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Saturday 27 May 2017

24 Surprising Health Benefits of CBD Oil (Cannabidiol)

Cannabidiol (CBD) is emerging as a powerful supplement with anti-inflammatory property and the ability to help several previously intractable diseases. It can help fight against cancer and irritable bowel diseases, and improve schizophrenia symptoms. 

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 80 cannabinoids, natural compounds found in Cannabis sativa, marijuana plant (R).
CBD and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two main active compounds found in the cannabis plant and are therefore the most recognized and studied.
Unlike THC, CBD does not produce psychoactive effects, and it seems to have natural protection against the marijuana high (RR2).
All marijuana-based extracts are classified as Schedule I Controlled Substances, substances with no recognized medical use and a high potential for abuse (R).
However, CBD has shown promising results as a treatment for a variety of conditions, many of which are not treatable in any other ways (R).

Health Benefits of Cannabidiol

1) Cannabidiol Fights Against Cancer

BD and other chemicals found in Cannabis have an antitumor effect and could be used to improve standard treatments (R).
CBD successfully stopped cancer cells in multiple different cervical cancer varieties (RR2).
CBD decreased the ability of the cancer cells to produce energy, leading to their death (R).
CBD treatment helps lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells kill cancer cells better (R).
CBD increased tumor cell death in leukemia and colon cancer (RR2R3).
CBD also decreased human glioma cell growth and invasion, thus suggesting a possible role of CBD as an antitumor agent (RR2).
Cannabinoids may be promising tools in combination therapy for breast and prostate cancer, due to their direct antitumor effects, their ability to improve the efficacy of conventional antitumor drugs, and their usefulness as palliative treatment (RR2R3).

2) Cannabidiol Reduces Inflammation and Autoimmunity

CBD reduces the growth of neutrophils, and their migration to a target (R).
CBD also reduced the production of chemokines such as macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 beta (MIP-1 beta) by B-cells (R).
Macrophages from animals treated with CBD produced higher levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and lower levels of IL-10 (R).
Due to its anti-inflammatory role, CBD is a very promising therapeutic agent for a variety of inflammatory and pain-associated disorders.

CBD Can Blunt Th1 and Th2 Dominance

In a rat model of asthma, both Th1 and Th2 responses are blunted by CBD treatment. CBD reduces IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-6, and TNF-alpha, but not IL-10 (R). TNF-alpha and IL-6 are Th1 cytokines, while the IL-4, IL-13, IL-10, and IL-5 are Th2 cytokines.
CBD decreased the production and release of inflammatory cytokines such as Th1 (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-6), Th2 (IL-4), and IL-8 (RR2).

CBD Helps with Th17 Dominance

CBD can help suppressing Th17 dominance, which means that it can help with some Th17-dominant autoimmune diseases (R).

3) Cannabidiol May Protect the Nervous System and Helps with Neurodegerative Diseases

CBD was found to prevent toxic effects of neurotransmitter glutamate and radical oxygen species (ROS) in the brain, thus preventing brain cell death (RR2).
CBD has antioxidant activity greater than vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or vitamin E (α-tocopherol) (R).
CBD may also protect brain cells from beta-amyloid toxicity, making it a potential therapeutic agent in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (RR2).
CBD may also protect the brain from ischemia (RR2).
Early human studies showed a dose-related improvement in patients with Parkinson’s disease treated with 100–600 mg/day of CBD over a 6-week period (R).
However, another study failed to show any beneficial effect of a mixture of THC and CBD either on Parkinson’s disease or dyskinesia (R).
CBD has been shown to reverse cognitive deficits of Alzheimer’s disease in animal models (R).
CBD, due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, may be a promising agent to treat and prolong survival in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients (R).

4) Cannabidiol May Relieve Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

Cannabis derivatives may relieve symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients (R).
Sativex, a combination of CBD and THC, is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of muscle tightness, pain, sleep disturbances, and urinary incontinence in people with multiple sclerosis (RR2R3).

5) Cannabidiol Has Therapeutic Potential for Schizophrenia

CBD is a potential treatment for psychosis (RR2).
CBD improves the symptoms of schizophrenia. However, what regions of the brain are affected and the mechanism of action producing this dynamic are unknown (RR2).
Studies suggest that CBD has a pharmacological effect similar to that of atypical anti-psychotic drugs, but with fewer side effects (R).

