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How long have you been asking me to write about CBD for digestion? So long. That’s the answer. 

I have been using CBD and hemp oil on and off for years because I found benefits by using them.

But I wasn’t sure how to really start talking about it on A Gutsy Girl. Why? Because I do NOT want to be that website that jumps on all the latest and greatest trends. 

Just not my style.

So when a good friend of mine, nutritionist Ashley Koff, came to me wanting to share some sound information, I was super excited!

If you’re sitting there right now thinking, “Why have I heard that name before?” It’s likely because of the Dr. Oz show.

She’s one of his favorite nutritionist, and frequents the show often.

She’s a wealth of knowledge, so without more rambles, meet Ashley and dig into her thoughts and information on CBD for digestion.

CBD for Digestion

Guest post by Ashley Koff RD, CEO The Better Nutrition Program

Click HERE to save this post for later.

CBD may be an excellent tool to add to your gut health toolkit. However, not all CBD is created equal.

So let’s dive into what is and how to pick the better CBD for your digestion.

You can learn more about dosage and product selection as well as get the specifics on different conditions with The Better Nutrition Program’s CBD Guide.

Do you have a spine?

In recent decades, research revealed animals with spines have an endocannabinoid system. Research* promisingly links a healthy ECS – endocannabinoid system – to the prevention and healing of digestive complaints, IBS, IBD, as well as pain-related diseases and syndromes.

Your ECS also plays a role in your immune system (which as we know is intertwined with our digestive system).

Specifically, the ECS may impact your gut’s movement, the health of the lining of the digestive tract, microbiome, and even hunger signals. This means that issues ranging from constipation to leaky gut may all be helped by a healthy ECS.

How CBD affect your ECS?

Starting to sound like alphabet soup, right?!

This is one of the most clear explanations excerpted from BadGut.org –

the ECS is a complex combination of endocannabinoids (cannabinoids that our bodies naturally produce) that stimulate the body’s cannabinoid receptors, which are located in many areas of the body, such as the brain, muscles, fat (adipose tissue), and the entire GI tract.

Will CBD help your gut?

Here are some questions to ask (+ click HERE to save them for later):

1. Do you suffer from IBS-C? According to Ethan Russo cannabis researcher and physician endocannabinoid deficiency may contribute to IBS, thus full spectrum hemp-derived CBD or a CBD / THC blend may help prevent or address IBS symptoms.
2. Can CBD help you if you have IBS with diarrhea or IBS? Likely. It appears CBD helps support healthy motility by indirectly addressing overstimulation of certain receptors throughout your digestive tract.
3. Leaky gut? The cause of the leakiness is tight junctions in your digestive tract lining become more permeable (fancy for “springing leaks”) which allow harmful access for harmful substances as well as reducing efficiency of absorption of the good stuff. CBD may reduce that permeability so it would be a win for those battling leaky gut or looking to prevent it in association with certain medication.
4. Is PMS taking you out of your game on a monthly basis? According to Laura Lagano MS RDN CDN in her book The CBD Oil Miracle, “a low daily dose of CBD is usually enough to take the edge off PMS… for best results take daily through the mouth all month long.”
5. Are you dealing with an OOC inflammatory system? Some of the most promising and widely agreed upon use for CBD is to address unhealthy inflammation with less side effects than other anti-inflammatories. Lagano notes that to modulate inflammation you would want to follow an anti-inflammatory food plan while adding a daily oral full spectrum CBD product and consider the application of a topical (focused pain points) one as well.

When would CBD not be good for you?

If you take medications (especially those known as P450 meds which carry a warning about grapefruits and grapefruit juice) and if you are pregnant, you should avoid CBD.

Likewise, if you are drug-tested you need to be aware that the trace amounts in hemp-derived CBD could still show up in bloodwork.

Additional considerations include if you are actively in treatment for any disease.

Also, if you are taking prescribed medications or having upcoming surgery, you must confer with your practitioners so that they can monitor any changes (some could be very positive like helping you reduce amount or need for medication).

Finally, the “other” products in any supplement should be reviewed to make sure they align with your better choices. So if you follow FODMAP or gluten-free make sure your CBD choice is compliant. And in all cases, aim to choose organic.

This plant, like most, will take up the pollutants from its environment. It also holds onto pesticide residues that could irritate or disrupt your body’s better digestive efforts.

*CAVEAT – there are a lot of “maybe” “may” “could” etc. in this article. With a new regulatory environment around the cannabis plant and more hemp-derived (CBD products with <.3% THC per serving) products available more human studies are in place whose findings should help practitioners develop more protocols validated by new and existing research.

If you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

1. The Gut-Brain Connection
2. Your Brain on Food {Episode 19 with Dr. Uma Naidoo}
3. Why Does My Stomach Hurt {and How to Reset Your Gut}

Xox,
SKH