Today you're going to learn all the potential benefits of CBD oil.
We analyzed over 100 scientific papers to see what the current scientific consensus is about the potential benefits of the cannabinoid ‘cannabidiol' (CBD).
Most CBD oils contain more Hemp-derived compounds than just CBD (for example other cannabinoids and terpenes).
All these additional Hemp-derived compounds are also exactly the reason why using CBD oil is the most effective and potent way to experience the potential benefits of CBD.
A discussion on the benefits of CBD oil, however, wouldn't be complete without highlighting the potential adverse health effects of CBD oil as well.
Even though CBD has many potential benefits, you'll also learn that there is little scientific proof that CBD can truly ‘cure’ anything. Most benefits associated with CBD relate to easing the symptoms of various conditions, and even then, clinical evidence is rare.
Although rare, we'll also explore the (negative) side effects you can experience when taking CBD oil.
Keep reading!
The Benefits of CBD Oil
Ever since researchers started studying cannabis, there has been one cannabinoid that has received the most attention: THC.
But in the past decades, more and more attention is given to a different cannabinoid: CBD.
Here’s why:
While THC is known to have medicinal value for a variety of conditions, over the years, CBD turned out to be more potent as a beneficial agent for some conditions…
And comes with a HUGE additional benefit:
It has no psychoactive properties.
This means you can’t get high with CBD oil (it can help you relax though). And because you can't get high with CBD oil, it's:
- Easier to use, and;
- Easier to buy than products containing high amounts of THC.
THC-free CBD oil is a legal product in most parts of the world. And most countries allow a little bit THC in CBD oils (0.3% in the USA and 0.2% in Europe).
The fact that CBD oil is so easy to get, could be great news for anyone looking to improve his/her health.
Next up we'll explore all the potential benefits of CBD that scientific research has found in the past decades.
Below you'll find the benefits of CBD oil categorized per type of condition:
Starting with the type of condition that unfortunately, in this day and age, a lot of us suffer from…
CBD Oil Benefits for Pain-Related/Inflammatory Conditions
1. CBD Could Help Reduce (Chronic) Inflammation (human studies)
Inflammation is a potential issue in our lives which, anyone eating a modern diet, potentially suffers from.
Some researchers think that the main cause of chronic inflammation is diet. It's thought that especially:
- A high amount of refined sugars;
- Refined vegetable oils;
- Processed foods, and;
- A highly off-balance omega-6 (n-6) to omega-3 (n-3) ratio (too high consumption of omega-6 fats),
are the main contributors to chronic inflammation when talking about diet-caused inflammation.
The worst part:
It receives little to no medical coverage.
Why is this such a big deal?
Chronic inflammation is a major risk factor for developing diseases, like:
- Heart disease;
- Diabetes;
- Cancer, and;
- Aging and disability in general.
One way to reduce the risk of these diseases is to reduce inflammation in your body to an absolute minimum.
Luckily, inflammation is easy to prevent with all kinds of anti-oxidant rich foods and exercise.
But in the past decade, researchers found out that CBD is an extremely powerful anti-inflammatory agent.
For example in this study researchers reviewed a dozen studies that looked at the anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects of CBD.
What they found was extremely promising especially on the anti-inflammatory part.
By its anti-oxidant properties and the targeting of inflammation-related intracellular signaling events, CBD reduces inflammation in a very effective way. And it does this without having psychoactive side-effects like THC.
So if you want to reduce inflammation in your body, CBD oil might be worth a try.
2. CBD Could Help with Pain Relief (mostly animal studies, a few human studies)
Imagine waking up, 
your body feeling heavy like concrete, like you’ve had a UFC fight the night before…
Or feeling like there’s an army of bees stinging your joints, and that on a daily basis…
This is the sad reality of someone suffering from chronic pain.
Whether you’re suffering acute or chronic pain, here’s the good news:
Various studies support the notion that CBD could help with pain relief.
