relation to the pathophysiology of migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and other functional diseases. For this, the available literature was examined and They carried out searches to obtain more information, which showed that cannabinoids have the similar ability to block the peripheral spinal and gastrointestinal mechanisms by which pain occurs in fibromyalgia, migraine and irritable bowel syndrome.
This allows us to conclude that once again, cannabinoids such as CBD and THC could be very useful in the symptomatic treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, as well as an association of the disease with endocannabinoid alteration.
A 2012 study demonstrated the effect of cannabis components by studying 13 patients with irritable bowel syndrome, who, after 3 months of treatment with cannabis, obtained quite significant improvements in their symptoms.
A final study that we will describe was published in 2006, where the alteration of the endocannabinoid system was investigated after the presence of a lactobacillus acidophilus, which was shown to reduce intestinal pain and include cannabinoid and opioid receptors.
In the majority of these studies, both Cannabidiol or CBD and Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC were used, in a 1:1 ratio, since both provide benefits against irritable bowel syndrome, at the same time, CBD allows the psychoactive effect to be attenuated. of THC, giving the patient better results with fewer side effects.
How does cannabis act on irritable bowel syndrome?
As we probably already know, the most serious symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are pain and inflammation, so cannabis components such as CBD or THC offer therapeutic characteristics to treat and relieve these symptoms.
THC has shown in the aforementioned studies an important effect in reducing the pain caused by this condition, while CBD is a great anti-inflammatory, which can help reduce inflammation in the intestine; This allows us to say that thanks to these two properties of cannabis, the quality of life of a patient with IBS can be improved in a quite significant way.
On the other hand, we have symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, which are not problems for any of these cannabinoids, since they have been shown to have a positive response to the presence of these symptoms. For more information you can consult our article on nausea and vomiting.
In turn, cannabis can cause relaxing effects of CBD in the body, which would benefit the patient in two ways, the first is by relaxing the contractions of the intestinal muscle, thus reducing cramps and helping to control intestinal functions; The second is allowing the patient to recover their sleep cycle, since, as mentioned above, this disease can cause an alteration in falling asleep.
One of the possible causes of IBS is stress, which can even aggravate this condition. CBD, throughout its research, has shown to have properties anxiolytics, which could allow the patient to improve or even prevent irritable bowel syndrome.
Last but not least, both CBD and THC have proven to be highly effective compounds in conditions such as depression and anxiety, which is clearly beneficial in the treatment of this condition.
Benefits of CBD for your intestinal health
While cannabis compounds can help treat intestinal conditions, they can also strengthen the intestinal system, thus promoting its health.
An article added to the magazine “Cannabis and Cannabinoid research” confirms the use of this plant for the treatment of different problems in the gastrointestinal tract, in which it was noted that the endocannabinoid system collaborates significantly in the physiology of gastrointestinal function, encompassing what is the gut-brain relationship, which regulates fat intake and appetite, inflammation, interactions with the intestinal microbiota, its permeability and of course its motility.
Maintaining the health of the intestine is of utmost importance, since it is responsible for carrying out functions such as digestion, excretion and others in our body, through which we obtain all the properties necessary to maintain the functionality of all the organs and systems.
This makes the components of cannabis effective and important both for relieving conditions and maintaining intestinal health.
Finally CBD and THC…
Both compounds demonstrated benefits in combating irritable colon, attenuating main signs and symptoms such as pain, inflammation, nausea and vomiting, allowing the patient to improve their quality of life, while at the same time taking a role as an effective medicine to improve health. intestine, even when it is not affected.
If you consider its use as a preventive or therapeutic method in health, assistance to a specialist doctor is recommended, this will facilitate correct monitoring of the results, as well as dosage, interactions with other conventional medications and implementation of therapeutic measures that promote intestinal health.
The importance of an adequate diet in the treatment and maintenance of intestinal health is quite high, since any medication can be consumed, but if the intake of certain foods is not followed or improved, this can be an anvil for the advancement of the improvement or correct functioning of the intestinal system.