What are the benefits of CBD?

What are the benefits of CBD?

 

Tons of individuals have caught on to the CBD trend sweeping across the globe, and for good reason. Individuals are finding that CBD provides benefits for a plethora of conditions, and in turn, share their CBD experience with their community. CBD has become extremely accessible as it can safely be used for long periods of time and comes in a wide variety of products that caters to a wide demographic of individuals interested in alternative forms of healthcare.

Unfortunately, all sorts of claims or benefits about CBD  have been perpetuated by word of mouth to this day. Yet, there is a lack of concise scientific information on how CBD may provide benefits to some individuals or specific conditions. Contrary to popular belief, CBD does not actually bind and stimulate cannabinoid receptors at all but acts as a regulator of THC binding, decreasing the neurologic side effects typically associated with THC.

So then, how does CBD provide the potential benefits that are being talked about?

It’s been suggested that CBD may interact with the entire endocannabinoid system via indirect mechanisms such as decreased uptake of excitatory compounds, enhanced serotonin receptor activity, enhanced activity at glycine receptor subtypes, and much more. CBD prevents the degradation of Anandamide, our chief endocannabinoid known as the bliss molecule, increasing endocannabinoid tone and resistance to stressors in the environment which leads to the development of many of the conditions that CBD may potentially benefit.

This means that CBD (preferably full spectrum) can act as a powerful adaptogen for the body by decreasing overactive signals, normalizing the body’s physiological processes, and bringing it back to homeostasis. No wonder so many people feel like a cozy warm blanket has been wrapped around them after taking a proper dose of CBD.

To truly understand what is going on, one has to take a look at the specific evidence available in regards to CBD and how it may benefit certain conditions or processes in the body, as well as some side effects that individuals may experience when taking high doses of CBD.

Please note that CBD is not meant to treat or diagnose any conditions, and if you are hoping to use CBD to improve your health seek expert medical advice before beginning self supplementation.

 

Possible benefits of CBD

Inflammation

One of the main drivers of the ever-growing burden of chronic disease in the world is long-standing uncontrolled inflammation. Inflammation may be caused by anything that is considered an insult to the body whether that is lack of sleep, poor diet, chronic infections, food allergies, drug use, or so much more. This is where CBD shows the most promise for the body, as it can decrease many of these overactive inflammatory signals by upregulating the endocannabinoid system. CBD has been shown to directly inhibit TNF-a, PPAR, Interferon-gamma, and interleukin-1 all of which are inflammatory agents or chemical signals that are present in certain diseases (2,3).  This means that CBD may be used to directly abate inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, which is marked by severe inflammation in the major joints of the body. Furthermore, attenuating inflammation throughout the body gives the built-in natural healing systems a chance to breathe and catch up with all the damage that has been done by said inflammation.

HPA axis dysfunction/Chronic Fatigue

Though it is seldom heard of, HPA axis dysfunction can be regarded as the consequence of long term exposure to stress and adrenal burnout. The HPA axis is the link between the brain and the rest of the body that regulates and modulates the stress response and the body’s ability to regulate said stress response. When this system becomes compromised the communication between the HPA axis and the rest of the body fails, leading to chronic fatigue, weight gain, depression, and sleep disorders. CBD shines in this area as it naturally tones the endocannabinoid system and increases the number of endocannabinoids circulating in the body. The main purpose of these endocannabinoids is to counteract the effects of the stress response and shut down overactive pathways, which may provide a window for the body to begin to reset its HPA axis and get the circadian rhythm back on track.

Anxiety

Anxiety is a major mental health issue that has exploded in the United States over the past few decades with prescription medication offering less than a desirable treatment option. Although anxiety is on the rise, there are tons of ways to prevent anxiety from getting out of hand. Things like getting proper amounts of sunlight, fresh air, sleep, water, and healthy organic vegetables will do wonders for the average human being in the modern world. That being said, when anxiety gets out of hand, there is always another powerful option than going straight for prescription medication. Much in the way CBD decreases the amount of anxiety or paranoia one might experience with too much THC, it will decrease the amount of anxiety or processes related to the development of anxiety in the brain. CBD is known to bind serotonin receptors in the body, a major pathway of concern for pharmaceutical substances, which may be the main reason that it is effective for boosting mood, decreasing anxiety, and discomfort in the body (4). There are many other plant medicines that can be effective for helping rid people of anxiety, but none are as powerful and fast-acting as CBD.

