General Benefits of CBD on human health
December 8th, 2022
By Dr. Gigi Nieto and Dr. Silvia Mireles
Cannabidiol or CBD is a chemical component found in the cannabis plant. The usual formulation of cannabidiol is in oil, but it can be found in other presentations such as an extract, in capsule, in liquid form, or even as an isolate crystalline form.
Nowadays there is published scientific evidence from trials that have been conducted on the various therapeutic effects of CBD on human health, and there are still many ongoing research trials. The most studied CBD therapeutic effect is as a treatment of some syndromes that do not respond to common medications such as: childhood epilepsy, Dravet syndromes and Lennox syndrome; to name a few.
One of the benefits of CBD on the nervous system is that it helps reduce the number of seizures or even in certain cases, eliminate them completely. Within human research, studies suggest that it may also help to reduce anxiety and insomnia.
CBD has multiple functions that are correlated among them: it has antioxidant benefits which work by reducing the production of 4-HNE and MDA, it also has anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties since it helps regulate multiple proinflammatory factors (cytokines) such as IL1β, IL-6, IL-12, IFN - γ and TNF-α, and it also helps decreasing the adhesion and migration of inflammatory cells. Therefore, in several diseases such as psoriasis, acne, multiple sclerosis and even some forms of cancer, its anti-inflammatory and analgesic effectiveness has been demonstrated.
Among the main studies that exist today on CBD, there are several carried out on the use of this component for skin conditions. For example, CBD helps as an additional treatment for acne since it prevents the cells in the skin from producing too much sebum and therefore clogging the pores. In the same way, CBD has been demonstrated to be useful for the healing of the skin lesions caused by acne.
Various clinical trials highlight the antioxidant properties of CBD that contribute to delaying the aging process of the skin. Similarly, due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps reduce symptoms caused by dermatitis and psoriasis, these being inflammatory skin conditions.
References:
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Committee on the Health Effects of Marijuana: An Evidence Review and Research Agenda. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids: The Current State of Evidence and Recommendations for Research. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2017 Jan 12. 4, Therapeutic Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425767/
- Grinspoon P. Cannabidiol (CBD): What we know and what we don't [Internet]. Harvard Health. 2021 [cited December 8, 2022]. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476
