The researchers confirm that in the future, natural CBD could be important not only for the prevention of cardiovascular health, but also for the rapid regeneration of the heart muscle after a stroke or other heart diseases. This is good news, given that the incidence of blood clots has increased enormously in recent "Covid" years.

Many positive effects of CBD have been observed in experimental studies of heart diseases, such as heart attack, heart muscle disease, inflammation of the heart muscle, and heart complications due to diabetes. In these cases, CBD reduced the extent of heart muscle damage and the associated heart muscle failure. Furthermore, it reduced oxidative and nitrative stress, reduced inflammatory processes and, among other things, the collapse of heart cells.

In one of the studies, they tested the power of CBD in case of a heart attack. They recreated the conditions that occur during a heart attack on the hearts of rats. For 30 minutes, they blocked the flow of one of the veins that supplies the heart muscle. After injury, one group of rats received CBD for 7 days. Among other things, they found that the area of damage to the heart muscle due to a heart attack, compared to the control group, decreased by more than 60 %!

Why can hemp cannabinoids support us with cardiovascular problems?

The essential mechanism of action of hemp cannabinoids on our body is through the endocannabinoid system (ECS) of the body. Let me remind you that this is our umbrella system, as it is ranked by many researchers above all other known body systems, such as cardiovascular, hormonal, nervous, immune and other systems. Its role is to bring us back to balance every time we slip out of it - e.g. we are injured, poisoned, we are attacked by microbes when inflammation occurs, if we have experienced shock, stress, broken a leg or damaged body tissues in some other way (including during a heart attack).

Almost all cells of the body, including cells that make up the cardiovascular system (i.e. heart cell, smooth muscle cell, endothelial cell of the heart and blood vessels, immune cells present in the heart, etc.) have built-in components of the ECS, through which this communicates with them and arranges everything necessary for the cells to return to it when the balance is lost. Since the cells that make up the cardiovascular system are also equipped with them, the good functioning of the ECS system is also essential for maintaining or restoring the health of the heart and blood vessels.

As a refresher, let me reiterate what the main components of ECS are. These are cell receptors CB1, CB2, CB3 and others. Then endocannabinoids, which are hemp cannabinoid-like molecules. For example anandamide is similar (analogous) to THC, and 2AG is similar (analogous) to hemp's CBD. The third component of the ECS is the enzymes that take care of the construction or breakdown of endocannabinoids. If all the listed components are sufficient, which is usually the case when we are young, physically healthy and internally satisfied, the functioning of the endocannabinoid system will also be flawless. That this is indeed the case can be seen in the rapid healing or regeneration of possible injuries, be they on the skin, veins or even the heart.

Otherwise, the probability that a person with a well-functioning ECS will experience a heart attack is small, but if it does happen, experience shows that recovery is very fast, and the consequences on the heart are minimal. A healthy ECS, in the event of such an injury, quickly begins an enormous production of endocannabinoids, which leads to rapid regeneration and rebalancing. However, it is different in people who, due to an unhealthy lifestyle and chronic health problems, already have a strong ECS and, as a result, a poor production of endocannabinoids. Consequences, e.g. after a heart attack, they can be large, and recovery can be long.

Because of all of the above, many researches are also focused on how hemp cannabinoids could help people with problems with the cardiovascular system. Given the knowledge of the functioning of the ECS and the fact that almost all cells in the composition of the cardiovascular system contain receptors for cannabinoids and are capable of forming endocannabinoids, the researchers set themselves the goal of coming to the aid of the weak ECS with hemp cannabinoids and thereby replacing endocannabinoid deficiency.

By adding cannabinoids, researchers want to mimic the most ideal functioning of the endocannabinoid system even in the event of an injury such as a heart attack. That this is a good strategy is also shown by the results of many studies. Among them is the above-mentioned research on rats.

In general, the results of experimental consumption of cannabinoids in cardiovascular complications are very promising. These reveal, among other things, that the consumption of cannabis cannabinoids (especially CBD and also CBG, but not THC) either preventively (in people who have demonstrated risk factors for cardiovascular events) or directly after a heart attack (within 24 hours of a stroke), it reduces damage after a stroke by half, compared to not receiving cannabinoids. Ultrasound examinations of the heart, e.g. they show a half smaller area of the necrotic (failed) part of the heart. Patients with cannabinoid therapy also recovered significantly faster and left hospital care earlier.

Which cannabinoids are most helpful for the heart and blood vessels?

According to experience so far, the cannabinoids of choice for cardiovascular complications are primarily naturally derived CBD and CBG, but we avoid the use of the cannabinoid THC. Research shows that it is more beneficial to activate CB2 receptors than CB1 in the case of cardiovascular problems. Let me remind you that CBD and CBG mainly activate CB2 receptors, while THC activates CB1 receptors. There is also an increasing emphasis on natural extracts, which also contain other synergistically acting components from cannabis flowers. As research shows, the consumption of such preparations is more effective, even in lower doses and with significantly fewer side effects, than the consumption of synthetic cannabinoids (or from natural extracts of isolated cannabinoids).

Because the cells that make up the cardiovascular system almost all have many receptors on their cell membranes (CB1, CB2...) or gateway for cannabinoids, an individual with cardiovascular problems responds well to taking even low doses of cannabinoids.

However, since each person is a case for himself, unfortunately there is no single recipe that applies to everyone. Therefore, it is good to consult with a relevant expert in this field regarding the use of cannabinoids in case of such problems, especially if you do not yet know about cannabinoids and have not consumed them yet.

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

Source: https://www.zazdravje.net/zdrava-medicina/cbd-podpira-srce-ob-kapi/