There have been dozens of studies that have proven CBD can act as a potent painkilling agent. But here's the kicker: most of these studies were done on animals. Even though there's a lot of anecdotal evidence to support CBD oil as a potent natural painkiller, there's only one recent study done on humans that found such painkilling effects. This study was done on kidney transplant patients and showed that CBD's painkilling effects can differ widely on an individual basis and there's no guarantee that CBD will help with your pain problem.
If you want to read our full guide on CBD oil and pain, click the link below:
3. CBD Could Help with Arthritis
Although human studies are rare, several studies found beneficial effects of CBD and synthetic cannabinoids similar to CBD when it comes to symptoms associated with arthritis, like pain and inflammation.
For example, a 2000 study done on mince, found that oral administration of CBD effectively blocked the progression of collagen-induced arthritis.
A more recent study done on mice, published in 2016, found that the application of topical CBD gel:
significantly reduced joint swelling, limb posture scores as a rating of spontaneous pain, immune cell infiltration and thickening of the synovial membrane in a dose‐dependent manner
without evident side‐effects.
4. CBD Could Help with Inflammatory Bowel Disease
You already know that CBD is beneficial for inflammation in general.
But there are studies that showed CBD's beneficial effects on specific inflammatory conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.
For example, a 2011 study found that CBD counteracts the inflammatory environment in human colonic tissue derived from Ulcerative Colitis (UC) patients, which is a form of inflammatory bowel disease.
CBD Oil Benefits for Mental Health Disorders (Anxiety, Depression, etc.)
5. CBD Could Help with Anxiety Relief (human studies)
Always worrying about what you said, how you were perceived, feeling like you don't fit in and living with a constant fear of rejection…
Anyone suffering from social anxiety disorder (SAD) will tell you how exhausting even a simple daily errand can be.
Well, if you have a social anxiety disorder, you’ll be glad to know there have been a dozen studies that have shown CBD can reduce SAD.
For example, a 2011 study compared 2 groups of SAD patients on anxiety levels. The first group was given an oral dose of CBD, while researchers gave the second group a placebo. The researchers found that the group that they gave CBD had a significant decrease in anxiety levels, while the placebo group didn't.
In another study also done in 2011, researchers found that SAD patients who did a public speaking test and used CBD right before the test, significantly reduced:
- Anxiety;
- Cognitive impairment, and;
- Speech performance;
And anyone (with or without SAD) knows public speaking is a great way to trigger social anxiety.
Besides these studies, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence on forums, YouTube, and testimonials, showing CBD is useful in reducing anxiety of all sorts.
The bottom line is:
There's scientific evidence that supports the notion that CBD could be a beneficial agent for anxiety relief.
If you want to read our full guide on CBD oil and anxiety, click the link below:
6. CBD Could Help with Depression (only animal studies)
Everyone has a bad day once in a while.
But if you’re suffering from depression, life can not only seem worthless to you. In severe cases, you'll wonder if there's any reason to continue living.
Often stuck in a vicious cycle of negative thought patterns…
If you're depressed, it can be challenging to:
- Pull yourself out of this cycle;
- Pick yourself up, and;
- Live your life joyfully again.
Little outside help is often needed to pull you out of your negative spiral and put you back on the right track.
As it turns out:
CBD could act as this external agent, giving you the kick-start to pull you out of your negative spiral of depressive thoughts and feelings.
Although studies on humans are rare, there are several studies done on animals that clearly show a positive effect of CBD on depression, without any negative side-effects.
For example, a 2014 study that reviewed a dozen studies which looked at the anti-depressant effects of CBD, found that CBD has antidepressant-like actions through a mechanism that activated 5-HT1A neuro-receptors.
The 5-HT1A-receptor is a subtype of the 5-HT receptor, also called the serotonin receptor AKA the ‘happiness receptor.' By activating the happiness receptor, CBD could very effectively give you that kick-start to get you out of your negative spiral.
Now:
Even though most of these studies are done on animals, the way the 5-HT1A-receptor receptor works in mice is very similar to the way it works in humans.
