CBD is an ideal natural remedy for anxiety and many other health conditions, helping improve sleep, enhance focus and relaxation as well as ease muscle tension.
Studies conducted so far demonstrate that pure CBD helps healthy volunteers reduce their blood pressure and enhance vascular function, as well as diminish pancreatic inflammation and protect against diabetic neuropathy.
Anxiolytic
CBD has been shown to effectively alleviate anxiety in several animal models. Preclinical research indicates that its anxiolytic effects come from both CB1 and 5-HT1AR receptor actions across multiple brain regions, as well as acting as a negative allosteric modulator of CB1 receptors. Additionally, CBD may reduce THC’s anxiogenic effects by acting as an allosteric modulator on them – acting like an allosteric modulator on CB1 receptors to counteract anxiogenic THC effects by acting as an allosteric modulator on CB1 receptors – with CB1 acting through action across CB1/5HT1AR interactions in multiple brain regions affecting various brain regions impacted by an allosteric modulators of CB1 receptors in multiple brain regions being targeted as well.
CBD appears to reduce aversive conditioning in the midbrain dorsal periaqueductal gray (DPAG) region and block reconsolidation of fear memory in rats, effects that are likely mediated through its connections with amygdala.
Systemically administered CBD was shown to decrease acute increases in heart rate and blood pressure caused by restraint stress, as well as delayed anxiogenic responses in the EPM that occurred through 5-HT1AR activation [85]. Furthermore, CBD prevented an exposure-induced increase in skin conductance fluctuations as well as conditioned avoidance responses in VCT studies [87-88].
Anti-inflammatory
CBD is an all-natural anti-inflammatory that effectively prevents cellular inflammation by blocking the actions of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-. Furthermore, CBD prevents phospholipid peroxidation that occurs under inflammation conditions as well as reduces protein oxidative damage by stabilizing their cysteine residues and stabilizing phospholipid peroxidation rates.
CBD has also been shown to activate the 5-HT1A receptor and increase adenosine levels, leading to decreased TNF production as well as mitigating mitochondrial phospholipid peroxidation.
However, this study contains some significant drawbacks. First of all, its sample was not randomly drawn. Also, participants were recruited through social media platforms which may lead to self-selection bias and cause self-selection bias in participants recruited from that platform.
Anti-tumour
CBD is an effective anti-tumor agent that induces glioblastoma cell apoptosis through activating CB1 and CB2 receptors and the TRPV1 receptor, and inducing ROS production by increasing intracellular calcium levels; this in turn causes ER stress leading to apoptosis and subsequent cell death. Furthermore, evidence exists of its use reducing tumor growth while inhibiting cell proliferation using xenograft mouse models, and even improving effectiveness of general anti-cancer chemotherapy drugs against cancer patients.
CBD therapy demonstrated remarkable effects in FaDu tongue cancer xenograft models when given in combination with Cisplatin (Cis). Furthermore, CBD helped increase the effectiveness of general anticancer agents such as Cis, 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), and Taxol.
Anti-psychotic
CBD appears to exhibit antipsychotic effects both in animal models and clinical trials on patients suffering from schizophrenia. CBD appears to prevent psychotic symptoms in a model of glutamate-based schizophrenia from emerging and reduced the severity of those already present; additionally it prevented catalepsy caused by haloperidol use.
Studies of CBD’s effects in an fMRI setting demonstrated its ability to alter brain activity patterns during processing of fearful faces by attenuating activation in both amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex regions, suggesting it may help protect against psychotic states through altering prefrontal-subcortical connectivity.
CBD was also shown to significantly decrease psychotic symptoms among Parkinson’s disease patients receiving L-DOPA treatment, supporting its potential as an alternative antipsychotic medication with significant side-effects.
Anti-spasmodic
CBD acts as a full 5-hydroxytryptamine (1A) agonist, inhibiting the uptake of serotonin and noradrenaline into cells. Furthermore, CBD also demonstrates several physiologic properties including antioxidant activity, anticonvulsant efficacy and analgesia relief.
Research has proven it can effectively address spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis and cancer pain, while also offering hope in treating migraines, fibromyalgia, and arthritis pain.
CBD is known in pharmacology as a promiscuous drug, meaning it affects multiple processes within the body simultaneously. This wide-reaching therapeutic benefit may be attributable to CBD’s interaction with different receptors and pathways throughout its wide reach.
Anti-seizure
CBD has been proven effective for patients suffering from refractory epilepsy. It reduces seizure frequency while improving quality of life for these individuals and relieving symptoms such as irritability and depression.
Furthermore, TCA interacts with T-type calcium channels present in neurons to decrease their excitability and thus has anti-seizure properties. This mechanism may account for its anti-seizure activity.
An important finding from a randomized clinical trial involving patients with infantile spasms that don’t respond to traditional antiepileptic medications was an improvement in convulsive seizures, total seizures and quality of life when given CBD as treatment. Furthermore, the results emphasized the safety of CBD.