Neuroprotective

As we mentioned above, inflammation has become a major factor in the human population ever eroding state of health. Some of the most sensitive organs and tissues in our body reside in the nervous system including our brain, its neurons, and all the cells that keep the system healthy. There is evidence linking chronic exposure to inflammation with earlier onsets of cognitive decline in elderly populations leading to disease processes such as Alzheimer’s. Studies show that CBD can directly decrease b-amyloid plaque-induced toxicity by acting as a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory neuroprotective agent (5). B-amyloid plaque is the main driver of Alzheimer’s progression as it has previously been near impossible to treat effectively.  Furthermore, CBD has shown to aid in recovery from strokes by increasing blood flow to areas of the brain that were previously lacking proper blood flow while also improving the brain’s ability to organize and create new neural pathways throughout the nervous system (6). As CBD’s clinical use develops, it may provide a powerful tool in the fight against neurodegeneration and stroke-related cognitive issues seen in elderly populations.

Epilepsy/Seizure Disorders

CBD’s ability to treat seizure disorders is the reason why it has become some widely accepted as medicine leading to legal measures that have created the market and global CBD landscape we are experiencing today. CBD targets a multitude of receptors in the nervous system, including the serotonin receptors mentioned above, while blocking many other excitatory pathways that can lead to overactivity in the brain (3,15). The end result is a calm and balanced nervous system that has allowed doctors to effectively target Dravet syndrome, which is known as unrelenting and repeated seizures in young children. Much like CBD helps calm anxiety and decrease inflammation, it helps clear out the clutter of overactive signals that lead to a seizure disorder. Of course, no one should ever self treat their epilepsy or seizure disorder without proper medical supervision!

Diabetes

The quality of life for diabetic patients has not improved much over the past decades of medical advancement. HIV patients are now expected to have a better and longer life than someone diagnosed with diabetes, which is extremely concerning amid the ever growing population of people who are overweight and obese.  70% of the U.S. population is now considered overweight, with many of these people experiencing diabetic disease processes, resulting in damage to many of the sensitive organs and tissues of the body such as blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. Studies show that CBD can prevent inflammation and the spread of immune cells into blood vessel walls which causes many of the vasculature and eye complications that are commonly seen with poorly managed diabetes (7). CBD can provide a way to improve the quality of life for many patients who have not bee able to properly care for their health.

Pain

Chronic pain is a leading reason individuals go to see a doctor. Arthritis, back pain, and major joints can create so much discomfort in the body that people will go to drastic measures to find relief. Unfortunately, this has also led to the stark increase in opioid prescriptions and deaths which sadly reaches around 80,000 death a year. Opioids should be the last-ditch effort to help people get out of pain as they breed psychological and physical addiction, meaning that people will no longer be able to manage their pain without the use of opioids as they have burned out their pathways that regulate pain sensation in the body. This is a national crisis, and unfortunately, many pharmaceutical companies are still profiting billions of dollars a year from opioids. CBD  may be one of the greatest tools in combatting this crisis as it has repeatedly shown to be a safe and effective way to combat pain. The TRPV1 receptor is known to active pain signals in reaction to “painful” stimuli that can be either temperature, chemical, or inflammatory induced stimuli. CBD binds TRPV1 receptors much in the same way that capsaicin from cayenne does, which decreases the number of pain messengers in the nervous system, therefore decreasing the amount of pain sensed. Combining CBD with proper exercise, stretching, and bodywork can likely decrease the number of office visits for pain and the number of opioids prescribed, breaking the negative cycle of chronic pain that has been taking place for the past few decades.

Immune Function

One of the things that suffer the most with chronic inflammation and compromised states of health is the immune system. Now more than ever, humans need a properly functioning immune system but our environments, food, and mental health have all caused shifts in immune function. With this, we see increased rates of chronic infections, gut microbiome imbalances, and widespread pandemics of new diseases. CBD may be able to help modulate the immune system by allowing proper migration, enhanced chemical messaging, and normalized maturation of immune cells. CBD achieves this by shifting the immune system from what is known as the Th-1 inflammatory pattern to a Th-2 anti-inflammatory pattern (8). Th-1 to Th-2 imbalance is one of the main reasons so many people are over-reactive to substances in the environment and also prevents individuals from properly combatting chronic infections that may be present in the body. Boosting individual immune systems boosts the overall immunity of communities at large which is now seemingly more important than ever.

