Research on the use of CBD during chemotherapy is limited, but many people find some relief with the substance during cancer treatment. Chemotherapy treats cancer by stopping cancer cells from growing and spreading, but it can also affect healthy cells, causing side effects like nausea, vomiting, fatigue, hair loss, and pain.
CBD (cannabidiol) , a chemical found in the cannabis plant (which also produces the drug marijuana), has grown in popularity for many uses since the U.S. Congress legalized it in 2018. Experts estimate that anywhere from 4 to 24 percent of people with advanced cancer types are already using some kind of cannabis for their chemotherapy side effects.
CBD differs from THC, which can also be found in the cannabis plant. Whereas THC causes altered consciousness (a “high”), CBD doesn’t have the same psychoactive effects. Many products contain a combination of both, but an isolate CBD product contains pure CBD, with all THC removed.
Below, we’ll explore what the research says about CBD for chemotherapy side effects and how to use it safely. How CBD Helps Chemotherapy Side Effects
To understand how CBD may provide relief for chemotherapy side effects , we must first look at the endocannabinoid system, or ECS. The endocannabinoid system partially regulates processes in your central nervous system by binding with certain receptors that affect pain perception, memory, appetite, and your immune system.
“CBD reacts with these receptors and can either increase activity in that receptor or potentially block and decrease activity,” says Leah Couture, MD , a palliative care physician at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore.
So far, research studies on CBD in cancer are small and the results are mixed; experts can’t say with certainty that CBD lessens side effects. “We don’t have randomized clinical studies to determine whether it works,” says Liudmila Schafer, MD , an oncologist at Mercy Health System in St. Louis, who adds that more research with specific patient populations needs to be done. Benefits of CBD in Chemotherapy
As research progresses, we may learn more about how CBD can help with some chemotherapy side effects as […]
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