The Active Ingredient in Cannabis can Help Patients Regain Appetite and Sense of Taste Preventing Anorexia

“For most cancer patients it has always been thought that the only purpose cannabis provided was to act as a painkiller a recent study has suggested that it can also help the patient regain their appetite and sense of taste. If this is true for cancer patients one must wonder if it is true for AIDS patients and patients with other conditions that allow the use of cannabis as a treatment option.”

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“Preventing Anorexia

In situations such as cancer and AIDS, patient’s anorexia is a common result for the lack of eating and poor nutrition. Although, anorexia is classified as a mental health condition as you can clearly see there is more than one way to become anorexic. By consuming a product (usually a dessert or candy that is made with cannabis) the patient can enjoy a delicious treat while increasing their appetites.

Possible Treatment for Anorexia

An anorexic also loses their appetite as the stomach shrinks and when food is not consumed for long periods of time the taste buds also decline. We are not suggestion people with anorexia should start smoking cannabis but further research into this area of treatment for anorexics is worth studying.

Conclusion

The original study is for cancer patients and the results showed an increase in the patients appetites and the study is worthy of further study for other conditions including anorexia.”

http://www.eatingdisordersonline.com/news/treatment/the-active-ingredient-in-cannabis-can-help-patients-regain-appetite-and-sense-of 

The Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist THC Attenuates Weight Loss in a Rodent Model of Activity-Based Anorexia

“Anorexia nervosa (AN) is characterized by anhedonia whereby patients experience little pleasure or reward in many aspects of their lives. Reward pathways and the endocannabionid system have been implicated in the mediation of food intake. The potential to exploit these systems to reverse weight loss is investigated in a rodent model of activity-based anorexia (ABA).

Given the powerful role of the endocannabionid system in stimulating reward processes and the apparent poor development of these processes in AN, it is important to test the hypothesis that exogenous administration of cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor agonists can reverse the anorexia displayed in a rodent ABA model…

Importantly, the data presented here show for the first time the efficacy of THC  in retarding the progression of ABA…

In conclusion, these data establish for the first time the effectiveness of THC in rescuing animals from profound body weight loss associated with the development of ABA, independent of physical activity, which is enhanced if allowed access to highly palatable foods.

These results from the animal-based model of AN highlight the potential of cannabinoids and of the endocannabinoid system in the treatment of human anorexia.”

Full text: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096804/

Effects of dronabinol on anorexia and disturbed behavior in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

“A placebo-controlled crossover design to investigate effects of dronabinol (THC) in patients with a diagnosis of probable Alzhemer’s disease who were refusing food. 

These results indicate that dronabinol is a promising novel therapeutic agent which may be useful not only for treatment of anorexia but also to improve disturbed behavior in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9309469

[Potential therapeutic usefulness of cannabis and cannabinoids].

Abstract

“Diseases in which Cannabis and cannabinoids have demonstrated some medicinal putative properties are: nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, muscle spasticity (multiple sclerosis, movement disorders), pain, anorexia, epilepsy, glaucoma, bronchial asthma, neuroegenerative diseases, cancer, etc. Although some of the current data comes from clinical controlled essays, the majority are based on anecdotic reports. Basic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies and more extensive controlled clinical essays with higher number of patients and long term studies are necessary to consider these compounds useful since a therapeutical point of view.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11205042