Cannabidiol (CBD) is the non-psychoactive chemical compound found inside the cannabis plant. It’s all over the news right now, and science is finally paying it a lot of attention due to discoveries in its ability to potentially treat a wide variety of physical, mental, and emotional conditions. 2 years ago, the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) made a statement that said that preclinical research on cell culture and animal models showed that CBD showed a range of potentially beneficial effects on the body that could be useful therapeutically. Each and every day research is continually conducted to find out exactly how CBD benefits our minds and bodies. Here are the 5 biggest ways CBD can improve your health. Keep in mind that this is just the beginning. There is so much more to learn!
1. Kills Tumors
In 2015, NIDA published an article stating that “several pre-clinical reports showing anti-tumor effects of CBD…have found reduced [cancer] cell viability, increased cancer cell death, decreased tumor growth, and inhibition of metastasis.”
Last December, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) released a report that stated that CBD and several other cannabinoids are “protective effect against the development of certain types of tumors,”. This includes several major forms of cancer, such as breast, lung, colon, and pancreatic cancers.
This means that CBD effectively destroys cancer cells in your body. This makes it a good preemptive strike when taken daily to prevent certain forms of cancer from spreading and becoming a nuisance, especially if cancer runs in your family.
2. Prevents Anxiety
In the same report, the NCI stated that “animal studies have shown CBD to have anxiolytic properties…these anxiolytic properties are mediated through unknown mechanisms,”.
Essentially, this means that CBD can calm down intense feelings of anxiety, but scientists still aren’t entirely clear on how this happens. It’s important to remember that CBD causes no psychoactive effect whatsoever, unlike the other well known cannabinoid known as THC. This is an especially important thing for people who need to take THC for pain relief. Sometimes, when you smoke cannabis, the levels of THC can be too strong and they can cause feelings of intense stress and anxiety.
When CBD binds to the CB1 receptor at the same time as a THC molecule, the signal from the neuron is much smaller. This means that your brain won’t feel the effects of the THC as much as it would without CBD. When these two substances act synergistically with each other at the cannabinoid receptor, it effectively creates its own effect, which is distinctly different than THC alone.
3. Steadies Your Hands
If you watch the news, odds are you know that CBD is an anticonvulsant, and can stop epileptic seizures in a manner of seconds, even in patients with pediatric epilepsy. It treats more than epilepsy, though and is known to treat a variety of seizure and convulsive disorders including PArkinson’s disease.
In January, an article was published in Neurology Today that stated that several animal studies and both randomized and open-label studies have found that cannabidiol oil (CBD) shows promise in treating seizure disorders, but questions remain about proper dosages to apply, the potential for adverse effects, and the drug-drug interactions with other antiepileptic drugs (AEDS).”
Aside from serious disorders like Parkinson’s and Epilepsy, CBD is a muscle relaxer. If you have shaky hands for example, CBD can help you be more steady. This is especially nice for people who have trouble with their hobbies, such as painting or other crafts.
4. Acts as an Antioxidant
Firstly, antioxidants are nutrients like vitamins C or E that prevent damage in your body caused by oxygen. Each cell in our body needs oxygen, and when they use it, they naturally generate by-products known as free radicals. Free radicals cause cellular damage, so the goal is to use antioxidant nutrients to keep our bodies from getting damaged by the free radical by products.
The United States Government Patent #6,630,507 says that “cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism,” and that this property “makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.” This patent also states that CBD acts by “preventing or treating diseases caused by oxidative stress,” and along with other cannabinoids has the ability to “easily penetrate tissues, giving them the ability to enter the central nervous system and brain.”
Essentially, CBD mimics a typical antioxidant nutrient, and comes along with all the benefits of an average vitamin with antioxidant properties.
5. Protects Your Brain
The NIDA also states that CBD has been “shown to have neuroprotective properties in cell cultures as well as in animal models of several neurodegenerative diseases,”. These diseases include but are by no means limited to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and even things like brain damage caused by alcohol or drug abuse. It’s also been used for helping people kick addictions, as it reduces the craving to drink or to use. Last year, research was conducted by a team in China. They reported that “CBD had been shown to reverse the reduction in neuronal viability and the increased excitoxicity, inflammation, and oxidative stress”.
Our previously mentioned US Patent also says that “cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such a stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and HIV dementia.”