Cannabidiol (or CBD) – one of the numerous cannabinoid chemical compounds that naturally occur in the cannabis plant – is fast becoming a health treatment of choice.
And, really, that’s no surprise, given the fact an ever-increasing number of scientific studies are confirming vapeable CBD oil and edible CBD capsules UK can help with chronic pain, anxiety and, in some cases, depression. Yet, what of the lesser-known benefits of consuming CBD – what other ailments might it help with…?
Cancer-related symptoms
Research suggests that consuming CBD may help treat – and reduce – symptoms related to cancer, as well as side-effects related to cancer treatments; specifically, pain, nausea and vomiting.
For example, one study’s results of have shown CBD might aid the reduction of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting1, while other studies have come to equally as optimistic conclusions, such as CBD even showing signs of inhibiting aggressive breast cancer spread in mice2.
Needless to say, the latter results came from a test-tube-based, animal study, so (like other similar studies), they don’t give definitive evidence of what works on humans, so further human-based studies are required to draw more solid conclusions here.
Acne
It may surprise you to learn that CBD could provide beneficial effects in treating acne, due to its natural anti-inflammatory qualities and its capacity to counter overproduction of sebum in the skin’s sebaceous glands.
A study has found that CBD hemp oil UK stopped sebaceous gland cells generating excessive sebum, while it also prevented ‘pro-acne’ agents, such as inflammatory cytokines, being able to go about their work3. Elsewhere, another study found CBD may be an effective method to treat acne, owing especially to its excellent anti-inflammatory qualities4.
Neuroprotection
Thanks to its ability to interact with the endocannabinoid system and other brain-signalling systems, researchers believe CBD might also benefit sufferers of neurological disorders. How so?
Well, CBD appears to have an effect in easing symptoms related to epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, as well as in helping address the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Research in this area, though, is relatively new; so, no question, more studies need to be undertaken to truly establish what’s going on here.
Heart health
Finally, while more studies are required to be more certain just how (and how much) CBD might benefit heart health, even the limited research completed here suggests the omens are good – study results point to CBD being capable of reducing blood pressure and playing a role in the prevention of heart damage.
Indeed, not only has a study found that CBD oil reduces resting blood pressure (when compared to a placebo), it’s also found that, when placed under stress (which automatically drives up blood pressure), test subjects experienced less of a blood pressure increase than would be normally expected5.
References:
1. Bloechl-Daum B. et al. ‘Delayed nausea and vomiting continue to reduce patients’ quality of life after highly and moderately emetogenic chemotherapy despite antiemetic treatment’. J Clin Oncol. 2006; 24 (27): 4472-4478. doi:10.1200/JCO.2006.05.6382.
2. McAllister S. D. et al. ‘Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells’. Mol Cancer Ther. 2007;6(11):2921-2927. doi: 10.11 58/1535-7163.MCT-07-0371.
3. Oláh A. et al. ‘Cannabidiol exerts sebostatic and antiinflammatory effects on human sebocytes’. J Clin Invest. 2014; 124 (9): 3713-3724. doi: 10.1172/JCI64628.
4. Oláh A. et al. ‘Differential effectiveness of selected non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids on human sebocyte functions implicates their introduction in dry/seborrhoeic skin and acne treatment’. Exp Dermatol. 2016; 25 (9): 701-707. doi: 10.1111/exd.13042. 5. Jadoon K. A. et al. ‘A single dose of cannabidiol reduces blood pressure in healthy volunteers in a randomized crossover study’. JCI Insight. 2017; 2 (12): e93760. Published 2017 Jun 15. doi: 10.1172/jci.insight.93760.
