If you’ve experienced heartburn after eating spicy foods before, you’re not alone. One in 10 people suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD), a severe and chronic form of heartburn and acid reflux.
You may have tried over-the-counter medications without success and are now looking for a natural alternative.
CBD oil therapy can effectively treat many health problems. Here we examine its use for GORD, heartburn and acid reflux.
What is Heartburn?
Heartburn is the sensation of acid or food burning in your chest, behind your breastbone.
It is a common symptom of GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)and is caused by stomach acids rising up from the stomach. It can also be caused by other things such as injury to the esophagus, an ulcer, asthma and pregnancy.
Heartburn can last for just a few minutes or up to a few hours.
It is often triggered by eating or drinking certain foods, such as those containing caffeine, alcohol or peppermint; emotional stress and overexertion of the stomach muscles during exercise.
Symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, belching (burping), abdominal pain in general – usually upper abdomen around rib cage on right side below breastbone. Pain may be relieved by curling up with knees drawn into the chest for 15 minutes.
The traditional remedy is antacids which reduce acidity. These treatments help neutralize gastric acids which provide temporary relief.
What is Acid Reflux?
Acid Reflux is the cause of heartburn. At the entrance to your stomach is a large ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Normally, it follows a strict pattern of opening and closing, allowing some food through before shutting again.
If the LES does not close all the way, acid can leak out of your stomach and into your esophagus. If a person’s acid reflux symptoms occur more than twice a week, they may have GORD – gastroesophageal reflux disease (called GERD in the USA).
What is GORD ( or GERD)?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is the chronic form of acid reflux.
GORD or GERD occurs when the stomach acid frequently flows back up into the esophagus — the tube connecting your mouth and your stomach. This acid reflux irritates your esophagus.
When the process of digestion is normal, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) opens to let food enter and then squeezes shut to prevent stomach acid from flowing back up.
This acid reflux resulting from GERD can cause a variety of unpleasant symptoms including burning sensation in the chest, hoarseness, burping, and difficulty swallowing.
Common signs and symptoms of GORD:
- heartburn
- Chest pain
- Stomach pain
- Difficulty swallowing food (Dysphagia)
- Vomiting
- Feeling a sensation of something blocking your throat
- Bloating
- Burping
- Regurgitation
- Involuntary muscle movements
Night time acid reflux can lead to:
- Laryngitis
- Chronic cough
- New or worsening asthma
- Disrupted sleep
What is CBD and how can it help?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of the lesser-known copounds of the Cannabis Sativa plant; its more famous sibling, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is the active marijuana substance that causes a high when ingested.
There are over 100 cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, not just CBD and THC. THC is psychoactive and may cause anxiety when consumed;
CBD has shown mild psychological effects but never enough to be considered psychoactive.
Neuroscientists believe that the presence of these two powerful compounds at different levels inside the brain can produce unique physical responses.
CBD may be able to help by:
– Reducing acid production in the stomach by increasing the ‘healing’ cells (parietal cells) that produce and release it.
– Inhibiting pepsin, an enzyme involved in digestion responsible for breaking down proteins into peptides;
-Reducing appetite through regulating levels of ghrelin – the hormone which regulates hunger and satiety.
-As an anti-inflammatory, promoting healing when taken internally, or applied externally on affected areas such as skin lesions caused by GORD.
How does CBD work in our bodies?
Within our bodies is a monitoring system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS) Its job is to keep our body’s internal systems in balance, no matter outside conditions. This balanced state is called homeostasis.
The ECS continually monitors our bodies and adjusts levels of hormones, heart rate, body temperature etc. When we are too hot, too hungry or in pain, our ECS makes adjustments to correct the situation.
The ECS controls variants such as hormones, sleep, temperature, pain control, fertility, and memory.
It is important when countering the effects of acid reflux, heartburn and GORD because it affects how we digest our food and can control inflammation and damage of the throat mucous membranes caused when stomach acid flows upwards.
CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system, attaching to cannabinoid receptors positioned all over our body and brain, and helping it to function more efficiently .
How does CBD help GERD, heartburn and acid reflux?
The soft muscle tissue of our gastrointestinal system contains many cannabinoid receptors.
Research shows that CBD joins to these receptors, causing the GI system to reduce gastric acid production.
This means that the stomach acid is less likely to rise up the esophageal tract. This in turn reduces the sour liquid taste, burning sensation and sore throat experienced by many sufferers.
