Ep. 55: Cannabis for Gut Health

The human body is an amazing physiological machine. The old adage, “you are what you eat,” has proven time and again to be true, as our body takes what we ingest and turns it into energy and nutrients, while protecting us against harmful bacteria and supporting our nervous system.  

There is increasing evidence that our body’s gut microbiota - bacteria, fungus, and other intestinal microbes - have a beneficial symbiotic relationship to support our metabolism and regulate inflammation in not only the gut but in other organs such as the brain. When the human body undergoes alterations in gut health due to factors such as stress, nutrition, environmental factors, and pharmaceuticals, it responds through the gut by changing the body’s metabolism as it increases its inflammatory response. These changes also affect our immune health, as chronic inflammation can trigger depletion of immune cells, increasing the risk of infection. 

In this episode of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we consider the major role that the endocannabinoid system plays in not only digestive health but also in maintaining homeostasis by interacting with the gut microbiota. In other words, we need a healthy endocannabinoid system to maintain gut health, and research has indicated that cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, are major players in regulating the gut microbiome itself.  It seems that individuals who use cannabis are also supporting their gut health as it protects against both inflammatory and immune disorders as well as helping to repair damage done by these conditions. 

EPISODE RESOURCES

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Al-Khazaleh, A.K., Jaye, K., Chang, D., Münch, G.W., & Bhuyan, D.J. (2024). Buds and bugs: A fascinating tale of gut microbiota and cannabis in the fight against cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 25(2), 872. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25020872 

Barbash, B., Mehta, D., Siddiqui, M., Chawla, L., & Dworkin, B. (2019). Impact of cannabinoids on symptoms of refractory gastroparesis: A single-center experience. Cureus, 11(12). https://www.cureus.com/articles/25832-impact-of-cannabinoids-on-symptoms-of-refractory-gastroparesis-a-single-center-experience 

Boehm, E., Droessler, L., & Amasheh, S. (2023). Cannabidiol attenuates inflammatory impairment of intestinal cells expanding biomaterial-based therapeutic approaches. Materials Today Bio, 23, 100808. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100808 

Borra, V., Borra, N., Bondi, G., Yartha, S.G.R., Machineni, N.V., Agarwal, C., Ramasahayam, K., Kuchipudi, P.R., Mundla, S.R., Bansal, P., Bathija, S.A., Ogbu, I.R., & Desai, R. (2024). Is dependent cannabis use in adult hospitalizations with inflammatory bowel disease associated with major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events? Insights from National Inpatient Sample Analysis. Current Medical Research and Opinion, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2024.2321328 

Borrelli, F., Fasolino, I., Romano, B., Capasso, R., Maiello, F., Coppola, D., Orlando, P., Battista, G., Pagano, E., Di Marzo, V., & Izzo, A.A. (2013). Beneficial effect of the non-psychotropic plant cannabinoid cannabigerol on experimental inflammatory bowel disease. Biochemical Pharmacology, 85(9), 1306–1316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcp.2013.01.017 

Brown, K., Funk, K., Figueroa Barrientos, A., Bailey,