Should cancer patients take CBD oil?
To start, Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of the over hundreds of active chemical compounds found in the hemp and cannabis plant. It has been praised for its positive health benefits and how helpful it can be for a variety of treatments and illnesses, including cancer. There are many people with cancer that say they have used CBD as an alternative therapy to manage the symptoms associated with side effects from cancer treatments.
Although there are very little studies that support that CBD oil can help with these symptoms or treat cancer, people continue to use the oil because they have been seeing promising results. Let’s dig a little deeper into why CBD oil can be helpful and if the science currently shows that CBD is a safe and effective supplement for people with cancer.
What is CBD?
As mentioned before, CBD is one of the naturally occurring chemical compounds found in the hemp and cannabis plant. CBD does contain any psychoactive or mind-altering effects that can be associated with another cannabinoid called THC. This psychoactive effect is the feeling you get that some may consider the feeling of being “high”. CBD may not make you feel this type of way but has been proven to help reduce feelings of pain, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.
CBD can come in many different forms through an extraction process. There is full spectrum, broad spectrum and CBD isolate. Full Spectrum CBD contains a variety of cannabinoids alongside CBD plus minimum traces of THC. It is the least refined form of CBD but has many health benefits when using a combination of cannabinoids altogether. Broad Spectrum CBD is more refined and has less cannabinoids, without THC. For those who do not want THC but want to experience using multiple cannabinoids together can benefit from broad spectrum CBD. Lastly, CBD isolate or pure CBD, is the most refined form of CBD and does not contain any other cannabinoids of THC. CBD isolate is a great form of CBD to test out if you are a new CBD user and want to experience strictly the cannabinoid CBD.
There are different ways to administer CBD. Some of those include CBD oils, vaping, edibles, and topicals. Depending on your level of comfort will determine which CBD products may be right for you. All types of products have a different absorption rate and will affect the body quicker than others. CBD oils are one of the most effective ways to take your daily dose of CBD. It is administered under the tongue and goes directly in the bloodstream which has instant results.
Can CBD oil help people with cancer?
There are many different studies that are currently being conducted to help answer this question. Some researchers are looking at how CBD could relieve the side effects of cancer and the treatments, while others are studying whether CBD could potentially slow or stop the growth of cancer.
CBD is becoming popular for its benefits towards the symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment. Some of the symptoms that people with cancer tend to struggle with are pain, nausea, lethargy, and low immune system. There are many people who are noticing first-hand results of CBD, but on a scientific note, there are no large-scale studies that have shown CBD to have benefits for the treatment of cancer. There are some studies that have been done with mice that show how CBD inhibits the growth of cancer in mice who have lung or colon cancer.
There have also been studies which show that CBD together with THC can be beneficial and may relieve pain, insomnia or anxiety, however, the studies have not been specific to people with cancer. The important factor to note is that even though the studies are not specific to cancer patients, all people contain an endocannabinoid system (ECS) and CBD interacts with receptors of the endocannabinoid system. So, whether the study is referring to patients with cancer or not, it is still relevant to how CBD reacts to the human body because it is still communicating with a known regulatory system that we all have. Using CBD with THC is known as the entourage effect and it is said that when using a combination of cannabinoids together, it offers increased health benefits and more effective results.
Aside from what studies are currently showing, there are physicians who believe that CBD can in fact help with the symptoms of cancer treatment and are open to recommending using products that can be found on the market. For example, the FDA has approved two synthetic medications that are cannabis derived which help with the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. If these products are not available to you because of the country you are living in, you can still ask your physician what CBD may be right for you and that is available.
Is CBD oil safe for people with Cancer?
We know that CBD in general is something that has been proven to be safe for personal daily use. We also know that you cannot lethally overdose or harm yourself with CBD which makes it a supplement that is easy to experiment with and is non-habit forming. There are some side-effects with CBD such as nausea, diarrhea, and lethargy but a lot of the side-effects are associated with the amount of CBD you are taking.
There are a lot of stories online of people who have experienced using CBD while going through their cancer treatments and have had great results. It is a good idea to listen to others and their experiences but at the end of the day, everyone absorbs supplements differently and maybe taking various medications, so consulting with a doctor before trying anything is important. CBD may interfere with how the body processes cancer drugs or have drug interactions with other medications and this needs to be avoided.
As mentioned before, there are very limited studies that show CBD can help to treat or cure cancer. There are some studies that show how CBD can help with the symptoms of cancer treatment and this is a steppingstone with learning about CBD and cancer.
There are also many CBD products on the market and quality is important. Finding a product with supportive third-party lab testing and good quality ingredients will be a great start to finding the perfect CBD oil for you to experiment with.
Conclusion
The main bottom line about using CBD oil during cancer treatment is to speak to your physician before trying out any new products. CBD has been shown to be helpful for symptoms like nausea, vomiting, pain, and immunity support. There is not enough research to support the connection of CBD and cancer treatment, but CBD is constantly being studied and there will be further evidence to show its benefits. If you are beginning to use CBD oil during your cancer treatment, there are different forms of CBD to try and different ways to take it. CBD oil is one of the best ways of administration as it will absorb directly into the bloodstream giving you quicker results.
Always remember to start low and slow with dosing and work your way up from there. If you are open to participating in studies that involve CBD and cancer treatment, talk to your physician and see if this is a great idea for you because it will help you to understand how this type of supplement is beneficial and how you should be using it to make it more effective.