Cannabis and Gut Health: How they work together?

Cannabis has taken the world by storm and is now a household name. With the recent research going on around it, the medical benefits of cannabis are becoming evident and go way beyond our imagination. Evidence shows that the medicinal properties of cannabis can do wonders for our health and treat many diseases. Taking care of our gut is among the list of anti-inflammatory work that cannabis performs for you. Let’s see if cannabis can treat your stomach disorders and give you a healthy gut.

What is an endocannabinoid system?

The cannabis plant consists of different compounds or chemicals, called cannabinoids. While they are over 100 in numbers, two cannabinoids are the most essential ones, CBD and THC. Cannabis works on humans by communicating with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) present inside us. A human body is capable of producing neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids, which are identical to the ones present in cannabis. These transmitters interact by attaching themselves to the receptors present in our organs, muscles, and even fat. The receptors can be of two types; while the first receptor is known as CB1, the second is CB2.

It was the endocannabinoid system that first came to our knowledge when scientists discovered the presence of CB1 receptors. The ECS helps to alter the mood, appetite, memory, emotions, immune system, metabolism, digestion, and even pain. Upon the intake of cannabinoids present in cannabis, they also stick to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, much like natural cannabinoids, and trigger reactions. It either amplifies or reduces the level of transmitters, which our body uses to communicate.

The endocannabinoid system holds much importance when we study the effect of cannabis on our body. Cannabis helps to treat many chronic ailments, and it may have links with the effectiveness of medicinal marijuana. Among the chemicals present in cannabis, CBD and THC are the two present in a majority. THC is associated with the feeling of ‘high’ that you get from cannabis. It can reduce pain and inflammation, all the while helping you increase your appetite and get relaxed. CBD, on the contrary, counters the psychoactive effects or high of THC. CBD has medicinal properties, which can heal your body from within.

Why do you need a healthy gut?

The path for a healthy body starts with a healthy gut. We might have had this realization a little late, only in the last decade, but we are now giving our gut the due credits. More and more people are giving it enough attention and care. We have known for centuries that all the diseases take birth from the stomach; we were still ignorant about keeping it up to its best health. The primary motive of our stomach is digesting the food that we eat and break it down to release the nutrition, but it has much more to do with our health.

Millions of microbiome live in our stomach. It includes parasites, bacteria, fungi, archaea, and protozoa. As per a study by Harvard, microbiomes play a significant role in breaking down the unhealthy food compounds, give a boost to our immune system, and synthesize amino acids and vitamins. Some microbiomes even release neurotransmitters, in order to communicate with our brain, which even gets them the name of ‘probiotics.’ There is a strong link between healthy digestive tracts and better mental health.

How can cannabis treat stomach disorders?

Now that we have safely established how important it is to maintain gastronomical health let us see how you can achieve it. There are a lot of food options, like probiotics, that you can adopt to improve gut health, and among them is cannabis. It is becoming easier for people to use medicinal marijuana, for it is available by just a single click at various online dispensary Canada.

The CB1 and CB2 receptors are also present in the digestive tract. Any imbalance in this system can become the root cause of disorders in your intestine. The problems like obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, or inflammatory bowel disease can be due to the lack of cannabinoids. It is where cannabis comes to your rescue. The cannabinoids present in cannabis bind to the receptors in your stomach. While THC sticks to the CB1 receptors, CBD interacts with both CB1 and CB2 receptors.

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD: Amidst the research going, evidence states that ingesting cannabis has direct effects on diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. Clinical research conducted on mice at the New York University Medical Centre shows that CBD reduced the inflammatory symptoms. Although there is no concrete evidence to establish that cannabis works for inflammatory bowel disease in humans as well, many people are finding relief from the debilitating symptoms with it. Similarly, as per the study by Tel Aviv University, Israel, the patients of Crohn’s disease found a decrease in the severity of symptoms upon regular intake of medicinal marijuana. While 70% said that the symptoms were less severe than before, many were able to get off medication they were using for it.

• Leaky Gut: A ton of gastronomical problems arise due to permeability. The tight junctions in our gut allow the nutrients to go into the bloodstream, but in the case of a leaky gut, they also allow the harmful substances to enter. As per a research paper, CBD present in cannabis works to restore the endothelial membrane permeability, preventing the leaky gut.

• Other digestive illnesses: You can even treat many other gastrointestinal illnesses like abdominal pain, nausea, and diarrhea with the help of cannabis. Patients relying upon opioids to treat abdominal pain can find a healthier substitute in medicinal marijuana. It also gives a boost to the appetite, for a majority of smokers report that they feel the urge to eat after smoking marijuana.

While the health benefits of cannabis are endless, it undoubtedly stands out when it comes to helping patients with gastronomical disorders. It is a natural and organic way to promote the health of your gut, reduce the symptoms, and even cure many ailments altogether. If you feel you are fighting a never-ending battle with your stomach, it is time to give cannabis a try. Order medicinal marijuana today from the best online dispensary Canada to be less gutted about your day.