6) Cannabidiol May Help with Epileptic Seizures

CBD may be a promising therapy for treatment-resistant epilepsy (RR2).
In a survey including parents of children with treatment-resistant epilepsy, 84% of parents reported a reduction in their child’s seizure frequency while taking CBD (R).
These children also experienced increased alertness, better mood and improved sleepdrowsiness and fatigue occurred as side effects (R).
After 3 months of treatment with a purified 98% oil-based CBD extract, 39% of children with treatment-resistant epilepsy had a more than a 50% reduction in seizures (R).
Out of 8 patients, suffering from secondary generalized epilepsy resistant to antiepileptic drugs, 7 had improvement of their disease state after receiving 200-300 mg/d of cannabidiol for as long as 4.5 months (R).

7) Cannabidiol Reduces Anxiety

Cannabidiol reduces anxiety in both healthy individuals and patients with social anxiety disorder (RR2).
Studies showed that CBD significantly reduced anxiety and discomfort caused by public speaking (RR2).
CBD also reduced anxiety caused by the use of THC (R).
Researchers suggest that it may be effective for panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (R).
CBD is a potential therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment (R).

8) Cannabidiol Relieves Pain

Studies suggest that cannabinoids may be a new class of drugs for the treatment of chronic pain (RR2).
CBD significantly decreased chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain in rodents (R).
Cannabidiol, especially in a combination with THC, shows promising results for the treatment of postoperative pain, chronic pain associated with multiple sclerosis, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and neuropathic pain (RR2R3).
Sativex, a combination of CBD and THC as a sublingual spray, is effective in treating neuropathic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis and in cancer patients with advanced pain (RR2).
Study had showed that CBD and opioids act together to relieve pain (R).

9) Cannabidiol May Be Beneficial in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Due to its anti-inflammatory effect, cannabinoids may provide relief of joint pain and swelling, and decrease joint destruction and disease progression (R).
Administration of CBD protected joints against severe damage, decreased progression and produced improvement of arthritis in animal models (R).
The first controlled trial showed that administration of Sativex over five weeks produced significant improvements in intensity of pain on movement and at rest, quality of sleep, and inflammation. No serious adverse effects were observed (R).

10) Cannabidiol Relieves Nausea and Increases Appetite

Study showed that CBD relieved nausea and vomiting when it was given to rats (R).
Researchers found that CBD in low doses decreases nausea and vomiting produced by toxic drugs, but in high doses it increases nausea or has no effect in animal models (RR2).
THC is an approved drug used to treat nausea and vomiting (dronabinol) in human patient, but clinical studies proving the efficacy of CBD are needed in humans (R).
According to the National Cancer Institute, CBD increases appetite by binding to cannabinoid receptors in the body (R).

11) Cannabidiol Lowers Incidence of Diabetes

The study which included 4,657 adult men and women showed that current marijuana use was associated with 16% lower fasting insulin levels, and smaller waist circumferences, a factor connected to the onset of diabetes (R).
Cannabidiol significantly reduces the development of diabetes in young non-obese mice, from 86% in non-treated mice to only 30% in mice treated with CBD (RR2).
Cannabidiol can inhibit and delay the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic cells and the production of inflammatory cytokines in diabetics (R).
This data strengthen assumptions that CBD, which is known to be safe in man, can possibly be used as a therapeutic agent for treatment of type 1 diabetes at an early stage of the disease (R).

12) Cannabidiol May Promote Heart Health

Study reported that CBD caused dilation of arteries, and protected blood vessel from damage in animal models (R).
CBD reduced the infarct size (size of damage from clogged blood vessels) in the heart and brain, and irregular heart rhythms in animal models (RR2).
Studies showed that CBD reduced the heart rate and blood pressure in response to anxiety or stressful situations (RR2).
CBD also influenced white blood cell function and platelet aggregation (RR2).
However, further work is required to prove the ability of CBD to prevent the development of heart and blood vessels disorders in humans.

13) Cannabidiol May Treat Depression

According to researchers, CBD has antidepressant-like effects in mice (R, R2).
Study found that antidepressant effects of CBD were fast, continuous over time, and comparable to a common tricyclic medication imipramine, also known as Tofranil (RR2).