And you got absolutely nothing to lose by trying out CBD oil to see if it will shake up your negative thought patterns, put you back on the right track…
And make you feel like your life is worth living again!
7. CBD Could Be a Potent Antipsychotic for Schizophrenia Patients
While THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid in cannabis has been linked to the development of schizophrenia and psychosis in persons that have a susceptibility towards psychiatric disorders…
CBD has been shown to be a potent antipsychotic in various studies.
For example, a 2012 study showed that CBD is an as potent antipsychotic as amisulpride. Amisulpride is one of the most used traditional medicines in the treatment of schizophrenia. CBD didn't only have as potent antipsychotic properties, but researchers found that CBD had less negative side-effects than amisulpride.
8. CBD Could Help with Addictions: Nicotine, Alcohol and Addictive Behaviors in General (animal and human studies)
Addictions vary in their severity and impact.
But a severe alcohol addiction, for example, can be devastating to the life of the addicted person and their close ones.
Doing anything in your power to feed your addiction, at the cost of everything else, can very quickly destroy your life.
Here as well, CBD oil can help you by acting as the external agent that allows you to control your compulsive behavior.
Besides the anecdotal evidence, there’s plenty of scientific evidence reinforcing CBD’s potential effect on addictions.
In 2015, researchers reviewed 14 studies that looked at CBD as an intervention for addictive behaviors.
Although they’re not claiming any ‘cold hard facts’, they found that CBD could help with the following addictions:
- Opioid;
- Cocaine;
- Psychostimulant;
- Cannabis and;
- Tobacco addictions.
The exact mechanism of how CBD helps with addictions is unclear. But CBD has been associated with many neural circuits involved in the acquisition of addiction and subsequent drug-seeking behaviors.
The bottom line is:
If you want help with losing your addiction, definitely try out some CBD oil.
9. CBD Could Help with Insomnia
Various studies have found that CBD has sleep-inducing and sedative effects.
For example, one study found that in humans with insomnia, high doses of CBD (160 mg) increased sleep duration compared to placebo.
A more recent case study found that a young patient that suffered from an anxiety-provoked sleep disorder that developed after a traumatic experience, significantly reduced anxiety and insomnia secondary to her PTSD with daily use of 15-25mg of CBD oil.
The researchers note that CBD may block anxiety-induced rapid eye movement sleep alteration via its anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) effect on the brain.
CBD Oil Benefits for Neurological/Neurodegenerative Disorders
10. CBD Could Help with Epilepsy / Seizures (human studies)
Epilepsy is another one of those conditions, that can have a huge impact on your day to day life.
Losing your consciousness partially or wholly at random times during the day, or having full episodes of uncontrolled jerking by your body, can make for some very awkward and scary situations.
And while there’s already medication out there to treat epilepsy, as it turns out, this treatment is not useful for everybody.
Early in the 1980s, researchers already found that 200-300mg of CBD taken daily had a positive effect on the occurrence of convulsive crises in 7 of 8 epilepsy patients.
A more recent study done in 2015, found that CBD can be used to reduce seizures effectively, especially in patients who have resistance to traditional treatments.
So, although there’s no 100% assurance that CBD oil will help with your specific epileptic condition…
It might be worth it to try out.
11. CBD Could Help with Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Although Multiple Sclerosis is a relatively rare inflammatory condition of the central nervous system…
This doesn't make it any less impactful on anyone diagnosed with this often, life-changing disease.
One symptom which has a major effect on the daily life of many MS patients is spasticity.
Spasms can completely disrupt your ability to do simple life activities like cooking, driving a car, reading, writing, and more.
And although there are traditional pharmaceutical treatments for MS-induced spasticity, as it turns out, these treatments are ineffective for a substantial amount of MS patients.
There's much anecdotal evidence that marijuana and particularly high-CBD products and strains are effective in reducing MS-induced spasms.
