CBD Oil for Cancer
CBD is everywhere these days and its popularity is only
growing. With the ability to relieve pain, lower anxiety, and promote overall
wellness, CBD has quickly become known as the miracle drug, taking the market
by storm.
Now there is evidence that CBD might help cancer patients to
manage or even prevent this deadly disease. Is there truth to these claims, or
is it all hype? Let's explore the facts behind CBD for cancer.
CBD products come in many forms. The most common are oils,
edibles, and topicals. Unlike marijuana, which is illicit in some parts of the
United States, CBD has been legalized federally.
One major difference is the high contents of THC present in
marijuana. CBD products can have trace amounts of THC or no amounts at all.
They have a wide range of health benefits because they can modulate certain
functions in the body.
CBD products work with the endocannabinoid system. This is a
system in your body responsible for controlling and regulating body functions
such as sleep, appetite, pain, et cetera.
It is due to this reason that it has been exploited in
pharmacotherapy to manage certain conditions.
CBD oil has therapeutic
applications in diseases involving energy metabolism, inflammation, pain, eye
disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders.
It has some health benefits to cancer patients as well, and
further research is ongoing about this therapeutic application.
What is Cancer?
Cancer is a serious and debilitating disease characterized
by the growth of abnormal cells. These cells replicate at higher rates than
normal cells in your body.
They end up infiltrating normal cells and damaging tissues
in your body as they spread from one organ to another.
According to Mayo Clinic, cancer rates as the second common cause of
death worldwide. This is because it can be detected several years later after
it has spread to other body organs.
This is why early screening for cancer diseases is
recommended. The sooner the cancer is detected, the earlier treatment can
begin. Early treatment prevents further spread of the disease and improves the
chances of cure.
Cancer affects many parts of the body. It can be of the
cervix, the prostate, the throat, breasts, brain, stomach, colon, lungs, skin,
et cetera.
Cancer symptoms vary with the organ affected. However, some
symptoms are common across all cancer patients. They include:
1. Weight changes.
2. Fatigue.
3. Chronic joint or muscle pain.
4. Sweating at night or unexplained fevers.
Other symptoms are unique to the type of cancer you might be
having. For example, skin cancer comes with symptoms like a lump feeling under
the skin and skin color changes like darkening or yellowing, and skin sores
that take longer than usual to heal.
Cancer has a variety of causes. However, gene mutations are
the most common cause. The mutation can cause the rapid uncontrolled growth of
cells or fail to stop the cells from rapidly growing. In normal cells, cell
growth is controlled by specific genes.
When there is an increase in cell growth above normal, a
gene is responsible for signaling the cells to stop multiplying. In cancer
patients, this process is hindered.
CBD Oil for Cancer
Research shows that CBD oil may be helpful in the treatment
of cancer. Let's examine how that might be true.
First, CBD oil can help relieve patients from cancer-related
symptoms, particularly pain management.
Second, it helps manage symptoms related to chemotherapy
treatment, such as nausea and vomiting. Some studies also reveal that CBD oil
can reduce the size of cancer tumors and induce apoptosis. Apoptosis refers to the natural death of
damaged cells in your body.
Lastly, frequent doses of CBD oil can help prevent cancer.
Treating Cancer with CBD
CBD oil can relieve symptoms related to cancer, such as
pain. Cancer-related pain isn't always relieved by over-the-counter pain
medications. If you're struggling with pain from cancer, CBD might be worth a
try.
Pain in cancer patients is due to the inflammation of
internal tissues that puts pressure against the internal organs and can even
injure nerves. The pain can be so severe that it fails to respond to potent
pain relievers like opioids. If you have cancer and are seeking ways to relieve
pain, CBD oil can help.
The oil reduces pain by modifying the endocannabinoid
system. This system can regulate pain in your body. CBD impacts the CB2
receptor activity of the endocannabinoid system to cause pain and inflammation
relief.
A study was conducted on 177 cancer patients to investigate
CBD and THC's effectiveness in managing cancer-related pain. The study showed
that CBD containing some amounts of THC was more effective in alleviating
cancer-related pain than the use of CBD alone.
CBD Oil for Symptoms of Chemotherapy
Cancer treatment usually involves chemotherapy and
radiotherapy. Both of these treatments can be brutal for the patient.
Radiotherapy involves the use of radiation or a beam of
light to destroy cancerous cells. On the other hand, chemotherapy uses
chemicals to treat cancerous cells that are rapidly growing. This type of
therapy is very aggressive and causes symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, loss
of hair, fatigue, and pain.
CBD helps alleviate vomiting and nausea for cancer patients. The
chemotherapy can also cause a lack of appetite, but CBD oil can boost your
appetite levels.
CBD Oil for Tumor Cell Death
Some animal models have shown evidence of the effectiveness
of CBD in reducing tumor growth. Studies in the previous years have also been effective in
supporting this.
These studies began as early as 2010 and are still ongoing.
The first study in 2010 was on metastatic breast cancer. The results showed
some evidence of reduced cell proliferation and invasion of cancer after CBD
use.
In 2014, further studies showed that CBD could prevent the
spread of colorectal cancer.
In vivo and invitro recent studies in 2019 show that
cannabinoids found in CBD oil can induce the death of tumor cells, inhibit the
invasion of healthy tissues and organs, and slow down the growth of the tumor.
However, CBD's effectiveness in slowing down tumor growth
and inducing tumor cell death depends on the dose and formulation of the
product you are using. CBD oil is the right formulation because it enables
higher dosing.
Does CBD Prevent Cancer?
Little evidence is available on the effectiveness of CBD oil
in preventing the development of cancer.
However, the available research shows that CBD might have
some anti-tumor effects. Studies in animals show that it can prevent prostate cancer, colon, breast, lung, and brain cancer.
In other research, men with a history of tobacco smoking have a
lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who have never smoked
tobacco.
Do I Need a Prescription for CBD?
CBD does not require a prescription and is very easy to
acquire. It was legalized federally due to the 2018 Farm Bill, making it more
accessible than medical marijuana for many in the United States. It's still
important to check your state laws and regulations, but CBD can be shipped to
all 50 states.
Many stores such as Eden's Herbals sell high-quality CBD
products at an affordable price, so you can buy CBD Oil today. They'll even
ship it right to your door for free!
Conclusion
Cancer patients can use CBD oil to manage different types of
cancer-related symptoms and improve the side effects of chemotherapy. However,
it does not cure the condition.
CBD oil is safe for use in cancer patients. When used to
relieve cancer-related and chemotherapy-related symptoms, it is safer than the
use of medications.
This is because medications are associated with myriad side
effects that may further lower life quality for cancer patients.
Although CBD oil is well-tolerated in many patients, it can
have some mild side effects in some patients, such as fatigue, appetite
changes, weight changes, and diarrhea.
Furthermore, the use of CBD oil alongside medications like
blood thinners, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, sedatives, and anti-epileptic drugs should be avoided. This
is because the oil may interact with these medications and damage your liver.
CBD is not a miracle cure-all, but based on the research that's been done, it may be worth a try for cancer patients who are looking for new treatment options in managing their symptoms.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and CBD is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any particular illness or disease. We always recommend consulting a qualified physician before beginning a new CBD regiment