CBD and Gut Health
CBD and Gut Health - The Connection Between CBD and Food or Alcohol-Induced Gastrointestinal Inflammation
There are many reasons to dread the holidays, but there’s one issue in particular that doesn’t get talked about too often. That’s right, gastrointestinal problems. If the idea of joining your family for an evening of pigging out on rich or processed foods makes you (literally) sick to your stomach, you might be one of the many people who are sensitive to inflammatory foods and beverages. So how can you protect yourself from the devastating effects of Aunt Shirley’s pecan pie this year? You don’t have to make up an excuse to leave early. You have to be aware of what triggers your body’s immune response and stock up on some high-quality organic CBD so you can indulge a bit without ruining the evening.
Why do we have more stomach issues around the holidays?
You might have noticed that your gut issues flare up around the holidays, or maybe you don’t even notice any gut issues until the holidays roll around. If you’re like most people, you might chalk it up to overeating or the stress of the holidays, which is partially true. But most tummy troubles are caused by inflammation. When you see this list of foods that are known to cause inflammation, you’ll understand why the holidays are so hard on our poor digestive systems (and other systems, too).
• Sugar or high-fructose corn syrup
• Artificial trans fats
• Vegetable and seed oils
• Refined carbs
• Excessive alcohol
• Processed meat
What’s happening in there?
Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is made up of your esophagus, stomach, and both intestines. That means food and diseases that affect your GI health can affect you literally top to bottom. Research into the extent of the effects of your gut health is a bit like the research into CBD. What we know so far is surprising, impressive, and promising, but a lot of it is in the early stages, so you should fact-check the claims you read online. We know for sure about the gut that its health has far-reaching effects and that the bulk of the immune system is housed there, meaning what you ingest and how your gut reacts have a significant impact on inflammation all over your body. Your holiday joint and muscle pain [FS1] and even your winter depression and anxiety may also be related to your gut health.
Possible Symptoms of Poor Gut Health
• Chronic diarrhea, constipation, or bloating
• Nutritional deficiency
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Confusion
• Difficulty concentrating
• Inflammatory skin conditions like acne and eczema
• Joint pain
• Systemic and acute inflammation
• Depression and anxiety
• Obesity
• Metabolic disease
Inflammation is bad
Okay, inflammation is not always harmful. It does serve a protective purpose in many cases. The problem occurs when the inflammation is unnecessary or when it’s overkill, which happens a lot. Your gut health, as the home of up to 80% of your immune system, is directly related to your inflammatory response, as well as systemic inflammation, a dangerous and widespread inflammatory condition that’s known to contribute to the development of diseases like coronary heart disease. Systemic inflammation can cause skin conditions, hormone imbalances, thyroid dysfunction, joint pain, “brain fog,” fatigue, lack of libido, and the list goes on and on.
Leaky Gut Syndrome?
Leaky gut syndrome or LGS is an increase in the permeability of the lining of your gut that can allow particles into your bloodstream that don’t belong there. Many experts believe that leaky gut syndrome can cause systemic inflammation.
However, research is young and limited for the leaky gut syndrome, and it’s not well-understood whether LGS is a symptom or cause of these conditions. Some medical experts think LGS was fabricated by alternative medicine practitioners to push products and services. What is known is that an increase in intestinal permeability has been noted before the onset of some significant health conditions like diabetes and IBS.
Conditions Potentially Related to LGS
• IBS
• Crohn’s disease
• Celiac disease
• Chronic liver disease
• Diabetes
• Food allergies/sensitivities
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Poor nutrition
• Alcohol consumption
• Infection
• Autoimmune disorders like lupus
• Stress
How CBD Can Help
CBD has been proven to reduce both acute and systemic inflammation by preventing the production of the proteins that gets the immune system to do its thing. By decreasing this inflammatory response, CBD can help the body handle foods and conditions that cause IBS, gas, bloating, and damage to the gut lining. Damage to the gut lining is associated with systemic inflammation and LGS, so CBD can potentially address both the symptom and cause of this cyclical gut situation.
You’re probably already aware of CBD’s ability to lower cortisol, the stress hormone, a big-time issue for many people around the holiday season.
You might not know that cortisol breaks down tissues in the body and is associated with intestinal permeability, similar to how stress can cause ulcers in the stomach lining. You may notice that stress affects your digestion or existing gut conditions. Suppose the developing research on LGS is to be believed. In that case, CBD may not only help your body reduce feelings of stress but will also help modulate the physiological symptoms of stress that you may not even know you’re experiencing.
While many people believe CBD increases appetite (which is one of the reasons it’s relied upon by many chemotherapy patients), it has more regulatory effect, possibly provided by regulating blood glucose levels. If overeating or eating too frequently causes you to feel bloated, CBD might help you refrain from piling up your plate this season.
Effective CBD Oil for Gut Health
Nesa’s Hemp organic hemp extract begins in some of the purest soils left on Earth, reducing any risk oft of heavy metals and mycotoxins being absorbed by the plant. Nesa’s proprietary extraction process preserves the full-full spectrum of cannabinoids and other beneficial compounds, including CBDa, the precursor to CBD that is burned out or chemically altered by typical extraction processes.
CBDa is known to be 1,000 times more potent than CBD. To ensure purity, the extract is tested by a third-party lab at industry-leading levels of precision to deliver a batch-specific report that you can review online. It is then packaged in UVA and UVB-resistant bottles to prevent the breakdown of the immensely beneficial compounds. Nesa’s is unparalleled in terms of safety, purity, and effectiveness.
And it’s just what you need to get through the holidays this year.