Cancer

Cancer is the last topic covered and represents one of the most impactful disease processes that grips the world today. 1 in 2 males and 1 in 3 females will develop some form of cancer in their lifetime, and although treatments are becoming more effective, the overall amount of people who die from cancer is steadily increasing. Unfortunately, the development of cancer is a complex interplay of toxins in the environment, compromised immune function, and poor lifestyles that shows no signs of slowing down. Although cancer treatment is strictly regulated in the United States, there are always adjunct therapies that can be pursued in combination with typical treatment regiments. CBD’s clinical efficacy has been studied in regard to multiple forms of cancer such as breast cancer, colon cancer, gliomas, leukemia, lung cancer, lymphomas, and thyroid cancer (9). There is a lot of promise for CBD’s potential treatment of cancer as it has been observed to inhibit proliferation, or growth, of cancer cells and interferes with metastases, or invasion, into other tissues (10). In order to decrease our risk of cancer development individuals needs to live more in tune with nature, avoiding toxins, eating plenty of organic vegetables, and getting a wide variety of plant substances into their body including CBD. Of course, anyone diagnosed with cancer should never avoid conventional treatments, but there is a promise that there may be less toxic or damaging options for treatment for cancer patients in the future.

Is CBD safe?

CBD in itself is safe, as is everything when taken with responsibly and in moderation. Sure it has a ton of benefits that seem too good to be true, but as with most things that are too good to be true there is always a downside.

CBD and other cannabinoids, especially when used in isolate forms, have been shown to cause diarrhea, sleepiness, weakness, rash, low blood pressure, and raise liver enzymes (11,12,13,14).

These are, of course, due to the overstimulation of many of the beneficial pathways mentioned above, as they simply become overwhelmed when too much CBD is present in the system without anything to balance its effects. CBD also interacts with many liver enzymes essential to the degradation of prescription drugs and byproducts in the body, but much remains to be discovered. It is always a good question to check with your doctor about combing herbal-based medicine with prescription medication, just to be cautious.

One must also be cautious regarding the many reports of tainted CBD products by the FDA and third-party labs. These reports show things like opioids, pesticides, heavy metals, THC, and other illicit drugs are commonly being found in black market products. Most reputable companies that can be found in grocery stores or have prominent online marketplaces are thoroughly tested and will typically provide products that are free of harmful additives and made to supplement grade standards.  These reputable products will also provide accurate doses of CBD as labeled on the products, but there may always be some doubt as many investigations show that less than 30% of products actually have as much CBD milligrams as the label states.

Hemp if ingested as a whole extract with all of the cannabinoids intact will provide one of the safest and most effective ways to ingest cannabis. Always make sure to look at the certificate of analysis for products when available, if you cannot find it, you can always reach out to the producer of your product and they will be happy to supply you with the test results…… unless they have something to hide! 

Does CBD really work?

Although a lot of science has been covered in this article about ways that CBD can affect various pathways and processes in the body, it does not mean that it is the answer to everyone’s problems.

CBD can have a vastly different effect depending upon the individual who may be ingesting it. A complex interplay of genetics, lifestyle, and other disease processes may mean one person has a dramatic response to the same dose another individual may not experience anything noticeable from.

That being said CBD and other cannabinoids are a proven and powerful tool that can be used as medicine for many individuals with the correct guidance and supervision by a medical professional. Many countries are now fully legalizing hemp and hemp-derived cannabinoids and treating it with the same respect as they would with any other medicinal substance, as it has been scientifically acknowledged it possesses great therapeutic potential.

This does not mean that anyone should delay medical care if they have a serious condition that requires medical attention, whether it is an acute or chronic condition. CBD should never be taken before an individual has been medically cleared of any serious life-threatening conditions with thorough consideration of other options of treatment fully considered.

Yet, for the everyday complaints that we as humans face, CBD can provide a safe, effective, and natural tool to combat the woes of life. Still, it is always a good idea to check in with a medical professional if you are taking any other prescription medications or supplements.