But there's even stronger evidence:
A study done in 2012 found that inhaled cannabis had a beneficial effect on spasticity among MS patients receiving insufficient relief from traditional treatments.
Also, an earlier 2016 study that looked at the effects of the medicine ‘Sativex,' which is a mouth spray containing THC and CBD in a 1:1 ratio, found that it significantly reduced spasticity in MS patients.
Keep in mind that in both of these studies, a lot of the beneficial effects could also be potentially attributed to THC, and CBD oil usually doesn't contain substantial amounts of THC (it's illegal in most places).
That said, there are studies that looked at the effects of specifically CBD on MS-related conditions.
For example, a 2013 study found that CBD reduces inflammation and improves motor deficits in mice that got exposed to the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus. This virus causes Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced demyelinating disease (TMEV-IDD).
And while MS is not exactly the same as TMEV-IDD, TMEV-IDD has similar histological features as MS and there remains one of the most used viruses to research MS.
Note: Always make sure to check with your/a medical doctor before you start using CBD oil. CBD oil can interact with many different pharmaceutical drugs.
12. CBD Could Help Improve Well-Being and Quality of Life in Parkinson's Disease Patients
Parkinson's Disease is a neurodegenerative disease that progressively kills brain cells that are associated with movement.
Although CBD has been associated with neuroprotective effects, no studies have found that CBD improves psychomotor dysfunction associated with Parkinson's Disease (PD).
However, one study found that 300mg of CBD, taken daily significantly improved general sense of well-being and quality of life in PD patients.
The researchers tested a sense of well-being and quality of life in the following three sub-categories:
- ‘Daily life activities’,
- ‘Emotional well-being’, and;
- ‘Mobility’.
In all three sub-categories, 300 mg of CBD taken daily had a statistically significant positive effect.
13. CBD Could Help with Alzheimer's Disease (AD) (animal studies)
Alzheimer's Disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by an ongoing inflammatory condition in the brain leading to a progressive loss of neurons, which in turn leads to progressive cognitive deficits.
It's thought that microglial activation (the resident immune cells of the CNS) plays an important role in neurodegenerative diseases like AD.
Various studies found that cannabinoids like CBD are neuroprotective by preventing β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced microglial activation.
For example, a 2011 study found that CBD administered to Aβ-injected mice was able to counteract inflammation and cognitive deficits associated with β-amyloid (Aβ)-induced microglial activation.
Further research should show whether CBD has the same effects on the human brain.
14. CBD Could Help with Symptoms of Huntington's Disease (HD)
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease that begins with choreic movements and goes on to include serious motor, behavioral and cognitive alterations.
Studies have shown that CBD has neuroprotective effects in rat models of HD.
However, a clinical study done on 15 HD patients showed that 10 mg/kg/day of CBD ingested orally for 6 weeks was safe, but did not affect the severity of the chorea and other symptoms of the disease.
Further studies should show whether changes in doses or duration of use has a different effect.
15. CBD Could Help with Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS)
Primary lateral sclerosis (PLS) is a neuromuscular disease that causes the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement to degenerate and die. The result is that the muscles become weaker and weaker which might ultimately result in death when the breathing muscles have become too weak for example.
Although there are no clinical studies, a case study found that a 40-year old PLS-patient effectively self-medicated with CBD oil to treat spasticity symptoms.
16. CBD Could Help with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease that causes the death of neurons that control voluntary muscles. It's characterized by stiff muscles, muscle spasticity, and gradually worsening weakness due to muscles decreasing in size which can ultimately result in death.
Although further research is needed, one recent study found that an oromucosal spray containing both THC and CBD in a 1:1 ratio significantly reduced spasticity in ALS patients.
Although the effects of isolated CBD remain unclear, the study shows at least some potential of CBD helping with symptoms associated with ALS.
17. CBD can Improve Symptoms Associated with Dystonia up to 50%
Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder that causes abnormal movements and muscle contractions.
