Cannabis cannabinoids as is CBD, are increasingly promising support both in maintaining health and in managing various problems. What are the potentials of CBD, what does it affect in the body and when can the use of CBD help us?

CBD potentials

Hemp is one of the most researched plants in the world. Among other things, we find a large range of different cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids in flower extracts. Next to THC, the second most abundant cannabinoid is CBD – cannabidiol. The World Health Organization has also confirmed that the latter is one of the safest molecules in the world. At the same time, CBD does not have the unpleasant psychoactive effects typical of THC. Both properties have fueled the growing popularity of CBD both among cannabis researchers (as it is the second most researched cannabinoid) and among users.

Many studies e.g. reveal that CBD (either alone or in combination with THC) has shown therapeutic potential in various areas, e.g. epileptic disorders, psychotic symptoms, anxiety, depression, inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic pain, symptoms of multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative problems and elsewhere. An overview of the many potentials of CBD is e.g. clearly shown in the research Non-psychotropic plant cannabinoids: new therapeutic opportunities from an ancient herb. Angelo A Izzo et al. However, CBD is not yet widely approved as a therapeutic agent. CBD is only registered as a medicine in very few cases. This is the case of two epileptic disorders in children, where Epidiolex is used, which contains 10 % CBD isolated from hemp. And in combination with THC (in equal parts), for the therapy of spasticity in multiple sclerosis (Sativex).

Regardless, the use of CBD as a nutritional supplement for well-being and beyond is growing. In A Cross-Sectional Study of Cannabidiol Users, Jamie Corroon and colleagues report that of more than 2,400 respondents between 2017 and 2018, as many as 62 % respondents also use CBD to treat specific health problems. The three most common problems alleviated with CBD were pain (chronic pain, arthritis pain), anxiety, and depression. This was followed by sleep disorders, headaches, post-traumatic stress, nausea, cancer and others. As many as 36 % respondents believed that CBD alone managed their problems very well. Among the three most common problems that CBD alone was very good at alleviating were: chronic pain, arthritis pain, and anxiety.

CBD supports the functioning of the endocannabinoid system

Why CBD has such a wide range of potential is easier to understand if we know what it affects in the body. Among other things, this encourages good performance the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS).

To put it simply, the ECS is an umbrella system that in a healthy body constantly works flawlessly in the direction of eliminating imbalances, all with the aim of maintaining health or balance. Thus, among other things, it ensures that, for example, if necessary, either the immune, hormonal, nervous or other systems react accordingly. For example in case of an awkward fall and damage to the skin on the knee, the bleeding soon stops, as all the necessary measures are taken to heal the damaged tissues and thus bring them back into balance. If, for example, we experience a stressful event (e.g. we narrowly escape a traffic accident), appropriate measures are taken again to restore psycho-physical balance. When we are threatened by harmful microbes, the body also reacts accordingly to disable the microbes and regenerate any damage caused by them. Even in the case of potentially cancerous cells (which are created daily), it is similar, a healthy body with an optimally functioning ECS can more easily recognize and control them in time, etc.

But good ECS performance doesn't last forever. ECS works optimally when we are young, but as we age, so does its power. How quickly the ECS will lose its power also depends on us, more precisely on our lifestyle. The more we take care of a healthy lifestyle, the less strain we will put on the ECS, so it will serve us well for longer. This means that he will not spend unnecessarily on eliminating the consequences that, e.g. it creates the consumption of toxins from whole foods, chronic stress and other factors of poor quality of life.

In order for ECS to serve us optimally for as long as possible, it is therefore essential to take care of a healthy lifestyle first and foremost. So, among other things, eat quality food, take care of the balance of the intestinal flora, drink enough water, get enough sleep and rest, and take care of regular stress management.

If ECS needs support, we can also support it with high-quality natural ones CBD preparations.

When can CBD support be welcome?

The first signs that the ECS is not in the best shape, and that the consumption of nutritional supplements containing a natural extract of hemp rich in CBD can help us are, for example, poor appetite (or excessive craving for low-quality food - e.g. sweets), insomnia, fatigue, muscle weakness, poor concentration, poor memory, poor psychological well-being (e.g. trapped in worries, fears, ...), poor coping with stressful situations and weak immune system system (e.g. if we get sick often).

Cannabinoid support could also be officially confirmed in the future, if ECS is on a stronger footing. dr. Mechulam, the father of cannabis research and the most credited researcher for the discovery of ECS, is e.g. believed that there is probably no disease that is not related to the deterioration of ECS function! A very informative documentary on this topic is The Scientist. dr. Mechoulam, in the expert paper A Delightful Trip Along the Pathway of Cannabinoid and Endocannabinoid Chemistry and Pharmacology, published in January 2023, in the Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Vol. 63:1-13, among others wrote the following. CBD (or its derivatives) will likely be approved for other diseases in the future when sufficient biological/therapeutic data are available. In the article, he also lists a number of medical conditions for which people already use CBD or CBD-rich hemp. These are medical conditions on which cannabis has already shown positive effects in previous research. Among others, he lists inflammation, pain, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, anxiety and stress, type 1 diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cancer.

Text:  Adriana Dolinar, Ph.D.Vet.Med., president Associations for the Awakening of the Whole Man and an external employee of the information center - Zadravje.net.