Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound found in the cannabis sativa plant that has been gaining traction in recent years due to its purported health benefits. Unlike its cousin, THC, CBD isn't intoxicating or psychoactive. Proponents of CBD oil and other CBD products claim that it can be used to treat conditions such as chronic pain, inflammation, migraines, epilepsy, autoimmune diseases, depression and anxiety. CBD is often extracted from the cannabis sativa plant in the form of an oil and mixed with an inert carrier oil, such as hemp seed oil, for consumption.
In fact, of the 60 percent of U. S. adults who claim to have consumed CBD before, 55% of them use CBD oils and tinctures specifically, according to a recent Forbes Health survey conducted in 2000 U. S.
UU. Here are nine ways studies suggest that CBD oil could benefit. Three well-examined studies provide the basis to support the FDA's decision. In these trials, 516 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome received Epidiolex or a placebo.
Epidiolex, when taken together with other prescription medications, decreased the frequency of participants' seizures compared to placebo. When introduced topically, CBD oil does not affect the systemic problem as it would if introduced directly into the bloodstream. Topical CBD, on the other hand, is more localized and treats pain in a specific area. Since it is more direct, it can have a more pronounced effect. In another small study, 13 patients with type 2 diabetes who were not being treated with insulin received both CBD and a placebo (instead of insulin). Researchers found that CBD reduced their levels of resistin (which causes insulin resistance, the protein that regulates sugar levels) and increases their levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (a hormone that ensures sufficient insulin release from digested foods) compared to their reference values before they started the test.
These results suggest that CBD could be a natural treatment for diabetes by helping the body regulate insulin-related hormone levels. The results were interesting, but not entirely conclusive. On the one hand, patients treated with CBD did not experience much change in pain compared to patients treated with placebo. On the other hand, there were statistically significant differences between the group that received the 250 milligram dose and the placebo group when measuring the average weekly improvement of their worst pain levels and their physical function score on the WOMAC (arthritis index of the universities of Western Ontario and McMaster). In addition, men appeared to benefit from CBD more significantly than women in this test. CBD may help with nausea, vomiting and weight loss caused by chemotherapy treatments.
The FDA has approved three cannabis-related products to help alleviate these symptoms, as well as to help increase the appetite of people with AIDS. All of these medications contain some level of THC or synthetic THC and are not exclusively CBD. The ECS and its receptors are found everywhere in our body, including the nervous system, immune system, bloodstream, and brain cells. It can control our mood, appetite, stress levels, pain, inflammation and more. When we consume CBD, it is believed to be absorbed by our ECS and transported to different receptors in the body to provide certain benefits. Currently, the only CBD product approved by the Food and Drug Administration is a prescription oil called Epidiolex.
It is approved to treat two types of epilepsy. In addition to Epidiolex, state laws regarding the use of CBD vary. While CBD is being studied as a treatment for a wide range of conditions such as Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and anxiety; research supporting the drug's benefits remains limited. People use CBD oil and other CBD-based products for a variety of reasons such as reducing pain; managing anxiety; controlling seizures; alleviating anxiety; depression; PTSD; promoting sleep; treating nausea; vomiting; weight loss caused by chemotherapy treatments; improving quality of life; providing a small analgesic benefit to people with NP; modulating brain function in certain regions that are altered in patients with psychosis; improving cardiovascular function; lowering high blood pressure; creating an “entourage effect” which complements each other's benefits and potency; and supporting heart health. While some studies have shown promise there have been no large studies that demonstrate the benefits of CBD oil as a cancer treatment.
When THC and CBD work together they create what is called an “entourage effect” which complements each other's benefits and potency. Some research has linked CBD to several benefits for the heart and circulatory system including the ability to lower high blood pressure. Many of the proposed benefits of CBD are associated with its interaction with the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS). Due to prohibition of cannabis and associated research restrictions there is limited evidence from human studies to support the benefits of CBD oil.
While nothing is as important as dietary and lifestyle changes to benefit heart health research shows that CBD plays a role in supporting heart health. While more human studies are needed CBD can benefit heart health in many ways.