While more research is needed to come to definitive conclusions, a study done back in 1986 found that daily intake of 100mg to 600mg of the CBD coadministered with standard dystonia medication, improved dystonia up to 50%.
Some side-effects reported after CBD-use were:
- Mild and included hypotension;
- Dry mouth;
- Psychomotor slowing;
- Lightheadedness, and
- Sedation.
Another interesting finding of the study: CBD at doses over 300 mg/day made resting tremor worse in patients that had Parkinsonian features. The researchers conclude that CBD appears to have antidystonic, but Parkinsonism-aggravating effects in humans.
Further research is needed.
18. CBD Could Help with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
Spinal cord injury is damage to the spinal cord that can result in loss of psychomotor and/or emotive function.
Although further research on humans is needed, research done on animals that looked that the effects of CBD on spinal cord injury are promising.
For example, a 2012 study done on mice found that daily CBD-use had a beneficial effect on the locomotor recovery of mice that were subjected to spinal cord injury.
CBD Oil Benefits for Bone-Related Conditions
19. CBD Could Help with Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is the degeneration of intervertebral discs located in the spine. It can lead to severe and chronic neck and back pains and is thought to be the main contributing agent to chronic lower back pain.
A study done in 2014 on rats found that repeated injection of CBD showed that it has powerful anti-degenerative properties and significantly improved DDD symptoms even 15 days after CBD injection was stopped.
The researchers hypothesized that CBD's strong anti-inflammatory properties are what might cause this powerful effect on DDD.
Further research should show if that's really the case.
20. CBD Could Help with Fracture Healing
It's known that cannabinoid ligands, at least partially, regulate bone mass.
And although human studies are non-existent, one rat study has found that CBD increases collagen crosslinking, which in turn is associated with improved fracture healing.
CBD Oil Benefits for Cancers
21. CBD and Bladder Cancer
Although research is in its infancy and we have to be very careful with making any conclusions about CBD's potentially beneficial effects on cancer…
A study done in 2010 that looked at the effects that CBD has on calcium influx into urothelial carcinoma (UC) cells through transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2), found that CBD increased intracellular calcium concentrations in some bladder cancer cells, and also found that a specific set of bladder cancer cells (T24) progressively decreased with increasing concentrations of CBD.
22. CBD and Brain Cancer
Although research is in its infancy and we have to be very careful with making any conclusions about CBD's potentially beneficial effects on cancer…
A 2004 study that looked at the effects of CBD on human glioma (a specific type of brain tumor) cells, found that when CBD was introduced to the culture medium of glioma cells, it led to a dramatic drop of the survivability of glioma cells and significantly inhibited the growth of implanted U87 human glioma cells.
23. CBD and Breast Cancer
Although the exact mechanism at play remains to be explored further…
Different studies have shown that cannabinoids like CBD have anti-tumor activity in breast cancers.
For example, a 2011 study found that CBD induced cell death of breast cancer cells, independent of cannabinoid and vanilloid receptor activation.
24. CBD and Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers.
Different studies looked at the effects of cannabinoids on colon cancers.
One study looked at the effects of standardized cannabis extract with especially high contents of CBD on colon cancer cells.
They found that the CBD-rich cannabis extract reduced colon carcinogenesis and inhibits the rapid reproduction of colorectal cancer cells, via CB1 and CB2 receptor (also called cannabinoid receptors) activation.
25. CBD and Leukemia
Leukemia is the name for a group of blood cancers that originate in the body's blood-forming tissues. The body's blood-forming tissues include the bone marrow and the lymphatic system.
While research is still in its infant-stages, different studies have shown that CBD can have an apoptosis-inducing (killing) effect on human leukemia cells.
For example, a 2006 study done on mice and human leukemia cells found that:
exposure of leukemia cells to as low as 2.5 mM CBD led to significant levels of apoptosis, suggesting that leukemia cells may be highly sensitive to CBD-induced apoptosis
In other words, CBD is associated with cell death of leukemia cells.
Further research should find out under which exact circumstances this effect holds true.
