Guest post by Taylor Hill

Do you know how the average life expectancy in the US was increased by almost 30 years between 1900 and 2000? Although these figures are about the quantity, it doesn't mean we're going to skip the quality. There's a miserable cycle of life. You grow up, get married, have children, they grow up, get married, and move out, what then? What happens after that?

How we perceive elderly people at home and how they perceive themselves is something that can make a significant difference in their physiological and psychological health. According to many experts, elderly people with a healthy conscience, a sense of purpose, and work-related responsibilities are less likely to suffer from geriatric end-stage ailments such as strokes, heart attacks, cognitive disabilities, and more.

Do you know why? It's because they're not as physically active as they should be, and it's precisely why they're less susceptible to anxiety and stress. As an elderly person, when you go out and interact with people you get to learn new things, which improves your cognitive skills and abilities. If you are physically active, even better: the more physically active you are, the greater physical capacity you'll have.

In simple words, older people have a number of health-related problems due to the absence of purpose in their lives. So how can you slow down the process of mental aging?

It may sound odd, but cannabis can actually help you achieve a healthier quality of life in your senior years. Here are just a few ways it can help seniors live their golden years to the best of their ability…

Strengthen Your Bones

6 Ways in Which Cannabis can improve the Quality of Life for seniors

Old age typically means fragile bones! It's no surprise that elderly people often go through joint pain due to weak bones. Yes, you can combat the pain by taking a painkiller, but do you think that pills provide permanent relief? No, they don't.

Why take temporary measures that don’t solve the underlying problem when you can work on strengthening the bones? There is one way that cannabis can help: it is all-natural, and can effectively help mend the bones. These properties have been verified by the Bone Research Laboratory in Tel Aviv.

Which variety of cannabis should you take to maximize your efforts to strengthen your body? There are various strains available in the markets these days. Check out Budmail.com if you want to know all the details about cannabis. Before you buy, be sure to first check the policies about taking medical marijuana or cannabis products in your state or country first.

Relieves Body Aches

Needless to say, old age comes bearing several unusual surprises. Body aches, muscular issues, and knots are common in old age, but that doesn't mean you need to survive on a steady diet of allopathic drugs.

As I mentioned above, taking painkillers is a temporary fix, and most of all, all these allopathic drugs can come with several side effects. For example, acetaminophen can damage your liver when used for a long time (especially if you drink alcohol while taking it), while others, like aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs, can cause stomach bleeding and kidney damage. Hence, it's wise to switch to natural alternatives that don’t carry these problematic side effects.

Medical marijuana can help alleviate body aches, and the best part of the story is that it has minimal to no side effects. Northern lights, master kush, white widow, and sour diesel are a few cannabis strains that work incredibly well against chronic body aches.

Alleviates Stress and Anxiety

Unfortunately, many people go through stress and anxiety in old age. If you're one of them, please know that you're not alone. If you’ve been looking for an answer to alleviating these problems, cannabis may be the right solution for you to get rid of anxiety and stress.

Three of the most common types of cannabis strains include indica, sativa, and hybrid. Indica strains can help you with bottled-up emotions, stress, anxiety, and restlessness, as they make it easier for you to relax your body and mind. This is a major reason some people think of indica strains as anti-anxiety supplements. In fact, they do work in a similar way. The only difference is that indica strains are naturally extricated from cannabis plants.

Reverses Diabetes

Type II diabetes is quite common in old age. The worst part is that it is a lifelong illness, and scientifically, there is no cure for it. Still, it doesn't mean you have to live with its worst effects. Even if diabetes cannot be cured medically, you can still make an effort to reverse its damage to your body. There are two things that can help: the first is adopting a balanced diet, and the second is medical marijuana.

According to research by the American Alliance for Medical Cannabis (AAMC), cannabis can improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and stabilize blood glucose levels. Once your blood glucose level stabilizes, you'll see how symptoms of diabetes would stop making the rounds around you.

Slows Down Dementia

One of the worst geriatric problems is dementia, a disease that is caused by cognitive degeneration. Imagine forgetting what your keys are for or not remembering who the people you love are? Living with dementia is not easy for either the sufferer or his family and friends.

Do you know cannabis is loaded with endocannabinoid? It has strong anti-inflammatory properties that can fight inflammation in the brain contributing to dementia. Even if it doesn't cure dementia, it can help slow down the progression of this disease.

May Improve Lung Health

One of the ugly realities of life is that your organs eventually go weak as you age. Organ degeneration especially affects your lungs; that is why older adults are more prone to catching bacterial infections like pneumonia.

While smoking cigarettes has been proven to damage your lungs, consuming cannabis may actually be beneficial for your lungs, even if you are smoking it. As mentioned in the 2012 publication of the CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study, a long-term study of risk factors for cardiovascular disease that began in 1983 , cannabis can improve lung capacity, making users stronger and more active, which makes it a remarkable substance for people suffering from breathing problems.

Final Thoughts

It's always best to look at the brighter side of the picture. Yes, cannabis can be harmful when consumed in excessive quantities, but that is also the case with taking pharmaceutical drugs: they can do more damage than good when misused. And yet, many people will still choose to take these drugs while judging cannabis to be harmful to your health.

Old age comes with a massive number of health issues, and cannabis is one thing that can help you with keeping them at bay. It can also improve your quality of life; considering the potential upside for geriatric health it's worth trying.

However, for the sake of safety, and to be sure that cannabis is a good choice for your particular physical and psychological needs, you should always consult a physician before trying it out. When you get the go-ahead, you may even eventually try growing cannabis in your own home garden. With so many varieties of female weed seeds readily available for purchase online, it may be an investment that is worth your time and effort, especially if you find that cannabis improves the quality of your golden years.

Taylor Hill is currently a final year student of Neuroscience at Preston University. She is passionate about mental health, and is making an effort to legalize medical marijuana in the country. You can read more about her at Budmail.com

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