Cannabidiol (CBD) isΒ emerging as a powerful supplement with anti-inflammatory properties and the ability to help several previously untreatable diseases. CBD oil can help fight cancer and irritable bowel diseases, improve schizophrenia symptoms, and even relieve anxiety and help you get more sleep. Read this post to learn about cutting-edge findings on the health benefits of CBD and how to best use CBD oil to improve your life.

I’ve personally treated over 1,000 clients suffering from things like brain fog and headaches all the way to chronic autoimmune disorders and infections, and CBD oil is one of the most beneficial substances I’ve found that has helped people across a spectrum of different illnesses.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 80 cannabinoids, which are natural compounds found in Cannabis sativa – theΒ marijuana plant [R].

CBD and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the 2 main active compounds found in the cannabis plantΒ and are therefore the most recognized and studied.

Unlike THC, CBD does not produce psychoactive effects and it seems to have a natural protection against the marijuana high [R, R].

CBD has shown promising results as a treatment for a variety of conditions, many of which are otherwise not treatableΒ [R].

CBD in doses larger than conventional therapy can enhance the effect of THC [R].

Health Benefits of CBD/Cannabidiol

CBD and cancer

1) CBDΒ Fights Against Cancer

CBD and other chemicals found in cannabis have an anti-tumor effect and could be used to improve standard treatments [R].

CBD successfully stopped cancer cells in multiple different cervical cancer cellsΒ [R, R].

CBD increased tumor cell death in leukemia and colon cancerΒ [R, R, R].

It also decreased human glioma cell growth and invasion, thus suggesting a possible role of CBD as an antitumor agent [R, R].

Cannabinoids may be promising tools in combination therapy for breast and prostate cancer, due to their direct antitumor effects, their ability to improve the effectiveness of conventional antitumor drugs, and their usefulness as a treatment to reduce pain [R, R, R].

Anticancer Mechanisms:

  • CBD decreased the ability of the cancer cells to produce energy, leading to their death [R]
  • Treatment with CBD helps lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells kill cancer cells better [R]
  • It also blocks CPR55 signaling, decreasing cancer cell proliferation

2) CBD Reduces Inflammation and Autoimmunity

Due to its anti-inflammatory role, CBD is a very promising therapeutic agent for a variety of inflammatory and pain-associated disorders.

CBDΒ Can Blunt Th1 and Th2 Dominance

In a rat model of asthma, both Th1Β (IL-6 and TNF-a) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13) responses are reduced by CBD treatment [R].

CBD decreased the production and release of inflammatory cytokines such as Th1 (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-6), Th2 (IL-4), and IL-8Β [R, R].

CBD Helps with Th17 Dominance

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

Other Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms:

  • CBD reduces the growth and mobilization of neutrophilsΒ [R]
  • CBD reduces the inflammatory Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-1 (MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1beta) [R]

CBD Reduces Inflammation and Autoimmunity

3) CBD May Protect Against Neurodegenerative Diseases

CBD was found to prevent toxic effects of neurotransmitter glutamate and radical oxygen species (ROS) in the brain, thus preventing brain cell death [R, R].

CBD has antioxidant activity greater than vitamin C (ascorbic acid) or vitamin E (Ξ±-tocopherol) [R].

CBD may also protect brain cells from beta-amyloid toxicity, making it a potential therapy in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseasesΒ [R, R].

It may also protect the brain in cases where blood flow is reduced (ischemia)Β [R, R].

Early human studies showed a dose-related improvement in patients with Parkinson’s disease treated with 100 to 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].

In animal models, CBD reversed the cognitive deficits of Alzheimer’s disease [R].

Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, CBD may be a promising agent to treat and prolong survival in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) patients [R].

4) CBD May Relieve Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

Cannabis derivatives may relieve symptoms in multiple sclerosis patients [R].

A combination of CBD and THC is effective and well tolerated in the treatment of muscle tightness, pain, sleep disturbances, and loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence) in people with multiple sclerosis [R, R, R].

CBD May Relieve Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

5) CBD Has Therapeutic Potential for Schizophrenia

CBD is a potential treatment for psychosis [R, R].

CBD improves the symptoms of schizophrenia, but the mechanism of action is unknown [R, R].

Studies suggest that CBD has similar effects as atypical anti-psychotic drugs, but with fewer side effectsΒ [R].

6) CBD Helps with Epileptic Seizures

CBD may be a promising therapy for treatment-resistant epilepsy [R, R].

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 sleep. Drowsiness 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].

After receiving 200 to 300 mg/d of cannabidiol for up to 4.5 months, 7 out of 8 patients suffering from secondary generalized epilepsy and resistant to anti-epileptic drugs had improvement of their disease state [R].