26. CBD and Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the world.
And while further research is needed, some studies have shown that CBD can have a beneficial effect in killing lung cancer cells.
For example, a study done in 2013 found that CBD elicited decreased viability (cell life) associated with apoptosis (cell death) in lung cancer cell lines (A549, H460) and primary cells from a patient with lung cancer.
27. CBD and Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is the number one cancer risk and the second most death-causing cancer among men.
And while it's still too early to come to any clear-cut conclusions, various studies have shown that CBD can have anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activities when introduced to prostate tumors.
For example, a 2014 study found that:
cannabidiol is a potent inhibitor of cancer cell growth, with significantly lower potency in non-cancer cells. The mRNA expression level of cannabinoid receptors CB1and CB2, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), PSA (prostate specific antigen) are significantly higher in human prostate cell lines. Treatment with Cannabis extract containing high CBD down regulates CB1, CB2, VEGF, PSA, pro-inflammatory cytokines/chemokine IL-6/IL-8.
In other words: the researchers found that CBD could have a beneficial effect in killing prostate cancer cells.
CBD Benefits for Other Types of Conditions
28. CBD Could Help with Appetite Suppression and Weight Loss
Although human studies are non-existant, animal studies have shown that CBD is very effective in suppressing appetite and promoting weight loss.
For example, a 2011 study found that rats injected with CBD doses of 2.5 and 5mg/kg/day had much less bodyweight gain than rats who didn't receive CBD. Both groups of rats (the group that received CBD, and the group that didn't receive CBD had a larger than average food intake.
29. CBD Could Help with Nausea
While it's already widely accepted that THC can help with nausea, there are also studies indicating that CBD could be helpful with nausea.
For example, a 2002 study found that CBD can interfere with nausea that's caused by lithium chloride in mice. The researchers conclude that CBD might have therapeutic value in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea, without psychoactive side-effects.
30. CBD Could Help with Stroke, Hypoxic-Ischemic, and Other Cardiovascular Conditions
Although further research is needed on humans, initial research done on animals is showing that CBD could be beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
For example, a 2013 study found that CBD has direct actions on isolated arteries, causing both acute and time-dependent reduction in vascular tension.
In addition, the researchers found that CBD protected against the vascular damage caused by a high glucose environment, inflammation or the induction of type 2 diabetes in animal models. They also found that CBD reduced infarct size and increase blood flow in animal models of stroke.
The same researchers theorize that CBD's potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects are responsible for its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.
31. CBD Could Help with Graft-Versus-Host-Disease (GVHD)
When you, for example, are kidney transplant patient, your body can turn against your newly transplanted kidney because it sees it as an invader. When someone's body turns against genetically different and transplanted tissue it's called graft-versus-host-disease.
One study done in 2015 found that CBD could help with acute GVHD.
48 patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHCT) were given CBD 300 mg/day orally starting 7 days before transplantation until day 30.
The researchers found that none of the patients developed acute GVHD while consuming CBD.
32. CBD Could Help with Psoriasis
Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease of the skin. It causes red scaly patches to appear on the skin that can itch, burn and/or sting.
Although further research is needed, a study done in 2007 found that the following cannabinoids: THC, CBD, CBN, and CBG all inhibited the increase of keratinocytes (a type of skin cell) in a concentration-dependent manner. The increase of keratinocytes lies at the basis of psoriasis.
33. CBD Could Help with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
It's a scientifical fact that most cannabinoids have anti-bacterial properties.
However, studies that looked at the effects of cannabinoids specifically on human-relevant bacterial infections are rare.
That said, there are a few studies that looked at exactly this.
For example, a 2008 study found that the following cannabinoids: CBD, CBC, CBG, THC, and CBN had potent antibacterial effects against a variety of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus strains.
These strains of bacteria very difficult-to-treat infections in humans.
34. CBD Could Help with Diabetic Complications
Although further human studies and clinical experiments are needed, some research is already showing the potential of CBD for diabetic complications.
