Post Weekend Madness 2019

RAMS x PATRIOTS

Whether you were on the winning team or the losing team this past weekend chances are you had a bit too much to drink, ten slices of pizza and the load of chips and salsa. We all know that times of celebration often lead you to putting things in your body that are not necessarily good for you when consumed in excess. Research and has shown that consuming excess carbohydrates and alcohol can not only causes gastrointestinal inflammation, but also inflammation of the kidneys, liver and brain, Wang et al., 2010. Although a hangover and a nasty stomachache subside fairly quickly, the repercussions of the party time celebrations often go unnoticed. Science has been uncovering new ways people can monitor dietary intake along with discoveries that can help keep our body strong with natural remedies like cannabis that act with preventative application. 

CANNABIS x CBD

Emerging studies and animal models have exposed the safety and efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) and research has shown statistically significant impacts on reducing gut inflammation, pain due to gastrointestinal distress and overall improvements in intestinal digestion. More recent reviews have also revealed that the endocannabinoid system is involved in almost all major immune events and therefore, it may be beneficial in all inflammatory disorders. A review on colitis shows that in response to cannabinoid up-regulation histologic and microscopic gut inflammation was reduced Naftali et al., 2014.

An additional study explains that the endocannabinoid system is involved in the regulation of numerous gastrointestinal functions including motility, sensation and secretion. Under pathophysiological conditions the endocannabinoid system provides protection to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract (e.g. from inflammation and abnormally high gastric and enteric secretions). Protective activities are largely in agreement with preliminary reports on the use of cannabis extracts by subjects suffering from various GI disorders. Thus, the endocannabinoid system may serve as a potentially promising therapeutic application against different GI disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases (e.g. Crohn’s disease), functional bowel diseases (e.g. irritable bowel syndrome) and secretion and motility related disorders.

FEEDING THE CANNABINOID SYSTEM

The endocannabinoid (eCB) system includes multiple receptor sites that can be interacted with directly or indirectly. CB1 and CB2, endocannabinoid ligands anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), and their metabolic enzymes all make up the intricate system that parallels our immune and central nervous system.

Emerging literature has documented cannabinoid deficiency as process in migraines, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, psychological disorders, and other related conditions characterized by inflammation and cannabinoid deficiency. A review of clinical interventions indicate that several classes of pharmaceuticals can up-regulate the endocannabinoid system, including analgesics (acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, glucocorticoids), antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and anticonvulsants. Clinical interventions characterized as “complementary and alternative medicine” also upregulate the endocannabinoid system: massage and manipulation, acupuncture, dietary supplements, herbal medicines and lifestyle modification such as, diet, weight control, and exercise also modulate the endocannabinoid system, Storr et al., 2008.

THE HEALTHY OPTION x CBD

Although science has shown that pharmaceutical drugs can interact with the endocannabinoid system to up regulate the production of cannabinoids, this does not serve as a natural means to treat certain ailments associated with inflammation and the endocannabinoid system. There is a reason we feed the endocannabinoid system with cannabinoids, our body is naturally made to do so and thrives on the actions that it provides. If we had a “Tylenol system” or an “Ibuprofen system” I would not be sitting behind my desk pushing information on cannabis and the constitutes that have been medically proven to treat illness and injury naturally. I believe that if we are sacrificing our body for a good time, the least we can do is treat and heal with the cleanest and most naturally occurring remedies possible.

Cannabinoid options of application:

Transdermal-Topical Salve

Edible-Tinctures, Superfood powder, Soft Gels, Waters.

x References x

1. Wang HJ, Zakhari S, Jung MK. Alcohol, inflammation, and gut-liver-brain interactions in tissue damage and disease development. World J Gastroenterol 2010;

2. Naftali T, Mechulam R, Lev LB, Konikoff FM. Cannabis for inflammatory bowel disease. Dig Dis 2014;

3. Storr MA, Yüce B, Andrews CN, Sharkey KA. The role of the endocannabinoid   system in the pathophysiology and treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2008;

4. Massa F, Storr M, Lutz B. The endocannabinoid system in the physiology and pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal tract. J Mol Med 2005;