Eating is one of the essential parts of how we get the nutrition our body needs. When we eat well, especially healthy foods, our body has enough energy to perform our daily physical activities. While it is normal from time to time to experience not feeling hungry and not having the desire to eat, continuously experiencing poor appetite might be due to an underlying cause. Unfortunately, there are tons of physical and psychological reasons why someone loses their appetite.
When the body feels unwell, it produces chemicals like cytokines as its inflammatory and immune response. This affects the body’s feeding response and suppresses the appetite. Besides this, chronic health problems such as pain, diabetes, and digestive problems also contribute to why some people lose interest in food. In addition, age, medication, and psychological issues are also contributing factors.
Regarding treatment, some don’t require specific medical remedies to cure loss of appetite or anorexia. Usually, someone’s interest in eating returns to normal once the cause is cured, like bacterial or viral infections. However, in chronic cases, it depends on the underlying cause, and medical attention might be needed. This will help address the extent of the problem’s effect on the patient’s overall health.
If not properly addressed, mild to severe loss of appetite can result in:
- Malnutrition;
- Weight loss;
- Fatigue;
- Irritability;
- Body malaise;
- Tachycardia or increased heart rate;
- Fever.
Medical Cannabis in the UK
Different medical treatments are used in treating anorexia, one of which is medical cannabis. Medical cannabis has been in the spotlight in recent years due to its numerous benefits for the body and its effectiveness in managing symptoms of certain diseases. Loss of appetite is considered a common symptom of various health problems, along with chronic pain, nausea and vomiting, and anxiety and depression.
The growing popularity of medical cannabis in many parts of the world as a treatment for various conditions has been gaining success. For example, the existing legislation around medical marijuanas UK permits individuals to consult licensed doctor specialists and obtain cannabis prescriptions in the UK from medical cannabis clinics. Patients who wish to use medical cannabis in the UK undergo evaluation before they can be considered eligible to use medical cannabis treatment.
The Tetrahydrocannabinol Delta-9 (THC)
One of the benefits of medical cannabis is improving appetite. According to studies, the cannabinoid contents of the plant help affect the body’s endocannabinoid system by activating the CB1 receptor, which stimulates users’ appetite and eating behaviours.
Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is famous for its psychological effects. However, when it is used in medicinal cannabis treatment, the THC content of the prescribed products is monitored; hence there is a smaller risk of experiencing negative effects or addiction. THC is suggested to be effective in the stimulation of hunger and the treatment of anorexia.
Take Away
Losing the appetite is a normal experience for many of us. This could be due to irregular eating habits or increased food intake on certain occasions. However, when this condition becomes chronic, it can massively affect our holistic wellness and cause slow recovery from a disease. Aside from malnutrition and weight loss, it can affect our daily lives significantly. Fortunately, many treatment options are available to address this health concern, including medical cannabis, especially when loss of appetite becomes a symptom of chronic physical and psychological causes.