Swedish studies into CBD and esophageal function also show that CBD helps regulate gastrointestinal motility – the movement of food through our digestive systems – by soothing and calming the soft tissues in the gut, helping to prevent spasms and irregularities.
its anti-inflammatory properties also appear to reduce the burning sensations, inflammation, and vomiting caused by these conditions.
How to Take CBD for Acid Reflux
CBD comes in many different forms. Which form and dosage is best for your acid reflux?
Here’s a concise guide:
CBD Oil
CBD oil is the most common form of CBD. It comes in either bottles with a dropper or an atomizer for precise dosage. It is best taken sublingually (under the tongue) and held there for 60 seconds before swallowing.
Sublingual application means the CBD is absorbed by the mucous membranes under the tongue and passes straight into the bloodstream, bypassing the stomach and liver. Doing so produces effects that last six to eight hours.
CBD Capsules
CBD in capsules is usually a soft gel substance that contains the required dosage. This is very convenient as there is no dropper mess and can be taken on the go or kept in an office cabinet without raising any eyebrows.
Unlike CBD oil, capsules have to be metabolized by your digestive system in order to take effect. You’ll need to wait anywhere between 40–90 minutes for them to kick in and start working.
CBD Edibles
CBD-infused edibles are similar to capsules in the form, but taste better due to their different flavours.
The most popular type of CBD edible are gummies; these little gummy bears contain a set amount of cannabidiol that provides you with a fun way to take your daily dose.
CBD Vapes
Vaping is arguably the most efficient way to take CBD for acid reflux. It offers the highest bioavailability — up to 56% compared to 35% in tinctures and 20% in oral products — and produces the fastest effects.
That’s because the CBD oil contained in the vape is absorbed through lung tissue right into the bloodstream. Usually, GERD patients report noticeable relief after vaping cbd oil.
What are the possible side effects of using CBD for GERD, heartburn or acid reflux?
Research has shown that CBD has very few known side effects. However, taking a large amount of CBD may cause certain effects.
These include nausea, fatigue, or diarrhea. Should this occur, you should make adjustments to your CBD dosage.
Consult with your doctor if you experience any adverse effects or before starting any new medications as they can interact with other medicines or chronic conditions you have.
Is there anything else that can help my GERD, Heartburn or Acid Reflux?
Sometimes, lifestyle changes and self-medicating with over-the-counter medicines can be enough to manage the chronic symptoms of acid reflux disease.
Antacid medications such as Alka-Seltzer work to neutralize your stomach acid. However, these antacids may cause diarrhea or constipation in some people when they’re overused.
Many people find that a change in diet is a very effective method. The first step is identifying your “trigger foods” – the foods that make your GORD, heartburn or acid reflux worse.
These vary from person to person but often include fried and spicy foods, chocolate, peppermint, and drinking coffee and fizzy drinks.
You may be advised to eliminate some or all of these foods from your diet, or to keep a diary to pinpoint which foods are triggering your symptoms.
There are also several lifestyle changes that may help help your gastrointestinal system:
- Stop smoking
- Lose weight if overweight or obese. Extra weight around the midsection will cause extra pressure on your stomach.
- Exercise regularly – even a small amount of exercise is good for you
- Eat smaller and more regular meals
- Avoid lying down for at least two hours after a meal
- Quit caffeine and other stimulants like chocolate, cinnamon and peppermint. These might make GERD worse or cause heartburn to last longer than it
- Keep your head elevated when you sleep. Extra pillows may help keep gastric acid down and reduce acid reflux symptoms
- Avoid tight-fitting clothes
CBD can help with pain management
GERD patients often experience painful burning sensations in their chest, throat and gastrointestinal tract. Pain relieving-CBD activates our body’s receptors to produce an analgesic effect that can help alleviate this pain, as well as other types of chronic pain.
Certain medications can make GERD worse, such as:
- Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
- Sedatives
- Opioids
This is where medical marijuana comes in. CBD can help reduce pain, without irritating your stomach and esophagus.
Conclusion: Can CBD help treat acid reflux, GORD and heartburn?
If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this blog post, then it is worth considering CBD as a treatment option.
Whilst more research needs to be done before we can claim that CBD will cure these conditions, there are enough studies and anecdotal evidence out there for us to say with certainty that CBD has helped many people who suffer from acid reflux, heartburn and GERD/GORD.
The good news is that CBD has very few side effects. As such, we would recommend you try out CBD for yourself – if nothing else it should give your digestion system some much-needed relief.
Have you tried using CBD? What were your results like? Let us know below!
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