Diabetic Eye Health and the Cannabis Connection
If you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, you know that having high levels of blood sugar is a dangerous situation. Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.
One key area of worrying impacting nearly 80% of diabetics is eye health. If blood glucose levels begin to cause damage to the tissue at the back of the eye diabetic retinopathy can develop. This damage can lead to impaired vision and blindness.
With disease rates continually rising and more that 422 million people having Diabetes, the search for innovative treatments for diabetic retinopathy and other life-altering symptoms is vital.
Can Cannabis Help?
Here are some key areas where Cannabis may be the alternative and innovative solution we are looking for when it comes to Diabetes.
Cannabis the Super Anti-inflammatory
Chronic inflammation is associated with a lot of very serious diseases, including retinopathy. Inflammation can contribute to pain, illness, and suffering.
Plenty of medications are out there to address inflammation and plenty of them come with side effects that may create more unpleasantries. Unique compounds in cannabis, called cannabinoids, interact with the body’s cells in the immune system. Cannabinoid molecules may either stimulate or reduce inflammation depending on the needs of the immune system.
Neuroprotective Properties
Nerve cells in the retina that help relay messages to the brain can be a major factor in diabetic retinopathy. Early in the progression of the disease, nerve damage occurs and contributes to the continued loss of vision.
Cannabidiol (CBD) protects nerve cells from damage that can come from stress or aging. Research studies in rodents have shown CBD to protect the retinal neurons from damage.
Potent Antioxidant
An antioxidant is an agent that prevents oxidative stress in the body, slowing damage to cell membranes and DNA. Cannabis being a superfood produces a variety of compounds, some of which are proving to be potent antioxidants. CBD may be more potent than vitamins C and E.
Research points to antioxidants having a beneficial impact on those with diabetes.
Cannabis continues to prove to be a super compound and worth learning more about in its impact on Diabetes and correlated diseases.
