Is Cannabis Good For Gut Health?

It is said that a person has excellent intestinal health when there is useful function and a balance of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. And now, more than ever, the focus should be on our intestines (the stomach) and its contents. In the health sector today there is an increased awareness of intestinal health. What we eat and what we fill our bodies with is very important.

Healthcare providers are placing more value on the content of meals than ever, because health begins in the gut. The enzymes that break down our food are vital to our health, but how do these enzymes work when the stomach is inflamed?

When your gut is in trouble

Your body is in great shape and health when there is a good balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. But when the bowel is injured or inflamed, it can release toxins into the bloodstream, and these are known as “bowel permeability” and some experts call it “leaky gut”. There will be irritants in your bloodstream and your immune system will go into survival mode to correct the problem that is causing the symptoms you are feeling and taking medication.

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When you have an unbalanced gut microbiome, you will experience irritable bowel syndrome with the bad bacteria, which leads to high levels of cholesterol in your body. An unhealthy gut causes problems for the kidneys, which can lead to autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes. So the message here is simple: your stomach matters, and you need to take care of it consciously. Can CBD Help? Let’s find out.

CBD and gut health

Naturopaths claim that good bacteria are necessary for a good gut. There is still some research to be done to fully unlock the potential of CBD to enable good bacteria, but experts agree that CBD is an immune modulator with powerful anti-inflammatory agents that balance the body’s endocannabinoid system. CBD also strengthens the digestive tract, the core of the intestinal area.

RELATED: How Cannabis Promotes Good Gut Health and Can Prevent Weight Gain

There is a link between stress, anxiety and the digestive system, as stress makes the bowels worse. Hence, managing stress is important to keep symptoms away. Since CBD relieves anxiety and stress, it helps in treating bowel problems. So which CBD products should you use for your gut health?

CBD oil for gut health

CBD modulates the acute and systemic inflammation that people experience in their bowels. It does this through the production of cytokines and interleukins, which have therapeutic benefits for people with gas and damage to their intestinal lining. Interleukins are the proteins that inform the immune system to trigger an inflammatory response.

CBD has also shown great digestive health potential due to its ability to lower cortisol, which helps in preventing leaky gut. CBD also prevents intestinal permeability. Cortisol is a form of catabolic hormone that breaks down tissues in the body with a massively destructive effect on the GUI tract. Controlling cortisol levels is therefore critical to a healthy digestive system.

RELATED: Probiotics and Cannabis: What Healthcare Providers Should Know

Experts also recommend CBD oil for gut health as it regulates appetite, which is great if the person is suffering from persistent gas and bloating caused by overeating. Speaking of overeating, sometimes the solution to your gut health problems is simply to eat the right servings. Therefore, we recommend consuming healthy foods for 3-4 hours between meals and snacks to aid digestion and gastric clearance.

Despite the gut benefits of CBD, especially CBD oil, you need to be careful about ingesting it as you don’t want to end up in an overdose. Yes, the oil works, but safety precautions must be taken seriously.

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How to Use CBD Oil for Gut and Digestive Health

Start the process with the lowest possible dose, then add it gradually. Try one serving of CBD oil in the evening every day, and if you want to take more, increase it to twice a day (morning and evening).

If you’ve eaten something that causes cramps and gas, or if you’ve experienced stress-related bowel symptoms, take a serving of CBD oil to help relieve the symptoms.

CBD oil can also be added to smoothies and coffee or a matcha latte.

Sometimes you can ingest the CBD oil sublingually by placing a serving under your tongue, holding it for a minute, and swallowing it with a glass of water. Did you know that there are a lot of capillaries under the tongue? Yes, this is why CBD oil is the best place under the tongue as the active ingredients in the oil are easily absorbed into the bloodstream. This method also means that you don’t have to compromise your GI systems.

Drugs can injure the intestines

Sometimes people get rushed to get drugs they think are safe for their gut, but a study from the Netherlands shows that some drugs can be dangerous to the gut microbiome. Such drugs could also eliminate good bacteria and allow infections in the intestinal area to grow with the possibility of obesity.

Research also shows that the effectiveness of some drugs affects the bacterial components in the gut, which is why certain gut problems become serious problems over time. This finding explains why health professionals always consider the role of the gut microbiota when designing treatments for the gut.

RELATED: Cannabis and the Gut: What You Should Know

A study in Spain showed that almost half of the most commonly used intestinal health drugs unintentionally attack the intestines and pose a health risk. Some of the medications include proton pump inhibitors or dyspepsia, laxatives for constipation, and antibiotics for bacterial infections. So, if you need to take medication for intestinal health, please be careful about the medications you are taking to avoid making your situation worse.

Since gut health determines the state of health of the human body, cannabis and the role of CBD are important as it helps the gut and protects the body from the effects of such harmful drugs. Of course, more research is needed to fully understand the connection between cannabinoids and the body; It’s safe to say that the future looks bright.

This article originally appeared on Cannabis.net and was republished with permission.