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We may need more studies to back up the claims, but these recent findings join the many other studies showing that cannabis may be beneficial for preventing and treating diabetes.
While statistics say that men are more likely to get diabetes than women, when women do get it, the complications can be far worse than for men.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes increases the risk of heart disease for women four times, and women have significantly worse outcomes from a heart attack compared to men. In addition, women are also susceptible to diabetes-related complications including depression, kidney disease, and blindness.
Now, a new study shows that when women consume heavy amounts of cannabis, it may help reduce the risk for diabetes.
The study, which was published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Researchwas conducted by graduate students from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, as well as a colleague at the Hofstra University. They looked at data taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2013 to 2018 taken by around 15,000 participants. Most of the participants were white females, over the age of 40, and at least had graduated from college.
The researchers analyzed their cannabis use based on frequency and exposure. Light use was associated with smoking pot under 4 times a month, while heavy use was associated with those who consumed cannabis more than 4 times a month. Additionally, they checked their physician diagnosis for diabetes status, or checking their fasting blood glucose, plasma glucose, or hemoglobin A1C levels.
They found that the females who were heavy cannabis users had a smaller probability of having a diabetes diagnosis compared to the females who didn’t consume cannabis. Meanwhile, females who were light cannabis users were found to have no link to a diabetes diagnosis. When it came to the males, the researchers didn’t find any association between any cannabis use and diabetes.
Older Studies Show A Reduced Prevalence Of Diabetes Among Cannabis Users
There are older studies that support the hypothesis that cannabis use can be linked to a reduction in diabetes.
In 2012, a study published in the British Medical Journal found that adults who had a history of cannabis use had a lower prevalence when it came to type 2 diabetes. They were also found to have a reduced risk of contracting cannabis compared to people who didn’t have any history of marijuana consumption.
To Read The Rest Of This Article By Terry Hacienda on The Fresh Toast
Published: February 18, 2022
Founder & Interim Editor of L.A. Cannabis News
