Top 5 benefits of cannabis for diabetes

Consumption Diabetes is the term used to refer to a set of metabolic disorders characterized by high levels of glucose present in the blood of chronic persistent manner. Diabetes affects nearly 400 million people worldwide, resulting in up to five million deaths a year, and its prevalence is increasing. There is substantial evidence that cannabis can prevent and treat the disease.

Diabetes is the term used to refer to a set of metabolic disorders characterized by persistently and persistently elevated levels of glucose in the blood. Diabetes affects nearly 400 million people worldwide, resulting in up to five million deaths a year, and its prevalence is increasing. There is substantial evidence that cannabis can prevent and treat the disease.

Preventive

Diabetes is related to high fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance, as well as to low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) or good cholesterol. In 2013, the results of a five-year study on the effects of cannabis on fasting insulin and on insulin resistance in the American Journal of Medicine were published. Of the 4,657 participants in the study, 2,554 had used cannabis in their lifetime (579 continued to consume and 1,975 had consumed in the past) and 2,103 had never consumed the drug.

The researchers found that those who continued to use cannabis had 16% lower fasting insulin levels than participants who had never used cannabis, 17% lower levels of insulin resistance, and higher levels of HDL-C. Participants who had used cannabis sometime in their lifetime, but did not consume any more, had similar but less pronounced percentages, indicating that the protective effect of cannabis disappears over time.

The researchers also performed an analysis of data that excluded people who had been diagnosed with diabetes. Even after excluding diabetics, those who continued to use cannabis were found to have reduced levels of fasting insulin and insulin resistance, indicating that cannabis can help prevent the onset of diabetes, as well as control Symptoms in diagnosed cases.

Decreases insulin resistance

Insulin resistance, also known as insulin resistance or insulin resistance, is a disease that causes cells to reject the normal mechanism of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas and essential for the regulation of glucose metabolism. Insulin resistance is associated with type 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body can not produce insulin, whereas in type 2 insulin production is not affected but cells can not process insulin. When cells become resistant to insulin, they are unable to absorb the glucose needed to provide them with energy, and unused glucose accumulates in the bloodstream, leading to hyperglycemia.

The authors of the 2013 study found that those who continued to use cannabis had an average insulin resistance of 1.8 compared to 2.2 of those who had consumed in the past and 2.5 of those who had never used cannabis. It was also found that those who continued to use cannabis had lower blood glucose levels compared to those who had consumed in the past and those who had never consumed. Those who continued to consume had mean blood glucose levels of 99.7 mg / dl compared with 100.6 mg / dl of those who had consumed in the past and 103.5 mg / dl of those who had never consumed. However, the exact mechanism by which cannabinoids exert their effects on insulin resistance has not been determined so far.

Cannabis use is associated with a smaller waist circumference 

Helps prevent obesity

Both obesity, high body mass index (BMI) and a large waist circumference are related to the risk of diabetes. A number of studies have been conducted on the relationship between cannabis use and BMI, with conflicting results. In a 2005 study of young adults, it was found that cannabis use was not related to changes in BMI, while two major studies at the national level found a lower BMI and lower levels of obesity in consumers Of cannabis despite consuming daily more than average number of calories.

Although the underlying mechanism behind the complex relationship between the endocannabinoid system, obesity and diabetes has not been established, a 2012 study showed that obese rats lost a considerable amount of weight and experienced a post-exposure weight gain of the pancreas To extractions of organic cannabis. Weight gain of the pancreas indicates that the beta cells of the pancreas (which are responsible for insulin production) are protected by the presence of cannabinoids. In type 1 diabetes, beta cells are destroyed by the autoimmune response, so providing them with protection can help control the disease.

May treat diabetes-induced neuropathy

People with diabetes often experience nervous disorders as a result of their illness. Damage to the nervous system often affects peripheral areas such as the hands and feet, but can occur in any organ or area of ​​the body. The damage may be asymptomatic, but in many cases, the disorder is accompanied by pain, tingling, and numbness. As with many forms of nerve pain, it may be difficult to treat diabetic neuropathy with conventional analgesics. However, there is evidence that cannabis can play a role here as well.

A study published in 2009 investigated the antinociceptive (pain-reducing) effects of cannabidiol extractions in cases of diabetes-induced neuropathy in rats. The authors found that repeated administration of CBD extractions "significantly alleviated" mechanical allodynia (painful response to non-painful stimuli) and restored normal pain perception without inducing hyperglycemia. The treatment was also found to protect the liver against oxidative stress (believed to be an important factor contributing to the development of neuropathy) and increased levels of nerve growth factor to normal levels.

However, so far, human studies have yielded less positive results. Also in 2009, a randomized controlled trial investigated the ability of the Sativex spray from GW Pharmaceuticals to ameliorate the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy induced by diabetes . Sativex or placebo was given to 30 subjects. Scores reflecting the pain scale improved considerably in all settings, but the effect of Sativex was not found to be significantly greater than that of placebo.

Can treat diabetic retinopathy

Up to 80% of patients with diabetes who have had the disease for more than a decade acquire a complication known as diabetic retinopathy (PDA), in which the cells of the retina are progressively damaged. In the USA. This disease accounts for about 12% of new cases of blindness each year.

Diabetic retinopathy is associated with glucose-induced rupture of the blood-retinal barrier, a network of tightly-connected cells that prevent unwanted substances from entering the retinal tissue. This decomposition causes neural tissue to be exposed to neurotoxins, in addition to increasing the likelihood of bleeding within the retina.

It is believed that proinflammatory and oxidative stress processes play a key role in the breakdown of retinal cells, and there is evidence that cannabidiol, with its known ability to combat both oxidative stress and Inflammation, may be useful in the treatment of disease. In a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Pathology , CDB was administered to diabetic rats and tests were performed to determine the rate of retinal cell death .

CBD treatment was shown to significantly reduce oxidative stress and neurotoxicity, including levels of tumor necrosis factor-a, a substance known to be involved in the inflammatory response.