CBD oils and Crohn's disease

21 February 2022
0 comments
2 views

Crohn's disease belongs to a group of diseases called inflammatory bowel disease. They are extremely intractable diseases whose etymology is not clearly defined. This makes treatment very difficult, mostly symptomatic. It is an inflammatory disease and, as a wealth of research already indicates, CBD oils produced from cannabis seeds have anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore CBD oil can act as a supportive treatment for Crohn's disease?

Crohn's disease - causes, symptoms, treatment

Crohn's disease can be caused by a variety of factors. Unfortunately, one has not been found that dominates and indicates which specific pathogenic factor caused the disease to develop. Researchers believe that the most common cause is a genetic factor, linked to a mutation of the NOD2 gene.

In addition, diagnosis is made difficult by ambiguous symptoms, which often leads to a misdiagnosis, such as irritable bowel syndrome or appendicitis. Either way, a complete cure for Crohn's disease is not yet possible.

Symptoms of the disease include chronic abdominal pain, tenderness and resistance or when examining the abdomen, flatulence, blood in the stool, diarrhoea, sub-febrile states or even fever and systematic weight loss and weakness.

The disease is diagnosed by blood tests, gastroscopy, abdominal x-ray, CT scan and abdominal MRI.

At times when symptoms worsen, conventional medicine uses antibiotic therapy, immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatory drugs and biological therapy, which is extremely expensive. In extreme cases, it is necessary for a surgeon to intervene and remove the affected part of the intestine. At times, when the disease is relieved and symptoms become bearable, many patients only need a proper diet to maintain this state.

Cannabinoids and Crohn's disease

It is not only CBD that has become the focus of research in the context of Crohn's disease treatment. Researchers have also investigated another cannabinoid, namely THC, which also shows anti-inflammatory effects. In 2013, they conducted a study to see how medical cannabis would deal with the condition.

Twenty-one people with Crohn's disease who had not been significantly improved by known therapies were forfeited. Individuals were randomly allocated to either a group taking cannabis or one given a placebo. The results of the study were promising. In five out of 11 patients in the cannabis group, symptoms disappeared completely and in 10 out of 11, they partly disappeared. In addition, all the subjects reported both an improvement in their sleep quality and appetite.

CBD oil in Crohn's disease

This disease, is another inflammatory disease. And, as we know, among the properties of CBD oil that are mentioned by scientists, it is the anti-inflammatory action that is the dominant one and probably the best studied and confirmed one already. But research on cannabidiol is still ongoing and there is still something new to learn.

In the case of inflammatory bowel disease, it is the excessive inflammatory reactions in the digestive tract that occur. This is where CBD oil can step in with its anti-inflammatory properties.

However, a study on a group of 20 people using a dose of 20 mg per day for eight weeks showed no significant improvement in their health. And the final conclusion was as follows: "Reduction in disease activity at the end of the study, but no significant difference compared to placebo". However, in doing so, the researchers noted that this may have been due to too low a dose of cannabidiol being administered and encouraged further research. Worth noting, no side effects or discomfort were found during or after the use of CBD oils.

Should therefore use CBD oils suffering from Crohn's disease? First and foremost, you should consult your doctor. It should also be remembered that the use of cannabidiol must be started with small doses and gradually increased. If it is known that they do not cause bothersome and dangerous side effects, it is certainly worth a try. This is because CBD oils are natural products, extracted from hemp seed with a negligible THC content (up to 2%). They are therefore not psychoactive substances. In Poland, they are legal, widely available and sold without a prescription.

Bibliography:

"Dosage, efficacy and safety of cannabidiol administration in adults: a systematic review of human studies" (2020) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7092763/
"Cannabis induces clinical response in patients with Crohn's disease: a prospective placebo-controlled study"; Timna Naftali, Lihi Bar-Lev Schleider, Irys Dotan, Efraim Filip Lansky, Fabiana Sklerovsky Benjaminovm, Fred Meir Konikoff, (2013) https://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(13)00604-6/fulltext
"Crohn's disease caused by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract"; A. Wawryniuk, M. Rybak, K. Szwajkosz, K. Sawicka, E. Krzyżanowska, R. Łuczyk, E. Szymczuk, A. Tomaszewski. Journal of Education, Health and Sport. 2017; 7(8): 8 0-98. eISSN 2391-8306. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.842267 (2017).