Cancer patients about to begin chemotherapy should strongly consider taking cannabidiols. Cannabidiol (CBD) oil has proven an effective supplement to chemotherapy. It both lessens chemotherapy’s intense side effects and improves the effectiveness in general.
A recent study shows that mice treated with both CBD oil and chemotherapy survived almost 3x longer than chemotherapy alone. This study aligns with others conducted within the last 10 years as CBD oil has become a more accepted alternative product.
Learn how CBD and chemotherapy work to provide cancer patients with relief below.
CBD Oil and Chemotherapy: 5 Awesome Benefits of CBD
Chemotherapy kills cancer cells. However, it also subjects patients to severe side effects. Things like fatigue, nausea, vomiting, body pain, emotional changes, and more.
Taking CBD oil during chemotherapy lessen many symptoms that interrupt a cancer patient’s life. Here are 5 proven benefits of CBD oil for cancer patients.
1. Reducing Nociceptive and Neuropathic Pain
Both of the most well-known compounds in cannabis, CBD and THC, prove effective pain relievers. They decrease pain related to migraines, cancer, and spasticity. They also help with neuropathy other chronic pain and acute pain conditions as well.
CBD and THC relieve pain by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system. The two main cannabinoid receptors, are CB1 and CB2. They regulate the release of immune cells in the central nervous system and neurotransmitters. CBD and THC interact with these to help manage pain levels.
Many modern studies exist that prove how cannabis relieves pain associated with a variety of diseases. It also helps with nociceptive pain as well as neuropathic pain.
Nociceptive pain refers to the continual activation of pain receptors on the surface or within the body’s deep tissue. It’s most often associated with inflammation. And it occurs in people with diseases like fibromyalgia, HIV/AIDs, and cancer.
Neuropathic pain refers to pain caused by permanent changes to the nervous system. Such as in the aftermath of an injury.
Surprisingly, cannabis helps other chronic pain symptoms with no known pain reliever. It also relieves neuropathic and nociceptive pain without side effects common to opioids.
It can help with problems like nausea, vomiting, constipation, and addiction.
2. Minimize Nausea and Vomiting
Nausea and vomiting are the symptoms most commonly associated with chemotherapy. Those feelings originate in the same place in the brain, the postrema area of the dorsal vagal complex (DVC). The DVC responds to the body’s natural hormones. It tells the digestive system whether it should suppress or stimulate appetite.
The endocannabinoid system regulates many of the body’s processes including this one. It uses chemicals and cannabinoids to stimulate a response. The similar cannabinoids found in CBD oil are vital to this system and keeping the body balanced.
Research shows that parts of the brain involved making you feel nauseated, like the DVC, contain CB1 receptors. The cannabinoids in THC and CBD oil bind to these receptors and suppress nausea or vomiting. They block the receptors so the other chemicals that induce nausea and vomiting cannot bind to them.
So taking CBD oil during chemotherapy greatly reduces nausea and vomiting.
3. Preventing Weight Loss by Stimulating Appetite
As stated above, cannabinoids in THC and CBD oil bind to the receptors in the brain that stimulate appetite. THC offers a stronger appetite-promoting effect. But CBD also helps to manage appetite on the whole.
The endocannabinoid system regulates many of our body’s intricate systems, like food intake. So using cannabinoids to balance this system makes sense.
Chemotherapy kills a patient’s appetite through nausea and suppressing the appetite itself. Taking CBD oil during chemotherapy motivates patients to eat more food. It also helps better regulate their appetite throughout the day.
4. Reducing Inflammation and Swelling
Chemotherapy causes inflammation and swelling. These make patients feel uncomfortable and increase their overall pain level.
Inflammation does well when it helps protect the body from foreign threats. But chemotherapy and autoimmune disorders trigger inflammation when it is not necessary. These cases of chronic inflammation force the immune system to damage the body’s own tissue.
Research shows that cannabinoids may help suppress this unnecessary inflammatory response. It does so by using a variety of mechanisms.
Cannabinoids reduce the number of cytokines. These immune system proteins invite white blood cells to infection sites can cause inflammation. They increase the number of Tregs (T-regulatory cells) that help prevent autoimmune disorders.
Cannabinoids also promote the death of dendritic and T cells, which play a large role in inflammation. They limit the activity of fatty acid amidohydrolase. This then boosts production of anandamide, an anti-inflammatory endocannabinoid.
They also increase the concentration of local hormones called eicosanoids. These signaling molecules draw out inflammation.
Finally, cannabinoids help the body recover from immune-based damage. They promote healthy regulation and encourage suppression when necessary to aid in the recovery.
5. Promoting Emotional Well-Being
Last, CBD oil promotes emotional stability and a patient’s well being during chemotherapy. This difficult and painful experience causes many patients to suffer from anxiety and depression. They don’t know if the treatment will work and their body feels like it’s dying along the way.
Taking CBD oil during chemotherapy makes it easier for patients to control their feelings of depression and anxiety. These feelings usually originate when there’s an imbalance in serotonin levels in the brain.
This is why physicians prescribe SSRIs to increase the availability of serotonin. SSRI stands for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. The more serotonin available means more to transmit into the brain, which in turn reduces anxiety and enhances mood.
CBD offers a similar effect to these SSRIs by enhancing the transmission of 5-HT1A in the brain. Research suggests it may even affect the serotonin receptors faster and with fewer negative side effects.
Cannabis also helps to regenerate neurons in the hippocampus and increase neuroplasticity. These are two proven causes of depression and suicidal thoughts.
Learn More About High-Quality CBD Oil for Cancer Patients
You should now understand why so many physicians recommend CBD for patients undergoing chemotherapy. The combination of CBD oil and chemotherapy allows patients to feel closer to normal with an appetite and less pain.
Interested in buying high-quality CBD oil before starting chemotherapy? Check out Wellspring CBD’s online shop for the best CBD oil for cancer patients.
You can find everything from edibles and flowers to drops and vape oils so you can get relief in the way that works best for you.
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