For example, a 2010 study found that:
CBD attenuated myocardial dysfunction, cardiac fibrosis, oxidative/nitrative stress, inflammation, cell death, and interrelated signaling pathways. Furthermore, CBD also attenuated the high glucose-induced increased reactive oxygen species generation, nuclear factor-κB activation, and cell death in primary human cardiomyocytes
In other words: CBD reduced all sorts of health complications that are associated with diabetes.
35. CBD Can Help with Diseases of the Liver (animal studies)
While widely legal and socially accepted substances like alcohol can cause liver diseases like liver fibrosis…
Research shows that CBD can help with the same liver diseases.
For example, in 2011 researchers found that CBD induces death of hepatic stellate cells (HCS) in mice. These cells are a major cause of the development and progression of liver fibrosis.
The researchers conclude that CBD could function as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of liver fibrosis and further research is needed to explore the beneficial effects of CBD on liver fibrosis.
36. CBD Could Help with Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease that can ultimately lead to irreversible blindness. It occurs with the death of retinal ganglion cells through apoptosis.
A study done in 2004 which analyzed different research papers concluded that because cannabinoids effectively lower intraocular pressure (one of the main risk factors in glaucoma) and have neuroprotective effects, cannabinoids could be useful in the treatment of glaucoma.
CBD specifically, has antioxidant properties that can prevent neuronal death that is associated with glaucoma.
Is CBD Oil Beneficial for Everyone?
Yes.
In fact:
Adequately manufactured full spectrum and organic CBD oil, which has all the other cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids in it, is a superfood of the highest order.
It’s PACKED with anti-oxidant/anti-inflammatory compounds of which CBD is a major one of course…
But all of the compounds in the Hemp / Cannabis plant influence and enhance each other’s effect in a synergistic process which researchers call the entourage effect.
That's why it's critical that you get full-spectrum CBD oil, which has all the cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids that are present in the Hemp / Cannabis plant.
CBD oil is not a medicine, but I will call it a superfood of the highest order.
Instead of comparing it with a pharmaceutical drug, I would compare it with another healthy oil like black cumin seed oil.
Here's what CBD does for me:
- Helps me to sleep at times where I have trouble falling asleep;
- Helps relax and unwind;
- Reduces feelings of stress.
CBD oil is not a wonder-pill that can cure disease, however.
The Benefits of Full Spectrum CBD Oil
Full-spectrum CBD oil has two main benefits compared to other types of CBD oil.
The first benefit of full-spectrum CBD oil is that it contains various other beneficial compounds that are derived from Hemp. Hemp contains many other beneficial compounds other than CBD. Some of these compounds are other cannabinoids like CBC and CBG, and terpenes like linalool and limonene.
The second benefit of full-spectrum CBD oil is that there's some scientific evidence that CBD is more potent when taken together with these other Hemp-derived compounds like CBC, CBG, linalool, and terpene.
When taking full-spectrum CBD oil, not only do you get to experience the beneficial effects of different compounds than CBD, but you also get to experience CBD in the most potent way possible.
How Does CBD Oil Make You Feel?
CBD oil doesn't contain high amounts of THC. This means CBD oil isn't psychoactive. You can't get ‘high' with CBD oil.
As explained in the list of benefits of CBD oil, some studies and anecdotal evidence did find CBD, which is the main compound of CBD oil, to be effective in reducing feelings of:
- Anxiety, and;
- Depression
This means CBD oil could make you feel less anxious and/or less depressed.
What Are CBD Oil's Side Effects?
Although side-effects with low doses are rare, reported CBD side effects include:
- Headaches;
- Dizziness;
- Fatigue;
- Anorexia;
- Oral paresthesia;
- Dry mouth;
- Neck pain;
- Feeling of strangeness;
- Depression;
- Loss or modification of taste;
- Gastrointestinal disturbances;
- Feeling of weakness;
- Falls;
- Shaking;
- Muscular rigidity;
- Strange daydreams;
- Nosebleed;
- Outbursts of heat or cold;
- Heartburn;
- Bradycardia, and;
- Dysphagia.
