If you aren’t familiar with Crohn’s disease, let me give you a brief summary! Crohn’s Disease is a form of Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD). The disease causes inflammation in one or several areas along the digestive tract and greatly affects your gut health. Patient’s diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease may experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Blood in your stool
- Mouth sores
- Reduced appetite and weight loss
- Pain or drainage near or around the anus due to inflammation from a tunnel into the skin (fistula)
Any of these symptoms can be a sign of Crohn’s disease. While a patient may display these symptoms at some point, there may be periods of time when they are not dealing with any of these symptoms. Through treatment and a helpful regimen, it IS possible to live symptom-free!
And that’s where CBD comes in!
CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory and the ideal medication for helping Crohn’s disease. There is no known cure for Crohn’s disease so the primary goal of a treatment plan is to treat the debilitating symptoms surrounding the illness. Over time it has become apparent that diet and lifestyle are major factors when it comes to Crohn’s disease.
Symptoms seem to increase based on the food a patient eats and how easy it is or is not to digest. For example, foods high in saturated fats, unhealthy frying oils, and sugary dishes are known for causing inflammation in the gut. These foods can trigger a Crohn’s disease reaction by further irritating the already inflamed digestive tract.
Besides the diet of a patient, lifestyle is also a factor! Stress, anxiety, and depression are all known for negatively affecting how our bodies are able to function and process. The hormone imbalance caused by these common life factors can lead to a debilitating outbreak of symptoms in patients with Crohn’s disease.
Even when an outbreak occurs, patients must be careful to use the right pain relievers to help them navigate the symptomatic episode. They must use milder, over-the-counter medications as stronger pain relievers can lead to even more inflammation once the drug wears off.
Because of all the above reasons, CBD is perfect for patients with Crohn’s Disease. CBD’s natural anti-inflammatory effect is ideal as a treatment option. The ability to aid the body without fear of adverse side effects is the perfect option for patients to freely use CBD at their leisure. It is the perfect aid to an already existing treatment plan, a convenient booster when the symptoms still aren’t responding to treatment options, and the perfect option to help your body keep a symptom-free life during periods of remission.
Besides CBD’s anti-inflammatory effect within the body, it also helps to keep stress, anxiety, and depression hormones in check due to its mood-boosting effects!
There was a long-term study (44 months) conducted by Israeli researchers to see the effectiveness of medicinal marijuana on patients with Crohn’s Disease. Every aspect of the study was closely monitored and closely measured to determine the effectiveness of each dosage. You can read about the full study here.
The overall study was a success and found CBD significantly reduced the symptoms of its patients and lead to the opportunity for a more fulfilling life:
- Daily Bowel Movements Decreased from 7.0 to 3.4
- Employment Among Patients Increased from 65% to 74%
- The need for medications was significantly reduced
- Patients reported a better overall quality of life
If you read the study above you will also find there were no adverse side effects reported from patients within the study. The most common side effect was an increased thirst and weight gain of 1-2 lbs. The patients were asked if these symptoms were problematic and all patients reported the outcome greatly outweighed these minor side effects.
So, if you or a loved one is dealing with Crohn’s disease or IBD then do not hesitate to give CBD a try! There are positive studies to back up what many people are already reaping the benefits of!