CBD – The Less Known Benefits
Although many people talk about THC when they discuss cannabis, the real hero may just be CBD (cannabidiol) as you will read below. CBD is just one of more than a hundred active cannabinoids or compounds present in marijuana, but it behind about 40% of the herb’s extract. And considering its lack of adverse side effects, it is also famous for its entire array of medical applications.
Even with medical CBD gaining worldwide fame nowadays, here are some of its not-so-known or even surprising benefits:
Curbing Nicotine Addiction
In a study conducted at the University College London, each of 24 smokers were given an inhaler of CBD or a placebo. As a result, the participants smoked less cigarettes without increasing their nicotine cravings. This suggests that cannabidiol helped in the withdrawal process.
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Regular cannabidiol consumption has been shown to stop the synthesis of prions, or proteins that lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and mad cow disease.
Inflammation Reversal
With the help of animal models and cell cultures, Cajal Institute scientists discovered that CBD can reverse inflammation and can be very protective against the effects of multiple sclerosis. The study revealed that mice developed superior motor skills within ten days of receiving CBD. This helped the scientists conclude that CBD can play an important part in reducing certain aspects of MS.
Crohn’s Disease
Scientists found some evidence of CBD’s ability to help treat Crohn’s disease, considering that CBD interacts with the system that affects gut functions, which is exactly what Crohn’s sufferers deal with. Furthermore, because cannabinoid also offers anti-inflammatory properties, it can also offer relief to those who deal with Crohn’s, along with other bowel diseases.
Fibromyalgia
While everyone knows of the pain-alleviating effects of medical CBD, only more recently have singled out fibromyalgic pain. This was the result of a study conducted in 2011 on patients suffering from pain from fibromyalgia in particular.
Diabetes
The US National Library of Medicine featured a study which said that CBD prevented diabetes in non-obese mice, and this helped reduce IL-12 production by splenocytes. This cytokine is partly responsible for many different autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes.
Sleep Issues
While tiredness is one of CBDs’ few side effects, it can be used to help insomniacs and others dealing with any type of sleep disorder. Rather than depending on conventional medicines, they can rely on CBD, which is non-addictive and drastically safer.
Mental Disorders
Finally, CBD, when ingested, can have anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory effects, and this helps people with anxiety and even PTD (post-traumatic disorder). But that’s not all. In certain studies, even schizophrenics have been proven to benefit from CBD.