Second Nature Care Blog

Cannabis For IBD - Medial Cannabis, Good Gut

[fa icon="calendar'] Sep 17, 2018 10:46:56 PM / by Winter Ninivaggi

  

Patients all over suffering from IBD may find relief in medical cannabis.

Inflammatory bowel disease affects millions of patients across the U.S. each year. Often mistaken for IBS, IBD presents itself with similar symptoms.  IBD is a heterogenious group of disorders featuring various forms of the mucosal and/or transmural intestinal inflammation. 

Recently researchers may have found the answer to IBD in cannabis, finding that it can directly alleviate many of the debilitating symptoms associated with the condition. Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the University of Bath have uncovered the first biological mechanisms that could potentially explain how cannabis reduces intestinal inflammation. (Haridy, 2018)

"There's been a lot of anecdotal evidence about the benefits of medical marijuana, but there hasn't been a lot of science to back it up," explains Beth McCormick, director of the UMass Center for Microbiome Research.

A number of studies found many patients suffering with IBD were self medicating with cannabis and having positive results. The drug was helping to manage symptoms in a variety of ways such as easing the symptoms of nausea and abdominal pain. Researchers have struggled to determine whether the cannabis has anti-inflammatory effects or if the psychoactive effects are simply masking symptoms but this new research reveals that endocannabinoids play a fundamental role in switching off the body's natural inflammation response in the gut. 

Cannabinoids, the primary active compounds in marijuana exhibit a variety of effects. The cannabinoids interact with special cannabinoid receptors in the body but the receptors are also sensitive to endogenous compounds produced naturally inside us called endocannabinoids.  Neutrophils are a type of immune cell that are known as the front line in the body's defense against infection. These cells don't usually congregate in the intestine in large volumes, and after an acute pathogen has been neutralized the body needs to move them out so uncontrollable inflammation does not occur. (Haridy, 2018). 

This study discovered that a cannabinoid receptor on neutrophils helps attract endocannabinoids to promote the resolution of inflammatory activity in the intestine.  "Without endocannabinoids, inflammation can run unchecked and out of control. The researchers believe that these naturally produced endocannabinoids are similar to cannabinoid molecules found in marijuana, and it could be this action that explains the anecdotal effects of marijuana alleviating IBD symptoms."

You can talk to your doctor about the possibility of IBD and be tested for it. Or, you can head to Second Nature Care. Here Dr. G starts with the gut. She will help you regulate your gut microbiome and see what dietary changes could be necessary for you. Learn more about our Good Gut probiotics. They will regulate your gut flora.

If you are suffering with IBD you may be eligible for medical cannabis in the state of New York.  

Stop living with pain, gas, bloating etc.. and take action for you health.

Keep up with our recent blogs about Medical Marijuana to learn more about the process of being referred. Call 914 325-1664 or 845 358-8385 or email janiszen@drgyn.us 

Medical Marijuana

 Clinical Cannabis

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Cannabis

Chemistry with Cannabis

Haridy, R. (2018, August 15). New discovery reveals how cannabis can alleviate intestinal inflammation. Retrieved from https://newatlas.com/cannabis-inflammatory-bowel-disease/55905/

Topics: Gut Repair, Medical Marijuana

Winter Ninivaggi

Written by Winter Ninivaggi

Isadora Guggenheim, ND, FNP, RN, MS, CNS, LMT, owner of Second Nature Naturopathic Care, LLC
For all appointments: Tel: 845 358-8385 Fax: 845 358-2963 drguggenheim@msn.com