14) Cannabidiol May Help with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Studies confirmed that CBD prevents colitis in animal models of IBD (RR2R3).
The combination of CBD and THC may reduce inflammation and relieve symptoms of IBD such as abdominal pain, diarrhea and reduced appetite (R).
Studies also showed that CBD may be a good candidate to normalize gut motility in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (RR2).
CBD may reduce gut inflammation severity through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) (RR2).

15) Cannabidiol May Protect Against Bacteria

CBD showed some antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), a bacterium that can cause difficult-to-treat infection (R).

16) Cannabidiol May Protect From Mad Cow Disease

Cannabidiol has been shown to inhibit prions, the proteins that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and mad cow disease, increasing the survival time of infected mice by almost a week (R).

17) Cannabidiol Promotes Bone Growth

Rodents with broken limbs healed much faster when treated with CBD (R).

18) Cannabidiol Enhances the Effects of THC

THC, in the form of medical marijuana, can help relieve symptoms of specific disorders.
CBD, when administered to cells in doses larger than conventional therapy, can enhance the effect of THC (R).

19) Cannabidiol Reduces Dyskinesia

Dyskinesia causes involuntary movements.
CBD reduces the production of inflammatory markers and acts on specific cell markers. CBD combined with a TRPV-1 blocker reduces the symptoms of dyskinesia in mice (R).
Compared with the reference point, CBD decreased the amounts of key enzymes that can cause dyskinesia (R).

20) Cannabidiol May Help with Insomnia

Research suggests that taking CBD before bed improves sleep in people with insomnia (R).

21) Cannabidiol May be Effective for Treating Substance Use Disorders

Studies suggest that CBD may be therapy for substance use disorders.
CBD reduced the rewarding effects of morphine and reduced drug seeking of heroin in animal model (RR2).

22) Cannabidiol May Help with Quitting Smoking

Research suggests that inhaling cannabidiol for a week might reduce the number of cigarettes smoked by about 40%, without increasing craving for nicotine (R).

23) Cannabidiol May Provide Treatment for Acne

CBD decreases lipid synthesis and proliferation of human sebaceous glands, and has anti-inflammatory effect on sebaceous glands, thus having a potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of acne vulgaris (R).

24) Cannabidiol May Play a Role in Psoriasis

CBD reduces the growth of skin cells (keratinocytes), playing a potential role in the treatment of psoriasis (R).

Technical

  • CBD activates 5HT1A receptors and to a lesser extent 5HT2A receptors (R).
  • Activating 5HT1A receptors, CBD exerts effects on nausea and vomiting, depression, appetite, anxiety, sleep and addictions (RR2R3).
  • CBD protects the brain from ischemia (lack of oxygen), at least in part, via 5-HT1A receptor (R).
  • CBD blocks CPR55 signaling, decreasing bone reabsorption and cancer cell proliferation
  • CBD, together with a TRPV-1 antagonist, reduces Dyskinesia by acting on CB1 and PPAR gamma receptors and reducing the expression of the inflammatory markers COX-2 and NF-kB (R).
  • Compared with baseline (but not placebo), CBD decreased resistin and increased glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (R).
  • CBD plays a role in perception of pain and inflammation by activating the TRPV-1 receptor (R).
  • CBD’s ability to block anandamide reuptake and FAAH enzyme, thus increasing level of anandamine and indirectly acivating CB1 receptors, make it effective against anxiety and depression (R).
  • Modulating intracellular Ca2+ ions and neuron excitability, CBD can reduce seizures (RR2).

Caution

When CBD is combined with THC, it causes a temporary lack of drive. There is an impairment of reward learning and motivation (R).
Contradicting previous reports, CBD administration does not improve brain functions in piglets that lacked oxygen  (R).

Safety

Hemp nuts sold for dietary consumption are within acceptable standards for the quantity of CBD and THC (R).
CBD is well tolerated, and safe at high doses and with chronic use in humans (R).

Side Effects

CBD decreased the activity of T and B cells which may increase the risk of HIV infection and worsen disease progression, tumor growth and metastases, and exacerbate asthma (R).
CBD can decrease the activity of liver enzymes called cytochrome P450, responsible for metabolizing more than 60% of prescribed drugs (RR2).
CBD may also cause mild hypotension, dry mouth, lightheadedness, and sedation (RR2).

Dosage

Recommend taking 15-30mg 2X a day.

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