These adverse effects have been reported in patients undergoing treatment with initial doses of 1mg/kg/d up to a dose of 16 mg/kg/d.
What Are CBD Oil's Interaction with Other Drugs?
There haven’t been many studies that looked at the interaction of CBD with other drugs. In general, be very careful with CBD oil if you’re taking other drugs. Always consult with your doctor before taking CBD oil!
What we can distill from the scarce information on this topic is the following:
CBD has been shown to be a potent inhibitor of the following enzymes: CYP450, CYP2D6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2A4, and CYP3A4.
All of these enzymes play a role in the metabolism of many pharmaceutical drugs.
This means that CBD has the potential to interact with any pharmaceutical drug that gets metabolized, at least partially, by one of these enzymes.
In medical terms, any pharmaceutical drug that gets metabolized through these enzymes is called a ‘substrate’ of that particular enzyme.
Cocaine, for example, is a substrate of the CYP3A4 enzyme.
This means high doses of CBD could significantly decrease the metabolization of cocaine. In fact, a study done on mice found exactly that 11. But what they also found was that CBD only significantly decreased the metabolization of CYP substrates like cocaine, when taken in extremely high doses off 30mg/kg. Such a high CBD dose far surpasses the currently maximum recommended dose of 1500mg/day.
Other studies point towards the same effect of CBD only being a strong inhibitor of the CYP enzymes when taken in high doses. But in some cases, this ‘high dose’ is lower than the current maximum recommended dose of 1500mg/day.
In general, if you’re dosing higher than 8-25 mg/kg/day, you need to be extra careful with potential drug-drug interactions when taking CBD.
For a non-exclusive list of CYP substrates that CBD potentially interacts with you can check out this list:
Again, if you plan to take CBD doses of higher than 5 mg/kg/day and are already on medication, please consult with your doctor before taking any CBD.
Guidelines from the Manufacturers of Sativex (Pharmaceutical Drug Containing Synthetic THC and CBD)
If you want you can use the summary of medicinal product characteristics of the synthetic 9 -THC and CBD mixture (Sativex®) as a general guideline for potential drug-drug interactions when taking CBD.
This summary declares the following potential interactions:
- Strong enzyme inducers (e.g. rifampicin, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, St John's Wort) should be avoided whenever possible;
- Co-administration of Sativex with other drugs that are metabolized through cytochrome P-450 enzymes may accelerate the metabolism and reduce the activity of these other drugs such as coumarins, statins, beta-blockers, and corticosteroids;
- If concomitant drug treatment with CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g. itraconazole, ritonavir, clarithromycin) is started or stopped during treatment with Sativex, a new dose titration may be required;
- Care should be taken when co-administering Sativex with potent CYP2C9 inhibitors as it may lead to an increase in exposure to THC, CBD, and their metabolites;
- Care should be taken with hypnotics, sedatives, and drugs with potentially sedating effects as there may be an additive effect on sedation and muscle-relaxing effects;
- Sativex may interact with alcohol, affecting coordination, concentration, and ability to respond quickly. In general, alcoholic beverages should be avoided whilst using Sativex, especially at the beginning of treatment or when changing the dose. Patients should be advised that if they do drink alcohol while using Sativex the additive CNS effects may impair their ability to drive or use machines, and increase the risk of falls.
Reference: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/602/smpc
How to Use CBD Oil?
Click the link below to our guide on:
Where to Buy CBD Oil?
To receive all the benefits of CBD oil, it’s critical that you buy your oil from reputable and transparent producers.
Because CBD oil is such a new market, there are many shady businesses selling low-quality CBD oil.
Low-quality CBD oil might do you more harm than good because you have no clue about the extraction method and what kind of plants they use (they might be full of pesticides for example).
Besides contamination risks, FDA tests have shown that some CBD oils have 0% of CBD in them! So be careful…
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