Perhaps CBD’s most well-known benefit and the reason it is so widely used is its calming properties. In a mock public speaking test, 57 men participated in a 2017 study published in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry to gauge their degrees of anxiety. Before their talks, some people received a placebo, while others received 150, 300, or 600 mg of CBD. Compared to those who got the placebo, individuals who received 300 mg of CBD reported much less anxiety during the exam. It’s interesting to note that compared to the 300 milligrams group, participants who received 150 or 600 milligrams of CBD reported higher levels of anxiety during the test.
Meanwhile, at least one mouse study found that CBD produced effects that were comparable to those of the antidepressant imipramine. To determine whether CBD can cause this same antidepressant response in our bodies, however, human trials are required.
CBD has occasionally been used to treat epileptic seizures.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the use of CBD in 2018 under the trade name Epidiolex to treat seizures brought on by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, two uncommon types of epilepsy, in individuals who were at least 2 years old.
The FDA’s judgment is based on three carefully reviewed research. 516 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome participated in these studies and were given Epidiolex or a placebo. When used with other prescribed drugs, Epidiolex reduced participants’ frequency of seizures more than the placebo did.
11 persons with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) received CBD along with standard psychiatric care for eight weeks in an outpatient psychiatric clinic as part of a modest 2018 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Ten out of the eleven people saw a reduction in their PTSD symptoms. The researchers report that CBD was generally well tolerated.
The need of employing treatment in addition to any kind of cannabis or CBD for PTSD is emphasized by Margaret Rajnic, a doctor of nursing practice with experience in medical cannabis and CBD. For PTSD, she explains, “there is a certain level of counseling that is needed.” But CBD will help you feel a little bit less anxious.
Four further human studies conducted between 2012 and 2016 found that CBD lessens the symptoms of PTSD, even though four of them also contained THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. An “entourage effect” is created when THC and CBD interact, enhancing the effects and potency of both substances. For instance, taking the same dose of THC and CBD at the same time reduces the “high” that comes from THC, whereas taking less THC and more CBD increases the effects of the CBD.
Some research, including preclinical animal studies and human clinical trials, raises the possibility that CBD might be utilized to treat opioid dependence.
In one such trial, CBD was given to participants who had heroin use disorders. CBD dramatically decreased cue-induced cravings, withdrawal anxiety, resting heart rate, and salivary cortisol levels in heroin addicts over the course of a week. There were no major side effects discovered.
According to other research, CBD may be a successful treatment for opioid addiction since it helps people with substance use disorders manage symptoms including anxiety, sleeplessness, and discomfort. However, more research is required.
In the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord degenerate, leading to a progressive loss of muscle control. Though it can be inherited in some situations, the actual cause of ALS is still unknown. There are only two FDA-approved drugs to assist treat the symptoms of ALS, and there is no known cure for the disease.
According to research, those who have ALS may benefit from the entourage effect that is produced when THC and CBD are combined, much like those who have PTSD. According to their needs and preferences, subjects in a 2019 trial received a combination of THC and CBD in varied amounts. Those with ALS-related mild, moderate, or severe spasticity (tightness and stiffness of the muscles) expressed great joy.
Sativex, an oromucosal spray containing equal parts THC and CBD, was licensed for use in Canada in 2005 to treat the central neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis. Canada once more approved the drug’s use in 2007 for treating cancer pain that did not respond to other drugs.
Meanwhile, ongoing research in the US suggests CBD is useful in the management of chronic, non-cancer pain. In a 2020 trial, one group of patients with symptomatic peripheral neuropathy—caused by damage to the brain and spinal cord nerves—got CBD topically, while a second group of patients with the same illness received a placebo. When compared to those who used a placebo, the results demonstrated a much lower incidence of severe, cutting pains and chilly, itching feelings in those who applied topical CBD. Participants didn’t experience any negative side effects.
When applied topically, CBD oil has less of an impact on the underlying problem than if it were injected directly into the bloodstream. Instead, topical CBD is more focused and only helps localized pain. It might have a more noticeable effect because it’s more direct.
First off, research on human cells revealed that CBD lessens the effects of high glucose levels on other cells in the body, which frequently come before the onset of diabetes and its myriad consequences. Researchers came to the conclusion that CBD may be very beneficial for people with diabetes, diabetic complications, and arterial wall plaque formation with additional research.
Another tiny trial gave CBD and a placebo to 13 people with type 2 diabetes who weren’t receiving insulin treatment (in lieu of insulin). Researchers discovered that CBD enhanced their levels of glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (a hormone that ensures a sufficient release of insulin from digested food) and decreased their levels of resistin (which results in resistance to insulin, the protein that regulates sugar levels). These findings imply that CBD may assist the body control the levels of insulin-related hormones, thereby acting as a natural diabetes treatment.
Studies in the preclinical and clinical stages demonstrate that CBD has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These traits, according to researchers, can offer significant neuroprotection, or defense against a wide range of pathological illnesses.
Numerous preclinical research indicate CBD may be effective in treating multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Cerebral ischemia and Huntington’s disease were also evaluated, but no appreciable positive outcomes were noted. To establish CBD’s advantages when used as a treatment for certain illnesses, additional clinical research is required.
The tissues inside and surrounding your joints deteriorate as a result of arthritis. A number of different forms of arthritis can cause pain, stiffness, and loss of motion. The main goals of arthritis treatment are pain alleviation and increased joint function.
According to a 2006 study, Sativex, a CBD-based botanical medication that was licensed in the UK in 2010, significantly improved the quality of sleep, pain when moving, and discomfort while at rest in rheumatoid arthritis patients when compared to a placebo. It involved 58 patients and was the first controlled study of Sativex as a rheumatoid arthritis medication. CBD was discovered to have both a pain-relieving and a disease-activation-suppressing impact.
In a more focused study conducted at 2018, patients with osteoarthritis-related knee pain were given either a synthetic CBD gel in daily doses of 250 milligrams or 500 milligrams or a placebo. Aside from acetaminophen, patients ceased using all other anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers before and during the trial.
Even if they weren’t totally definitive, the results were intriguing. On the one hand, compared to patients who received a placebo, those treated with CBD did not notice a significant difference in pain. On the other hand, the average weekly improvement in their worst pain levels and their WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index) physical function assessment were statistically significantly different between the group receiving the 250-milligram dose and the placebo group. In this study, men appeared to benefit from CBD in a greater degree than women.
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