Guest article by Tricia Blake

Over the years, humanity has been wrangling over medical cannabis. There are still many studies that need to be done to prove cannabis’s efficacy, but the signs are promising for a whole host of conditions. Whether or not cannabis is the “wonder drug” it has claimed to be, the whole world has been bracing itself for marijuana’s startling curative powers and the healing strength of its compounds.

In fact, in certain parts of the world, medical marijuana has been doled out by prescription to people with multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and even cancer too. If cannabis can be used for pain management, then there is the possibility that it can also be utilized to reduce or control symptoms associated with menopause. Here is more on cannabis and its potential for treating menopause, to better grasp what could have been one of the most ancient forms of medicine and what could have been the most potent but the least understood of all herbs.

Toss Ignorance, Be Informed

Somebody dies of a prescription overdose every nineteen (19) minutes, but nobody dies of cannabis overdose. As of today, there is a massive body of evidence supporting the fact that the chemical compound discovered in the cannabis plant called cannabidiol (CBD) can be a natural alternative to treating chronic pain and reducing menopausal symptoms due to its rich therapeutic properties. This is because, like many NSAIDs, CBD and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) is a COX-2 enzyme inhibitor, and can also potentially help beat the anxiety associated with pain.

Menopause was found to disrupt the regular performance of the body’s endocannabinoid system, which regulates our mood, fertility and reproduction, pain, and other bodily functions. CBD has then dramatically become a sought-after natural health alternative in reducing inflammation in the body and relieving pain during menopause.

Insomnia? CBD To The Rescue

Most women who are in their menopausal stage find it difficult to have a relaxing night’s rest, which makes being at their best in the morning impossible, triggering fatigue and other reproductive health issues. A significant case study on a person with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 2016 revealed that the CBD oil was capable of alleviating sleep disruptions and anxiety.

Other findings showed that the CBD does stabilize a person’s blood pressure and ease muscles, setting the scene for a restorative sleep especially for menopausal women. CBD has also been documented to aid people in gaining a considerable amount of energy to help them to get through the day. Its anxiety-inhibiting and relaxing effects make sleep improvement achievable for insomniac women. However, it must also be stated that high doses of CBD may also have more “energizing” or “up” effects for some people. For many, a combination of small amounts of THC and myrcene may also be helpful.

Losing Weight And Keeping It Off

Weight gain has become one of the many problems that women face during menopause since it is the time in their lives when they produce less estrogen, which burns calories and gain more abdominal fat due to hormonal shifts. Weight gain puts women’s lives at risk of diabetes and other types of disease that involve the heart and blood vessels.

Cannabinoids like CBD has been validated to help regulate food craving and, as a result, help women lose weight from their waistlines. Apart from that, CBD was found to aid in lowering insulin levels and improving metabolism, reducing the probability of diabetes and heart disease for menopausal women. A 2016 study conducted by Korean researchers made way for the discovery of how the CBD triggers the proteins and genes that participate in increasing fat breakdown and how it intensifies the body’s ability to burn calories.

Ditching Mood Swings and Depression

Many women in the throes of menopause typically experience heightened anxiety, depression, and a few episodes of panic attacks due to the see-sawing of their hormone levels. Stress can be draining to women who are always on the go and reducing anxiety can sometimes be so hard.

Luckily, CBD is efficient in inhibiting one’s stress and improving one’s mood. Extensive studies have manifested CBD’s anxiolytic powers used for the treatment of anxiety disorder and depression. Although CBD cannot cure the depression and/or anxiety, there is some evidence that show how it can improve the symptoms associated with such mental health problems, especially when microdosing.

Takeaway

Despite the medical breakthroughs supporting medical marijuana and CBD’s vital role in treating menopause symptoms, many are still unwilling to embrace it in their lives. In the meantime, what people must work on is how to acknowledge medical marijuana and stop being judgemental. If you’re suffering from menopause and feel that medical cannabis can help, don’t hesitate to contact us today.