 

Resources

  1. Millar, S. A., Stone, N. L., Bellman, Z. D., Yates, A. S., England, T. J., & O’Sullivan, S. E. (2019). A systematic review of cannabidiol dosing in clinical populations. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 85(9), 1888-1900.
  2. Devinsky, O., Cilio, M. R., Cross, H., Fernandez‐Ruiz, J., French, J., Hill, C., … & Martinez‐Orgado, J. (2014). Cannabidiol: pharmacology and potential therapeutic role in epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Epilepsia, 55(6), 791-802.
  3. Devinsky, O., Cilio, M. R., Cross, H., Fernandez‐Ruiz, J., French, J., Hill, C., … & Martinez‐Orgado, J. (2014). Cannabidiol: pharmacology and potential therapeutic role in epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Epilepsia, 55(6), 791-802.
  4. Campos, A. C., Moreira, F. A., Gomes, F. V., Del Bel, E. A., & Guimaraes, F. S. (2012). Multiple mechanisms involved in the large-spectrum therapeutic potential of cannabidiol in psychiatric disorders. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 367(1607), 3364-3378.
  5. Campos, A. C., Moreira, F. A., Gomes, F. V., Del Bel, E. A., & Guimaraes, F. S. (2012). Multiple mechanisms involved in the large-spectrum therapeutic potential of cannabidiol in psychiatric disorders. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 367(1607), 3364-3378.
  6. Mori, M. A., Meyer, E., Soares, L. M., Milani, H., Guimarães, F. S., & de Oliveira, R. M. W. (2017). Cannabidiol reduces neuroinflammation and promotes neuroplasticity and functional recovery after brain ischemia. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 75, 94-105.
  7. Rajesh, M., Mukhopadhyay, P., Bátkai, S., Hasko, G., Liaudet, L., Drel, V. R., … & Pacher, P. (2007). Cannabidiol attenuates high glucose-induced endothelial cell inflammatory response and barrier disruption. American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 293(1), H610-H619.
  8. Weiss, L., Zeira, M., Reich, S., Har-Noy, M., Mechoulam, R., Slavin, S., & Gallily, R. (2006). Cannabidiol lowers incidence of diabetes in non-obese diabetic mice. Autoimmunity, 39(2), 143-151.
  9. Massi, P., Solinas, M., Cinquina, V., & Parolaro, D. (2013). Cannabidiol as potential anticancer drug. British journal of clinical pharmacology, 75(2), 303-312.
  10. Ligresti, A., Moriello, A. S., Starowicz, K., Matias, I., Pisanti, S., De Petrocellis, L., … & Di Marzo, V. (2006). Antitumor activity of plant cannabinoids with emphasis on the effect of cannabidiol on human breast carcinoma. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 318(3), 1375-1387.
  11. Consroe, P., Sandyk, R., & Snider, S. R. (1986). Open label evaluation of cannabidiol in dystonic movement disorders. International Journal of Neuroscience, 30(4), 277-282.
  12. Jadoon, K. A., Ratcliffe, S. H., Barrett, D. A., Thomas, E. L., Stott, C., Bell, J. D., … & Tan, G. D. (2016). Efficacy and safety of cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabivarin on glycemic and lipid parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group pilot study. Diabetes Care, 39(10), 1777-1786.
  13. Consroe, P., Sandyk, R., & Snider, S. R. (1986). Open label evaluation of cannabidiol in dystonic movement disorders. International Journal of Neuroscience, 30(4), 277-282.
  14. Gaston, T. E., Bebin, E. M., Cutter, G. R., Liu, Y., Szaflarski, J. P., & UAB CBD Program. (2017). Interactions between cannabidiol and commonly used antiepileptic drugs. Epilepsia, 58(9), 1586-1592.
  15. Devinsky, O., Cross, J. H., Laux, L., Marsh, E., Miller, I., Nabbout, R., … & Wright, S. (2017). Trial of cannabidiol for drug-resistant seizures in the Dravet syndrome. New England Journal of Medicine, 376(21), 2011-2020.

 

This article was contributed by Dr. Thomas Macsay

Dr. Thomas Macsay is a Naturopathic Doctor located in San Diego, CA with expertise in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), regenerative medicine, and a multitude of bodywork modalities. Macsay is passionate about herbalism and plant extraction, currently setting his sights on the sustainability, development, and execution of holistic products. You can find him @drmacsay on Instagram or send him an email with any inquiries at [email protected]