7) CBD Reduces Anxiety

Cannabidiol reduces anxiety in both healthy individuals and patients with social anxiety disorderΒ [R, R].

Studies showed that CBD significantly reduced anxiety and discomfort caused by public speaking [R, R].

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].

Want to learn more about reducing stress, anxiety, chronic inflammation, and getting better sleep? Check out our free 6-part eCourse to begin your biohacking journey.

8) CBD Relieves Pain

Studies suggest that cannabinoids may be a new class of drugs for the treatment of chronic pain [R, R].

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 [R, R, R].

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 [R, R].

Studies show that CBD and opioids act together to relieve pain [R].

9) CBD May Be Beneficial for 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 modelsΒ [R].

The first controlled trial showed that administration of Sativex over 5 weeks produced significant improvements in the 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

A 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 increased nausea or had no effect in animal models [R, R].

THC is an approved drug used to treat nausea and vomiting (dronabinol) in human patients, but more 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].

CBD oil helped me greatly reduce my food sensitivities. If you struggle with food sensitivities, I’d recommend experimenting with CBD oil as well as the Lectin Avoidance Diet, a diet specifically designed to help you pinpoint the exact foods that give you a reaction so you can start eating worry free.

11) Cannabidiol Lowers Incidence of Diabetes

A 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 reduced theΒ development of diabetes in young non-obese mice, from 86% in non-treated mice to only 30% in mice treated with CBD [R, R].

Cannabidiol can inhibit and delay theΒ destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic cells and the production of inflammatory cytokines in diabeticsΒ [R].

This data strengthens assumptions that CBD, which is known to be safe in humans, 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

A 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 [R, R].

Studies show that CBD reduced the heart rate and blood pressure in response to anxiety or stressful situations [R, R].

CBD also influenced white blood cell function and platelet aggregation [R, R].

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, R].

Studies found that antidepressant effects of CBD were fast, continuous over time, andΒ comparable to a common tricyclic medicationΒ imipramine, also known as Tofranil [R, R].

14) Cannabidiol May Help with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Studies confirmed that CBD prevents colitis in animal models of IBD [R, R, R].

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 [R, R].

CBD may reduce gut inflammation severity through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) [R, R].

15) Cannabidiol May Protect Against Bacteria

CBD showed some antimicrobial activity against methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus Aureus (MRSA),Β a bacterium that causes difficult-to-treat infectionsΒ [R].

16) Cannabidiol May Protect Against Mad Cow Disease

Studies show cannabidiol inhibits prions, the proteins that cause fatal neurodegenerative diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseaseΒ 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) CBD Reduces Dyskinesia

Dyskinesia causes involuntary movements.

CBD (combined with a TRPV-1 blocker)Β reduced the symptoms of dyskinesia in mice [R].

Mechanisms:

  • CBD reduces the production of inflammatory markers
  • Compared with the reference point, CBD decreased the amounts of key enzymes that cause dyskinesia [R]
  • 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]

19) Cannabidiol May Help with Insomnia

Research suggests taking CBD before bed improves sleep in people with insomnia [R].

Can’t fall asleep at night and wake up feeling more tired in the morning than you did the night before? Biohacking Insomnia is the only sleep resource guide that looks at all the possible factors you’re missing out on restorative sleep and works to get you sleeping better from a holistic viewpoint so you can finally get your nights-and your days-back the way they should be.

20) Cannabidiol May Be Effective for Treating Substance Use Disorders

Studies suggest that CBD may be therapeutic for substance use disorders.

CBD reduced the rewarding effects of morphine and reduced drug-seeking of heroin in animal modelsΒ [R, R].

21) 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 cravings for nicotine.

22) Cannabidiol May Provide Treatment for Acne

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

23) 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,Β 5HT2A receptorsΒ [R]
  • Activating 5HT1A receptors, CBD exerts effects on nausea and vomiting, depression, appetite, anxiety, sleep and addictions [R, R, R]
  • CBD protects the brain from lack of oxygen, at least in part, via 5HT1A receptorsΒ [R]
  • Compared with baseline (but not placebo), CBD decreased resistin and increased glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide [R]
  • CBD plays a role in the perception of pain and inflammation by activating the TRPV-1 receptor [R]
  • CBD has the ability to block anandamide reuptake and FAAH enzyme, which increases the level of anandamide and indirectly activates CB1 receptors, making it effective against anxiety and depression
  • Modulating intracellular Ca2+ ions and neuron excitability, CBD can reduce seizures [R, R]
Categories: About CBD

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