Gut health is in the news as it seems to be key to healthy living….but what about marijuana and gut health.
It is currently buzzing in the wellness community, but gut health isn’t just a trending topic but an important aspect of health. “It impacts everything from obesity to cancer rates, says Dr. Aditya Sreenivasan, a gastroenterologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
Cannabis has been proven to have medical benefits for a variety of things including cancer treatment, nausea, inflammation and more, but what about marijuana and gut health?
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Gut health refers to the well-being of the digestive system, which is responsible for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste from the body. It is home to trillions of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses and fungi, collectively known as the gut microbiome.
The short answer is, there is not enough research to determine there are benefits regarding marijuana gut health.
A review of 20 studies published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenteroloy in. 2021 concluded that while the use of cannabinoids in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was not effective at inducing remission, it was associated with patient-reported symptom improvement, including decreased abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea.
It is key not to overdue any thing such as cannabis or alcohol for your gut health. Â Key ways to be preventative include
- Eat a high fibre diet
- Eat a diverse range of food
- Limit ultra-processed foods
- Drink water.
These four things can go a long way on how your body (and stomach) function. The importance of our digestive system to overall health is a topic of increasing research in the medical community. Research is showing us gut microbiome affects must organs in our body.
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There isn’t enough research around marijuana and gut with several hurdles exist on studying the effects of cannabis on the gut. An example, cannabis can come in so many different formulations and strains. When patients are using cannabis, one patient may be using a different strain from the patient next door.
